This one is probably my least favorite from the series so far. That said, I still give it four stars because I still enjoyed it as part of the overall series. I think what was lacking for me was Yorick. He did not have as much of a direct presence in this volume. I missed his whimsical, rather cerebral humor.

This one is sort of all over the place too. Lots of little snapshots of back-stories and events leading up to the plague.

This trade paperback collects issues #37-42 of the excellent DC Comics series. Series co-creator Pia Guerra pencils the three-issue "Paper Dolls" story arc. Yorick and Agent 355 spend a day in decaying Sydney, Australia, searching for Beth but instead running afoul of a zealous tabloid reporter. Meanwhile, Dr. Mann bonds with an Australian who may or may not still be a spy and the Israeli soldiers reappear with Yorick's mother in Washington, DC.
Goran Sudzuka pencils the remaining three issues. The subpar #40 centers on Hero and Yorick's other Beth while the excellent #41 is chiefly backstory on Agent 355. #42 focuses on Yorick's monkey Ampersand who may have the cure for the plague. I enjoyed this book, though not as much as some of the earlier ones: I'm looking forward to Book 8.

Reading "Y: The Last Man" makes me feel like I'm going to the movies. It's clear how much thought is put into the writing (especially the dialogue and the back story, which is phenomenally laid out in one-shot flashback issues) as well as the art; it makes "Y" one of the most consistently fantastic comic series that I've read.

Moreso than any other volume of the series, this book--"Paper Dolls"--continues directly from the previous volume. The ship Yorick was on docks, and he and 355 set out into Australia to find Yorick's long lost fiance Beth... and they only have one day to do so. Any fan of Brian K. Vaughan knows that things, of course, do not go smoothly for Yorick. That's the main story line of this book (making up the "Paper Dolls" arc, which is three issues) and it's very good, but the three one-shot issues that follow are even better.

First, we get a "meanwhile..." issue that shows us what Hero and Beth 2, respectively, have been doing. It adds to the main plot and also gives both of the characters major development. And speaking of character development, the next one-shot is made up of flashbacks of the series' most mysterious character--Agent 355. It's gratifying as a reader to finally get tidbits of this character's past, which gives us insight onto why she behaves the way she does. As Yorick gets to know her better, so do we, and that's not only exclusive to this issue. Hints are dropped to us about her past in nearly every issue she appears in in this book. Finally, the book concludes with another flashback episode, dealing with... Ampersand, Yorick's stolen pet monkey. We finally learn the significance of Toyota's mission to steal Ampersand in the fifth book, among other things.

Brian K. Vaughan has found the perfect balance in giving us new plot developments and dishing out revealing back story. As this series gets closer to its grand finale, each issue ups the ante.

8/10

Paper Dolls had so many twists to it that I almost couldn't keep up. This series just gets you hooked and never fails to entertain. If you're looking for an example of why Y The Last Man is so highly regarded, check out volume 4 and this volume.

Yorick has finally arrived and is a position to look for Beth. However, he runs into a big problem when a journalist from a less than broadsheet quality newspaper finds out he is still alive, and is a story she definitely does not want to lose. He does eventually find Beth, and he certainly gets a hell of a surprise when he sees her.

Brian K. Vaughan, Y: The Last Man: Paper Dolls (Vertigo, 2006)



(Note: this review contains major spoilers for earlier books in the series. If you're not up to date with the series, and you plan to read it, don't read this review until after you've read book six.)



Vaughn's Y: The Last Man just keeps getting better as it goes on. Yorick and co. are on their way to Japan to search for the kidnapped Ampersand. This book focuses on a part of the trip where the crew stop in Australia to look for Yorick's missing girlfriend Beth. As always, Paper Dolls features almost nonstop action, but the action never gets in the way of character development. If the series stays this good, Vaughan will have created one for the ages. ****

Brian K. Vaughan, Y: The Last Man: Paper Dolls (Vertigo, 2006)

(Note: this review contains major spoilers for earlier books in the series. If you're not up to date with the series, and you plan to read it, don't read this review until after you've read book six.)

Vaughn's Y: The Last Man just keeps getting better as it goes on. Yorick and co. are on their way to Japan to search for the kidnapped Ampersand. This book focuses on a part of the trip where the crew stop in Australia to look for Yorick's missing girlfriend Beth. As always, Paper Dolls features almost nonstop action, but the action never gets in the way of character development. If the series stays this good, Vaughan will have created one for the ages. ****

The beat ongoing Vertigo series since Preacher keeps rolling along with Paper Dolls, which gives the answers to some questions as well as opening a whole new batch of new ones. Yorick, Agent 355, and Dr. Mann have finally arrived in Austrailia in search of Yorick's girlfriend Beth, only instead to find a journalist who plans on making Yorick's existence the headline of the century. Also in this volume, Yorick's other Beth who he had a fling with, is in a bit of an unexpected situation. Not to mention that Agent 355's origin is revealed, and Yorick's kidnapped pet monkey Ampersand (the only other living mammal on the planet) makes a break from his ninja kidnapper in Japan. Fans of the series pretty much know what to expect here in terms of the story and art, with Brian K. Vaughan further orchestrating the ever evolving story while dropping hints of what is to come here and there. Pia Guerra's art remains the solid work that you'd come to expect as well, and at the same time it's nothing spectacular. All in all, Y: The Last Man continues to be pure comic gold, and here's more proof.

