By Brian K Vaughan and Pia Guerra, Vertigo Comics
In my experience Y The Last Man is essentially universally likeable. The central hook of the comic is that every male organism on earth suddenly dies with the exception of two survivors: Yorick, a naive twenty-something, and his pet monkey Ampersand. The pair is eventually teamed up with Agent 355 and brilliant scientist Dr. Alison Mann to discover the source of the pair’s immunity and to cure the plague. The book hinges on the group saving humanity, escaping man-hating Amazons, surviving the predations of Israeli commandos, and finding Yorick's lost sweetheart, Beth, in a ladies-only dystopian future. Thematically the book is an extended examination of the relationship between genders and how they do or don't fit together. For all its action and suspense, Y is at its core a really insightful book. Brian K Vaughan is a superb writer who masterfully and seamlessly mixes humour, drama, comedy, and action to create an eminently readable story. Pia Guerra's art is similarly brilliant: with a clean, detailed, and expressive style that really enhances the story. Y The Last Man is also kind of the perfect comic for new readers: the story is a real page turner with lovable characters and endless cliff hangers and the artwork is gorgeous and accessible. I have leant this series to many non-comics readers and they have all enjoyed it and been open to trying another comic. So even if you aren’t comics people read Y The Last Man. Empirical data suggests you will not be disappointed.
Word count: 250
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