Y: The Last Man, Vol. 10: Whys and Wherefores

I was in between stories when I went to Free Comic Book Day and chose "Y: The Last Man #1". I wasn't exactly sure what I was in for until I finished that first 32 page beginning and then I had no choice, I was hooked, so I bought all 10 "Graphic Novels". The Series had already been out for awhile by the time I caught on, so there was no way to go backward and start from the beginning. Which actually worked out better than I anticipated, because now I own the entire series and I honestly believe that it should be made into a movie or mini-series. What an Awesome story, totally imaginative and thought provoking, completely entertaining, exceptionally well written and illustrated, and sexy as well as down and dirty. I can't say enough about this Story and the only advice I have is if you buy "Y: The Last Man"the first volume, you might as well buy them all...it will save you all kinds of waiting and you won't run the risk of the series selling out. If you miss even one book, you will miss a lot.

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.

When I finished volume 10, my fiance came in to the bedroom and found me crying. After years with these characters, I can't say I loved what ending each of them had, but I loved that the authors took me on such a long and amazing emotional journey and made me really feel for these people on the page. The ending was not overdone and was completely satisfying (which, in my opinion, is a difficult thing to pull of when you have been reading a series so long - any ending can be a bad thing). This is the kind of book that sticks in my mind days after I've closed it, and while it would be painful for me to go back and read it again, I'd love to relive the journey and see what new things I can learn on a second read. That's the best endorsement I can give of any book.

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.

As I read through other reviews written I see a lot of complaints about the ending, and I definitely sympathize with these readers. The ending leaves you feeling a bit hollow and unfulfilled, but I think it has more to do with the series ending than with the ending itself. I do not see how this series could have ended any differently. By book 8 I could not see a conclusion that didn't end with almost the exact events that occurred. There are four conflicting endings and only one could exist. Either Yorick ended up with Beth, 355, alone or dead. Any one scenario would leave you wishing for the others, and yet only one could happen. I say the hollowness comes from the series ending because until the very end there was hope for all four options without picking one. Yorick was destined for a tragic ending one way or another from the moment the series started, but the focus should not be on the beginning and ending. It should be on the adventure in between. It is hard to think of a story with such compelling characters who really made you care about them, and the world they were thrown into played on all their advantages and disadvantages. I'm sorry it's over, but I'm glad it was ended when it was. Had it been dragged on for five or ten more books it would have been due to filler that ruined the story. I compare it to the Sopranos. That TV series should have been two or three seasons max. Instead it was dragged on for six seasons. So, while the Sopranos has some of the best content of any show ever, I will not watch the series again because I have to wade through so much crap to get to it. On the other hand I will definitely go back and read Y the Last Man.

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.

It was around midnight when I peeked at the first page of Vol. 10, which I planned to read the next day. Around 2 or 3 am I was re-reading and re-reading the final 20 or so pages. For much of the series, I wondered "HOW can you end this?" Brian Vaughan's answer was better than I ever could have expected . Without spoiling it, among many great moments, there is a scene a few pages from the end of the second-to-last chapter with such an epic reference to earlier issues it left my mouth agape. A full-circle moment that was just perfect. It's entirely possible you'll find your eyes misty (or torrential) before this journey's over, and when the tale is finally finished, you may be in denial for a solid couple of hours. It isn't unheard of for readers to be dissatisfied with the way the story concluded, but I can't imagine a better way. Vaughan inked a masterpiece start to finish. Reading Whys and Wherefores was one of my most memorable literary experiences of all time.

I've read a lot of comics and graphic novels, but there have only been a few that were so good that the emotional response was almost physical. The Y: The Last Man series is one of those books (Maus is one of the other books as is the 9/11 commemorative issue of Amazing Spider-Man). The story never took a clichéd turn and explored the man/woman/life dynamic in so many ways and on so many levels. I remember reading another person's comments that the series shouldn't end while I was one-third to midway through, and thinking "Yeah, I don't want to get to the end." Now that I've finished the story, I have to disagree (although I would certainly welcome a short re-visit a la Grendel Tales or the Sandman spin-offs). I think the story met an appropriate conclusion, but no Hollywood ending here. Get it. Read it.

Glad I continued to the end. Was a good story, not your typical "happily-ever-after" ending. As a post-apocalyptic tale, it was a bunch of laughs.

I read the whole series—only purchased the ending. Like to re-read it every now again and cry. It's a damn good ending.

This graphic novel is just fantastic. I heard of it thanks to Ray William Johnson (videomaker on Youtube) years ago. He explained the synopsis and I was thrilled so I bought the first volume and I was hooked. Read it really, it is very interesting and you think about the current world and the society.

ottima serie. Devo ancora leggere dal 5° volume al 10°, ma è una storia capolavoro e un must per gli amanti del genere

This is the culmination to a good series, always interesting, although - like the TV series the writer is now involved with - not every "episode" is a strong one. I expect, if the US TV networks will buy a series with only one male character, this will be a TV series soon, hailed by all as the new Lost or Heroes. Publication was delayed - by the publisher, not Amazon - and, like another reviewer, my copy has 20 pages printed upside-down, but these minor irritations aside it is a good finale with shocks, surprises and a satisfying ending for all the story lines. No hanging threats of further issues, thankfully. The artwork is not in itself beautiful or remarkable, save for the sheer quantity of pages over ten collected editions, and really is there to illustrate the story rather than enhance it like, say, Dark Knight Strikes again or 300. That said, it does the job very well. Be aware it must be read in order, unlike the various X-men or Batman comic series, so make sure you start with Vol 1. By the end, I realised I had spent nearly £80 on a comic book story. That's quiet a commitment, way more than I'd spend on a DVD box set, for example. So although I liked it and I heartily recommend it, be aware it can be an expensive thing to get hooked on.