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33rd out of 189 books
—
43 voters
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 8: Kimono Dragons (Y: The Last Man #8)
WINNER OF THREE EISNER AWARDSKIMONO DRAGONS brings the hunt for Ampersand—the monkey who could unlock the mystery of the male-killing plague— to its explosive climax, as the last man on Earth and his companions finally reach Japan and discover the truth behind Ampersand's abduction. Collects issues #43-48 of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's award-winning Vertigo series.
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
November 22nd 2006
by Vertigo
(first published May 2006)
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I keep hanging on at this point because I just hate leaving a series unfinished. This volume contains a bunch of backstory that seemed almost desperate, like the author was trying to prove that the stupid shit characters did earlier in the series, made sense in the light of these new revelations. But it came off to me as just empty. The Epiphany character was obnoxious to the point of being a caricature. The worst moment though, was when whatshername's mother (I can't even remember character nam...more
Kimono Dragons
There were so many elements in this Tokyo story to love...the android, the canadian pop singer turned Yakuza boss, Ampersand, the ninja and Dr. Mann's mom...great idea...ehhhh execution...blah ending.
The story just got away from them and got ridiculous and unsatisfying. 3/5
The Tin Man
Dr. Mann's one-shot...I kinda like it, kinda wanted a little more? The life of a lesbian with a dead heart. 4/5
Gehenna
Alter's one-shot...when it rains it pours, huh? After so many that didn't quite liv...more
There were so many elements in this Tokyo story to love...the android, the canadian pop singer turned Yakuza boss, Ampersand, the ninja and Dr. Mann's mom...great idea...ehhhh execution...blah ending.
The story just got away from them and got ridiculous and unsatisfying. 3/5
The Tin Man
Dr. Mann's one-shot...I kinda like it, kinda wanted a little more? The life of a lesbian with a dead heart. 4/5
Gehenna
Alter's one-shot...when it rains it pours, huh? After so many that didn't quite liv...more
I was beginning to worry after finishing the last book that the story was starting to decline. Believe me, I was very nervous!
Vaughan appears to indicate that some time has passed since the last collection. It's easy to tell in the fact that at the very least, everyone has slightly longer hair. Yep, Yorick is rocking some lengthy locks.
It's worth noting that some serious stuff goes down in this issue. Which is a breath of fresh air considering the non-events in book 7. We also see the return of...more
Vaughan appears to indicate that some time has passed since the last collection. It's easy to tell in the fact that at the very least, everyone has slightly longer hair. Yep, Yorick is rocking some lengthy locks.
It's worth noting that some serious stuff goes down in this issue. Which is a breath of fresh air considering the non-events in book 7. We also see the return of...more
Maybe it's because I just finished some amazing epic fantasy (A Dance With Dragons), or maybe I'm just not in the mood, but this volume just felt silly to me. Like I couldn't figure out why I'm still reading this series, even though I've enjoyed it for the most part.
It has gotten a bit stale, but there was some interesting backstory from a couple different characters here. The thing is, I've realized that I don't really care about any of the characters. Yorick could die, and I'd probably be sur...more
It has gotten a bit stale, but there was some interesting backstory from a couple different characters here. The thing is, I've realized that I don't really care about any of the characters. Yorick could die, and I'd probably be sur...more
And now we are coming towards the climatic showdown of Y the Last Man. Some time has passed between Kimono Dragons and Paper Dolls; Beth II has had her daughter, Beth III, and everyone's hair has grown longer, plus some off-hand mentions are made of life debts formed in skipped Asian countries--indications of lost parts of the journey.
But that's okay. It's about time this show got on the road and we learned about the mysterious Doctor M and the wayward ninja, Toyota. For me, this has long been t...more
But that's okay. It's about time this show got on the road and we learned about the mysterious Doctor M and the wayward ninja, Toyota. For me, this has long been t...more
Is it sad that I didn't remember reading this volume until I nearly bought it for a second time?
I really think that sums up where the story has gone for me, personally.
I still enjoy the premise. I still think that there is some value to the story and some good characterization.
But at this point in the series, I find myself wanting to find out what happens, but not particularly interested in why or how. I don't see that as a good sign.
The first few volumes of the series blew me away. By this po...more
I really think that sums up where the story has gone for me, personally.
I still enjoy the premise. I still think that there is some value to the story and some good characterization.
But at this point in the series, I find myself wanting to find out what happens, but not particularly interested in why or how. I don't see that as a good sign.
