Y: The Last Man Vol. 2

Y: The Last Man Vol. 2
(Cycles)
Written by: Brian K Vaghaun
Illustrated by: Pia Guerra
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Vertigo
Language: English
September 2003, $12.99
Genre: Graphic Novel


From writer Brian K. Vaughan (Swamp Thing, The Hood) and up-and-coming artist Pia Guerra comes a view of a dystopian society where suddenly - and without warning - a mysterious plague kills every living creature on the planet with a Y chromosone...in other words, no more men! Except one. Yorick Brown has somehow survived. It's now a very different world, and his unique status is far from privileged. He finds himself on the run from a coven of Amazons who want him dead...one of whom is his own sister! As Yorick Brown, the last man on Earth, begins to make his way across the country to California, he and his companions are forced to make an unscheduled stop in Marrisville, Ohio—a small town with a big secret.

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Dr. Mann, Yorick, Agent 355 and Ampersand find themselves trying to get to Dr. Mann’s other laboratory on the West Coast. Of course nothing could be as simple as hopping on a train and going event free. The little subplot of the little burb in Ohio was nice. Some would say that this volume is not as strong as Unmanned and while I agree that it switches gears a bit, I liked the change of pace and didn’t find it any less interesting plot wise. Maybe the secret behind the small town is hardly surprising and had me envisioning Rosie the Riveter a bit with a twist, but I think if things went south there are certain groups of people who would be able to cope and rebuild better than others because their lives before the plague come in handy now. Of course it isn’t without its flaws. Yorick’s reaction to the small town’s secret is a bit drama queenish for me, but then again the boy is not perfect and that is why I like him. I will also comment that for all his pining and obsessing over his girlfriend, Yorick was awfully quick to forget about her when it was convenient. Hero continues to be interesting as much of a nutter as she is and I am curious to see how it pans out. I can’t forget the ending either because whoo hoo.

There are some decent explorations in this series, some a bit glossed over and not as complex as I would like to be, but things that make you think. How would I, as a woman, react? I have heard that some people disagree on how women have reacted in the story. A lot of things have gone into chaos, but I think people forget that it isn’t that the men have disappeared it’s the fact that half of the population is now gone. The society that is left has lost their husbands, sons, brothers, fathers, and more. And yeah, half the workforce. To be honest, I think they have coped remarkably. The Amazons, as crazy as they are, are believable. Some are feminists taking the anti-male rhetoric to the extreme and others are easily brainwashed because they are lost, or grieving or just a little broken. Then there are others who are going to band together in a positive way, who despite their loss are going to try and start over and continue the only way they know how (Marisville).

I am still digging this series though and cannot wait for more.

3.5 out of 4 happy bibliosnark bookmarks