"One Small Step (Chapter 3)
Writer: Brian K. Vaughn
Artists: Pia Guerra(p), Jose Marzan, Jr.(i)
Publisher: DC/Vertigo
Synopsis:
Israeli soldiers are hunting Yorick, the last living man on earth. Yorick's mother has hired them to capture her son, but it appears that they have their own set of plans and motivations. While far above the earth a space capsule containing two male astronauts readies itself for a final return to the planet and what fate awaits them is unclear also. Both of these events are set to convene in a grain field in Kansas, the heartland of America.
Comments:
My enthusiasm for "Y The Last Man" is beginning to wane. The dialog, characterizations and art are just as strong as ever, but the storyline has really dragged out. It is now issue #13, so we're past the first year point, obviously. Writer Brian K. Vaughn has crafted several compelling arcs and we all know and appreciate Yorick, Agent 355 and Dr. Mann (who is still kinda bland in my opinion). The cast has been expanded to include Natalya, a hot Russian secret agent (naturally), and 3 astronauts (two of them men) who are orbiting above the earth in a space capsule that is about to crash land somewhere in the midwest - whether the males aboard live or die is a central, burning question - but damned if the real question: why all of the men on the planet died, has or ever will be answered. It's taken like a year for Yorick and pals to go from Washington DC to Kansas - I could pedal a tricycle there in less time.
Vaughn has cleverly avoided establishing a definitive timeline in Y the Last Man (YLM from now on). Each issue opens with "Now" or "An hour ago". So we know when the immediate events transpire, but not really where they sit in the master chronology. I kind of wish that I knew what the entire duration of events in YLM have been. Date and time stamping each issue could have placed everything into a clearer context, well for me at least. This issue plays out in linear fashion over just a few minutes to an hour, but there is a whole lot going on, nonetheless.
The astronauts are prepping for re-entry and we see them engaged in prayer because they have no idea if they'll survive the landing process much less the first moments of exposure to the possibly contaminated air. But then again no one even knows if the fatal man-killing disease was airborne to begin with, might be in the coffee or the Oreos for all they know. Meanwhile, back in the grainfields of Kansas the Israelis have tracked Yorick and have him literally in their gun sights. The confrontation that follows is fast and brutal, we don't really learn much more about our characters than we knew before, but the events pretty much confirm what we suspect. Sorry, that was pretty opaque, you try writing these reviews.
The art team turns in another remarkably understated effort. The scene aboard the space capsule is really strong; we can sense the fear and camaraderie that these 3 people share. Yorick is still cracking wise, but even he is starting to show the wear of his recent experiences through his facial expressions and body posture. But I continue to notice that all of the women seem to share the same head and body type, with small variations. It is a little distracting, but negligible considering that the storytelling is so effective, and that's what counts after all. Penciller Pia Guerra handles the gunfights very well, but restrains the violence, thankfully – I don't need a Gray's Anatomy lesson like I get in Punisher and other hyper-violent comics. When someone takes a bullet to the head and there's a big red splat, I'm pretty convinced they're not walking away, that's all the detail I require - Guerra gets that and I appreciate it.
Final Word:
Y The Last Man keeps loping along. Brian Vaughn is running a slow and steady race. If there's a finish line ahead he seems content and inclined to weave his way there in the most serpentine fashion possible. The reader in me wants to see a big turn of events; some finality after which the survivors can embark in an entirely new direction. Good dramas, such as in ABC TV's Alias, treat each new season like a brand new series, that is admirable and I think that it is a model the comics industry and YLM specifically should aspire to. I don't know when the YLM season ends, but I need something big to happen soon if I'm going to keep coming back long term.
What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!