Unmanned (Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1) | Brian K. Vaughan | When the Battle of the Sexes comes to an...

Unmanned (Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1) | Brian K. Vaughan | Consuming, can't stop at Vol. 1

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Unmanned (Y: The L...

	Unmanned (Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1) Brian K. Vaughan Vertigo, 2003 - 128 pages average customer review:based on 67 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

When the Battle of the Sexes comes to an abrupt end...

I grew up with comic books. In my teens, I was a big fan of the super hero genre but wanted something more from comics when capes and cowls ceased to be enough. Vertigo comics is my touchstone when I'm looking for a great title in comic form, thanks in large part to Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

Y: The Last Man does the Vertigo imprint proud. Brian K. Vaughan doesn't just attempt a depiction of the near-literal end of mankind; he owns it. In clumsier hands - male or female - Y would have been an aimless tale of humanity's survival, inflammatorily sexist, or a pure masturbatory fantasy. Vaughan approaches this ghastly premise with sensitivity and respect to both sides. Nor does he pull punches.

The story centers on one man - Yorick - but, in many respects, the biggest character in the series is an Earth without men. Although the majority of rapists and violent criminals are dead, the world hasn't become a peaceful place. The domesticated female race is left to fumble in a world built by and for men while the readers appreciate the resourcefulness, fortitude, and sheer cruelty women are capable of.

Original, witty, graphic, honest, and grisly, Y: The Last Man is a story that speaks to male and female readers alike. It's hard to think of the world the same way after reading it.

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Consuming, can't stop at Vol. 1

I was introduced to these BKV penned tomes after reading his Pride of Baghdad. As a writer BKV seems fresh and exuberant and not fettered by the vapid effects of being an over-extended and over-published comic writer. The story transitions from gripping and slightly uncomfortable to sandwiching shock between pockets of entertaining and cheeky dialogue. Despite it not being the first narrative of 'gendercide' leaving 1 man in a world of women the story still manages to feel new and unexplored. You'll find yourself physically pumping your arms in the air to celebrate the exploits and triumphs of Yorick & Ampersand.

Pia Guerra was a good choice as an artist for the series. Heavily inked and sketched artistry would have watered down the narrative. Pia's work does not detract from the storyline and in fact seems a perfect fit. I would say though that had I picked a monthly issue up in a store and flipped through it I would have immediately discarded it back to the shelf because the pencils don't draw you in. The story is there to do all the work with Pia's pencils simply supplementing an already brilliant book. Put her drawing in a monthly issue of any Marvel title would be doing her a disservice. Pia obviously made an excellent choice by teaming up with Brian.
I've enjoyed this series of trade paperbacks tremendously and will continue to collect them. If you can find it purchase the original issue #1 of Y:The Last Man - you'll find it a good investment as it's value will only go up in the coming years.

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Going to Be Honest...

I'm going to be honest; though I can tell that "Y: The Last Man" certainly has gotten it's fair share of praise and hype, I've never heard of it until recently. I happen to be a huge fan of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and, since Brian K. Vaughan is going to be writing an arc of that series, I decided to give his creator-owned work a try.

The first arc of Y ("Unmanned") is definitely a winner. While the first issue starts off a bit slow, things pick up and never slow down until the last page, which pretty much makes you want to run to the store for Volume Two. One small negative that I do have to voice is that so many characters and situations were introduced in the first issue of "Unmanned" that it was a tad difficult to remember them when they popped up again in issues two, three, and four. However, all it took was some re-reading of a few pages to set me back on track.

Vaughan deals with an epic situation in this book, while still making the reader feel as if everything going on really could happen. The dialogue is witty but believable, the art is simplistic but very hip and suitable for this series, and each character has a certain mystique, ensuring that there will be as many readers for the second arc in this series as there is the first. Another thing I love about this series is how much Vaughan seems to love this world; In my opinion, you can always tell when a writer loves what they write, and Vaughan's excitement for this series bounces across the pages at every twist, reveal, and joke.

There are, if I'm not mistaken, nine of these trade paperbacks out and even one more that has yet to be released. I have no idea where this series is going, but--as it is just so addictive--I plan to keep at it.

8/10

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Great comic... something a little different.

Brian K Vaughan has become a comic superhero himself. He's a great writer and this proves it again. Comics like these directly compete with movies. I think of comics as movies that could never be made because the budgets would be too high to make them. I don't even look forward to movies any more when there are comics like this out. I'd much rather read these. There are a ton of great series and graphic novels out. Rather than go to the movies... spend the money on this. You'll get more out of it... it's great.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, page 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

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