Y The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan and artist Pia Guerra.
© DC/Vertigo
Alas, Poor Yorick
By: Kurt Amacker, ColumnistDate: Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Greetings, Maniacs, and welcome to another entry into the Comicscape canon! Last week, I had to pick between two important subjects – the return of Captain America – temporary or not – and the conclusion of DC/Vertigo’s fantastic Y: The Last Man. Given the mainstream media attention garnered by the return of the Star-Spangled Avenger, I thought it prudent to write about that. It also afforded me the time to reread – and thoroughly enjoy – Y: The Last Man from the series’s beginning. But, by its conclusion, I realized that no summary could render justice unto the story. Hence, this week’s Comicscape won’t give you an issue-by-issue review of the series. It simply features too many characters and subplots to summarize beyond a cursory explanation of the premise. Besides, I wouldn’t want to ruin it for anyone that ignores my spoiler warning. With that in mind, know that I will hold nothing back. This column will serve best those who have already read the series.
Writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Pia Guerra’s Y: The Last Man premiered in September 2002 to near-instantaneous critical acclaim. A few issues in, every comic shop owner and reader knew that DC/Vertigo had published another epic in the vein of Preacher, Transmetropolitan, and its other ongoing, yet finite, series. Vaughan’s series began with a worldwide plague that instantly killed everything with a Y chromosome. Everything with a Y chromosome died – human, animal, and even spermatozoon. But somehow, Yorick Brown and his pet capuchin monkey survived the plague. Yorick’s mother, Representative Jennifer Brown, directs her son to Dr. Allison Mann – a foremost expert on human cloning who has gone so far as to experiment on herself. She assigns Agent 355 of the covert Culper Ring to escort her son to Boston to Mann’s lab. But before their work can begin, agents from the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) destroy her lab and move to capture Yorick for leverage in international affairs. With Dr. Mann’s contingency lab in San Francisco and little in the way of cross-country mass transportation – most airline pilots having been male – the three have no choice but to travel by any means necessary. Yorick really just wants to locate his girlfriend, Beth, who wanted to tell him something important over the phone from the Australian outback before the phone lines died. To complicate things, Yorick’s wayward sister, Hero, has fallen in with the Daughters of the Amazon – a radical feminist militia led by Victoria, a charismatic leader that believes that Mother Earth purged herself of men on purpose, and that they must find and kill the last man (and his monkey). With the Daughters of the Amazon and the IDF in pursuit of Dr. Mann, Agent 355, and Yorick, the three must not only find a way to clone the last man, but to understand how he survived. No less than the future of the human race depends on their success. But along the way, the three will encounter a world both radically different and depressingly similar to the one before the “gendercide.”
I have to congratulate Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, and inker Jose Marzan, Jr. for giving us one of the best comic series of the last five years – one that, in its first year or two in print, many justifiably called “the new Preacher.” For my money, Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s epic from a few years ago remains one of the best ongoing comic series ever printed. And, in many ways, Y: The Last Man overshadows that series with a degree of subtlety and nuance lacking in Ennis’s more direct style. Preacher throws bombs – great ones, to be sure – but, Y asks questions. The obvious one arises from the very premise, in exploring a world with virtually no men. No doubt, a few academics anticipate such a world with glee, but Vaughan casts a more cynical eye. In his post-apocalyptic world, racism, war, and fanaticism still guide the hands of those willing to spill blood to solve their problems. In fact, General Alter Tse’elon of the IDF believes that the future of Israel depends on the outside instigation that will ensue once the country captures the last man. She states unequivocally that a country without enemies will succumb to internal strife. And yet, the series wears its optimism on its sleeve. By the end of the series, Vaughan effectively implores us to have faith in our own resilience. He suggests that the human race can and will survive terrible things. Though the end result may look different, we will always adapt and overcome. In the last issue, we see Yorick as a suicidal older man, locked away by his daughter Beth, who now serves as president of France. One of Yorick’s many clones visits him there, while he reflects on his life and relationships beyond the end of the main narrative on issue #59. Though the future certainly has fewer men, neither circumstance, nor magic, nor extremism could extinguish the human flame.
