Saturday, March 12, 2011

10 Thoughts on... Y: The Last Man: vol 2.

It's the weekend, meaning it's time for me to switch away from my regular, current reviews and bust out a few trade reviews. I'm still happily playing through Dragon Age 2(for the PS3!!) and have lost 17 hours to that game thus far. Can you guess what my weekend plans entail? Anyway, enough jabber, here's the review.

Y: The Last Man, Book 2: Cycles. Collecting Y: The Last Man #6-10.

-Yorick(covered in a cape, hood and gas mask) manages to gain access to a train by trading a motorcycle he swiped from the Amazons towards the end of the last trade. With all of the men gone, the only real way to get cross country is by the trains. Anyway, Yorick, 355 and Dr. Mann(as well as Ampersand the monkey) get on-board and kill some time talking about stuff. As luck would have it, two thieves hop into the car Yorick and company were in, demanding whatever the trio had on them. 355 draws her gun, which freaks out Mann, who tries to stop 355 from shooting anybody. By this point, Yorick, like an idiot, charges the two criminals and gets tossed out of the moving train. 355 beats the hell out of the thieves before tossing Mann out of the train and then following herself, since her whole mission was to keep Yorick safe.

-Yorick's sister, Hero, is pulled deeper into the ranks of the Amazons thanks to the Amazon's charismatic leader, Victoria.

-Some woman living in a small town in Marrisville, Ohio finds Yorick's unconscious body(as well as Ampersand) laying near the train tracks not that far from her home.

-The woman(whose name is Sonia) takes Yorick into her home and watches over him until he wakes up, quite surprised by his new surroundings and demanding to know what became of 355 and Dr. Mann.

-Mann wakes up a little banged up but no worse for wear after falling from the train, while 355 is laying with her head cracked open against a rock.OUCH!!!


-Yorick tries to impress upon Sonia not to reveal his presence to the other townswomen, but unfortunately she had already told them, leading to a crowd of women waiting outside of Sonia's house to see if there really was a man still alive. The women are relatively friendly, and Yorick is shocked by how well run their town is, a far cry from some of the towns and cities he had passed back east. While talking to the woman, Dr. Mann rushes over and tells Yorick that 355 needed assistance. The townswomen inquire what kind of a name 355 was and when they hear she's a government agent, they give each other one of those, “Uh-oh...” looks. Ultimately the women agree to bring 355 to town to work on her wounds.

-While that is going on, the Amazons are still on Yorick's trail, with Hero locating the two thieves from the train and discovering that the man the Amazons were hunting down sounded exactly like her brother. Hero reports this information back to Victoria, hoping they could spare Yorick, but Victoria manages to convince Hero(with some awesome brainwashing techniques) that Yorick was no different than the other men, and as such had to die.

-With 355 now being looked after by Dr. Mann, and Yorick chopping wood with Sonia away from town, the other townswomen meet up afraid that 355 had come to town for them. Why would that be the case? Well, Yorick and Sonia wind up sharing a kiss, after which she admits to him that all of the women in town were from a nearby women's penitentiary, and were released by the guards since they had no way to seriously keep an eye on them. Upon learning this, Yorick freaks out and rushes back to town, ranting about how the townswomen should still be in jail.That old woman is all kinds of awesome!


-While Yorick is making an ass of himself, Hero enters the door demanding Yorick turn himself over to the Amazons. Yorick immediately goes to embrace his sister and is met with a bow to the head. From outside Victoria appeals with the townswomen to send Yorick outside so she could kill him and finally rid the Earth of all men. The townswomen refuse, much to the shock of Yorick and the rage of Victoria. Victoria demands that the Amazons burn the building to the ground, but Yorick heads outside against the advice of the townswomen, who were willing to fight to the death for him. Yorick tries to talk some sense to Hero, but she's completely brainwashed by this point and pushes him to his knees, at which time Victoria walks over with a handgun, ready to blow Yorick's brains out. Before she can pull the trigger though, Sonia throws an ax from the house, catching Victoria right in the side of the head, killing her.Talk about a splitting headache! Hee-hee-hee...


