Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Hey, kids: Comics!

All across America, geeks and nerds know that Wednesday is "New Comics Day" at the local shops. Don't ask me why; that's just when they ship.

Now, I don't buy comics on a regular basis any more. But I buy them in collections or "graphic novels" and I pick up handsful of the things in discount bins.

Today's Pick: Y The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn.



Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio. A man of infinite jest.

On July 17, 2002, every mammal with a Y chromosome died, including unborn children and sperm in spermbanks. Yorick Brown is the only known man on earth. He sets out on a quest for answers and in search of his girlfriend, making his way through a post-holocaust world where literally millions of bodies have to be disposed of, where jetliners and passengers trains and rush-hour traffic crashed and piled up. Where various factions claimed power, or began radical cults - like the Daughters of the Amazon, who track Yorick cross-country to kill the last man and anyone who aids him.

It's a multilayered story, filled with pain and humor and thought-provoking discussions about politics, science, religion, loyalty, and all the things that make us human. It's being made into a movie (possibly a trilogy), but you should read the books first.

Today's Word: Apocalypse.

Peace.

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