Brian K. Vaughan, Y: The Last Man: Whys and Wherefores (Vertigo, 2008)

The end of Brian K. Vaughan's celebrated Y: The Last Man came all too early, and all too abruptly. Still, despite a resolution that reeks of "how can we tie up all these threads in the amount of time we have left?", Vaughan does a creditable job of it. It's going to be tough to say goodbye to this bunch. ****

I used to think that Brian Vaughan was possibly one of the best comic book writers ever.
Now I know he IS the best.
Y has been an incredible ride, but often great journeys can make for disappointing endings. Not here. Everything that had been building in the previous 9 volumes pays off here. It's beautiful, sad, human, joyous and completely satisfying.
Pia Guerra's art never looked better. It started off very good and grew in beauty and subtly. She interacts with Mr. Vaughan's writing so flawlessly that words are often not necessary.
I love this series and I love this book. This is why I still read comics.

I find to disagree with the majority of critical voices here. Thinking of it, I find it hard to define what "a pushed ending" really is, but if it's like this last volume, I want to see more of it. There is no real traditional storybook ending here, no riding into sunsets arm-in-arm, or an Orwellian dark endnote. Instead, Y: Last Man wraps it up in a very lyrical, and most of all, incredibly sad way. It's to mr. Vaughan and mrs. Guerra's honour that they can pull of this (to me, anyway) satisfying action-and-romance-ending to the global "roadmovie" Y has been, while still managing to tie up all knots beautifully without opting for the predictable spectacular last twist which it seems almost everybody in the audience is expecting these days. Personally, I found # 9 to be the only vaguely disappointing volume, with the revelation of the cause of the dying men - which mr. Vaughan in all his controlled and incredibly smart writing even comments on in this volume (Pointing his finger at me smiling: "What did you expect, really? Aliens?").

The artwork of mrs Guerra is like it's been for the entire run - beautiful and relatively simple, without the over-the-top colourings and digitalized shadows that I personally feel "drowns" so much of comic art today. Her drawing hand has been a perfect companion to mr. Vaughan's subtle pen, all the way.

Here's one humble reader hoping mr. Vaughan keeps spending just some of his future bright writing career doing some comics. Because this is a milestone and easily one of the best titles of the decade. Y: Last Man always had more brains than most, but with this last volume, it also showed to have the biggest, aching heart. At least, it almost made me cry, which I rarely can say about any book, comic, film or TV series nowadays.

*spoilers ahead*

If I think on it too long I can't help but feel just a little let down by the ending of this series. But, that said, doesn't mean that I'm altogether unhappy with the ending or that I think it should have been done differently.

All mysteries are not fully revealed. I have to think that perhaps that was intentional. We don't always get all the answers in life, right? Society and periods in history (some more than others) are messy and complicated and convoluted and full of holes that never get completely filled in and smoothed over. And just like in life, we don't always get the most reasonable, justifiable answers to those complex situations. So my feelings of let down are not so much with the writer and how things came together (or didn't) but just that things didn't turn out rosier.

My feelings about the explanation of the plague are mirrored by Yorick himself when he says, "As far as answers go, it was vaguely unsatisfying." To which Beth asks, "Is there any explanation that would have been satisfactory?" Yorick: "Um, aliens? I would have also accepted witchcraft or anything involving nanobots." I think that Vaughan is letting readers know here that he knows that the grand reveal really wasn't all that grand, that it wasn't a mistake or an oversight but it was meant to be that way. The series' strength is most definitely in it's characters. And character development is what Brian Vaughan seems to do really well.

My only real qualm is that Yorick's character wasn't more redemptive. He loses so much and goes through so much and manages to maintain his sense of humor and optimism through the entire series, right down to the very last chapter, but excluding the very last chapter. It's rather disheartening. But then again, a human reaction that feels true to life. It's an anti-fairytale conclusion. And a fairytale, this definitely is not

I thought that overall the series was great. An interesting concept, well written, and decent art. The ending however was not up to the overall quality. I didn't expect a fairy tale ending -- but I did expect something interesting and fair to the characters we have followed through 10 volumes. Meh.

I agree with the other reviewers who state this last volume is a huge disappointment. The ending is rushed and doesn't make any sense. Almost everyone living is now a clone? Why?

There is a climatic build for the conclusion of one of the story lines and then?..nothing happens. It ends in a way that doesn't make any sense given the characters involved.

The series started out very well but definitely faltered at the end.

A good ending to a great series. Parts were a little disjointed though. That's why I only give it a 4/5.

