Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: One Small Step: Conclusion
Written by: Brian K. Vaughn
Penciled by: Pia Guerra
Inked by: Jose Marzan Jr.
Colored by: Pamela Rambo
Lettered by: Clem Robins
Assistant Editor: Zachary Rau
Editor: Will Dennis
Publisher: Vertigo > DC Comics
Why Diddly “Yâ€
It’s oh so rare to find this much satisfaction for only $2.50. The creative team behind Y: The Last Man has closed out their third story arc in much the same manner as the first two, near perfection. To think, until a couple of months ago I was content to read the title when the infrequent trade paperbacks came out. What the hell was I thinking? The two relatively new books I’d give my highest recommendation to right now are both from Vertigo, Fables and of course this book.
Following the travails of Yorick, who is quite literally the last man on Earth, this isn’t a quest for sex, like some of the dirtier minded out there may think. This is science fiction bounded in a well thought out believable world. My esteemed editor and review colleague Dave Graham mentioned in his review last month, “I think what makes the writing in this book so good is that it’s all so very real.”
Science fiction, hell almost any literature, that’s not bounded in reality, is wonderful in its own way. Yet, the stories that often strike such a resonance are the ones that seem far more believable. A good example was the recent Danny Boyle film 28 Days Later, which took the usually unbelievable concept of zombie hordes, and lent them a realistic edge. Brian K. Vaughn has been quite successful in a similar regard giving us a look at a catastrophic change to our planet.
One Giant Leap
The storyline for what I assume will soon be the third collection of Y stories, reaches its conclusion in grand fashion this month. As we begin it appears a name change to “Y: First of the Last Men on Earth,†may be in the offing as three astronauts, two of which are males, plunge to Earth. Yorick has been the target of everyone from the current US government, Amazonians, the Israeli government, and former female inmates. With the new prize coming into play the heat is off of him slightly, at least for a moment.
The battle over the Russian Soyuz capsule and the Astronauts within occurs in rural Kansas, and boy is it a barnburner. Things do wrap up nicely, but the last section of the story introduces the direction that will follow in future issues. This is one of the great successes so far with the book; Mr. Vaughn has a very clear direction and whets the appetite of the reader for more with a handful of tremendous cliffhangers. I simply can’t wait for the next month to arrive, let alone six to eight for a trade.
The art as always is near perfection as well. Pia Guerra and Jose Marzan Jr. capture the grim nature of the book, but without excessive shadowing. The characters all stand out and are well defined. Considering we’re talking about an almost all female cast there is never a problem distinguishing who’s who. I know that seems like a no-brainer, but a few recent comics haven’t been all that successful in translating the simple who’s who artistically.
For Those That Don’t Read Y
Many people missed out on classic Vertigo works like Preacher and Sandman, myself included, until long after their monthly runs began or ended. While I can’t remember any greater pleasure than the week or two I spent buying and reading every Preacher trade, there is a part of me that wishes some of these cliffhangers really had a chance to set in.
While devouring Preacher was a wonderful thrill, the agonizing, yet visceral, feel of the monthly wait for the next issue of Y is amazing as well. I’m not going to try and come up with a publishable quote, other than, “get off your lazy butt and buy this book!â€
