Customer Reviews

Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1 (Deluxe Edition)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Plague? Black Magic? Terrorism? Act of God? Could / would something simultaneously kill every mammal possessing a Y chromosome? Even unborn mammals in the womb? Well, according to Y: The Last Man, on July 17, 2002, that's exactly what happened...with the exception of one male human being and one male Capuchin monkey.

Y: The Last Man chronicles the life of Yorick Brown and his pet monkey Ampersand as they are thrust into a female-only society. And society is in chaos. The realization that the planet is doomed without a reproducing, intelligent species is not lost on its inhabitants. Some accept their fate; some fight to find a way to reverse the annihilation; and some even denounce any fight to survive as opposition to God's will.

Hence, to some, Yorick Brown is the ultimate opposition to God's will....A sole human male survivor. So when Yorick teams up with a government agent and a genetic scientist on a journey across the country to get to a laboratory to find out 'what makes him different', or to try to discover if there's a genetic 'solution' to this disaster, you can bet the band of travelers run into some hostile forces.

The storyline is not without some controversy....Well, I see no controversy, but I'm sure that certain groups might view the nature of a population unable to civilly function without men a bit 'controversial'. Regardless, Y: The Last Man is very well told, exciting, twist-filled and keeps you pressing on. It took me just under 2 hours to get through Book 1.

The stories originally were delivered in 10 Volumes (collecting the 60 individual newsstand comic books). Book 1 is a Deluxe, Hardcover combination of "Unmanned" (Volume 1) & "Cycles" (Volume 2).

Volumes 3 - 10 are readily available individually if you don't want to wait to collect the rest of the Hardcover Book compilations. Fair warning...Volumes 6 - 10 start getting a little (just a little!) long in the tooth, as perhaps more of an attempt to drag the story out and keep a great revenue generating series alive, but nevertheless, Writer Brian Vaughan keeps readers compelled to press on.

Rumor has it (according to [rumored] Director D.J. Caruso) that a movie adaptation will come out in three films...the first of which could be released as early as 2009 (with [rumored] Shia LaBeouf as Yorick). Hopefully, Hollywood will maintain the integrity of the series and not dumb down this fabulous "controversial" tale that the authors created.

Like seeing an old friend again. It's an awesome marketing strategy by DC to put out a deluxe version of the beginning of Y just after the series finished. Crank up the nostalgia factor and run with it.

Now, on the merits, it's interesting to go back to the beginning and see where Vaughan was going with it. He's already starting to layer in the plots and hints that carry throughout the entire series. Yorick's confused and easily-sidetracked quest for Beth; the beginnings of the fraught relationship between Dr. Mann, 355, and Yorick; Natalya, the astronauts, and Kansas; even feces-flinging Ampersand. Vaughan's gift for interspersing bizarre facts and general geek chic isn't in the sort of full swing you get from Ex Machina yet, but his knack for the cliffhanger is in top gear.

All around, an excellent collection of the material. It's nice to see in an oversized hardcover, where Pia Guerra's art - and outstanding feel for human expression - is on full display. My only complaint is that a "deluxe" edition really could stand to have some more extra material. The sketches are fun, but I'd love love love to see a Vaughan script in raw form. I bet that would be downright revelatory.

I haven't enjoyed a graphic novel this much since Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. Y: The Last Man is everything a great comic should be: dark, funny, wildly original and fiercely compelling. If you've never read a graphic novel before, but enjoy TV series such as Lost (which Vaughan became a writer on starting with season 3), Heroes or Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (which now has an eighth season in comic form), you owe it to yourself to read this one.

But should you get the softcover versions (both Volume 1: Unmanned and Volume 2: Cycles are included in this single book) or this "Deluxe" hardcover version? The cost is about the same. The hardcover is more impressive, with larger pages that do a great job of showing off the vibrant artwork. But the softcovers are sleek and portable, and contain all of the same content except for a few pages of sketches. No matter which you choose, you won't be disappointed.

Y: The Last Man Book Two continues the story. You won't want to miss it.