The first few volumes of the series blew me away. By this po...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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After a somewhat lackluster seventh volume, Y: The Last Man seems to regain its footing with volume 8. If you can't enjoy a storyline that involves a near-future Tokyo controlled by an all-female Yakuza, which is in turn dominated by a third-rate pop starlet from Saskatoon, then you probably dropped out of this series considerably earlier than volume 8. There's plenty of character explication this time around as well, and given that it's much better integrated with the overall narrative, this ex...more
Maybe I've mentioned this already, but I first started in with YTLM while it was still being released, and I think I got to about this book or so, then quit because typically I get whatever graphic literature I read from the library, who (like everyone) obviously did not have the unpublished books yet. It sorta fell off my radar then came back later, but it'd been two years or more, and I decided to start again from the beginning...kind of like all those books I was supposed to read in college t...more
Nearly four years have passed since a global plague killed every male mammal on Earth. the two exceptions — Yorick and Ampersand — now find themselves in Japan. Following Ampersand's abduction by a sword-wielding mercenary, and Yorick and his companions have tracked him down Yorick must travel to Tokyo and navigate a tricky maze of Yakuza remnants, little-girl gangsters and pop star entitlement gone mad.
Dr. Mann heads to her mother's home for a chilly family reunion which is more hostile than e...more
Dr. Mann heads to her mother's home for a chilly family reunion which is more hostile than e...more
Bit too much backstory here, in particular Alter's (who it's hard to care about, and whose backstory doesn't seem much relevant to the story. You'd assume that's about to change, or why tell it at all, but having not established that yet, at this point it feels a bit like filler) but even a little bit Dr Mann's, some of which I was into and some of which seemed a bit Days of Our Lives with no real benefit to the story. This said, I still enjoyed this volume and am looking forward to finding out...more
Another must read graphic novel! One would think that being the last man on the planet, surrounded by women would be a good thing...turns out it's not.
Meet Yorick, an escape artist, college student, and aspiring showman. Life is good for him. His sister is a paramedic, his mom is a senator, and his beautiful girlfriend is about to become his fiancee. What could go wrong?
In one moment every living thing with a Y chromosome dies. Every single male human or animal erupts in spasms and spews blood a...more
Meet Yorick, an escape artist, college student, and aspiring showman. Life is good for him. His sister is a paramedic, his mom is a senator, and his beautiful girlfriend is about to become his fiancee. What could go wrong?
In one moment every living thing with a Y chromosome dies. Every single male human or animal erupts in spasms and spews blood a...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I cannot tell you how excited I am that this series has an ending. (Don't get me wrong, I love The Walking Dead, but sometimes I wonder if they add new wrinkles to the story just so they can keep it going.) Even better is that it's clear already in volume 8 that they're trying to bring the pieces together so that we can have a satisfying finish. We appear to be getting closer to the cause of man killing pandemic, and it appears that Dr. Mann is more involved than she realized.
In this volume, Yorick and Co. finally make it to Japan. Yorick and 355 try to track down Ampersand by using the tracking device that was implanted in him, while Dr. Mann and Rose go to look for Dr. Mann's mother. We get a lot of information about Dr. Mann's backstory, and Ampersand is finally rescued from a Canadian pop star turned Japanese mob boss. Meanwhile, Hero and Beth II arrive in Kansas. We also get the backstory on Alter, the ruthless Israeli soldier.
More exposition, but in a way that moves the story along in an exciting way. This issues delves more into the background of Dr. Allison Mann, highlighting on the fractured relationship she has with her acrimonious parents. What starts out as a way to develop the character's bitterness ends with greater understanding of the mystery of the outbreak. This is combined with some beautiful commentary about the past vs. present, set against the cultures of revamped China and Japan. We also get breakthr...more
Now, we're getting somewhere.
Yorick & Crew arrive in Tokyo. They're being stalked by Toyota, a ninja assassin. They go to confront Dr. Mann's mother, a Japanese scientist.
There's a lot of action in this volume, and that makes it a lot of fun. The depiction of Japan is a little stereotypical, though, with the ladies all fawning over a Japanese android man who's programmed to tell them things like, "you look beautiful when you cry."
There are also some important revelations in this volume, and...more
Yorick & Crew arrive in Tokyo. They're being stalked by Toyota, a ninja assassin. They go to confront Dr. Mann's mother, a Japanese scientist.
There's a lot of action in this volume, and that makes it a lot of fun. The depiction of Japan is a little stereotypical, though, with the ladies all fawning over a Japanese android man who's programmed to tell them things like, "you look beautiful when you cry."
There are also some important revelations in this volume, and...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Arriving in Japan, hot on Ampersand's trail, Allison must come to terms with her family and her own experiments. It also includes Allison's backstory, much like 355's last volume, and the story behind Alter.
