This issue features one of the revelations I've been waiting for since early on in Y, the truth about Dr. Mann's baby and why she has seemed so cagey when talking about what happened. However, while that's the major turning point in the issue, it's far from the most interesting element of the issue, which features more scary villains, 355 being a badass (and then not being the cold-blooded killer I expected) and, of course, more of Yorick making a dork out of himself in enjoyable ways. It also features Goran Parlov on artwork, and while I'm a fan of Pia Guerra, I actually think Parlov is just as good as the artist who originated these characters.
Overall, "Widow's Pass" is about one thing, our intrepid band of heroes trying to cross Arizona and get to California so they can get to Dr. Mann's lab. However, while that's the central plot, the story is really broken up into segments, each one exploring different characters in more detail. Though Yorick as always gets the lion's share of attention, this is actually Dr. Mann's story, as we see her desperation to save humanity increasing and learn that, for all her accomplishments and mask of professional arrogance, she's actually got some of the same self esteem issues that bother Yorick. I love how what seemed like a confident gesture from Mann at the end of the last issue is in fact revealed to be something of an act of desperation, turning my vision of the character on its head.
Which is not to say that Yorick's story here isn't important. The last story dealt with his suicidal tendencies, something I had no trouble buying into, and he does seem just slightly happier and more adjusted as a result. His talk with PJ was a lot of fun, with a surprisingly (and hilariously) frank discussion of how the last man on earth gets by without sex and an unusual viewpoint on the whole apocalypse from PJ's point of view. In fact, Vaughan spends a good amount of time showing how cool PJ is, one of the more likable supporting characters introduced, so that his cliffhanger ending has more punch.
Parlov has done a phenomenal job on this book, and I hope that if Guerra does return, Parlov will become the regular fill-in artist. Not only does he do a really nice job on the characters, giving them a lot of individual personality and well-drawn features, but his storytelling is top notch. There are a couple of violent blows struck in this issue which really give you a feel for the realistic violence, and it makes the cruelty of the villains or the skill of 355 visually clear. Then there are subtle storytelling things, like Yorick reaching behind his back when he thinks PJ is about to psycho out on him, or how he answers her question about what the last man does for sex, that are pure visual storytelling.
I'm constantly amazed by Y: The Last Man. Not just because Vaughan continues to pull off surprising cliffhangers while only rarely feeling like he's cheating or pulling something out of nowhere, and not just because the characters are so well fleshed-out and entertaining, but because it was all such a surprise. When the book was first announced, I had no real interest in it, expecting an OK read in the sociological science-fiction vein with a dour personality. Instead I got a book that is thoughtful and funny, not to mention an interesting mirror held up to modern-day male and female roles and how they might change if something enormous happened.
