Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1: Unmanned in Queereaders

Dec 22, 2011 Brad rated it it was ok

Shelves: comic-books, graphic-novel, hopes-dashed-like-an-egg-on-cement, shite, curiousity-killed-the-bananas, apocalypse

So there's this thing that happens in post-apocalypse stories that I need to talk to you about.

You know how in a zombiepocalypse story we occassionally receive hints that it might be better for the women to stay safe so they can make babies? Usually it's only hints, and the male characters don't seem to want to offend the post-feminist sensibilities of the women, so instead the women tote guns and put their wombs at risk of becoming a zombie-buffet. But everyone gets along-ish, and there are us So there's this thing that happens in post-apocalypse stories that I need to talk to you about.

You know how in a zombiepocalypse story we occassionally receive hints that it might be better for the women to stay safe so they can make babies? Usually it's only hints, and the male characters don't seem to want to offend the post-feminist sensibilities of the women, so instead the women tote guns and put their wombs at risk of becoming a zombie-buffet. But everyone gets along-ish, and there are usually plenty of women and men, so it doesn't seem like fertility is the most important concern.

Or you get the big, bad group of fascist men trying to turn some poor girl into a "breeder" for the new human race, but she tends to rise up, spank their patriarchal asses, escape with her girl power intact, and hook up with some nice guy with whom she's fought for survival.

And in the bleakest of apocalypses there's no hope anyway, so who gives a shit about procreation? Everyone's dead or dying, cannibalism is running rampant, society has failed, and humans are doomed to extinction. The best the survivors can do is keep hiking down some road to whatever is further down the road with the world as nothing but the road.

But I've totally fucking had it now that I've read Y: The Last Man. This book really pisses me off to no end.

I'm fine with the Amazonian self-mutilators (I can buy an angry, post-apocalyptic group of violent women). I am willing to suspend my disbelief that Yorick and his monkey make it through the manpocalypse as the only surviving Y chromosomes. I'll yawn and tolerate the Yankee setting of yet another apocalypse. I'll cringe but cope with yet another bad ass, dreadlocked, African-American woman who's the most capable and violent person around. I'll even believe that spindly little Yorick can pass as a woman as long as he has his gas mask on.

But what I won't believe, what I won't buy, where I won't suspend by disbelief, where I am not fine is with the idea that Yorick would ever, EVER, be allowed to wander around the winter of homo sapienism with one body guard, risking his testicles for some stupid, pointless, selfish, idiotic search for the love of his life and his sister. His sperm, and Ampersand's, would be the most important substances known to womankind (not because he is a man but because of sheer practicality). He would be protected whether he liked it or not. He would be imprisoned. His sperm would be used to impregnate. It would be used to find an immunity for future boys. It would be used for the survival of homo sapiens. Period.

I heard this book was really great -- a must read graphic novel. At best it is okay ... if you look past the idiocy of Yorick's wanderings, his insufferable smarminess, that stupid fucking monkey, and the poorest characterizations of women you're ever likely to see. Why two stars then? Because it isn't quite as bad as the Luna Brothers' Girls -- though it is damn close. ...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Fr. Andrew rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels-comics

So far the previous lengthy essay arguing that this comic series was sexist is not getting my concurrence. The problem with the Amazons is that they speak in stilted cliches, political fundamentalism that's a bit annoying to read. But converts are like that, and it's easy to get converts during a cataclysm. So I forgive this largely but I do feel it keeps the book from a five-star status. 355, Yorick, and Ampersand are interesting characters, and the world they are living in is equally fascinati ...more

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Jul 26, 2016 raccoon reader rated it liked it

Shelves: graphic-novel

Eh... not sure about if I'll keep going with this one. It ranked about a 2.5. Meaning I "liked it okay." I'll see if the next one is available through my library and if it's not immediately available I'll probably let this one die. ...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Lani rated it it was ok

Nothing special. Obviously very male-centric, but I didn't find the comic to be entirely anti-feminist like one of the other reviewers said but maybe it will get a little worse. A group of women hunting this one single man is worthy of a little eye rolling though.

I'll probably check out the next volume just to see if it picks up anymore since most of this one wasn't all that interesting because it was just the set up. ...more

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