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Rediscovered an old favorite while looking for something to read during my recent misadventures. Consider this:
In the summer of 2002, a plague of unknown origin destroyed every last sperm, fetus, and fully developed mammal with a Y chromosome (with the apparent exception of one young man and his male pet).
This "gendercide" instantly exterminated 48% of the global population, or approximately 2.9 billion males. 495 of Fortune 500 CEOs are dead, as are 99% of the world's landowners. In the United States alone, more than 95% of all commercial pilots, truck drivers, and ship captains died... as did 92% of violent felons. Internationally, 99% of all mechanics, electricians, and construction workers are now deceased... though 51% of the planet's agricultural labor force is still alive....
The only thing better than the premise of Y: The Last Man is, somehow, the execution. Almost all of the clichés you'd expect in this scenario are addressed and most are almost instantly dismissed. The plot -- the titular character's quest to find his girlfriend on the other side of the world -- unfolds elegantly as a few kinks are thrown into the premise and as characters' motivations bloom and branch. And those characters are vivid -- there's a reason two of them made MightyGodKing's top 50 comic book characters of all time list (a brilliantly accurate list, I may add). It ran a surprisingly consistent run of 60 issues, and you can read the first one here (PDF). The narrative is interesting -- it goes pretty much where you think it's going, and yet it will still surprise you. Maybe the premise is inherently sci-fi, but it wears a frightening plausibility throughout, without straining the suspension of disbelief. Though a few plot turns may render you completely despondent.
I'm fighting the urge to pick up all the collections in one fell swoop -- that and the deluxe edition of We3, which I saw multiple times last week. Sigh.
Try the first issue and let me know what you think (or, if you've read the series, feel free to rebut my assertions as to its quality). If it catches your eye, try the first collection, "Unmanned," and see if you can stop then. I think you'll enjoy it.
In the summer of 2002, a plague of unknown origin destroyed every last sperm, fetus, and fully developed mammal with a Y chromosome (with the apparent exception of one young man and his male pet).
This "gendercide" instantly exterminated 48% of the global population, or approximately 2.9 billion males. 495 of Fortune 500 CEOs are dead, as are 99% of the world's landowners. In the United States alone, more than 95% of all commercial pilots, truck drivers, and ship captains died... as did 92% of violent felons. Internationally, 99% of all mechanics, electricians, and construction workers are now deceased... though 51% of the planet's agricultural labor force is still alive....
The only thing better than the premise of Y: The Last Man is, somehow, the execution. Almost all of the clichés you'd expect in this scenario are addressed and most are almost instantly dismissed. The plot -- the titular character's quest to find his girlfriend on the other side of the world -- unfolds elegantly as a few kinks are thrown into the premise and as characters' motivations bloom and branch. And those characters are vivid -- there's a reason two of them made MightyGodKing's top 50 comic book characters of all time list (a brilliantly accurate list, I may add). It ran a surprisingly consistent run of 60 issues, and you can read the first one here (PDF). The narrative is interesting -- it goes pretty much where you think it's going, and yet it will still surprise you. Maybe the premise is inherently sci-fi, but it wears a frightening plausibility throughout, without straining the suspension of disbelief. Though a few plot turns may render you completely despondent.
I'm fighting the urge to pick up all the collections in one fell swoop -- that and the deluxe edition of We3, which I saw multiple times last week. Sigh.
Try the first issue and let me know what you think (or, if you've read the series, feel free to rebut my assertions as to its quality). If it catches your eye, try the first collection, "Unmanned," and see if you can stop then. I think you'll enjoy it.
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