“One Small Step (Chapter 4)”
Writer: Brian K. Vaughn
Artists: Pia Guerra(p), Jose Marzan, Jr.(i)
Publisher: Vertigo Comics
Synopsis:
Yorick is literally the last man on Earth, but three astronauts orbiting the planet are suddenly in-bound and have no idea if the man-killing plague of a year ago will affect them too. Now members of the Israeli military, hired by Yorick’s mother to capture him, have taken Yorick hostage. Meanwhile, Agent 355 crafts a hasty plan to rescue him.
Comments:
Every month I review “Y: The Last Man” and every month I go on and on about what a great comic this is, how well constructed the characters are, you get the idea… Surely I have something new to say, right? Not really. Writer Brian Vaughn has kept the pace exciting, always moving forward and manages to end each issue on a cliffhanger. But it’s become rather formulaic now. Since issue one, just over a year ago, there’ve been a number of major events in the story, each one powerful and life changing for the entire central cast. But there’s no single event, regardless of intensity, which really stands out.
Vaughn paces his chapters with beats that are clear and easy to follow, unfortunately each carries roughly the same weight. It’s like listening to the same song over and over again (ok that’s a crap analogy, I know). Honestly, I’m being critical of a story that I truly enjoy and respect, “Y: The Last Man” always entertains, but I want to see the story move ahead in leaps and bounds, not the shuffling pace it’s been on for the last six or so chapters. If you’re like me you probably grew up with Bill Bixby’s Incredible Hulk on TV. Bixby’s Banner was in constant pursuit of a cure for his Hulk affliction, but everybody knew he was never going to get there. After a few years the show just kinda fizzled out, the audience lost interest. I fear the same thing happening here. I’m beginning to believe that Yorick and team are never going to make it to California and Dr. Mann’s lab.
This chapter picks up literally seconds after the last. The Israelis have captured Yorick and plan to use him as leverage against foreign aggression; they figure no one will bomb them while they possess the only living human male on Earth. Agent 355 seeks to parley with the Israelis, using the shortly arriving astronauts as barter. Vaughn and artist Pia Guerra convey this in a clever cat-and-mouse sequence where each group tries to outflank and outwit the other. The thought and pacing Vaughn invested in these scenes are really effective, though I was a little dubious of the choices made by Altar, the Israeli Commander, which stretched my disbelief a bit.
Yorick proves himself capable of physical action as he battles his captors; it’s nice to see that he isn’t relegated to a stereotypical victim waiting for rescue. By this issue’s end Vaughn has somehow turned apparent victory into another surprise cliffhanger. One of the best things about “Y: The Last Man” is wondering how each chapter will end and I don’t think that Vaughn has played the same card twice. I admire him for that.
Final Word:
Brian Vaughn is a sincere writer; his characters speak and act in ways that feel consistent and believable. I’m sure he has an endgame in mind for this comic, there are surely numerous major events to come. I just wish that his bosses at Vertigo would allow him press down on the accelerator a bit more. Most comic books wish they had the same troubles, “Y: The Last Man” is it’s so good we just can’t wait to see how it turns out.
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