World Famous Comics: Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1 (Deluxe Edition)
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1 (Deluxe Edition)
By: Brian K. Vaughan Publisher: Vertigo Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 256 Publication Date: October 28, 2008 Release Date: October 28, 2008 Studio: Vertigo
Don't leave me hanging! ^ What happens when all the men on the planet, except for one man and his male monkey, die? Well, lots of women start to believe that they are better off without them. Hence, the story of Yorick Brown and Ampersand, the monkey, begins to unfold.
Their journey takes them through several states, aided by a few helpful women who are also seeking the reason for this mass-extinction. Or, shall I say, they seek the reason why these two males were the sole survivors.
They cross paths more than once with the Amazons, women who believe that the male gender has repressed them ever since evolution. Their plight is to, once they hear that there is a single living man, seek him out and finish the "plague" of man-kind, killing female sympathizers along the way.
I know that the series continues in more books, but I just couldn't get past the fact that they were nowhere near finding an answer to why all of the men died and why Yorick and his monkey were the only ones of their gender left living on the planet. There are characters that don't appear for several chapters, leaving us waiting for more information and questioning why they are important to the storyline.
The ending left me somewhat unsatisfied, but it also brought up more questions. I am actually looking forward to reading the next book to resolve all of those things that were still hanging in the air by the end. Overall, though, I liked the premise of the story, but thought it could be more compacted, or even more complex.
Don't Buy It! ^ OK, so there are no doubt plenty of other reviews out there of the paperback editions of Y: The Last Man (Y: TLM). This review mostly concerns the Deluxe Edition. There is really nothing new in this edition save for the fact that it's slightly larger and longer than Vol 1 in paperback form. If you already have Y: TLM Vol 1 & 2 in paperback then don't bother buying this at all. I was disappointed by DC when I heard that they were releasing Y: TLM in this format right on the heels of finishing off the paperback series and even more disappointed when I learned that there isn't much extra included in these editions at all. The success of the series was built on very strong graphic novel sales and to turn around then immediately and re-release them all in a so called 'deluxe edition' is just a shameless barely concealed money making scheme, I'm sure when people have finished buying these editions DC will no doubt release the entire series again in "Absolute Format" just in time to screw even more fans over.
Furthermore vis a vis the plot of Y: TLM (Don't worry I won't spoil it.) It starts off brilliantly with an awesome premise and builds up the mystery well but when the final answer is revealed it's a total cop out. After following the series in comic book form for over 5 years I was really annoyed that BKV would treat his readers so shabbily. You can therefore imagine my complete lack of surprise when this deluxe edition turned out to be an utter rip off too. He even has the audacity to "hang a lantern" (as they say in writing circles) on his own poor plotting. There's this faux post-modern bit where the characters discuss the cause of the gendercide and say that the cause itself seemed kinda lame but that the journey was what was important. That very well may be BKV, but as the creator of said journey/mystery why did you string us along for so long? You could've easily told us why all the men died in the first issue and then seen if we'd have stayed on to see how things turned out. I know that I (and lots of other readers) would have stayed with it and I would certainly have enjoyed it a lot more cos I wouldn't have felt so cheated at the end.
So shame on you and on DC for ripping off the fans even further with this lame 'deluxe edition'!
Good, I'll be reading more. ^ I'm being picky in not giving this five stars. Overall it's an entertaining story, the art is great, and this volume packaging is especially nice. The story is just a little rough though, specifically some of Yorick's hypocritical behavior and Hero's search for purpose/acceptance. I don't know... I'll definitely read the next volume because it wouldn't surprise me if the writing is tighter by then.
Great Story. Disappointing Collection. ^ I'm a huge fan of this series. I agree with all of the hype that says that Y: The Last Man is one of the greatest tales ever told through the medium of comic books. It's brilliant. That being said, tons of people agree with me. They've already reviewed the story and the characters for you. I just want to mention the hardcover edition itself.
Pick up this version if you've never read/owned the single issues or the paperback TPBs. If you are considering the purchase to get lots of extras (as many other hardcover editions do (see Powers, Invincible, etc)), this might not be for you. There are almost no extras in this besides a few sketches. This isn't a deal-breaker by any means (still gets 5 stars from me) as the book is only $20 here on amazon (pretty much price as buying volumes 1 and 2 on TPB), but I would have liked to get more.....stuff with this collection. Maybe I'm just spoiled with some of the collections that are out there now.
Great start for great art + story ^ The only slight which I can think of about this graphic novel, is the fact that you have to buy VOLUME two. Granted it kind of puts around, but nonetheless is uncharacteristically good for a graphic novel.
Anything Goes Trivia
Last Kiss
Megaton Man
Tony's Online Tips
Trevor
