Y: The Last Man #1

History

Writer Brian K. Vaughan brought the concept to DC's Vertigo imprint as one of his earliest long-form projects; he has noted publicly that the series grew from a desire to write about gender, and that the concept evolved substantially after he partnered with artist Pia Guerra, who began working on the book in early 2001, more than a year before its July 2002 release. The creative team for the debut issue was rounded out by inker José Marzán Jr., colorist Pam Rambo, and letterer Clem Robins, with cover art by J.G. Jones, who provided painted covers for a significant portion of the series' run. Vertigo published the full 60-issue run through March 2008, after which the material was collected in ten paperback trade volumes, five deluxe hardcovers, and eventually an omnibus edition — a testament to how steadily the series found new readers in collected form long after the singles concluded.

Trivia · 11 facts

• First appearance of Yorick Brown — amateur escape artist from Brooklyn and the sole surviving human male after the 'gendercide' plague — and his male capuchin monkey Ampersand.
• First appearance of Agent 355, a Culper Ring operative introduced mid-mission in Jordan retrieving the Amulet of Helene; she becomes Yorick's primary protector throughout the series.
• First appearance of Dr. Allison Mann, a Boston geneticist introduced in labor — giving birth to her own clone — whose scientific expertise drives the series' central mystery.
• First appearance of Jennifer Brown, Yorick's mother and a U.S. Representative who ascends to a senior government role post-plague, establishing the series' political thread from page one.
• First appearance of Hero Brown, Yorick's sister, shown working as an EMT in Boston in the opening issue; she later becomes entangled with the militant Daughters of the Amazon.
• First appearance of Alter Tse'elon, Israeli military commander introduced in the first issue's parallel-globe structure; she becomes the series' primary antagonist across the full 60-issue run.
• First appearance of Beth Deville, Yorick's girlfriend, to whom he proposes by phone at the exact moment the plague strikes — the emotional catalyst for Yorick's cross-country and eventually global journey.
• Published under DC's Vertigo imprint with a cover date of September 2002 (released July 17, 2002); written by Brian K. Vaughan, pencilled by Pia Guerra, inked by José Marzán Jr., colored by Pam Rambo, lettered by Clem Robins, with cover by J.G. Jones.
• The 60-issue series earned three Eisner Awards over its run, including Best Continuing Series in 2008, and was collected in ten paperback volumes, five deluxe hardcovers, and a single omnibus — one of Vertigo's most extensively reprinted runs.
• A ten-episode television adaptation aired on FX on Hulu beginning September 13, 2021, starring Ben Schnetzer as Yorick, Diane Lane as Jennifer Brown, Ashley Romans as Agent 355, and Olivia Thirlby as Hero Brown; it was cancelled after one season in October 2021.
• The first story arc, 'Unmanned,' spans issues #1–5 and was first collected in Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned (2003), which has been reprinted multiple times and also collected in larger omnibus editions.

Cast · 8 characters

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