Plague? Black Magic? Terrorism? Act of God? Could / would something simultaneously kill every mammal possessing a Y chromosome? Even unborn mammals in the womb? Well, according to Y: The Last Man, on July 17, 2002, that's exactly what happened...with the exception of one male human being and one male Capuchin monkey.

Y: The Last Man chronicles the life of Yorick Brown and his pet monkey Ampersand as they are thrust into a female-only society. And society is in chaos. The realization that the planet is doomed without a reproducing, intelligent species is not lost on its inhabitants. Some accept their fate; some fight to find a way to reverse the annihilation; and some even denounce any fight to survive as opposition to God's will.

Hence, to some, Yorick Brown is the ultimate opposition to God's will....A sole human male survivor. So when Yorick teams up with a government agent and a genetic scientist on a journey across the country to get to a laboratory to find out 'what makes him different', or to try to discover if there's a genetic 'solution' to this disaster, you can bet the band of travelers run into some hostile forces.

The stories are delivered in 10 Volumes, with Volume 10 seemingly being the wrap-up of this compelling series. Volumes 1 - 5 are very well told, exciting, twist-filled and keep you pressing on for Volume after Volume. Volumes 6 - 10 start getting a little (just a little!) long in the tooth, as perhaps more of an attempt drag the story out and keep a great revenue generating series alive, but nevertheless, Writer Brian Vaughan keeps readers compelled to press on.

A hardcover compilation of (only the first few???) volumes of the story will be released in late 2008: Y: The Last Man, Book One, Deluxe Edition; I strongly recommend starting with this Book compilation, or at minimum, with Unmanned (Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1) in order to stick with the chronology of the story.

Rumor has it (according to [rumored] Director D.J. Caruso) that a movie adaptation will come out in three films...the first of which could be released as early as 2009 (with [rumored] Shia LaBeouf as Yorick).

The storyline is not without some controversy....Well, I see no controversy, but I'm sure that certain narrow minded groups might view the nature of a population unable to civilly function without men a bit 'controversial'. Hopefully, Hollywood will maintain the integrity of the series and not dumb down this fabulous tale that the authors created.

Over all I enjoyed the book, although I did feel that the ending was a little rushed. Still would recommend it to anyone who likes a good story.

This tenth "Y The Last Man" trade paperback collects the final six issues (#55-#60) of the acclaimed Vertigo/DC Comics series. Yorick, 355, Hero, the two Beths, the Russians and the Israeli soldiers converge in Paris as the main plotline concludes in Issue 59. Issue 60 is set sixty years in the future and also features some intermittent Yorick flashbacks. The resolutions in Book 10 seemed disappointing compared to previous plot segments. Pia Guerra pencils all six issues and her artwork remains consistently outstanding (page 152 is especially moving). I've read that New Line Cinema plans to finish filming the Y movie in 2008.

the series as a whole was great, but MAN what a let-down at the end... really felt like the writers just said "screw it" half-way through paris and just hacked together an out of place and ill-fitting ending.

I was rather disappointed in this last volume and felt that it was rather anticlimactic. I had to go back and re-read volumes 8 and 9, because I came to realize that the climax has already occurred in those volumes, and volume 10 just wraps up the story. Over-all, however, the series was excellent and is highly recommended. I hope the upcoming movie project does it justice.

Note: I'm going to avoid spoilers here-----

The final two trades of Y the last man were a pretty big let down--mostly in plot and story (the penciling/color is still great though).

But the story really sputtered out quick--from the let down of the main story plot (w/ Mann's father in the previous trade--which should have been huge--but wasn't) to the whole IDF/Altar thing--including a rather cliche twist or two at the end. Everything just kind of deflated towards mediocrity in story telling. This may seem harsh--but it isn't--considering where Y started out--as one of the best new stories (with a great artist penciling) I've read recently. Dialog, plot, story, characters---all very good, compelling stuff. Which is why seeing it nose-dive into "just average" was a let down.
But overall, the series as a whole is mostly great--up to the last two trades.

Whenever you get to the final part of a long-running series, you tend to review the series as a whole versus the last book in particular.

Fortunately in this case the last chapter matches the quality of the series.

"Whys and Wherefores" does what many conclusions fail to do satifactorily - reveals the true reasons behind the events portrayed throughout the storyline, casting light into the shadows that have obscured the origin of the virus. It also concludes the core stories for the main characters while revealing a decidely less cynical view of the future than one might have expected based on the not-so-happy ending for some of those people.

