Broken Frontier

The acclaimed series reaches its conclusion as the world must soldier on. But is there any hope for our resilient hero?

Sixty years have passed since the events of the series and the planet has gradually recovered from the male-decimating plague. Through controlled cloning made possible by Dr. Mann, men are being gradually reintegrated into society, though they are monitored very closely. In a Parisian asylum, an elderly Yorick Brown comes face to face with his own clone (seventeenth in a series). As he thinks back on his past, we learn of the events that led him where he is, the final fate of Ampersand, and the last bits of unfinished business from Brian K. Vaughan’s science fiction epic. Can the former last man on Earth make one final escape?

The more things change, the more they stay the same. This seems to be a prominent theme of the final issue of Y and of the series overall. Though women now dominate the world and men spend much of their young lives scrutinized in medical facilities, the world continues much as it always has. Frictions exist between India and Pakistan. Iran has the bomb. And love and meaning are ever-elusive for people trying to eke out an existence in an uncertain world. As he often has, Vaughan works a degree of social commentary and exploration of the human condition into his story while deftly tying up loose ends with a clever, non-linear framework. The scenes at Dr. Mann’s lab and with Ampersand are particularly heart-wrenching and Vaughan’s storytelling remains strong throughout.

Pia Guerra’s art serves the story wonderfully, shifting from simple and understated to bitterly emotional to breathtaking in beauty. Her rendition of a futuristic Paris is a highlight of the issue, just grounded enough in reality to seem plausible. In fact, backed by Jose Marzan, Jr.’s capable inks, the art in general has a slightly stylized realism that makes this sci-fi parable eerily believable.

Despite the uncertainty and suffering, the saga of Yorick Brown ends with a note of hope. After a long and critically lauded run, Y: The Last Man #60 is sure to please the series’ loyal fans.