Why is Y: The Last Man Considered to Be Great?

[NaturalLight]

I thought it was a great series. It did teach me one thing: Being the only dude in the world is not necessarily a good thing.
That said, I enjoyed Ex Machina more and I'm really digging Saga

[Predator jp]

I thought it was great but not worth the praise it gets (it wouldn't even make it into my Vertigo top 10).

that's how i feel about Y as well.
it was good and enjoyable but i wouldn't consider it as classic.

[dvader]

Wow. Am I the only one who, not only likes it, but thinks it IS a classic?

[goof]

Yeah, the explanation was a disappointment.

I can't wait for this to happen with The Walking Dead.

[InformationGeek]

I can't wait for this to happen with The Walking Dead.

You kidding? They'll never explain it. The series will just go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on... dammit why won't it end!? It's just an endless and predictable loop now!

[Rory426]

Wow. Am I the only one who, not only likes it, but thinks it IS a classic?

No, not at all. Otherwise it wouldn't be so roundly praised as one of the best ever. I'm with you anyway.

The things that I loved about it the most were the characters. I got more attached to them than I get to any old book, and every time BKV killed someone off it seemed to mean something to me, whereas with some series I take it on the chin "okay that ends that side-plot". The series brought in and killed off a lot of people along the way around Yorick but always for some reason. I really like it anyway.

[goof]

You kidding? They'll never explain it. The series will just go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on... dammit why won't it end!? It's just an endless and predictable loop now!

If star wars can explain "the force" with a lame explaination, the cause of the zombie apocalypse will be just as bad.

[AtlAggie]

No, not at all. Otherwise it wouldn't be so roundly praised as one of the best ever. I'm with you anyway.

The things that I loved about it the most were the characters. I got more attached to them than I get to any old book, and every time BKV killed someone off it seemed to mean something to me, whereas with some series I take it on the chin "okay that ends that side-plot". The series brought in and killed off a lot of people along the way around Yorick but always for some reason. I really like it anyway.

I'm another in the "love it because of the characters" boat. I think Vaughan did a fantastic job with creating three-dimensional characters I really cared about. Plus, it's the series that got me into reading comics/graphic novels, and so it will probably always have a special place in my heart.

Although I was also disappointed with the reveal about the mystery of the male deaths -- there were so many intriguing directions to go in that were never really explored, and I agree that the ending just seemed too rushed for how long the build up was. So if that's the main reason you're reading the book, I can definitely see ending up very dissatisfied with it.

[Rory426]

I'm another in the "love it because of the characters" boat. I think Vaughan did a fantastic job with creating three-dimensional characters I really cared about. Plus, it's the series that got me into reading comics/graphic novels, and so it will probably always have a special place in my heart.

Although I was also disappointed with the reveal about the mystery of the male deaths -- there were so many intriguing directions to go in that were never really explored, and I agree that the ending just seemed too rushed for how long the build up was. So if that's the main reason you're reading the book, I can definitely see ending up very dissatisfied with it.

I think that with a lot of things. Sometimes the scenario is quite clearly a plot device to put certain characters in certain situations. Depends whether you want to see how they deal with it or what caused it. Not saying that's the case with Y:TLM, but it is the case with some things and it puts people off which I totally understand. Only seen the 1st 4 episodes but that Abrams/Kripke show Revolution seems that way, for example.

[GadgetWK]

Y the Last Man is considered great because the art is good and the characters are written so well. It doesn't cater to the usual adolescent power fantasies of the typical comic book fan, but instead dares to focus on credible characters without superhuman abilities. These characters are flawed and yet complete, and undergo real changes over the course of the series. The overall story is not perfect. The pacing is a bit slow in the middle third of the series, though there is plenty of action and excitement overall. The last few issues were powerful, and the final issue was outstanding.

I enjoyed Ex Machina, despite the photo-traced artwork, up until near the end. In the final stretch, the story fell apart. The ending was rushed, and some of the characters were distorted beyond recognition near the end.

^ Nailed it. I love Vaughan's stuff. Ex Machina was outstanding, but the last few issues were hard to read. Saga is definitely his best work so far though.

I loved Y. I read the first few issues and couldn't stop til I was done. The characters just felt so real, so tangible. But it's just a personal taste thing. I have friends who I have introduced to the book who loved it, and some who couldn't make it through the first volume.

[Billy Batson]

I find the "character" point silly. There's plenty of (Vertigo) series that have better, more memorable and as flawed characters than Y.

[Shellhead]

I find the "character" point silly. There's plenty of (Vertigo) series that have better, more memorable and as flawed characters than Y.

It's a combination of flawed and likeability with the Y characters. Plenty of Vertigo comics feature memorable and flawed characters, but they often come across as jerks.

[hydro123456]

It's a combination of flawed and likeability with the Y characters. Plenty of Vertigo comics feature memorable and flawed characters, but they often come across as jerks.

That's an interesting observation.

Hellblazer - Constantine is obviously a selfish dick, with no regard for his friends.
Sandman - Morpheus is a selfish dick, and vengeful. Even my favorite character of all time, Hob Gadling, is pretty hard to like when you take a good look at him.
Lucifer - Selfish dick, vengeful.
Transmet - Spider is a selfish dick, and a psychopath, despite the good things he does.
Preacher - Jesse's not really a bad guy (though he has his moments), I had a hard time sympathizing with all his macho bullshit though.
Invisibles - I really don't care for anyone in this comic apart from the transvestite, and maybe Jack later on.

I still like all those comics better, but they are short on likeable characters. The only classic Vertigo comic I can think of that had mostly likeable characters is Swamp Thing. Coincidentally it probably is my favorite of the bunch.

[jesse_custer]

I enjoyed Ex Machina, despite the photo-traced artwork

Actually, photo-referenced artwork. There's a difference.

Preacher - Jesse's not really a bad guy (though he has his moments), I had a hard time sympathizing with all his macho bullshit though.

And the book clearly makes the point that his macho bullshit was not cool, even though a lot of it could be explained by his upbringing. By story's end, Jesse is a better man.

[hydro123456]

And the book clearly makes the point that his macho bullshit was not cool, even though a lot of it could be explained by his upbringing. By story's end, Jesse is a better man.

This is true, but for the vast majority of it I had a hard time relating to him. That doesn't make it a worse book by any means, I just thought it was interesting that most of the old Vertigo books were filled with a lot of unlikeable characters.