This goes for the whole series...
Fantastic story telling and my favorite graphic novel to date ( )

A worldwide virus kills off every male creature on earth with the exception of the main character and his pet monkey. Great series with top-of-the-field writing by Vaughn. ( )

A phenomenon causes all men on the planet to die, except one. Yorick Brown, son of an English professor and a congresswoman, and his monkey Ampersand are apparently the last males living of any species. Nobody knows why. But maybe they can keep the human race from dying out - as long as none of the crazy gangs kill Yorick first.

I thought this set up a great "what if," and had a convincing way of exploring what could happen if most males died. Yorick is an interesting guy - escape artist, English major, and surprisingly well-adjusted for being named after a skull in a play. For you other Lost fans out there, this is the comic that Hurley brings on Flight 316. Recommended for fans of science fiction; I would rate it R, primarily for language and violence. ( )

The story of amateur magician Yorick Brown and his pet monkey Ampersand, the only two male mammals known to have survived a mysterious plague that simultaneously killed virtually everything with a Y chromosome. I'd heard great things about this series, and this first volume (of 10) was a very promising start. ( )

I'm not a big fan of graphic novels. I liked the Sandman series, but that was written by an excellent novelist. My husband, who likes graphic novels more than I do, didn't like this one. But Volume Ten is nominated for a Hugo award for 2008, so I wanted to read all of the Hugo nominated Graphic Novels and wanted to start with the first in the series. I liked this so much that I am ordering Volumes 2 - 9 to read the entire story.

The tale is of a plague that destroys all mammals with a Y chromosome, except for one young man and his male monkey. We don't find out why he was spared, but we do find out some of the problems he would face being the only man left on Earth. He is not particularly smart or strong, but he does have some awesome allies, including his Congressperson mother. The story is told in flash backs that catch you up with the cover picture and move forward. The drawings are very descriptive and the dialogue is witty. I look forward to reading the rest of this series. ( )

I don't read many graphic novels but I started and finished this one the first day. The story develops slowly, but there nearly always tension or humor. Can't wait to start the next collection. ( )

Ok I've read the full thing but I'm not up to adding all the 60 issues by hand right now. Yorick is lovely and ALAS I knew him horatio. ( )

It was good; I want to read the next one. That's a positive sign, right? I'm not really an avid comic book reader, so I'm not the best one to write a review, but I like the fact that it's illustrated by a woman, and the women are depicted somewhat realistically, you know given that it's a comic book and all. ( )

I have to admit that I was not initially disposed to think highly of Y: The Last Man, since at a cursory examination, the amateurish artwork by Pia Guerra and Jose Marzan is such an immediate visual turn-off. Nonetheless, I decided to give the first volume a chance, since it has been talked-up pretty far and wide.

And I can't say that I regret it - beyond the makeweight illustrations, Brian Vaughn has crafted a thought-provoking tale. His dialogue is often quite silly and his reliance on cinematic pacing doesn't always work well, but it's undeniable that this story is packed with ideas, some of them quite intriguing. Now if I can just bring myself to ignore the completely ridiculous plot device that has eliminated the majority of male mammals from the planet, I just might be able to make it to the second volume in the series. ( )

Fantastic series. I have loved the whole thing, even the weird bits. It has everything: strong characters of both genders, engaging plot, post-apocalyptic musings, hilarious comedy, and a poorly-behaved monkey. What's not to love? ( )

My fiancee picked this graphic novel up on the advice of some friends and I, in an attempt to avoid reading my legal casebooks, picked it up. An hour or so later I put it down, wondering if the comic book store was still open and, if so, if it would be silly for me to drive over to get the next volume.

Y, the Last Man starts with a simple premise: what would happen if all the men were to die? Suddenly and inexplicably? All, that is, except for one. One man, and one male monkey- the only creatures carrying a Y chromosome left alive, so far as anyone knows. Chaos ensues, naturally, but the authors have created some interesting variations on the usual theme. They also recognize that women are clearly every bit a multifaceted as men, so you get your crazy warrior ladies, glad to have seen the last of the men, along with the women who just want to hide in their beds crying, and pretty much every type in between.

This looks to be an interesting series; though I (sadly) resisted the urge to buy the next volume that night, I definitely plan to pick it up one of these days. The series consists of 10 volumes, all of which are currently available, so no need to sit and impatiently wait for the next volume either! ( )

Something happens around the world - all of the men die - well, except for one (two if you count his monkey friend). Great graphics, great characters and a stunning plot that makes you want more. ( )

Yorick (his father was a drama teacher) is feeling left behind since his friends all went off travelling. His girlfriend Beth is no exception and is off exploring Australia. For company he has a helped money he is supposed to be training he names Ampersand. As he proposes to his girlfriend over a long distance phone call something terrible happens. A mysterious plague sweeps the world killing everything male. Yorick and Ampersand are now the last males of their species.