Without giving away the plot to new readers, I will just say that the resolution of Yorick's quest for reunion with Beth and the struggle for Agent 355 for openness/vulnerability are both handled in unexpected but dramatically satisfying ways.

One of the best overall stories in comics in the last decade, and the ending fits very well. Highly recommended.

This final chapter in Y completes a beautifully involved story that not only humanizes Yorick but other unlikely characters (Ampersand even). The writing is simply top notch and Vaughan is simply one of the best writers out there in any genre, period. Satisfying everyone would be admittedly impossible but I feel that he has told the story as realistically as possible without pandering to the reader. This is a must read for any fan of good fiction.

Absolutely BRILLIANT series. A joy to read. This series was a much needed breath of fresh air. Many thanks to the writer/artist.

OH MY GOD!!! What a terrific ending to one of the best stories ever told. I am so sad to see Y the last man come to an end. I have never felt so close and protective of fictional characters. This is hands down my favorite story of all time.
Anyway what to say about the end. Its simply: Perfect.
I cant say much without giving too much away. Things happen that will anger you, sadden you, and make you laugh.
I was almost in tears so many times reading the last 2 issues. It is soooooo sad. But in the end when it all soaks in you'll except that it was the best possible ending we could ask for.
You will not be disappointed!!!

The Last Man finally comes to an end. This issue contains the coolest moments and one of the best endings I've read in a long time. It kind of fast forwards a little bit and there's a few unexpected twists, but it all works up in a way that makes sense and doesn't let you down. You can tell in both the writing and artistry that a lot of thought and work went into this final issue.

An excellent graphic novel with colorful and memorable characters including an exasperatingly hero who really never becomes the hero we all expect him to become no matter how many of him we meet. Can't wait to see how the big screen depicts him and his world.

Unfortunately, the conclusion to Y the Last Man is a big letdown in more ways than one. In the need to 'wrap up' the story, the author took shortcuts in characterization that are glaring when you compare the last story arc to earlier ones. The author left gaping plot holes, and even introduced a possible 'whole new explanation' for the worldwide plague just as the storyline is wrapping up. This whole book follows two main threads- the quest to figure out and end the plague and the quest to find Yorick's love, Beth. Well, both the explanation of the plague and the 'cure' of the plague are left in confusion, so there's no satisfaction in seeing that story reach completion. Then, the conclusion to the 'Beth quest' spins off in an unhappily unsatisfying conclusion, with a final scene in the last issue that is laughable in its improbability. Yorick, who spends the whole series trying to face up to things, won't face up to the person he spent five years trying to find. Thus, neither the plague quest or the Beth quest come to any kind of real or believable conclusion. The end must be worth the journey, and this one was not.

There are some breakdowns in art consistency as well in the last story arc as various characters begin to look so much like one another it is difficult to tell them apart. The blondes all look alike (save for a scar on one) and Yorick's sister and other brown haired types look the same. You must look for clues in the dialog to tell who is speaking and they are not easy to come by. This was not true in the earlier books in the series. Again, it seems the final storyline was put together in a rush to have 'an ending' to things, and sadly the result is a bit of letdown.

If you have journeyed with Yorick through the whole of his adventure, you will no doubt want to read the 'finale.' Just be aware that things break down somewhat at the end, and the 'finale' will leave you hoping it was all a bad dream and a real conclusion to Yorick's adventures will be published.

Undoubtedly the best original ongoing series to come out of Vertigo since Garth Ennis' Preacher, Brian K. Vaughan's Y: The Last Man comes to a spectacular and bittersweet conclusion in Whys and Wherefores. As Yorick Brown, the last adult human male on the planet, finds his journey to be re-united with his lost love Beth comes to a close, everything begins to come together. Alter makes her move, we learn what Yorick saw during his suicide intervention in Safeword, and everything gets wrapped up in one of the most emotional and heartfelt conclusions that a mainstream comic book series has ever received. Vaughan's script work reaches new heights in this final volime, and Pia Guerra's artwork, while seemingly had always been lacking in overall detail, perfectly captures each emotional moment from cover to cover. All in all, if you've missed out on Y: The Last Man during it's initial run, now is the time to check the series out volume by volume. And if you've been a loyal follower of the series since the beginning, read it again and again and again.

There have been some great long series in comics, but Y: THE LAST MAN is unique in that all ten volumes making up the entire run tells a single story. The various books truly have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Other series may have a background arc that extends throughout the various books comprising their run, but Vaughan's masterpiece introduces a number of questions in the first volume that are developed in the ensuing nine volumes and answered only in the last. Will the human race survive the loss of all the males? Will Yorick be reunited with his finance? What do the Israelis tracking him have in mind? These and other stories are developed gradually over the course of the entire run.