"It is now technically feasible to reproduce without the aid of males (or, for that matter, females) and to produce only females. We must begin immediately to do so. Retaining the male has not even the dubious purpose of reproduction. The male is a biological accident: the Y (male) gene is an incomplete X (female) gene, that is, it has an incomplete set of chromosomes. In other words, the male is an incomplete female, a walking abortion, aborted at the gene stage."
-Valerie Solanas

"Y: The Last Man" is one of the single greatest achievements of the comic book format, fit to stand alongside any other truly thought-provoking work of fiction as a science fiction giant. This is simply a must-read series for anyone who doubts the power of the graphic novel as a legitimate medium for adult literature and storytelling. It's themes run deep, it's characters are unforgettable, it induces tears of laughter and sorrow, rewards the philosophical thinker and pop-culture geek alike, and answers questions we never thought to ask. Question the first: how would women get along without us men? The answers given are likely to offend chauvinist and feminist alike. That is to say, they are most likely very close to the truth. I'm reviewing the entire 60-issue series here. These "deluxe edition" releases collect the story in 5 hardcover releases as opposed to the 10 trade paperback releases.

The story kicks off with a bang. As in every Y chromosome on the planet self-destructing. Every single male of every single species of mammal just drops dead, and just like that the world descends into anarchy. At this point, we meet our heroes, an average nerd named Yorick and his ill-behaved pet monkey; the only surviving male specimens on the planet. Where does one go from here? Y: The Last Man" chronicles the rise of a new society freed from the chains of patriarchy along with the exploits of Yorick and the women whose job it becomes to make his useless life worth something. And let's face it boys: without women we are nothing. While this simple and inescapable fact is among the themes explored, this story is anything but a rosy portrait of a utopian feminist society designed to please the politically-correct crowd. No, sir (or ma'am). In fact, Earth's new custodians waste almost no time picking up exactly where man left off fighting each other for resources (with Yorick himself being the most valuable bit of political leverage and prestige for whichever country can nab him), squabbling over petty politics, and forming violent gangs. After all, the more things change the more they stay the same. However, as I stated, this brave new world exists not just to portray women as simple victims of the same destructive human nature that it is normally only socially acceptable for men to indulge in, but to examine a vital truth: anything of value a man can do, a woman can do. If she needs a basketball slam-dunked, I'm sure she'll give us a call, but at the end of the day (or the world) the importance of the Y chromosome is primarily limited only to reproduction.

Yorick is eventually assigned by the new president of the United States to a member of a secret government agency known only as Agent 355. Along with Doctor Allison Mann -the world's foremost expert on cloning- the three set out to save the world as it moves on regardless of the countdown to extinction that has begun. Women very quickly adapt to take over the roles once dominated by their male counterparts and soon have the infrastructure back in working order in most places. But with roads still clogged with vehicles and corpses and bikes and motorcycles being among the first resources to be claimed, 355, Dr. Mann, and Yorick have one hell of a road ahead of them before they find the cause of the malepocalypse and any hope of a solution. And with Yorick being hunted by Israeli commandos, a murderous anti-male cult known as the Daughters of the Amazon, a reporter, and even a ninja he's going to have to learn to shut his big mouth and blend in. Good luck with that.

What really makes Y: The Last Man sing is the writing. The characters are just a joy to see upon the page. Fiercely individual, extremely relatable, and with rich backstories are the ladies of Y. Fans of strong female characters will be in Heaven. The delicious irony, of course, is Yorick's status as a huge socially-awkward nerd who suddenly finds himself the most desirable human being on the planet and at the mercy of the many beautiful and dominant women he meets in the 60 issues that this story takes place over. But he only has one woman on his mind: his dreamgirl Beth was on a trip in Australia when he proposed to her over the phone even as every other man on the planet died a horrifying death. The phone service went down before he got his answer and now his goal is to somehow get Down Under and find his woman. Did I mention she dressed as Zatanna for Halloween? No wonder he's crazy about her. Yorick is one of the wittier characters I've ever come across and is practically a fountain of humorous pop-culture references. He's also rather bold for a geek and has trouble not blowing his cover as he travels incognito wearing a gasmask or a burka. Thankfully 355 is about as hardcore as a human being can be and proves more than capable of handling trouble. Dr. Mann is spectacularly-written character as well and makes a good case for being the highlight of the series. At this point I should point out that the art is flawless. Entirely without flaws. The covers are some of the best in all of comicdom and everything from the character models to the facial expressions are to die for. In fact, this entire production was nearly flawless.