They set out to try and find out what makes them different to all the other males who have been left for dead. The world is in choas wondering how life will continue without male sperm donors. A group of women nicknamed Amazons are destroying sperm banks and monuments to malesas they believe it is divine justice for all the rapings, seriel killers and abusers. The Amazons burn off one of their breasts when they join up and are particularly violent to the other women.

Yorick is looking for his sister Hero as well as a scientist who may be able to clone him and tell him why him and Ampersand survived. Coming to his aid is the mysterious secret agent called 355 who is part of the Cupler Ring. Alongside that is the wish of some women for him to propogate the species in the usual fashion when all he wants to do is find a way to get to Australia and find Beth.

An adult set of comics published by Vertigo (the home of Fables and The Sandman among many others), this was a fantastic beginning to the series. Apocolyptic but set oin a world not very far away from our own, it looks at the realities of a world of women only (besides Yorick and Ampersand of course). The choices the women make along the way were dealt with very well (eg a former top model becomming a garbage truck driver and rgretting her boob job) and it seemed very realistic. Highly recommended, expecially to those who enjoy darker graphic novels that make you think like Fables and The Sandman. ( )

Though I'm not a regular reader of comics, I do so love apocalyptic fiction, and this series opener does not disappoint! It's mysterious, violent (definitely for "mature audiences"), creepy and full of intriguing characters. Yorick, the last man is likable, but has flaws, which I find much more fascinating than those out-and-out, "can do no wrong" types. I look forward to the next in the series! ( )

What an astoundingly good graphic novel series this has turned out to be. A friend gave this book (along with its first sequel) to me and my wife as a joint birthday gift -- what a great gift! The story's concept (roughly: all the men on earth, save one, die) is thought-provoking; the action, pacing, and characters are all great; and the art is really good. The protagonist, Yorick, is particularly appealing.

I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in a good story and a fascinating mystery. If you're a fan of the post-apocalyptic genre, you need to read this one. I can't wait to see how the plot develops as the series progresses!

If you're looking for novels with similar premises -- albeit with the gender roles reversed from Y: The Last Man), I'd recommend Herbert's "The White Plague" and Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale."

Review copyright 2008 J. Andrew Byers ( )

Okay, I haven't quite finished Y: The Last Man yet, but that's only because the final volume (contaning the last six issues of the comic) has not yet been published. I'm gonna credit myself with having read the whole book now and then impatiently bide my time until I know how the story turns out.

Written by Brian K. Vaughan and pencilled (mostly) by Pia Guerra, Y: The Last Man is the story of Yorick Brown, a young slacker and escapologist who finds himself literally the only male alive after a plague spontaenously strikes the earth. What caused the gendercide? Why did Yorick survive it? How will the world survive after such a trauma?

Yorick soon finds himself teamed with a tough-talking government secret agent known only as 355 (a real badass lady) and a scientist named Allison Mann. It's hoped that if 355 can get Yorick safely to a genetics lab in California, Dr. Mann will be able to study him and perhaps clone some more males. Meanwhile, Yorick is obsessed with finding the woman he loves -- only she's in Australia...

Vaughan has really thought about what might happen to the world if all the men suddenly fell out of it. The story spreads out until it encompasses much of the globe and the passage of several years, so the reader really gets a chance to know Vaughan's dystopia. And though he manages a wide cast of characters with skill, he never loses focus on the Yorick/Mann/355 triptych. All very impressive. It alll reminds me of a cross between Lost and I Am Legend (if the latter had, in any of its many incarnations, been any good).

People who still don't believe that comics can be art should be shown Y: The Last Man. Oh, and did I mention that Yorick's best friend is a monkey named Ampersand? Everything goes better with monkeys.

Read this from my public library, because the series has just ended, and has gotten a lot of critical acclaim. I won't be reading more than this first collection (the first 6 issues). Pia Guerra's artwork is very well done, but I couldn't suspend enough disbelief for several major plot points in the writing.

The basic premise, that all but 2 male mammals in the world would die of some presumably biological disease at exactly the same moment, just doesn't work for me. Even if such a sexually targeted virus occurred, it's not believable that it would kill all of its victims simultaneously, instead of spreading gradually. I assume the cause of the "gendercide" is explained at the end of the series, but I don't have the patience to find out.

The social response to the death of 48 percent of humanity has mixed believability. The economic infrastructure would be devastated, and this is well thought out. But I imagine the governmental & scientific institutions would bounce back faster, especially with a focused effort to research the biology. Vaughan has one rogue scientist looking at the problem, and she is targeted by the Israeli secret service trying to suppress a cure so their Arab enemies won't propagate.

A similarly unrealistically selfish motive is that of the known surviving human male, Yorick, who is fixated on getting to his girlfriend in Australia. I would hope he would dedicate himself to a cure instead.

Worst of all in this writing are the Amazons, a violent gang controlled by a cult leader. I know the survivors would be devastated and looking for stability, but I can't see so many people burning off one breast and killing on command.

