Y - The Last Man: Vol I - Discussion

There were differences of opinion on whether Yorick was clichéd nerdbait, an affectionate sketch of a manchild, or that his purpose was to encourage the reader to pay attention to the more interesting and sympathetic supporting cast.

The counting down to the plague was well structured and exciting - great pace.

Readers who'd read beyond the first volume were surprised on rereading at how little plot within these issues. They also expressed enthusiasm for how complex the plot was, that it developed, and that there were no throwaway filler chapters.

The story had a before and after - it wasn't in a bubble. (Later volumes expand on this).

Good humour throughout.

Some felt that it was a comicbook about what men thought women would get up to without them. And that the premise was braver than the execution.

Is the fall too quick? Is it condescending to say that women would revert so quickly to savagery and infighting?

Some felt that supermodels as waste collectors was a little too on the nose.

Batman: Year One - Discussion

Some of the group felt that it wasn't actually a good introduction to the character - it starts at the point that all the movies start at. They wanted a return to the character's childhood and teenage years.

There was more Gordon than expected, which was popular. Both the parallels with Wayne's existence and the contrasts with his struggles were interesting.

Some felt that Gordon's role, battling from within the system, was ultimately more interesting and more heroic.

Miller's ever-present conceit of newscasts and comments from the outside world was noted.

The storytelling was efficient - the plot was trimmed down and purring.

The artwork harked back to artists like Tarzan's Alec Severin.

The art was often expressionist, relying on chiaroscuro and other emotive techniques.

Both the artwork and the story return to the past.

Batman: Year 100 - Discussion

I'm just going to throw up bulletpoints rather than turn our discussion into an elegant Glynnish narrative for a couple of reasons. First of all, there was plenty of disagreement and debate, so picking out a single strand is too tricky for this editor. And secondly, I'd never get it done. I barely got this done.

Throw in any thoughts or additions you like in the comments.

So here's Batman: Year 100:

There were differences of opinion on the art - some found it messy and undisciplined, others found it raucous and dynamic. Influences were noted including luchadors and Latin culture. It was often difficult to follow - the Batmobile's mechanics and structure were 'questionable'.

Supporting characters were more interesting than the supposed hero.

There were questions about the plot - what had Batman been doing a week previously to the events in the comic? Why did the telepath take so long to appear? Why did Gordon choose that password?

Robin was well used and given things to do, an often difficult task with the character; at the same time had a fairly limited role.

The dense art combined with oblique text made deciphering the plot difficult.

Other comments welcome.

Batman: Year One by Frank Miller, Batman: Year 100 by Paul Pope, and Y: The Last Man by Brian Vaughan

"One Man Can Make a Difference: or, Attack of the Colonated Titles"

Batman: Year One

Lieutenant James Gordon takes up a new post in the crime-ridden and corrupt city of Gotham, while billionaire Bruce Wayne returns to the scene of his parents' deaths, intent on avenging their memory. Each faces trials and challenges of their own, only for their lives to become irrevocably and potentially tragically intertwined...

Batman: Year 100

Gotham, circa 2039: welcome to the future. Psychic police, satellite surveillance and a completely intrusive government ensure that personal privacy is a thing of the past. When a government agent is murdered in Gotham, a contingent of top Washington operatives is despatched to find the killer. Launching his own investigation, GCPD cop Jim Gordon - grandson of the Commissioner - discovers that the man wanted for the murder shouldn't even exist; after all, surely the Batman is dead!

Y: The Last Man

On July 17, 2002, something (referred to as a plague) simultaneously kills every living mammal possessing a Y chromosome — including embryos, fertilized eggs, and even sperm. The only exceptions appear to be New York residents Yorick Brown, a young amateur escape artist, and his male Capuchin monkey, Ampersand. Society is plunged into chaos as infrastructures collapse, and the surviving women everywhere try to cope with the loss of the men, their survivor guilt, and the knowledge that - barring a rapid, major scientific breakthrough or other extraordinary happening - humanity is doomed to extinction.