YA, Why Not?: Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra

Yorick may not be the most accomplished, or the richest, or the most handsome, or the most gainfully employed ... but he loves his girlfriend Beth, and he can't wait to propose. That's when the Plague hits, and suddenly, despite his shortcomings, he's literally the last man on earth. Well, he and his monkey Ampersand. Out of nowhere all the men on the planet, any males of any kind actually, suddenly drop dead. The pilots flying the planes, the bus drivers on route, the train conductors, the doctors, the lawyers, the mechanics, the engineers, the scientists, the children - most of the Government - all instantly dead.

Despite what you may think about females being in charge, such a dramatic change does not exactly happen smoothly. In fact, there is mass chaos (as you might expect). Communication and technology come to a screeching halt. Nuclear reactors are suddenly unmanned. Transportation becomes nearly impossible. The Government doesn't seem to even be functioning. New vigilante groups are springing up trying to control the food supply ... which without electricity is becoming more scarce by the day. The Daughters of the Amazon, one of these groups, is brainwashing women with their militant anti-patriarchy message. They claim the Plague is a blessing, and men were eliminated for a reason. The newly structured American government is busy squabbling amongst themselves as to the best course of action. The Israeli Defense Force is the only trained female military presence, as Israel is the only country to require compulsory service for women, and the new commander Alter has less than peaceful plans for the future.

Meanwhile, Yorick is hiding in plain sight, on his way to find his mother. When he finally locates her, he is less than excited about her plan to turn him into a genetic experiment to save humankind. Agent 355 is assigned to aid him in locating Dr. Mann, a genetic specialist who's experimented with cloning. The path is hardly an easy one. Everyone and their sister want a piece of the last man, including several groups who want to fix the universe's apparent oversight. All Yorick wants to do is find a way to Australia, to reunite with his girlfriend (fiance?) Beth.

This 10 volume graphic novel is thought provoking, entertaining, unexpected, and less sexy than you might imagine. In fact, I would caution against this title more for the violence and gore than anything else. It's a winner of the Eisner Award for writing, and a great classic. Recommended for older teens into college age, this is not appropriate for younger audiences.