I find myself almost at a loss for what to say about Y: The Last Man. It raises so many questions and ideas that no one column can do it justice. I could write one piece about its ideas about gender roles, another about its treatment of ethnicity, one about its perspective on bioethics, and one more about its success as a ripping post-apocalyptic road story. I’ll try to touch on each briefly, as this column should above all serve as a loving farewell to one of my favorite stories.
With regard to gender roles: Y began with a potentially controversial premise and explored it both openly and with due delicacy. Feminism and the broad area of women’s studies – or gender studies, depending on the school – present a potential sensitivity minefield. This may come across as a straw man argument, but I firmly believe that some people would readily embrace a world unequivocally ruled by women. Vaughan epitomizes that radical school of feminist thought with Victoria and the Daughters of the Amazon. Though all the men, save one, have died, they continue to adhere to a fascist ideology that forbids even mourning the loss. They burn sperm banks, disrupt memorial services, and try to enlist women in a vicious cult that fights a war that’s effectively over. Vaughan emphasizes that extremists often use their goals for ulterior motives – usually money or control. Professional activists only remain as such so long as they can keep their followers unhappy. As soon as their ills have faded away, they become unemployed. Victoria ultimately wants followers to give her the credit and status she feels the patriarch denied her before the plague. She has no real interest in larger ideals, and only uses the pursuit of the last man as fuel for her fire. Y: The Last Man offers a reassuring counter-example in the countless women presented in the series that mourn the loss of men, but work to keep the world moving. Rather than let the human race die out at the whims of extremists, they do everything they can to reestablish commerce, build relationships, create art, and otherwise resume, not the patriarchic, but the human way of life. Vaughan even emphasizes the similarities between the sexes with characters that resume those less justifiable human institutions many assume would disappear with men. Prostitution, organized crime, and even a right-wing militia all appear in Y. Vaughan suggests that, for good or for ill, the sexes aren’t as different as some would like to think.
Y treats ethnicity with a degree of intentional distance. His main characters include a white guy – Yorick, a black woman – Agent 355, and a Chinese-Japanese-American – Dr. Mann. And, while some of the characters they encounter adhere to a degree of racism, the three main characters rarely breach the issue in relation to their understanding of each other. That’s not to say that Vaughan simply wrote three blank characters and colored them differently. Dr. Mann’s ethnic heritage in particular plays a significant role in the story. However, whatever discomfort or racial tension any sane character in the story might have felt effectively dies with the plague. Those that still adhere to the old boundaries come across as hopelessly dim in light of the circumstances. Vaughan emphasizes our common humanity with a multicultural cast that doesn’t so much preach a diversity mandate as say, “F—k it, we’re all human. Let’s work together.” In fact, the greatest tragedy of the story remains the unfulfilled love of Yorick and 355. Though Yorick pines for his old girlfriend Beth for nearly the entire series, he fails to acknowledge the mutual romantic feelings he shares with 355 until the very end. But, throughout their subtlety evolving relationship, their ethnicity never becomes an issue.
Y: The Last Man takes a fairly moderate and even-handed approach to bioethics, summed up thusly – if you’re creating life for selfish purposes, no good will come of it. Once cloning becomes the only option to ensure the survival of the human race, any consideration of avoiding it dissipates. Even Yorick’s mother, Representative Jennifer Brown – a pro-life Democrat that once opposed human cloning – sees that replicating her son stands as the only means to perpetuate the human race. And, cloning ultimately succeeds, as we see by the story’s end. The world has more than a few copies of Yorick, with new strains emerging in the labs. But, those efforts to clone human beings for selfish reasons ultimately bring misfortune to the characters responsible. Dr. Mann attempts to clone herself to best her father, with disastrous results. Her father, Dr. Matsumori, remains convinced that human cloning represents the future of reproduction. After cloning his daughter several times over, he insists that the plague heralds an evolutionary leap, and that men are no longer needed. While Vaughan never allows the story to settle on that single answer – by my count, he suggests three possibilities – Matsumori’s work brings nothing but calamity on both the main characters and the larger world. Y: The Last Man offers a simple, coherent vision of the larger role of science – that it should always serve humanity, not just a single human.