I liked this volume a great deal. Japan's response to the event (this book was written in 2006) is actually quite recognizable in the reality of the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami. Life imitates art I suppose.
I liked this volume a great deal. Japan's response to the event (this book was written in 2006) is actually quite recognizable in the reality of the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami. Life imitates art I suppose.
Apr 06, 2008
Elizabeth
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Elizabeth by:
Morgan
Shelves:
graphic-novels
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I feel this is the breath before the blow out. I may just be imagining it, but this one feels to be the weakest of the ten (also notice I still awarded it 4/5 stars). This one gets you ready and in the mindset for the final two chapters of the story - and shit am I read.
Favorite aspects are the story of Alter and the conversations between 355 and Yorrick in the hotel room.
Favorite aspects are the story of Alter and the conversations between 355 and Yorrick in the hotel room.
As Vol. 7 gave some background on Agent 355, Vol. 8 does the same for Dr. Allison Mann. Her family's involvement in the plague is starting to reveal itself and though the full story has yet to be told, it's becoming clearer what roles her father and mother have played. I think. The next and final two volumes will prove whether I'm on the money with my current hypotheses...
Vaughan continues his habit of giving the reader backgrounds on characters' childhoods, choosing this time Dr. Mann and Alter. So now the reader's knowledge of these two characters is greatly enriched, in addition to knowing about the childhoods of 355, Hero and Yorick. Yorick and 355 learn more about each other, Dr. Mann's mom is revealed, and that crazy sword-wielding assassin takes a larger role. Very exciting developments...
Now we're talking. After a couple of more or less meandering segments of this saga, I feel like I'm back in the thick of it here. I love the way that Vaughan isn't afraid to test the boundary lines we've placed on sexuality, women, idealism and global perspectives of certain issues, and yet STILL tell a fantastic story. I couldn't be enjoying this series more.
Coming back to this after time away, I was less inclined to be swept away by the action and wishing there was more depth to the story line. The flashbacks for character development seemed tossed in precisely to provide depth, but I felt like I was still in the kiddie pool. Still annoyed by the monotonous rendering of every woman as thin and booberrific.
i was underwhelmed with the last two volumes of the series. but the story is back on track with this one. the plot is starting to come to a head, with the various parties vying for monkey and man. there are a couple of hilarious plot twists and also back stories for several of the characters. i'm intrigued to see how the series concludes.
Graphic Novel. The crew's finally made it to Japan, and I'm totally digging Yorick's outfit here -- the longer hair, the eyeshadow, the black bowler, the surgeon's mask, the oversized suit. It's like David Bowie meets Japan.
Also looking awesome: Dr. Mann, doing the punk thing in her origin story. Not looking awesome: Dr. Mann's extremely white-looking Japanese and Chinese parents. Come ON, artists; all your chicks look THE SAME. Arrg. We also see Alter's origins, though I'm still not sure of her...more
Also looking awesome: Dr. Mann, doing the punk thing in her origin story. Not looking awesome: Dr. Mann's extremely white-looking Japanese and Chinese parents. Come ON, artists; all your chicks look THE SAME. Arrg. We also see Alter's origins, though I'm still not sure of her...more
At this point in the series, there is such a great cast of characters and such great drama between them that it is really reaching a high point. The plot is still very fun and there are still mysteries waiting to be solved. This is a great series and if the next to volumes are as good as this one than the series will surely end on a perfect note!
Out of all of the Y's I've read so far, this particular installment had my favorite art work. That's not to say I don't appreciate the artistry of the other volumes so far, I just found some of the natural scenes incredibly beautiful. Plot lived to previous works, full of twists, betrayals and more secrets to be learned. I'm excited to see how the series finishes out.
The problem I have with this series is that every character seems to have the same voice. They all sound like macho, beer swigging, men! This volume was very heavy on the machismo. How can this be in a book about a world of women and one guy. The premise is great but execution is lacking in some areas in my opinion.
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Born in Cleveland in 1976, Brian K. Vaughan is the Eisner, Harvey, and Shuster Award-winning writer and co-creator of the critically acclaimed comics series Y: The Last Man, Runaways, and Ex Machina (picked as one of the ten best works of fiction of 2005 by Entertainment Weekly).
Recently named "Writer of the Year" by Wizard Magazine, and one of the “top ten comic writers of all time” by Comic Boo...more
More about Brian K. Vaughan...
Recently named "Writer of the Year" by Wizard Magazine, and one of the “top ten comic writers of all time” by Comic Boo...more
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