-In retribution for Victoria's death, Hero shoots an arrow into Sonia, killing her. The other townswomen charge outside, grab the fallen handgun and decide to lock Hero and the Amazons in the prison they themselves once resided in. Besides all of that, a few Israeli soldiers have snuck onto American soil after being told of Yorick's existence by someone from the White House, and we also learn that while Yorick is the last man on Earth, there were two worried male astronauts up in a space station wondering what the hell was going on back home.

Score: 10 out of 10. Ah, so THIS is why this series was so highly spoken of! There's really not anything for me to complain about here. The story was awesome, the artwork was awesome, the dialogue was awesome, in a word, this trade was awesome! And not only was this trade awesome, the future storylines that were set up look great. Hero appears to have become the defacto leader of the Amazons with Victoria gone, meaning she'll be in direct conflict with Yorick when she makes her inevitable escape from the prison. The Israeli storyline has been simmering on the back burner, but you can tell it's going to be HUGE when it finally comes to the forefront. And the last page, which showed us that there were two male astronauts who survived the great die-off was a mind-blower. Truly great stuff here.

40 comments:

  1. I'm really glad you enjoyed this trade! It's one of my favorites in the series (which is really saying something, since I love them all). I think the plot threads set up at the end of this trade are some of the most intriguing in the series, especially the astronauts. Luckily, you won't have to wait long to see those come to fruition!

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  2. I loved this volume! The one thing that bugs me about Yorick is the way he pines for his girlfriend. I just have a bad feeling about how that whole situation is going to turn out.

    Hero has got to be my favorite character, she seems like such a tragic figure. I'm interested in reading what happens to her by the end of the series.

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  3. i enjoyed this volume as well.thanks for the post!

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  4. So the love for this trade seems to be unanimous! I actually did finish vol. 3 so yeah, I did see how the plot threads from this vol wrapped up, Marc. Hopefully I'll have that up and posted next weekend.

    The situation between Yorick and his girlfriend is kind of interesting, because by the end of this volume, like 3 months have passed since all the men died, which means if his girlfriend is still alive, she's already grieved for him and moved on(and that's if she's wasn't gonna break up with him, which is what I was thinking during the first volume!). Plus there's the whole problem of actually getting TO Australia! I think 355 is my favorite character out of the bunch, Kello... Her or Yorick.

    Thanks for reading/commenting, Cooldude!

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  5. X and Kello, based on your comments, I am REALLY interested to see what you think of how everything shakes out in the end. And I mean that in a good way, not ominously or anything. And unfortunately, I can't really say much more than that! Kello, how far are you along in the series?

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  6. Marc- I already checked the spoilers, but I didn't want to say anything in front of X. I actually gave up on hunting down this series for a while, because I had a frustrating eBay experience with one of the deluxe HCs (I won it for $5 and got totally stiffed by the seller. 2 months later I got my $5 refund.). Now I'm enraged whenever I think of buying more.

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  7. I had a similar experience with ebay a while back that turned me off from using that site for quite a while, so I understand. You could always check the library though. That's how I read this series.

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  8. Anyone else find it funny or coincidental that Doc's name is A. Mann? Also, I really enjoyed this volume too.

    I loved the sibling confrontation as well as his quick love interest with Sonia. And I laughed at the Hatchet-faced line, especially when I turned the page haha.

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  9. Yeah, I can't help but chuckle at the fact that her name is Dr. Mann as well, JT.

    I'm waiting for the inevitable confrontation between Yorick and Hero that you KNOW is going to happen down the road!

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  10. I think somethings gonna come from that, bit it seems TOO obvious, ya know?

    Oh definitely. How far have you read up to so far X? I'm gonna start and hopefully finish three tomorrow.

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  11. I read the first three. I haven't started 4 yet, but once I'm done with Morning Glories, that's next on my list. So I'd expect to get into #4 by this weekend.

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  12. Awesome, So I'll be caught up with ya by then. How ya enjoying MG so far? And what issue ya on by now?

