Y: The Last Man: One Small Step - Brian K. Vaughan & Pia Guerra
"If there's one thing I hate, it's crappy works of fiction that try to sound important by stealing names from the Bard."
I did read Book 2 ("Cycles") of this series but didn't review it. It does seem generally assumed that the deaths of all the males was caused by some sort of plague, although we do get one or two more theories involving supernatural causes. In this one, the title "One Small Step" is a reference to astronauts; it turns out that there are three astronauts who were on board the Space Station when the plague struck, two of whom are male and are still alive. Of course, it's been several months and their supplies and oxygen on board are running out, so they're attempting to get back down to Earth. In the meantime, Yorick is still working his way across the U.S., attempting to get to Dr. Mann's lab so she can try to figure out what caused the death and why Yorick survived.
It does feel like Vaughan and Guerra are settling into their story by now. They have some fun with references to their own story and comic books in general, and there's a two-chapter side plot (guest-illustrated by Paul Chadwick) involving a traveling troupe of actors. They decide to do a provocative play about the Last Man on Earth in a town where the mayor would rather see "As the World Turns" reenacted. These two chapters are a fun diversion from Yorick and gang (who make a small appearance at the end) and the illustration style is a bit improved, though I think Chadwick's own writing makes a better showcase for his artwork.
Still a thought-provoking concept, but I do find myself wishing that it was less conspiracy-laden and focused instead on what your average woman would be doing in this situation. Instead, most of the characters we've encountered in the series so far are extreme in some way or another, and a whole lot of them seem to have expertise with heavy artillery. And I haven't even mentioned the mysterious Japanese ninja chick.
Fed to jonathan's brain | April 30, 2007
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