I can suspend plenty of disbelief in genre fiction (superhero comics, for instance), but anything purporting to be science fiction has to pass some tests of common sense. An apocalypse of this magnitude would indeed have wide-ranging horrific consequences, but too many of the details in this story put me off of any further reading of it. ( )

I was hooked on the fourth panel. ( )

A plague has hit the world, resulting in the death of every male human (and other male animals as well.) Yorick Brown, and his male monkey are the only two known male survivors.

Vaughan sets up the plague by showing difference scenerios, each of which MIGHT be a factor. He shows a post-apocalyptic all female world that surprisingly does not either deifiy nor denigrate women. (It turns out that women are not much better at running things than men in the end.) This is volume one, and it leaves the read with enough question to keep going. I am eagerly awaiting volume 10. ( )

Summary: Yorick Brown is the ultimate escape artist – not only can he break out from under lock and key, but he is also the only male that has survived a worldwide plague. He is literally the last man on Earth. Now it is up to him and Agent 355, a secret government operative, to figure out what caused this “gendercide”, why he is the only man left alive, and how they can avert the extinction of the human race.

Evaluation: I’ve never been a comic book fan and have a hard time seeing what enjoyment people get out of reading them. So imagine my surprise when I totally got into this novel. I realized that it takes a whole different set of literacy skills to read a graphic novel. Not only do you have to figure out how the dialogue flows, you also have so much more to process because of the images. I thought the storyline for this series was intriguing and realistic because something like this COULD happen in these times of biological weapons. The author balances the weighty topics and violence with humor and the artwork is amazingly done to focus in on the emotions of the characters. I look forward to continuing this series and finding out why Yorick is the last man standing. ( )

With its magnificient, well-thought-out premise of gendercide, this series would make for a fabulously twisted birthday gift for that certain someone. Highly recommended, yummy science fiction of extreme wit & savvy, and a fine graphic novel with a strong narrative line.

This is the third graphic novel series I've dabbled in, and, although it's by far the most popular on LT, it was also by far my least favorite.

In this series, a mystery plague of some kind has (apparently) killed every male mammal in the world. The only survivors appear to be Yorick, an unemployed English major, and his pet monkey, Ampersand.

Yorick makes his way across the country to Washington, D.C., to find his mother, a U.S. representative. Then, with a top secret agent of a mysterious agency that dates back to the Revolutionary War, goes off to hunt for a maverick geneticist whose mad scientist/self-cloning experiment may have had some part in causing the plague. At the end, the three are preparing for further wacky adventures.

Unfortunately, the book display exactly the kind of too smart for its ownself writing that drives me crazy. "Yorick"? His sister "Hero"? It's the old use Shakespearean names instead of biblical ones for symbolism thing. And the president of the U.S. (former Sec. of Agriculture) is just going to let the only man alive in the world wander all over the U.S. with just one special agent?

I'm totally accepting of the "willing suspension of disbelief" necessary for things like "The Walking Dead" and "100 Bullets," but it just wasn't working here. I can suspend my disbelief for things that are outside regular human experience (the plague) far, far easier than over what seems like departures from expected human behavior, if that makes sense.

Yet, as with the past couple of books I read, there were certainly scenes and ideas that partially made up for things. Here, it's when the wives of dead Republican senators/reps attempt to storm the White House and claim their husbands' seats. In a very tense scene, we learn just how little it can take for the shooting to start.

And when Hero is "forced" to kill someone to show her loyalty to the Amazons, that's pretty powerful, too.

In the end, I have to say there are better things out there to read. ( )

http://iamrazorwing.livejournal.com/2... ( )

What would it be like to be the last man on Earth? While not a particularly unique premise, it is this question that is addressed by the comic series Y: The Last Man. A mysterious plague instantaneously strikes dead every mammal with a Y chromosome. Except for Yorick Brown and his capuchin monkey Ampersand, that is.

Unmanned collects the first five issues of the series. In it, the disaster hits and nearly half the population of the planet dies. Understandably, things are rather chaotic and society more or less collapses. While the women start rebuilding civilization, Yorick wants nothing more than to be reunited with his girlfriend Beth who is on the other side of the world in Australia. Of course, there's the entire fate of humanity to take into consideration, as well.

I very much enjoyed this first installment. The artwork is well done, although quite a few of the women end up looking a little too similar. Also, some of the plot details are inconsistent. Whether or not this is intentional, I don't know. Guess I'll just have to go out and get the next volume.

Experiments in Reading ( )

When a 'plague' wipes out every male mammal on the planet almost instantaneously, there are two exceptions - New York loser Yorick and his capuchin monkey.

Vaughn's script manages to rise above the typical nerd misogyny that pervades such 'last man' stories to deliver believable characters struggling to cope with a world that suddenly and inexplicably lost half its population. ( )