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  13. Same spot I was in last time actually. I think issue 3 or 4? I didn't read anything last night, and I've been working on reviews tonight, which is what I'll be heading off to continue.

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  14. Oh yeah, I forgot ya been reviewing your ass off. Maybe you can find some time to read this weekend?

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  15. I hope so. I'm gonna do 7 more reviews tonight, and then probably pass the HELL out! I don't know what it is, but I've been wasted all day long... I woke up spent, sleepwalked through school, and then vegged out and played Dragon Age until like an hour ago. I am SO glad it's the weekend, because this week school really kicked my ass!

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  16. Imagine how I feel. I did like FIVE planes at work, and read Vol. 3 of Y and Under the Hood Vol. 2.

    But yeah, I know what ya mean, I slept for like 8 hours and still woke up in that perpetual zombie state of mind where your body is just tired and sluggish. I'm ready to go see Falisha, buy some trades, come home and read and sleep.

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  17. Ah, so then you know exactly how I feel. I could literally pass out right now. I actually finished a cAptain America trade and almost finished Y vol 4 at school between classes today.

    Wait, you aren't gonna do all that stuff now, are you?! Because I'd be kind of surprised if your cb shop was open at like 1 in the morning!

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  18. Damn man, I'm gonna read so much Invincible and Y that by next week I'll probably be done/caught up.

    Lol no, I'm doing that tomorrow morning, so we can hang before Lisha goes into work at 3 pm.

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  19. Sweet. Once you're almost caught up with Invincible I'll read the 5 or 6 singles I have to get completely caught up.

    Sounds like a good day planned, mi amigo. I'll be here... Playing DR2... All day long...

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  20. Awesome, It shouldn't take long depending on how many trades I buy. Btw that Dan Way Venom series, stay away. I stopped after the first four issues featured nameless characters like a bad movie...

    Should be, and I KNOW you're sleepy, you typed DR2 and the A is nowhere near the R.....

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  21. Huh. I guess it took Dan Way a few years to really master his writing style. Well, that is one trade I shall avoid!

    HA! See, I told ya I was tired! I literally went to sleep like minutes after I shut down my computer. Didn't read a single comic, which NEVER happens!

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  22. Yeah, he may be one of the best today but I don't think I could've read that trade if you paid me, it was SO boring. Well, unless you paid like 20 bucks. then I'd fight through and finish it, haha.

    :O You MUST'VE been deadly tired haha, not even one comic. Blasphemy!

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  23. Agreed. I'd read ANYTHING for $20! Hell, I'd read anything for $5! And all it takes for me to hand out a good review is $10. Yes, I'm a $10 review whore.

    I KNOW! And I have so many comics I want to read too! Well, I can tell you this much, that won't be happening tonight!

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  24. Lmao @ a $10 review whore, that should so be in the blog description...

    As do I, actually reading Invincible Vol. 6 right now and halfway done! Woooooo

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  25. Hell, I'd give out 9's for $5 and 10's for $10! I have NO morals!!! :P

    Soon... My comic pile is practically BEGGING to be touched. Do you think you'll do a post for Y/Fables or Invincible? Oh, and have you put up your R&R post yet? I checked like 20 mins ago and it still wasn't up. What gives?!

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  26. Lol I'll have you review that Red Hood movie so you can FINALLY watch it :P May bring that with me if you're all hopped up on goofballs, I mean sleeping pills.

    Most likely not cause I'm lazy like that, unless it's like what I learned from Y the Last man, I MAY do that. Depending on my laziness when I finish it up. And what blog are YOU checking? I posted it around 5 or so.

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  27. HA! Well you know my going rate, sugar. $5 for a 9, $10 for a 10. :D

    I SO want to steal that What I Learned From idea still...

    Wait, really?!? According to my dashboard when I signed in, only Lisha posted something new today out of the blogs that I followed! I'll head over their post-haste!

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  28. Lol so disturbing, so very disturbing.

