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

[Alan Smithee]

I started in the middle, backed up to the first volume, and was easily engaged up until the (craftily) ambiguous ending. The last panel, so in keeping with the character's hobby, was terrific. Y: TLM was like a great road adventure with fleshed-out characters, not unlike LOTR or Heinlein's Glory Road.

That said, and not to sound snarky, I couldn't help but think that the subtext for a kinda-schlub like Yorick was he was a surrogate for a type of comix reader, who even in a world without competing men had trouble getting laid.

I'd be hard-pressed to rank it, because it's a pretty unique adventure, rather humble but engaging and well-paced enough that, as the old saying goes, it's all about the journey and not the destination.

[Parch]

I still think it's very entertaining, but I understand the criticisms. It fizzled out for me too. I think it suffers from the flaws of most ongoings. If it's selling, milk it.

For stories like this, I much prefer it when a writer has a predetermined beginning, middle, and end instead of having it open ended just to keep making money. If it's a mini, maxi or a set number like 50 issues or whatever, tell the story without turning it into a never ending soap opera. There isn't an ongoing that I've felt hasn't suffered from stretching.

[Mideon]

It had some boring stuff but the premise kept me interested. Unfortunately, I don't think this book really explored its premise as well as it maybe could have. Somebody could probably write another book on the exact same premise and tell a completely different story. It was a really good comic though.

[Wild_Child]

I still think it's very entertaining, but I understand the criticisms. It fizzled out for me too. I think it suffers from the flaws of most ongoings. If it's selling, milk it.

For stories like this, I much prefer it when a writer has a predetermined beginning, middle, and end instead of having it open ended just to keep making money. If it's a mini, maxi or a set number like 50 issues or whatever, tell the story without turning it into a never ending soap opera. There isn't an ongoing that I've felt hasn't suffered from stretching.

The story could have been told in 30 issues.

[havok1977]

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

Such things are better left without an explanation.

[Rotm]

Y didn't pull together until the very last issue for me. Without it I'd have reviewed it pretty negatively.

[Tandaemonium]

Saga!!!!!!!

[Brave Sir Robbin]

I took some time to try Saga because I was so pissed off that I got talked into trying Y then staying with it on the premise it would get better. The beginning of the story was interesting, but it started to drift and I got the sense that there was maybe not much connecting the events. By three quarters of the way through, I had gone from being bothered by some characters and getting tired of nonsensical, illogical events and setting, to just hating the people and wishing that the earth would just die already. For me, this was a really bad, poorly thought out, and unlikable story. And the ending, the source of the plague that kills all male mammals (without the resulting biological devastation that would create a huge die off) is so stupid you can't even call it trite. It was insulting.

But Saga is really cool so far so I am glad that I am not holding the grudge. But it is one of the reasons I don't buy trades of Vertigo anymore unless it is a story known to be great. The downsides are to big.

[carabas]

But Saga is really cool so far so I am glad that I am not holding the grudge. But it is one of the reasons I don't buy trades of Vertigo anymore unless it is a story known to be great. The downsides are to big.

"Y The Last Man" is a story known to be great...
The real lesson here is not to tar and feather a publisher for one story you didn't like, but to simply not keep on buying stories you don't enjoy.

[Chou Blaster]

I liked the idea of Y:The Last Man. But the way it was done, I did not care about it.

Now I LOVE Vaugh's Ex Machina series.

And "The Pride."

[Brave Sir Robbin]

"Y The Last Man" is a story known to be great...
The real lesson here is not to tar and feather a publisher for one story you didn't like, but to simply not keep on buying stories you don't enjoy.

I have nothing against Vertigo. I got lucky on a lot of Vertigo titles before I ever read Y: Fables, Bullets, Preacher, Sandman, Swamp Thing. I don't tar and feather Vertigo, I did really not like the writer. But Saga is amazing so all is forgiven.

[carabas]

I have nothing against Vertigo. I got lucky on a lot of Vertigo titles before I ever read Y: Fables, Bullets, Preacher, Sandman, Swamp Thing. I don't tar and feather Vertigo, I did really not like the writer. But Saga is amazing so all is forgiven.

"But it is one of the reasons I don't buy trades of Vertigo anymore unless it is a story known to be great..."

[Seresecros]

I'd consider it an exceptional piece of work. It remains resonant and engaging, doesn't botch the ending, has clever, unexpected characters and brilliant dialogue. The discussion on feminism is on-point for most of the run, and was a refreshingly contemporary story. Thamtically is was strong throughout, but it was also incredibly entertaining and surprising. It's a complete story which ended at the exact right moment, and there are only a handful of other books which can say the same.

[Confuzzled Mutie]

The pacing is inconsistent, but otherwise, as Serescros mentioned, it is an exceptional piece of work. The ending is haunting and bittersweet and still warms my heart when I just think of it. It is like nothing else.

Also, Yorick Brown and Peter Parker are the same person, with the sole fundamental difference being one actually had a complete coming of age arc while the other will never have one. EVER.

I see Yorick, and to a less extent Scott Pilgrim, as superb deconstruction of Spidey.