The beat ongoing Vertigo series since Preacher keeps rolling along with Paper Dolls, which gives the answers to some questions as well as opening a whole new batch of new ones. Yorick, Agent 355, and Dr. Mann have finally arrived in Austrailia in search of Yorick's girlfriend Beth, only instead to find a journalist who plans on making Yorick's existence the headline of the century. Also in this volume, Yorick's other Beth who he had a fling with, is in a bit of an unexpected situation. Not to mention that Agent 355's origin is revealed, and Yorick's kidnapped pet monkey Ampersand (the only other living mammal on the planet) makes a break from his ninja kidnapper in Japan. Fans of the series pretty much know what to expect here in terms of the story and art, with Brian K. Vaughan further orchestrating the ever evolving story while dropping hints of what is to come here and there. Pia Guerra's art remains the solid work that you'd come to expect as well, and at the same time it's nothing spectacular. All in all, Y: The Last Man continues to be pure comic gold, and here's more proof.

really the guy is the ultimate poseur. avoid at all costs.

the whole series is great brain candy. Fun to read and leaves you looking forward to the next one!

In "Paper Dolls," the seventh volume of "Y: The Last Man," the story jumps across the globe -- and the timeline -- with reckless abandon. It begins in Sydney, Australia, where Yorick and his team are aboard a sub bound for Japan, where the other last surviving male -- Yorick's monkey, Ampersand -- has been taken for reasons unknown. But Yorick's girlfriend Beth may also be in Australia, and so too is a tabloid reporter eager to find evidence of the last surviving man. Who knows what mayhem will erupt if Yorick is exposed?

Then things get complicated, as the story flashes back and forth in time, filling in pieces of the backstory for Agent 355, Agent Mann, Ampersand and others. Yorick's sister Hero discovers indisputable evidence of his recent visit to California. Even the Catholic Church gets involved, as its all-female leadership quests for its new pope.

"Paper Dolls" is not just furthering the story of "Y," it's also filling in a lot of missing backstory along the way. Ultimately, it provides more questions than answers, however, and if you're like me, you'll finish it even more eager for volume eight. The story is coming together like a vast, global puzzle, but the pieces obviously aren't all on the table. Meanwhile, writer Brian K. Vaughan keeps dangling enough plot twists to keep readers on the hook; not since Neil Gaiman's landmark "Sandman" series have I looked forward so much to the next book in the series.

While everybody is on the track of Ampersand, Yorick loses focus and decides to look for his fiancée. One day to comb Australia? Piece of cake.
This seventh volume of "Y the last man" is mostly about digressions (what seems a digression might turn out to be important though, there is no way to tell) and flashbacks. We learn a few interesting things about Ampersand (the monkey) and a few less interesting things about other characters. Until we get the next volumes there is no way to tell if this is some complex plot or just stalling to sell as many books as possible.

Finally, after 3 months of waiting, I am finally able to see what happens next in the saga of the last man on Earth. Yorrick Brown, a professional escape artist, survived a terrible plague that wiped out every male mammal except for himself and his monkey Ampersand. Now, teamed with renowned biologist Dr. Allison Mann and the mysterious Agent 355, he is trying to find a way to bring men back to the planet as well as find his missing girlfriend Beth. The pressing problem (there are many obstacles in the way of the trio, but this one takes precedence) is that Ampersand has been kidnapped by a mysterious ninja. While that doesn't sound too bad, the group recently discovered that it was a chemical compound in Ampersand's blood that made him (and Yorrick by extension) immuned to the plague. On their way to Japan, Yorrick, Mann, and 355 had to stop in Australia, which is exactly where Beth was at the time of the plague. When Yorrick attempts to find her, a tabloid journalist discovers him instead, and Yorrick and 355 are forced to find her before she leaks Yorrick's secret of being alive to the world. There are also three one-shot issues; two are "secret origin" stories explaining the backgrounds of 355 and Ampersand, both of which ask as many questions as they answer. The third involves Yorrick's sister Hero and another woman named Beth whom Yorrick met just prior to Ampersand's abduction. Yorrick asked Hero to give Beth a letter, but Hero discovers Beth to be in a condition that no one anticipated...
While Paper Dolls isn't as strong as some of the earlier volumes, it is in no way weak. In fact, it is still one of the best books I am reading (Vaughan is definitely tied for my favorite writer along with Joss Whedon). While the Paper Dolls arc isn't as thrilling as some of the others, it is interesting, and it does serve to add some development and story complications that could prove to be very interesting in the future. So if you haven't read Y yet, it should definitely make the list of books to get around to.