    Lol go ahead, you have my permission, just link me up! You kinda did with ya Ten Thoughts :P

    Haha I love how your idea of "checking my blog" is going to Blogger, but yeah It didnt show up on the Dashboard for me either which is weird since it usually does, but Lisha just checked my blog on her phone and its there.

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  29. HA!!!! I don't even have anything to add. I agree with you! :D

    I might do that for a few of the random trades I read during the week. For example, I read a Captain America trade, a Batman trade and a Riddler graphic Novel that I'd like to post about but I don't really want to spend time doing a long post on. A "Learned From" post seems like it would fit well. Oh well, we'll see.

    Yeah, I just posted and voted over there. I wonder why it didn't show up. Weird...

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  30. Lol at least we both know how scary that was, and we're now stronger for having lived through it. lol

    Take it bro, what's my blog is your blogs, just send me some traffic, you thousand-people-per-day having bastard. Lol

    Yeah that's weird, that means no one else will know about it... ah well.

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  31. Let's buried it away and forget I ever said it... For BOTH our sakes...

    Done and done! What can I say, obviously the folks who visit my blogs have very disconcerning tastes. You know, if you REALLY want to increase traffic, buy a scanner! I mean hell, you spend hundreds of $ on comics a day, why not get a scanner?! :D

    Poor, poor JT... Damn blogger!

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  32. Already thankfully forgotten.

    Meh, i don't wanna have to post pictures, then I'd be a picture whore like YOU instead of getting readers with thought provoking topics like "Whose Hotter: Power Girl or Wonder Woman?" Lol

    The Man, always tryna screw me over

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  33. But then you'd have visual evidence to support either WW or PG! See, you'd help your own cause!

    Ah, so The Man runs blogger... Now it ALLLLL makes sense...

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  34. You shan't fool me, foul temptress! Or X, whichever you prefer.

    Exactly, that bastard. Btw I read Y vol. 4 today at work and Invincible Vol. 6 and 7 last night. Gonna read some more now of each I guess.

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  35. I was only trying to help you, JT... That's me, good ol' helpful X!

    Then we're completely in the same place with Y. I finished off the 4th trade on Friday and haven't started #5 up yet. As for Invincible, you've still got ways to go before you catch up to me!

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  36. Haha, so why not link me on that Scan blog, since I'm like 50% co-owner anyway, due to our awesome friendship. :P

    Awesome, and I'm pacing myself haha, I could finish Invincible tomorrow if I wanted to. I wanna gets my moneys worth!

    (Y Spoilers for anyone not past book four)

    Dude... I did NOT expect Mann to be a lesbian, also that Bald chick made me laugh so hard when Yorick's like "Did Sinead do something..." and she's like "I'm right here, dick."

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  37. Still shooting for that link I see... Poor, poor JT...

    I'm kind of surprised you haven't PASSED me yet with Invincible at the rate you're moving! Sheesh!

    REALLY?!? I kind of remember Mann getting sort of excited in the second trade when 355 was knocked senseless and it looked like 355 was hitting on her(before she said Yorick's name). It was in the hospital in the prison town. That's when the lights first came on in my head. And there are seriously like 5-10 different times I'll be laughing out loud as I read through a Y trade!

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  38. Lmao, you are SUCH a ass.

    Haha I'm on the 9th trade actually. I'll be there soon enough.

    I didn't even catch that. And yeah, that series is hilarious, so many times it'll come outta NOWHERE too.

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  39. Yes. Yes I am. :P

    Damn! I was right about you catching up to me! There are 13 trades(I think), so yeah, you really are almost there!

    Yeah, if you look back I bet you'll catch it now... Unless I made it all up, in which case I'm both insane AND a genius! :D That is SO true! There'll just be a quick little line of something that'll have me chuckling aloud. This series is SO awesome! I'm dying to see how it all comes to an end.

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  40. Good, we've come to a consensus.

    There are thirteen trades, I own them all as of yesterday lol. Starting 9 right now actually.

    Same here, I feel like I'm etting the best of both worlds with that and Invincible and flipping between each series. They really are two of the best series I've read so far.

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