Y: The Last Man, began as one the most fascinating and addictive graphic novels I have ever read, but ended in lethargy and preachy-ness.  Published and told over five years, Y is a unique post-apocalyptic story of manchild Yorick, the only living male to survive a catastrophe that kills every male creature on earth.

Yorick is a pop-culture junkie a la Kevin Smith, aspiring escape artist, and woefully immature.  He is accompanied by a fem fatale from a secret organization, a shy genius biologist on the verge perfecting human cloning, and a monkey.  As they travel across the U.S. and eventually the world, they are faced with the worst that both mankind, and womankind have to offer.  Yorick is seduced by desperate women, attacked by violent anti-misogynists, and hunted by foreign governments.  With half its population suddenly gone, most societies delve into violence and rampant sexuality, while the remaining institutions, such as women’s prisons and orders of nuns, struggle to redefine themselves.

I hesitantly recommend The Last Man.  Stephen King called it the best graphic novels he’d ever read. It’s compared to Lost in it’s depth and addicting nature.  It is also surprisingly fair, condemning both feminism and misogyny.  However, the only overarching theme is that of Yorick’s own disjointed and disappointing descent into adulthood.  As the book progresses it’s theme gets lost in the portrayal of sexuality.  The authors try to wrap it all in a touching love story, however even this is lost, along with a clear answer as to what caused the catastrophe in the first place.

Y: The Last Man is a lot of fun, raises some good questions, but is too graphic and looses its way.  In other words, it’s not for everybody.