Y The Last Man: Volume 2 Cycles
Bryan K. Vaughan has recently concluded his well-reviewed comic-book series Y the Last Man, so I’m re-reading the graphic novels from beginning to (I hope) the end. A mysterious plague has wiped out all animals on earth with a Y chromosome, excepting Yorick Brown and his pet monkey Ampersand. In Volume 2, cycles refers, at least, to the motorcycle Yorick trades for their passage, and as well as to the women’s monthly event. Yorick travels with Agent 355 of the mysterious Culper Ring and Dr. Alison Mann, a cloning specialist. They’re heading from the east coast to California, where Dr. Mann has a laboratory. They stop somewhat short of California, though:
Yorick: Where the f*** am I?
Sonia: Marrisville. In Ohio? Where did you come from, Yorick? I thought all the men were–
Y: Wait, how the hell do you know my name?
S: Oh, it was on the your membership card for the um… “International Brotherhood of Magicians.” Are you really a magician? Like David Blaine?
Y: No, I am NOTHING like David Blaine, thank you very much. I’m an escape artist.
S: Is that how you survived? You…You escaped death?
Y: That’s cute. But listen, I really have to get out of here.
S: Actually…you should probably stay put.
Y: And why’s that?
S: um…
Y: Jesus! What did you do with my pants!
Complicating things, there are Israeli soldiers, a desperate woman who speaks Russian, and a very angry woman from Yorick’s past. This quick-paced volume is by turns funny and serious. It’s a good entry in a thus-far good series.
February 26th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Volume 2 is currently en route from my local library!
I’m really enjoying the humor - clearly geared toward just the kind of graphic-novel-reading geek who can be expected to recognize it. I keep wanting to show the funny parts to other people, but I just don’t know very many who would a) get it, and b) find it funny, assuming they got it.
Anyhow, thanks for the suggestion - looks like MMV is reading the series as well…
oh, and glad to hear there’s a Whiteout sequel - one book didn’t seem enough, though I’m not sure my library carries the sequel (we’ll soon see!).