The tone of the series as a whole tends to action drama laced with pop cultural references and humor. You laugh on one page, only to have something really horrid take place on the next. But none of the shocks of the first nine volumes comes anywhere near the shocks found in the final issues comprising Volume Ten. I won't go into details, but while all the main stories are completely wrapped up, they won't please every fan. While most of the news for the human race was positive, things did not turn out all that well for most of our heroes. Indeed, some of the arcs ended in utter tragedy. Though the story as a whole focuses on Yorick's constant joking about everything, the book's final events bring even his jokes to a halt. Some things are beyond wit. One event in particular is so shocking (you'll know it when you see it) and so unforeseen that it completely changes the nature of the entire series.

In a story like Y: THE LAST MAN it is absolutely essential that you end the whole thing well. This volume does precisely that. It cannot, of course, be read on its own. Anyone wanting to read the entire series needs to start with the first volume and move forward. FABLES 10 came out earlier this month. You might, with some difficulty, be able to start reading in that (wonderful) series with that volume, but Y: THE LAST MAN has to be read from beginning to end. Starting with this volume would be like beginning GREAT EXPECTATIONS with Chapter 25.

I want to single one character out for praise. I've been engaged in a project lately that involves looking at the major female heroes in various popular media, from TV to graphic novels to movies. The past ten to fifteen years (Buffy seems to be the tipping point) has seen an explosion of great female heroes. But incredibly very, very few of these have been women of color. Max in DARK ANGEL is racially indistinct but seems exotic, but she is close to the exception. Agent 355 in this series is easily one of the most compelling and truly heroic black characters around. The genre -- indeed, all genres -- need more characters like her. It isn't just young black females who need to see empowered characters like 355. Just as, I believe, that both men and women have their views of women subtly altered by popular female heroes like Buffy and Xena, so I think all of us have our views of race and gender affected by a character like 355. Sadly there are very few black female characters her equal. Storm in the X-Men is an exception as well as several characters in Octavia Butler's novels (especially the protagonist in the Earthseed novels). But there shouldn't be so few examples.

In a way, I'm truly saddened that this series has come to an end. For years we've been looking forward to the next issue and looking ahead to the distant future (which is now past) to find out how everything ends. I confess it didn't end like I had expected or even how I had hoped. But sometimes as readers we get the story we needed instead of wanted. In the end, it was a great read.

All in all, this is an astoundingly satisfying conclusion to what may be the best comic series of all time. As Hellboy once said, "What makes a man a man?... It's the choices he makes. Not how he starts things, but how he decides to end them." Brian K. Vaughan gave us a truly great ride with the first nine volumes of "Y: The Last Man," but how he chose to conclude this series and pay-off all the plot points is truly spectacular.

Vaughan's writing here reminded me of Alan Ball ("Six Feet Under") at his best, and that's saying a lot. Each page pops with references to past events, little nods to pop culture, and supremely earned character moments that we've been waiting for since the man-killing plague hit in the first issue. There are no sweeping gestures to erase the plague, no "everything is all okay" ending, just a coming together of all the plot threads that Vaughan has established in a realistic, bittersweet, and emotional ending. The care that Brian K. Vaughan took in writing this and the care that Pia Guerra took in penciling this is so obvious, as it's their goodbyes to the characters they've been on this journey with for sixty long months. It's a beautiful piece of writing, and definitely establishes "Y: The Last Man" as one of the comics to absolutely transcend its medium. Anyone can pick up this series off the shelf, knowing that it's a) accessible to anyone and b) that Vaughan stuck with this series to the end. And didn't shy away from truly ending it.

Reading this book was one of the best, most emotional experiences I've had with a piece of fiction. The only instances that come equal how I felt while going into this book and the feeling of finishing it was how I felt when the final episode of ANGEL aired and when I turned onto the final page of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Yorick's tale was a long one, and it wasn't always as smooth as it could have been, but it all comes together in this beautifully written and illustrated book. I'll sorely miss reading this series into the late hours of the night, but the way Vaughan ended Yorick's story, I can't help but be satisfied.

So bear with me as I say goodbye to these characters who I've come to know in reading this series. Goodbye Natalia. Goodbye all three Beths. Goodbye Hero. Goodbye Rose. Goodbye Alter. Goodbye Dr. Mann. Goodbye Agent 355. Goodbye Ampersand. And goodbye Yorick Brown.

Alas...

10/10 Classic.