Finally, I can simply gush about how much fun I’ve had reading this series over the past five years. I love a good road trip story, and Y explores the rich landscape of the everyday lives of characters living in a post-apocalyptic world. In every story arc, we encountered a different set of women coping with the plague in their own way. With much of Hollywood decimated, a band of actresses form a traveling theater troupe. The inmates of a women’s penitentiary repopulate the town their former prison kept afloat, living in an almost utopian suburbia. The submariners of the Australian Navy gain instant dominance over the world’s oceans, with no other women trained in their craft in the world. A right-wing militia cuts off I-40 in Arizona and prevents supplies from crossing the country, convinced that the government caused the plague. The Catholic Church struggles to find a man that might assume the Papacy, so that it can properly allow women to join the priesthood. With each arc, Vaughan and his creative team explored the day-to-day goings-on of several groups of women and institutions, each reacting to the plague in their own way. The story never loses sight of the rest of the world for its main characters. Over its 60-issue run, the series explored a range of human experiences in response to an unimaginable tragedy. Y: The Last Man begins with a grand premise, but it succeeds through its most personal moments.
I can only close by thanking Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, Jose Marzan, Jr, and the litany of guest artists that worked on Y for the incredible job they’ve done. They’ve given us one of the best comic stories in recent memory – a tale both epic and personal, with fantastic art and more food for thought than you can swallow in one reading. I’ll miss this series with all my heart, but I’ll gladly suffer the loss for the experience it’s given me. It’s been a long road, but a great ride. If you’ve read the series, I hope you feel the same way. If you haven’t, I hope this column inspires you to grab the trades. Comics don’t get much better.
The Spinner Rack
By Ben Johnson and Kurt Amacker
Kurt: I’d like to point out that yesterday was Mardi Gras, so I assume no responsibility for whatever inanities lurk below.
DARK HORSE COMICS
Abe Sapien The Drowning #1 (Of 5) $2.99
Kurt: How the hell can Abe Sapien drown?
Blood Plus TP Vol 01 $10.95
Ben: In my case it would be plus a .9 alcohol level.
Kurt: If I would gladly trade your alcohol level for mine right now.
Bride Of The Water God TP Vol 02 $9.95
Ben: Enimas ahoy!!
Buffy The Vampire Slayer #11 $2.99
Ben: Kurt’s wife, take notice.
Chunchu Genocide Fiend TP Vol 03 $10.95
Ben: I’m all for the gassing of manga.
Gunsmith Cats Burst TP Vol 03 $10.95
Hanami International Love Story Vol 3 TP $9.95
Red String TP Vol 02 $9.95
Ben: See: Kotex.
Kurt: Ben: I hate you.
Star Wars Legacy #19 $2.99
Star Wars Rebellion #11 $2.99
DC COMICS
All New Atom #20 $2.99
Batman Confidential #12 $2.99
Batman False Faces HC $19.99
Countdown Special OMAC $4.99
Kurt: I can’t quite bring myself to care.
Countdown To Final Crisis 12 $2.99
Detective Comics #841 $2.99
Kurt: Grant Morrison’s run continues. Just roll with it guys. If you try to make sense of it, I think you’ve missed the point.
Diana Prince Wonder Woman TP Vol 01 $19.99
Ben: I still can’t believe Jessica Biel turned down this roll. How many wet dreams will go unfulfilled?
Exterminators #26 (MR) $2.99
Fables #69 (MR) $2.99
Ben: The double sized, double oral issue.
Kurt: I’d like to warn any children reading about the preceding remark. Don’t read it again.
Green Lantern Corps #20 2nd Ptg $2.99
Incognegro Hc (MR) $19.99
Ben: Further proof that all the good names are taken.
Infinity Inc #6 $2.99
Jonah Hex #28 $2.99
Justice League Unlimited #42 $2.25
Justice Society Of America #12 $2.99
Ben: Now that X-Men has rocked so much this is my second favorite team.
King Of Cards Vol 03 $9.99
Looney Tunes #159 $2.25
Ben: Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch take over with this issue.
