Y: The Last Man

Our friends over at First Showing were able to get their hands on and offer up the first script review for Roundtable by Brian K. Vaughan.

For those unfamiliar with the project, it takes the well-known King Arthur world and creates a new story from it. Basically, after helping to keep things civil so long ago, the wizard Merlin now lives alone and does nothing all day. When informed that a dangerous old foe has returned, Merlin must gather up a new batch of knights to fight for England. Unfortunately, being modern day, the dangerous and skilled knights of old are no more — the knights of modern day are as follows: a scientist, an out-of-shape former athlete, an extremely rich jackass, and naturally… Michael Caine. Yes, the actual Michael Caine was written in as a character.

Judging by the script review, the movie has all sorts of promise. This was assumed right away just because it was Vaughan writing it, but now there’s confirmation that the characters and the story are all very solid, very funny and everything works really well.

The award-winning comics and TV writer satisfyingly wrapped up his outstanding "Y: The Last Man" series this January. Quite a herculean achievement, since he'd been building on expectations in nine graphic novels and then some. You string people along like that, you're bucking for failure. Not so with Vaughan.

For many reasons, Vaughan deserves to be recognized as one of the best comics writers of this -- or any -- generation. The multiple Eisner-winner likes to shock and awe. He stuffs his mature-themed work with cool pop culture references and then attaches his clever dialogue to narratives dealing with potent political and social issues. He especially loves to needle establishment politics in America. (...more)

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund held a party for the final issue of Y: The Last Man at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles. The final issue of the 60-part series is set to hit the shelves as the successful graphic novel turns its attention to a movie adaptation.

Brian K. Vaughan (left) is one of Hollywood's most sought after writers. He finds himself in the lucky situation of working with Hollywood's hottest producer, J.J. Abrams, on the hit show Lost.

CNN has a fantastic article on the development of Y: The Last Man as well as his work on the hit TV show Lost.

(via CNN) Listening to writer Brian K. Vaughan summarize the plot of his comic book, "Y: The Last Man," makes it sound like just another pulp title.

"A plague of mysterious origin destroys every male mammal, human being and animal on the planet," he says, "except for one boy and his monkey. And wackiness ensues."

Well, that's the story boiled down to its basics. But the tale of amateur escapist Yorick Brown, the last man alive on an Earth now home to only women, and his monkey, Ampersand, is actually far more complex than Vaughan's description reveals, involving long journeys, the value of memory and the politics of gender roles. The title, which has had a very successful five-year run, is coming to an end this week with the release of issue No. 60.

It is a finale that is equally emotional for both fans and its creator.

"I guess I've moved into acceptance but that doesn't mean that I'm not still depressed about it," says Vaughan, 31, a soft-spoken Cleveland, Ohio, native who now makes his home in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Vaughan's other work in comics, including "Ex Machina" (Wildstorm) and "Runaways" (Marvel), has captured the attention of Hollywood. Both "Y" and "Ex Machina" are currently being developed into films. Meanwhile, Vaughan, a one-time film student, has begun a career in television, working as a writer on ABC's "Lost."

Remaining true to the mysteries of the island, Vaughan says he can share "just about nothing" from the upcoming fourth season of the series, which has been cut from 16 episodes to eight as a casualty of the continuing writer's strike. The fourth season premieres Thursday night. (...continue)

Y: The Last Man publisher Vertigo Comics has a PDF of issue #1 that is available for free. This is the perfect refresher for fans as the final issue (#60) comes out this month. Also, as the movie adaptation gears up you can find all the issues of Y: The Last Man at the Comic Book DB. They describe each issue and how to find yourself a copy.

• Vertigo Comics Y: The Last Man Official Website >
• Comic Book DB: Y: The Last Man >
  

About Y: The Last Man
Written by Brian K. Vaughan; Art by Pia Guerra and José Marzá, Jr.; Painted Cover by J.G. Jones

When a plague of unknown origin instantly kills every mammal with a Y chromosome, unemployed and unmotivated slacker Yorick Brown suddenly discovers that he is the only male left in a world inhabited solely by women. Accompanied by his mischievous monkey and the mysterious Agent 355, Yorick embarks on a transcontinental journey to find his girlfriend and discover why he is the last man on Earth. But with a gang of feminist extremists and the leader of the Israel Defense Forces hunting him, Yorick's future, as well as that of the human race, may be short-lived.

MTV looks at comic book writer Brian K. Vaughan and his many works of art, including "Y: The Last Man."

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The Last ‘Y’

Brian Vaughan and Pia Guerra conclude their 60-issue Vertigo series Y: The Last Man in January. Issue 60 comes out January 23, but the postapocalyptic tale of Yorick Brown, who becomes the “last man” on earth after a mysterious plague wipes out every creature with a Y chromosome (more or less), essentially concluded in No. 59. [more]