June Books 26) Y: The Last Man: Whys and Wherefores, by Brian K. Vaughan

[nwhyte]

Stephen King describes this on the front cover as the "best graphic novel I've ever read", which of course is not a helpful data point unless you know how many graphic novels King actually has read. Is Neum the prettiest seaside town in Bosnia-Herzegovina? Was Dick Cheney the greatest US vice-president ever to come from Wyoming

Comments

[bastardsnow]

Having read the entire series, I think that it is, for the most part, a generally brilliant read. That said, the last volume was disappointing, and I completely understand why it would not be well voted for.

The series itself was compelling, interesting, at times ridiculous, but overall one of my favorites that, unfortunately, didn't wrap up well.

[raycun]

I thought the last volume was weakish, but you can't pick up the last volume in a series like this and expect to be gripped. Read The Scouring of the Shire on it's own and you'd wonder why Frodo is so whiny, read Time Regained and you'd wonder who all these people are and why we should care that they're old and not very glamourous...

[nwhyte]

Well, I'm reading it in the context of this year's Hugo nominations rather than in the context of the previous nine volumes. I don't believe that Time Regained was ever considered on its own for a literary award, and frankly it stands better on its own than this does. (And as far as I know "The Scouring of the Shire" has never been published separately, so I really don't see why it is relevant here.)

Are you suggesting that my reading is somehow invalid because I have not slogged through the rest of the story?

[raycun]

No, I'm just saying you're judging it a little harshly. I know, this volume is sold separately, but I'm sure Vaughan didn't expect or intend anyone to start reading at the end. I'm not saying you're reading is invalid, but the fact that the final volume of anything can be nominated points to a weakness in the award. It is obviously impossible for anyone to read this in isolation and get the full effect.

And since Vaughan didn't put this forward for the award himself, it's not a flaw in his writing that it isn't in itself award-worthy. Maybe criticise the nominators for chosing a work that doesn't stand alone for an award where it should, but it isn't the writer's fault.

(Better comparisons - the Dickens novels that were published serially, or The Green Mile, or Bennet's Zugzwang. Each installment was published separately, but the important thing is how each contributes to the success of the overall novel. Entering any of them in a short story competition misses the point)

[redfiona99]

I didn't read any of the previous volumes (or this one), but I know a lot of people found that this one did not match up to the promise of the previous volumes.