Now let's get to the good stuff. Y is a comic made by adults for adults. While the series exercises much restraint in keeping the sex and nudity to important plot points (the first several arcs feature none at all), it is extremely frank and realistic in it's portrayal of sex and violence. Plus, the characters swear like sailors. This book pulls no punches. Not even a little. Full frontal male and female nudity as well as disturbing gore are depicted, and it should be to nobody's surprise that in a world where heterosexual relationships are no longer an option, there are same-sex encounters. But what I love about how Y handles the adult material is just how mature they are about it. If you are looking for adolescent male fantasies about unrealistically-proportioned women who constantly throw themselves at the male lead and one another for the sake of titillating of the reader, you aren't going to leave very fulfilled. The sensuality is simply a function of the situation that the characters are in and while Yorick (and others) obviously find willing partners from time to time, it always feels organic. The characters make real connections with one another, and that can make all the difference. The world is extremely rich with details pertaining to the socio-psychological workings of a post-male society. And while some women's sexuality fluidizes as an evolutionary function of their new environment (ala prison), others capitalize on the situation by going transgender (complete with phony beards) to make a profit as faux-male prostitutes and in Japan they even manage to make a masculine android to pimp out. One of my favorite little story sidebars involves a traveling acting troupe who decide to make their own play with a premise similar to our story's. This is used by the writers as a way to not only poke fun at themselves (one character says she hates it when crappy fiction steals names from Shakespeare to try and seem intelligent), but to comment on the critics and the creative process behind the story as well. And it definitely is not lost on the author that male characters are now portrayed onstage by women in contrast to the days of The Bard where women were not allowed onstage and were portrayed by male actors. Shakespeare is a common theme of Y as well.

Really, it's amazing how much is crammed into 60 issues. An epic story, outstanding art, dozens of characters you wish you could meet in real life, comedy, tragedy, hope, despair, hate, love, sensuality, revulsion, drama, action, social commentary, life, death; there is nothing missing from this narrative. Nothing. Series like Y& is why the comic medium will never die. It's a thing of science-fiction beauty and a work of art by any standard. Do not miss it. Hollywood has plans to adapt the series into a film TRILOGY. Sounds amazing, right? Well yeah, but the catch is that it's been handed over to the same hacks who made Disturbia and Eagle Eye. Boo. And guess who they have in mind for the lead. Thankfully, word has it that Shia Ledouche has no intentions of playing another geek and I applaud him for it. On the other hand, the plan for the lovely and talented Alicia Keys to play Agent 355 has my full support. If the films are allowed an R-rating consider my tickets bought, but rest assured that they will not live up to this masterpiece. Y: The Last Man is a mandatory read for all who claim to love comics and graphic novels. I doubt we'll see as effective a sci-fi tale anytime soon.

Y the Last Man is an entertaining story of the last known human male (and his male monkey) to survive a mysterious event that killed all creatures with a Y chromosome. It may not be wholly realistic, but the story has some unique twists, the dialogue is entertaining, and the portrayal of women contains some complexity.

This story is set in a world of devastation and desperation, but Vaughan manages to keep things from getting too depressing. This is mainly due to Yorick, who happens to be the last man alive, but isn't particularly smart or heroic. His characterization may disappoint those accustomed to the brave, take charge type of heroes; however, I find him funny, realistic, and intriguing. Despite being a bit of a loser, Yorick is sincere and admirably unwilling to take advantage of his situation as the last man alive. His devotion to his girlfriend Beth, who is trapped on the other side of the globe, gives Yorick the motivation be more than just a self-interested twenty-something.

It is interesting to see a depiction of a world suddenly devoid of men. We get views of different female stereotypes and extremes, but there are plenty multi-faceted female characters as well. I also appreciated the art by Pia Guerra. Having a woman illustrate this book is perfect. Her depictions of women are much more realistic and contain a lot more diversity than the outlandish female forms seen in many comics and graphic novels.

This collection only contains the beginning of the story, and ends at a point that left me eager to read more. There are a few instances of shocking violence, which I felt were effective at portraying their tragedy. There is some adult conversation and language, which seemed realistic to most of the characters (but I did get sick of Yorick's fondness of the f-bomb). There is some partial nudity in a dream sequence, and the Amazon's (who are maybe a little too unrealistic) have each removed a breast--this is not shown, but the idea is semi-disturbing.

You won't want to read Y the Last Man with the kids, but if you're an adult reader who can handle a moderate amount of adult content, I highly recommend this collection. The adventures of Yorick are surprising, sometimes funny, and unique enough to leave me begging for more.

A friend told me about this series, so I picked the first book up to check it out. I loved it so much I went back to the store and got this deluxe edition too. I can't wait to see how the series ends.

