“Y The Last Man” #49
By Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
Vertigo Comics
Alas, poor Yorick! The unfortunately named Yorick Brown is the
last man on Earth, with all that it entails: sexual entanglements,
post-apocalyptic biker gangs and a monkey named Ampersand who holds
the fate of humanity in his poop-stained paws.
As you can imagine, “Y: The Last Man” is not a
typical comic book. Absent are the costumed heroes and melodramatic
encounters that pervade the pages of blockbusters such as the
current “Civil War” or DC Comics’ recent
“Infinity Crisis.” Instead, “Y” is filled
with richly developed characters and genuine human interaction in
the face of fantastical situations; technically, it’s science
fiction, but it’s about as real as these things get.
“Y” is the story of Yorick, whose first initial is
also the chromosome wiped out in an unpredictable plague that
killed every male human and animal on the planet ““ except for
him and his monkey. Yorick and Ampersand quickly fall in with
secret agent 355 and geneticist Dr. Allison Mann and make their way
across the remains of America ““ Dr. Mann to research in
California and 355 on an unknown mission.
Meanwhile, Yorick still pines for his girlfriend, Beth, who was
a world away in Australia when the plague rendered communication
impossible. Though he’s indulged in the occasional temptation
over the last four years, he’s remained true to Beth, and as
“Y” enters its conclusory run, it’s fitting that
she’s the first thing to appear in issue 49, the initial part
of the “Motherland” story arc.
“Y” has always been one part comedy and cultural
references and one part dead serious, and this issue is no
different. It opens with a sepia-toned dream that finds Yorick
chasing after Beth in a Dick Tracy-like action sequence.
The dialogue drops tantalizing hints as to why they
haven’t reconnected: “I’ve been trying to tell
you, something ain’t right with me,” Beth tells Yorick
just before he wakes up.
The rest of the issue catches us up with the medium-size
supporting cast, planting the seeds for a resolution to Dr.
Mann’s secret medical problems and a reunion with
Yorick’s sister, Hero.
As always, Pia Guerra’s penciling is superb; neither
cartoonish nor exaggerated, her clean, simple artwork keeps things
focused on the narrative.
Brian K. Vaughan’s writing is similarly fluid, and for the
last several years, “Y: The Last Man” has consistently
been one of the best titles on the shelves. As it nears its finale
(“Y” will end with issue 60), we’ll find out if
four years of life-and-death adventures and emotional journeys will
pay off for Yorick and his friends in a countdown more suspenseful
than “24.” If you’re not already reading, now is
the perfect time to start.
E-mail Greenwald at dgreenwald@media.ucla.edu.