Customer Reviews

Y: The Last Man Vol. 8: Kimono Dragons

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Brian K. Vaughan never fails to amaze. Whether it be with his political superhero book Ex Machina, his subversive teen book Runaways, his original graphic novel Pride of Baghdad, or his original hit, Y: The Last Man, he sure knows how to tell a great story. Though the previous arc, Paper Dolls, wasn't as strong as some of the other Y stories, it still had its good points, and as we learn in Kimono Dragons, Yorick's decision at the end is having some repurcussions. This story, as well as the two stand-alone backstory issues that accompany it, are amazing, and may be the best Y since the Safeword arc. That isn't to say that the stuff in between wasn't good, it was, but Kimono Dragons and Safeword are just that good.
Yorick Brown, the last man on Earth, Agent 355, his bodyguard, Dr. Allison Mann, a geneticist, and her lover, Rose Copen, have finally arrived in Japan. They have been journeying here ever since Yorick's pet monkey Ampersand was stolen by a ninja named Toyota. This was mere moments after learning that Ampersand was the key to returning men to the planet after the plague. Upon their arrival, Yorick and 355 go to search for Ampersand while Dr. Mann and Rose track down Mann's mother. Allison believes that it is no coincidence that the port city that Ampersand was delivered to was the same city that she grew up in with her parents.
Yorick and 355 have to deal with some Yakuza members on their way to getting Ampersand back, with some pretty humorous results (let's just say that the new leader of the Yakuza is a pretty funny look at a certain aspect of pop culture). We also see Yorick and 355 begin to show feelings for each other, which could complicate things between Yorick and Beth, his girlfriend/fiancee who is waiting for him in Paris.
Speaking of people named Beth, Hero, Yorick's sister, has successfully brought Beth II and Beth, Jr. (Beth II had a one-night stand with Yorick about a year prior to the events of Kimono Dragons) back to the "Hot Suite" where the first male born after the plague is being held until he can become innoculated against the plague. Their victory is short-lived due to the arrival of a character who has caused numerous problems for our heroes in the past. Elsewhere, the encounter between Allison, her mother, and Rose leads to some interesting revelations about Allison and the plague itself.
Following Kimono Dragons are two one-shot issues that show some of the history of Allison and Alter Tse'elon, an Israeli militarist who believes that it is her duty to bring Yorick back to Israel so that the Jews may be repopulated while the Muslims die out. The two stories are very interesting and show us some of the characters' motivations for doing what they have done throughout the course of the series.
As I said, Vaughan never fails to impress, and knowing that the wait for the next trade will be about six months is excrutiating. There were some good cliffhangers in these stories, and from what has been said about the following arc, not only is it very good, but we are finally treated to some revelations that have been nearly 5 years in the making.

Brian K. Vaughan's submersive and addictive Y: The Last Man never ceases to amaze, and this eighth collected volume is no exception. Kimono Dragons finds Yorick, Agent 355, Dr. Mann, and Mann's lover Rose in Japan in search of Yorick's kidnapped monkey Ampersand, who may very well be the key to the fate of mankind. However, also on the trail of Ampersand is the skilled ninja Toyota, who drops her own bombshell as a missing link to what caused the plague is revealed, all while Yorick and 355 deal with a schizo pop-star who has her own plans for the poor monkey as well. As the volume comes to a close, we get a glimpse of Dr. Mann's past, including her tumultuous relationship with her parents, as well as a look at the past of Israeli soldier Alter, and a shattering conclusion that will leave you salivating to see what happens next. Vaughan's storytelling is still excellent, and he manages to reveal just a little bit at a time without going overboard with the suspense. Pia Guerra's artwork does the job as well, which is what veteran readers would come to expect. All in all, Y: The Last Man still manages to be the most addictive Vertigo series since Preacher, and you'll be left begging to see how it all ends.

The best way to relay my surprise and ultimate devotion to this particular work is to describe my initial reaction to a summary by a friend who'd read it. She said, "It's about the world after all the men but one dies." I thought to myself, well, it certainly will be a more peaceful world. Brian Vaughn makes an incredibly valid arguement to the contrary and I had to reflect on myself and how I would handle a world where 90% of pilots, truck drivers and other male-dominated professions were simply wiped out and resources were scarce - let alone the inner demons we would have to face and conquer. This is a magnificient work, remarkable in its scope and depth of understanding of human nature. I highly recommend it.

I enjoyed this installment of Y because of the unexpected surprises and plot twists here. :)

Y The Last Man was dangerous for my sleeping habits - I usually read for half an hour before bed, but each time I'd pick up one of these trade paperbacks I'd read it cover-to-cover in a single sitting. #8 was no different - it took all my willpower to not dive into #9 immediately upon finishing the last issue.

Y is the male chromosome.

Y is the Yorick Brown.

Y is the last man.

In this graphic novel series, we follow the adventure of Yorick, the last know man alive after a sudden plague wipes out the mass of male humanity - and all the male mammals except for Yorick's helper monkey-in-training, Ampersand.

I cannot give you an accounting of the individual books. After reading the initial book on a Tuesday, I had to go and get what I could to finish reading the series. I was able pick up all but the last volume. Having read through the next eight volumes, I sit and wait for the final volume to be sent to me. I can't wait.

I want to know just what caused the plague. I want to know if there's a cure. I want to know if our hero (not our Hero) finds his love. The narrative is compelling and I fell in and I need a resolution. I have to give credit to the collaborative team behind the creation and continuation of the series. I literally couldn't put the books down and I was at a loss when I had to stop with the story arc unfinished.

Read these books, they might not be deep, but they sure are entertaining.

I'm one of those people that always wait for the other shoe to drop. While I have loved every second of this series, I'm waiting for it to come off the rails. Well, it hasn't with this trade and I now doubt it will. This trade gives us more history with some of the non-main characters and some great story ideas. Vaughan always comes up with ideas that I simply didn't see coming. I have no idea how this could be better!

There are two flaws in this book, to me, MOST of the women are good looking (which is not really realistic).
2ndly, when its over you'll actually miss the characters.

This is my favourite comic. Its got a great sense of humor and an extremely interesting story.

The Last Man series is a must read for any fan of graphic novels. It is an instant classic.

I was turned on to Y The Last Man at work when I saw someone with the comic. I asked him what it was about and he told me. Being a fan of post-apocolyptica, I asked if it was any good. He looked straight into my eyes and said, "I don't read crap, man." If you looked at the guy, a stereotypical comic book/gaming nerd, you could tell he knew his stuff.

I went home and bought all the available graphic novels, 6 at the time. I have no regrets. I have since lent these novels to about a dozen people and they all loved it.

This comic perfectly blends action, comedy, sci-fi, romance, and drama together to create a world where women rule.