This is a great series to check out if you are new to graphic novels. The plot line could easily be a novel, but the artwork helps convey the story in fewer words than a novel would require. The deluxe editions are much nicer than standard paperbacks, but I do wish the paper was of a higher quality (that would bump my rating up to 5 stars). The paper used in these editions is thick, but matte (feels almost like thick newspaper to the touch) instead of the slicker paper you get in some graphic novels. I am sure a super deluxe edition will come out in a few years and I'll have to buy the whole series again. (Not that I mind).

Close to a year ago, when I heard about this deluxe edition (the first of five) coming out, I decided to wait for it instead of jumping into the TPB volumes. I'm glad I did. For close to the same price as the first two TPBs, this heavy hardcover was well worth the wait. High quality binding, large and clear pages, a little extra sketch-work, and a 'collectible' feel, this deluxe edition is certainly superior to previous printings. An authentic, oversized hardcover with a removable dust jacket, this one looks good in any collection.

As to the story, this one covers the first two TPB volumes of the series, Unmanned and Cycles. In the beginning you are treated to a fast-paced and chaotic overview of the catastrophe that literally kills every male mammal on the planet except for our hero Yorick and his pet monkey Ampersand. The rest of the story follows Yorick in his efforts to reunite with his family and his lost girlfriend Beth. During his journey he encounters all manner of allies and enemies and generally has a rollicking adventure across America.

Vaughan's setting for this story is completely unique and well-done. Obviously, the world has gone into chaos, with many important jobs for society being left essentially undone, and crime and anarchy generally ruling the day. While it will be interesting to see the direction Vaughan takes the overall story of how the world copes with the loss of all men, the real story here focuses on the exploits of Yorick Brown. It is both interesting and pleasing the way the huge tale is almost exclusively told through the limited scope of Yorick's immediate surroundings and encounters. Full of mystery and subtle promises of exciting adventure in the future, this story grabbed me and easily held my attention the whole way through.

I can hardly wait to read the next installment, which will be published in this deluxe edition soon. We'll see if I will be able to stand the wait for the rest of the series to come out in this format. Very highly recommended!

This is a very good comic. Great story line. a disease infests earth and it is the adventures of the last man on earth.

The cover of this book has a blurb that says "The best graphic novel I have ever read" - Stephen King. Since I am a big fan of Stephen King's work, I decided to trust his opinion and check out Y: The Last Man vol. 1 Deluxe Edition and am I ever glad I did. I read the entire book (first 10 issues) in one day because I could not put it down. It is a very well written science fiction story about some sort of plague wiping out everything with the y chromosome (ie: all the males including animals). This leaves a world full of women. How will they rebuild society with no males? Oh wait, there is one male still alive, his name is Yorick and his male helper monkey's name is Ampersand. These two males are the only known living males on Earth. Some females want Yorick dead, some want him to participate in cloning experiments to continue the human race, but all Yorick really wants to do is find his girlfriend in Australia. Pick up this book and follow Yorick on his journey through an apocalyptic world filled with women trying to rebuild society. You won't regret it.

Stephen King and I now have something in common: we both think that Y: The Last Man is the greatest graphic novel we've ever read.

I bought this book a couple months ago when I was just starting to get back into the graphic novel/comic book scene. This is the first hardcover graphic novel that I bought, and I glad I did (I just wish I would have waited for Book 2 to get in stock instead of buying the TPBs of Issue 3 and 4). I don't know why, but I kept overlooking this gem on my shelf, figuring I would enjoy something else more. Thank goodness something got me to pick up this book the other night, so I could finally jump on the Y: The Last Man train.

Before I opened the book, the story seemed a bit ridiculous to me, and very removed from reality; that changed about one issue in. The story is a "simple" one - a plague of some sort has hit, and it kills every male creature in existence, all except for Yorik and his male monkey, Ampersand (you know, the "&" sign). Yorick (from New York City) sets off to find his mother (a representative in Washington D.C.), his sister (an EMT worker in Boston), and his girlfriend (who happens to be in Australia at the time of the incident).

Though the story sounds simple enough, Brian K. Vaughan weaves an intricate plot with many twists, and more importantly, excellent, believable, relatable characters. Vaughan takes what should be a ridiculous premise that "all the boys die", and turns it into a scary, plausible, "what if that really happened" scenario. It will frighten readers with its realistic punch, and then dazzle them with its smart and witty dialogue. Y: The Last Man is something special, and can stand on its own as one of the best pieces of literature I have come across.

No one should miss this!

(This Book One Deluxe Edition contains the first 10 issues of the Y: The Last Man story, the same as both paperbacks Volume 1: Unmanned and Volume 2: Cycles)