“Y: THE LAST MAN”
Series publication dates:
September 2002 to January 2008

Riveting and provocative, thoughtful and entertaining, “Y: The Last Man" is a series to make you think.

I'M NOT A huge fan of all comics. Many of them are stereotypical to the extreme, with superheroes seducing damsels in distress and saving the general populace with their skills.

However, I am a fan the more intelligent type of comic — the graphic novel. Storytelling through graphics and dialogue often has the ability to dig deep into the realm of human emotions, and often creates a more complex plot than a regular novel could.

Although graphic novels have been around for quite some time (think of the “Tintin” and “Asterix” books, not to mention manga), this art form became more mainstream with the publication of Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” books.

“Persepolis,” Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of her childhood in post-revolutionary Iran, was almost as popular as the “Maus” saga.

However, the graphic novels I find most interesting by far are the volumes that make up the “Y: The Last Man” series.

The series is published in 60 issues by Vertigo, and collected in 10 paperback volumes, titled “Unmanned” (issues 1-5), “Cycles” (6-10), “One Small Step” (11-17), “Safeword” (18-23), “Ring of Truth” (24-31), “Girl on Girl” (32-36), “Paper Dolls” (37-42), “Kimono Dragons” (43-48), “Motherland” (49-54), and “Whys and Wherefores” (55-60).

The first comic in the series was published in September 2002 and the last comic, issue No. 60, came out in January of this year. The 10th volume, “Whys and Wherefores,” which contains the final six issues, will be released June 18. We can also look forward to the film adaptation, slated to be released sometime in 2009.

Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Pia Guerra, the series chronicles the adventures of Yorick Brown, the last man on earth.

“Y: The Last Man” is a fascinating and fast-paced globe-spanning adventure story told without capes, costumes, superpowers, or grotesquely drawn graphics. Guerra's clear and realistic illustrations contributes greatly to the popularity of the series.

The series has a simple premise. In the summer of 2002, something referred to as the “plague” destroyed every sperm, fetus, and mammal with a Y chromosome with the apparent exception of struggling magician Yorick and his male capuchin monkey, Ampersand. Despite this basic premise, the approach to the plot is sophisticated and complex.

In the first comic, we see the men dying simultaneously and instantaneously. As if this were not horrific enough, we get treated to a list of statistics, which makes the ramifications of this event truly sink in. For example 95 percent of all commercial pilots, truck drivers, and ship captains died. Almost all (99 percent) of the mechanics, electricians, and construction workers died. The stock exchange shuts down and so on.

Society is plunged into chaos as infrastructures collapse and the surviving women everywhere try to cope with the loss of the men. And all Yorick, who should focus on more important things, can think about is getting to Beth, his girlfriend on an exchange-student program in Australia. He is a thoroughly ordinary guy. But everyone wants a piece of him.

Needless to say the last man becomes an object of interest to the president of the United States, who wants to keep him safe. The DNA experts want him cloned; a radical group known as the Amazons want him dead, and the Israelis — now the only superpower — wants him for something sinister.

Somewhat reluctantly he embarks on a mission to find the source of the plague and possibly an antidote. He is accompanied by Agent 355, a shadowy government spy, and Dr. Allison Mann, an expert on asexual reproduction (cloning).

A suddenly female-dominated world is explored, with plenty of pertinent social commentary.
Women are forced to adapt — violence becomes much more prevalent (so much for the idea that a peaceful utopia would ensue if women ruled the world), travel is near impossible, and it’s equally difficult to find friendly, helpful people. It seems everyone is looking out for herself only.

It’s interesting to see how life changes in this situation. Some women continue to grieve the loss of the men in their lives. On the other hand the radical Amazons are thrilled that all the “oppressors” are dead.

Will the new world withstand the loss of an entire gender? Will they adapt or die? Suddenly debates about the ethics of cutting-edge science seem quaint. Will the cause of the “plague” be revealed?

Riveting and provocative, thoughtful and entertaining, “Y: The Last Man” is a series to make you think. What if this really happened? How would we deal with this kind of catastrophe?