Y: The Last Man Vol. 10: Whys and Wherefores

I guess having invested the time to read this far i was expecting a bit more in way of an ending

Plague? Black Magic? Terrorism? Act of God? Could / would something simultaneously kill every mammal possessing a Y chromosome? Even unborn mammals in the womb? Well, according to Y: The Last Man, on July 17, 2002, that's exactly what happened...with the exception of one male human being and one male Capuchin monkey.Y: The Last Man chronicles the life of Yorick Brown and his pet monkey Ampersand as they are thrust into a female-only society. And society is in chaos. The realization that the planet is doomed without a reproducing, intelligent species is not lost on its inhabitants. Some accept their fate; some fight to find a way to reverse the annihilation; and some even denounce any fight to survive as opposition to God's will.Hence, to some, Yorick Brown is the ultimate opposition to God's will....A sole human male survivor. So when Yorick teams up with a government agent and a genetic scientist on a journey across the country to get to a laboratory to find out 'what makes him different', or to try to discover if there's a genetic 'solution' to this disaster, you can bet the band of travelers run into some hostile forces.The stories are delivered in 10 Volumes, with Volume 10 seemingly being the wrap-up of this compelling series. Volumes 1 - 5 are very well told, exciting, twist-filled and keep you pressing on for Volume after Volume. Volumes 6 - 10 start getting a little (just a little!) long in the tooth, as perhaps more of an attempt drag the story out and keep a great revenue generating series alive, but nevertheless, Writer Brian Vaughan keeps readers compelled to press on.A hardcover compilation of (only the first few???) volumes of the story will be released in late 2008:  Y: The Last Man, Book One, Deluxe Edition ; I strongly recommend starting with this Book compilation, or at minimum, with  Unmanned (Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1)  in order to stick with the chronology of the story.Rumor has it (according to [rumored] Director D.J. Caruso) that a movie adaptation will come out in three films...the first of which could be released as early as 2009 (with [rumored] Shia LaBeouf as Yorick).The storyline is not without some controversy....Well, I see no controversy, but I'm sure that certain narrow minded groups might view the nature of a population unable to civilly function without men a bit 'controversial'. Hopefully, Hollywood will maintain the integrity of the series and not dumb down this fabulous tale that the authors created.

What a journey this has been… for our cadré of main characters and for us as the readers. Brian K. Vaughan delivers a masterful and deeply moving conclusion to the series. Just… wow!

Great way to end a very solid series with great writing and beautiful art. Beautiful both in paper and digital.

*spoilers ahead*If I think on it too long I can't help but feel just a little let down by the ending of this series. But, that said, doesn't mean that I'm altogether unhappy with the ending or that I think it should have been done differently.All mysteries are not fully revealed. I have to think that perhaps that was intentional. We don't always get all the answers in life, right? Society and periods in history (some more than others) are messy and complicated and convoluted and full of holes that never get completely filled in and smoothed over. And just like in life, we don't always get the most reasonable, justifiable answers to those complex situations. So my feelings of let down are not so much with the writer and how things came together (or didn't) but just that things didn't turn out rosier.My feelings about the explanation of the plague are mirrored by Yorick himself when he says, "As far as answers go, it was vaguely unsatisfying." To which Beth asks, "Is there any explanation that would have been satisfactory?" Yorick: "Um, aliens? I would have also accepted witchcraft or anything involving nanobots." I think that Vaughan is letting readers know here that he knows that the grand reveal really wasn't all that grand, that it wasn't a mistake or an oversight but it was meant to be that way. The series' strength is most definitely in it's characters. And character development is what Brian Vaughan seems to do really well.My only real qualm is that Yorick's character wasn't more redemptive. He loses so much and goes through so much and manages to maintain his sense of humor and optimism through the entire series, right down to the very last chapter, but excluding the very last chapter. It's rather disheartening. But then again, a human reaction that feels true to life. It's an anti-fairytale conclusion. And a fairytale, this definitely is not

As I read through other reviews written I see a lot of complaints about the ending, and I definitely sympathize with these readers. The ending leaves you feeling a bit hollow and unfulfilled, but I think it has more to do with the series ending than with the ending itself. I do not see how this series could have ended any differently.By book 8 I could not see a conclusion that didn't end with almost the exact events that occurred. There are four conflicting endings and only one could exist. Either Yorick ended up with Beth, 355, alone or dead. Any one scenario would leave you wishing for the others, and yet only one could happen. I say the hollowness comes from the series ending because until the very end there was hope for all four options without picking one. Yorick was destined for a tragic ending one way or another from the moment the series started, but the focus should not be on the beginning and ending. It should be on the adventure in between. It is hard to think of a story with such compelling characters who really made you care about them, and the world they were thrown into played on all their advantages and disadvantages.I'm sorry it's over, but I'm glad it was ended when it was. Had it been dragged on for five or ten more books it would have been due to filler that ruined the story. I compare it to the Sopranos. That TV series should have been two or three seasons max. Instead it was dragged on for six seasons. So, while the Sopranos has some of the best content of any show ever, I will not watch the series again because I have to wade through so much crap to get to it. On the other hand I will definitely go back and read Y the Last Man.

This is the culmination to a good series, always interesting, although - like the TV series the writer is now involved with - not every "episode" is a strong one.I expect, if the US TV networks will buy a series with only one male character, this will be a TV series soon, hailed by all as the new Lost or Heroes.Publication was delayed - by the publisher, not Amazon - and, like another reviewer, my copy has 20 pages printed upside-down, but these minor irritations aside it is a good finale with shocks, surprises and a satisfying ending for all the story lines. No hanging threats of further issues, thankfully.The artwork is not in itself beautiful or remarkable, save for the sheer quantity of pages over ten collected editions, and really is there to illustrate the story rather than enhance it like, say, Dark Knight Strikes again or 300. That said, it does the job very well.Be aware it must be read in order, unlike the various X-men or Batman comic series, so make sure you start with Vol 1. By the end, I realised I had spent nearly £80 on a comic book story. That's quiet a commitment, way more than I'd spend on a DVD box set, for example.So although I liked it and I heartily recommend it, be aware it can be an expensive thing to get hooked on.

While some chapters have felt like filler in this series every panel in this volume feels like it was meant to be their and makes a point. The epilogue feels like a new series in itself and is carried off brilliantly! All the main characters development is brought to the surface in this making you feel the true impact of their struggle. This is an amazing volume full of brilliant characterization, subtle messages and thoughtful artwork. The few blips in the series are worth it for this magnificent omega.

An incredible conclusion. Breathtaking and heartbreaking. Thrilling and emotional. "Whys and Wherefores" concludes Y the Last Man, and proves the series to be an absolute triumph. Read these books.

One of the best comic book series I've read!

Great story, well told