Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artists: Pia Guerra (p), Jose Marzan Jr (i)
Publisher: DC/Vertigo
The Plot:
Held captive by the seemingly mentally disturbed Agent 711, Yorick finds Agent 711 is curious why he hasn't been taking advantage of the idea that he's the only man alive on a planet full of women. To this end we see Yorick is subjected to various drugs to make him willing to talk, and along the way we learn why Yorick is reluctant to give into his sexual urges, as his past has moments that have left him with an aversion to physical intimacy.
The Good:
This issue does a nice job of getting inside Yorick's head through a rather unlikely source, as we see Yorick's captor has taken an active interest in the man she's got trussed up, and why he hasn't been acting like most red-blooded males who found themselves the last man alive. Now I must admit I was perfectly comfortable with the explanation that he was trying to remain loyal to his girlfriend, as the book has given readers several examples where Yorick has to struggle to remain true to his girlfriend. However, this issue gives us a closer look at the real reason why Yorick hasn't been taking advantage of his sole male status, beyond the simple reason that he wouldn't be a very sympathetic character to readers if he was showing as much restraint as Captain Kirk. Yes we get a look inside the mind of Yorick and we see he's got a few skeletons in his closet that have given him a bit of a prudish attitude when it comes to sex, as his first sexual encounters were marred by unpleasantness, and we see his family environment has taught him that sex is the source of discomfort and even worse a mortal sin. This issue also does a credible job of backing Yorick into a situation where one has to openly wonder how he'll get himself out without looking like a hapless victim, as the final page of this issue doesn't exactly make one believe that he's got much of a plan beyond letting the woman have her way. There's also a nicely ominous moment as we learn what Agent 355 believes Ampersand's chances of survival are.
The art on this issue remains quite solid, though there are moments where the art is called upon to deliver lengthy talking heads exchanges, as Yorick and his captor hold their conversations. However there's some solid visually touches like the way the original Polaroid of Beth is transformed to reflect Yorick's first time. The most powerful moment of the issue owes most of its impact to the art as well as that one page shot of the nightmare that Yorick encountered when he emerged from his apartment is a truly jarring visual. There's also some nice work on the various facial expressions of the characters, as Agent 711 has a cold, almost analytic look about her as she intruded upon Yorick's private thoughts. The expression of the young Yorick also help to sell the disturbing element of the flashback, and I have to say if not for the look of defeat on Yorick's face on that final page I would be convinced that next issue would begin with Yorick making his escape. I also have to say that cover stands up as one of the most bizarre images this book has offered up yet, and I have to ask why they're skipping away from the Oz Kingdom?
The Bad:
Normally this book is pretty good at living up to the hyperbole that the preview text offers up, and most times it actually exceeds the expectations that I enter the issue with. However this time out I have to say I was a bit disappointed by "Yorick Brown's deepest, darkest secret", as frankly the revelation seems to lack the emotional punch one would expect to find from a scene that is suppose to directly impact the character's behavior patterns for the rest of his life. Now the other two flashback moments carry a more impressive impact, as the look at a scene from Yorick's childhood is quite unsettling, and it neatly ties into Yorick's future interest in escape artistry. The scene where we get a look at Yorick's first encounter with the world after the plague hit was also quite powerful, and it acted to remind me of my disappointment that we didn't spend a little more time getting Yorick's initial reactions to this new world, as I've always felt there weren't enough moments in the early issues that displayed the impact that being the last man alive would have on the character in those first few days. In the end this issue acts as an explanation why Yorick hasn't really pursued a romantic relationship and we learn that his loyalty to a girlfriend halfway around the world isn't the true reason. However, the big revelation in this issue isn't powerful enough to convince me that it would be something that drives the character's current behavior.
What Would You Do With A Woman If You Had One?
I'm not sure we really needed an in-depth study of Yorick's attitudes toward sex, and the big revelation was a bit of a disappointment, as rather than act as an eye-opener, I found my gut reaction to the scene was to look back in the scene to see if there was some important bit of insight that I had missed on the first reading. Still, the issue does have a couple other scenes that are more powerful, as Yorick's sexual awaking at the hands of a neighborhood kid is quite unsettling, and the one page shot of what Yorick encountered when he emerged from his apartment the first day stands up as the single most disturbing visual I've seen in the pages of this book. We also get a quick look at Yorick's home life and the impact that his family made on his current state, and I have to say I was a bit surprised by the final page of this issue as it would appear that Yorick has given in after the issue had made a pretty convincing case for why he wouldn't give in to her. Still, one has to expect there's more to this final page than there would appear, but than again this book has always been pretty good at going down roads one hadn't expected it to.
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