Book Review - Y: The Last Man, by Robert K. Vaughan


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Omphalos
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Book Review - Y: The Last Man, by Robert K. Vaughan

Post by Omphalos »

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What can I say about Y: The Last Man that has not been said innumerable times before? Nothing probably, unless I choose to focus on the positive. Since I don't see that much about this series to be positive about, I should be able to fill a few pages here. Recently - against my better judgment - I completed the entire run of the collected series of this comic. I completely (well, not completely; see below) failed to see what the big deal was. Hopefully I've done an adequate job in the reviews that follow of telling you what It was I hated about this series, but to summarize, the main character was an annoying, asexual, neurotic limp noodle, and the series was absolutely filled with one comic-book improbability after another. I wish I knew what it was that genre luminaries such as Robert Kirkman see in this book (take a look at the letters section in individual issues of The Walking Dead. Honestly, Kirkman cannot shut up about the "virtues" of this comic. Y: The Last Man is juvenile and confused, and has one of the stupidest resolutions I have ever read. If it were not for the very final issue, and one or two bits of psychological insight scattered throughout, this whole series would have been pointless. I am fully aware that I am pretty much the only comic book lover who hates this series. Hopefully somebody can explain to me what it is that everyone thinks is so good about this series, because as far as I can tell, this is just a case of mass-hypnosis, and Vaughan has the powers of Mesmero...Please click here, or on the book cover above, to be taken to the complete review..
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inhuien
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Re: Book Review - Y: The Last Man, by Robert K. Vaughan

Post by inhuien »

I try to read all you reviews Omph, but that one beat me, positively. Not that your writing was anything but it's usual entertaining, enlightening self, just that I didn't want to read a lot about poo. But I did the 1st 2 and the last 1, your link to your watchman review is 404ing.
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Apjak
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Re: Book Review - Y: The Last Man, by Robert K. Vaughan

Post by Apjak »

I enjoyed it when it was new. I thought the dialogue and art were good, but throughout the middle of the series it felt needlessly expanded. As if someone on high had said, hey this is popular, make it 10 times longer than you planned, and I'm, convinced that happens a lot in the American comics industry.
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TheDukester
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Re: Book Review - Y: The Last Man, by Robert K. Vaughan

Post by TheDukester »

I really enjoyed Y, actually. Well, the first half more than the second half. And I'd agree that the ending is ... uh ... "curious," at best.

But the first 20 or 25 issues were strong. Back when I still had a comics pull-list, I looked forward to Y every month.
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Omphalos
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Re: Book Review - Y: The Last Man, by Robert K. Vaughan

Post by Omphalos »

inhuien wrote:your link to your watchman review is 404ing.
Thanks. I wrote that a few weeks ago before I significantly changed the OBR site.

And thanks for the compliments. I do worry that I get dry and boring.

that one beat me, positively.
Wait'll you see what I am working on now. The Collected short stories of Arthur C. Clarke. 107 stories. Im 1/6 of the way through the thing and its already 19 pages long.
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Re: Book Review - Y: The Last Man, by Robert K. Vaughan

Post by Ampoliros »

I agree, it started well enough to keep me hooked and then near the end it turned into a giant mess. The ending is totally appropriate for how wtf-ish the series becomes. I would rather there have been more conclusion to the story.
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inhuien
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Re: Book Review - Y: The Last Man, by Robert K. Vaughan

Post by inhuien »

Omphalos wrote:Wait'll you see what I am working on now. The Collected short stories of Arthur C. Clarke. 107 stories. Im 1/6 of the way through the thing and its already 19 pages long.
:shock: :lol: Love your vision and dig your take on the Teletubbies.
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