Y: The Last Man continues to surprise and entertain, and even though I should have seen the twist coming in this issue, I didn't until it was upon us. In addition to the continuing surprises about what has shown up in the post-apocalyptic society, Vaughan continues to deliver great developing character relationships, whether it's the creepy one between Hero and Victoria, the sweet one between Yorick and Sonia or the very interesting dynamic of Agent 355, Dr. Mann and Yorick. Now that the book is going, it's looking like a long road trip is going to be part of the structure, allowing Vaughan to bring in new characters and situations with each arc, but also giving him some central characters to give the book a strong hook. Certainly there's a solid mix of new elements and continuing storylines in this arc.
Which is not to say that Y is flawless. Though I've been one of those who wasn't at all put off by the coincidence of Hero hunting Yorick, I found the scene between Hero and Victoria early on to be a little far-fetched. I'm hoping for a deeper exploration of Hero's post-apocalypse personality soon, because unless Victoria is secretly a mutant with hypnotic powers, right now I'm having a hard time buying the extent of her sway over Hero. I also had a little trouble with Yorick's reaction to Sonia's news, until I remembered that Yorick isn't really known for his restraint or thinking ahead, and so it was pretty much in character for him.
The revelation about Marrisville took me by surprise this issue, as it was more mundane than I had been expecting, and it presented some considerably more complex questions than just "how are Yorick and friends going to get out alive?" It's another clever look at the problems of a post-apocalyptic society, and makes some interesting points about who might be best equipped to survive in such a state.
Along with the surprises of Marrisville, we've got some great character development this time out. The scene between Agent 355 and Dr. Mann was priceless, not just for the surprise regarding 355 but in Dr. Mann's stammering, nervous reaction. I also found the flirtation and dialogue between Yorick and Sonia to be absolutely priceless, and probably the strongest part of the issue. Credit must go, as always, to Guerra and Marzan Jr. for their believable and effective work on expressions and body language that help carry scenes like this.
At this point, it's getting a little repetitive to say that Y: The Last Man is one of my favorite books, and one of the best books on the stands. But it is, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing the storylines and characters continue to grow and develop, given how much this creative team has done in less than a year.