Kurt: Did Daffy really murder Porky? How can anyone deny it with a security tape – or can they? And, will Bugs take his brutal revenge on F.U.D.D. for turning him into a cartoon killing machine? Tune in nine months from now, when the next issue finally comes out?
Metal Men #6 (Of 8) $2.99
Kurt: I told you, if it’s not about goddamn Dethklok, I’m not reading it.
Midnighter #16 $2.99
Nightwing #141 $2.99
Northlanders #3 (MR) $2.99
Ben: Filthy Norwegians (P.S. google Petersburg, AK).
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Ben: No wonder Wonder Girl is so into him.
Kurt: You’re an a—hole.
Scalped #14 (MR) $2.99
Ben: READ THIS BOOK!!!
Scalped TP Vol 02 Casino Boogie (MR) $14.99
Ben: And this if you missed out. Freaking incredible.
Supergirl #26 $2.99
Superman Chronicles TP Vol 04 $14.99
Swan Vol 12 $9.99
Kurt: Guest written by Michael Gira.
Teen Titans Year One #2 (Of 6) $2.99
Ben: It’s a year one story that takes place in modern times… LAME!!
Vinyl Underground #5 (MR) $2.99
Kurt: This book rules. It’s like Hellblazer with club kids. Read it.
Wildstorm Revelations #3 (Of 6) $2.99
Ben: Revelation #1 – No one cares.
IMAGE COMICS
Bakers Babies & Kittens HC $18.99
Ben: I would be much more interested if it was Baked Babies & Kittens.
Circle #3 $2.99
Crawl Space Xxxombies #3 (MR) $2.99
Ben: Porn and zombies do mix.
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Darkness #2 Sejic Cvr B (MR) $2.99
Freshmen Vol 2 Set $12.00
Overman #3 (Of 5) (MR) $3.50
Ben: Because he takes control.
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Scud The Disposable Assassin #21 $3.50
Spawn #175 $2.95
True Story Swear To God Image Ed #10 $3.50
Ben: LIAR!!!
Witchblade #115 $2.99
Kurt: Now with breasts! Why buy porn when there’s a world of Michael Turner covers out there?!
Witchblade #115 Sara Pezzini Cvr A $2.99
MARVEL COMICS
Amazing Spider-Man #549 BND $2.99
Ben: Spider-Man continues to invest in the Brunei Dollar.
Anita Blake VH Guilty Pleasures #8 (Of 12) $2.99
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Ben: Not as good as Annihilation, but how can one top perfection?
Clandestine #1 (Of 5) $2.99
Essential Avengers TP Vol 06 $16.99
Lords Of Avalon Sword Of Darkness #1 (Of 6) $2.99
Marvel Adventures Iron Man Tp Vol 02 Digest $7.99
Marvel Illustrated Moby Dick #1 (Of 6) $2.99
Ben: Insert Dick joke here.
Kurt: Can I put it somewhere besides a joke?
Marvel Two-In-One #8 $4.99
Kurt: Then again…
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Kurt: Or, even here…
Ms Marvel #24 $2.99
Omega Unknown #5 (Of 10) $2.99
Ben: So awesome.
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Super Villain Teamup Modoks 11 Tp $13.99
Thor Visionaries Walt Simonson Tp Vol 05 $24.99
Twelve #2 (Of 12) $2.99
Ben: That’s a lot of… never mind, over it.
Kurt: I would think that you’ve got enough to deal with at home, now that the baby’s born.
Ultimate Spider-Man Tp Vol 19 Death Of The Goblin $14.99
Uncanny X-Men #495 Dws $2.99
Kurt: Divided We Stand begins here. This isn’t a crossover, so much as a banner in the same vein as The Initiative. Whee.
Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at comicscape@mania.com.
It's also very sad to see what happens through his last years and learn the fate of his companions.
This comic is in the same level of Preacher where once you read the whole series, you understand that the last chapter in the serie is the only fitting fate of the characters and there wouldn't be any other choice but to end the comic the way it was ended.
I'm very curious how they will put this comic in a movie because this story has way too many subjects that are ''sensative'' in America (gays/lesbians, human cloning, women in power, etc...). I'm afraid that they will tone down too many of the soul of the story in order to put this in an ''American'' production.