Vertigo Comics has published some of the best stories of all time. Stories like Preacher and Sandman are beloved by many, with the former even getting a successful TV show of its own. Another Vertigo-published comic that made waves since its release was Y: The Last Man. The premise shows a world where all biological males have suddenly vanished off the face of the earth.
With a television series based on this comic coming out on FX, more and more people are frantically scrambling to read the comic as soon as possible. Any fan of Y: The Last Man who wants to know more about the comic should read on to find out everything they can possibly know about this amazing work of art.
10 The Last Five Issues Were Released Bimonthly
For the most part, Y: The Last Man released on a monthly basis, as most comics tend to be. However, things changed after the release of the 55th issue.
The last five issues of Y: The Last Man were released on a bimonthly schedule, which was a rather odd decision to make. It's a rather inconsequential fact, but still an interesting one regardless.
9 Yorick's Lighter Is A Reference To Jesse Custer From Preacher
Preacher is a legendary comic that was also published in Vertigo. Given how groundbreaking this comic was, fans may not be surprised to learn that Y: The Last Man features a reference to this iconic series.
This is seen in the Zippo lighter that Yorick carries around with him in the comic. It's clear as day that this lighter serves as a nod to the same one that Jesse Custer carries in Preacher... especially since both lighters sport a rather unflattering message against the idea of communism.
8 Yorick And Hero's Names Are Inspired From Shakespeare's Plays
Yorick and Hero's father was a huge fan of Shakespeare. In fact, literary-minded readers may notice that he went so far as to name his two children after characters in Shakespearian plays.
Yorick was named for a character referenced in the famous tragedy Hamlet, whose skull the main character holds while giving a famous monologue about death. Meanwhile, Hero is named after one of the female protagonists in the comedy Much Ado About Nothing.
7 Plans For A Live-Action Adaptation Began In 2007
Y: The Last Man is an excellent comic, so many fans may wonder why it took so long for a live-action adaptation to come to fruition. The truth is, plans for a movie were greenlit even before the comic ended its run. As early as 2007, New Line Cinema began making plans to bring the story to the silver screen.
However, issues stemming from the length of the source material led to the movie being shelved permanently. Plans for a live adaptation — this time in the form of a TV show — kickstarted in 2015, and have finally become a reality in 2021.
6 The Source Of The Plague Has Never Been Revealed
The events of Y: The Last Man center around a plague that killed every man in the world. It goes without saying that this was a devastating event; however, the source of this plague is yet to be revealed.
Everything from a failed biological weapon to Mother Nature itself has been discussed in the comics. However, a definitive answer was never given in the series. Perhaps the show will address this question, or perhaps it shall remain a permanent mystery.
5 Yorick's Wedding Ring Protected Him From The Plague
Given the mysterious nature of the plague, some have considered that curse may have been one of the major reasons for this epidemic. This was mentioned by Agent 355, who removed the sacred Amulet of Helene from the nation of Jordan, and believed that this action could have led to this plague.
This made readers wonder how Yorick managed to survive this plague. A popular theory is that the wedding ring that Yorick bought for his girlfriend Beth was actually a protective artifact that saved Yorick from this mysterious plague's effects.
4 Ampersand's Genetically Modified Feces May Have Protected Him & Yorick
It has been surmised that Ampersand, Yorick's cappuchin monkey companion, was actually a genetic anomaly whose presence aided Yorick and saved him from the plague. The exact manner in which this happened is slightly odd, to say the least.
One issue suggests that it was the feces that Ampersand flung at Yorick which protected the latter from the plague. It's a ridiculous theory, but it could be plausible regardless.
3 The Live-Action Portuguese Adaptation
The struggles that Y: The Last Man had to deal with to get a live action adaptation have already been discussed. However, most people might not be aware that another adaptation was already made for this comic — in Portuguese, no less.
Luís Lobo and Bruno Telésforo made a loose adaptation of Y: The Last Man in 2011. Considering its status as an independent film, it's understandable that it flew under most fans' radar.
2 The Writer's Impressive Resume
Y: The Last Man was written by a legendary writer by the name of Brian K. Vaughan. One need only check out his amazing resume to realize just how brilliant of a writer he is.
In addition to this comic, Vaughan has also written Ex Machina, Runaways, Pride of Baghdad, Saga, and Paper Girls. On top of this, he also served as the writer, story editor and producer of the popular show Lost from the third to the fifth season. Most fans of the show consider these three seasons to be the highlight of Lost.
1 Two Other Men Survived This Plague
Those who have read the comics might've missed out on the fact that Yorick wasn't the only man to survive this plague as there were two other people who also did the same. How did they manage to survive? Well, they were in space at the time.
Vladimir and Joe were two astronauts who were lucky enough to be in outer space when the plague hit. However, the shuttle caught on fire when it was reentering the Earth's atmosphere, and both men ultimately succumbed in the subsequent crash.