You're brilliant and funny and your favourite movie is Miller's Crossing

Y: The Last Man (2002)

Chosen by me form my shelves. This was one of my favourite first issues ever at the time and still ranks highly.

cover art by J.G. Jones

It could have been horrible. A set up that includes wiping out every mammal with a y chromosome, leaving only one man and his pet monkey as survivors of that plague. Thankfully it was generally told with grace, humour and a healthy dose of feminism. 

There seemed to be a great push in the early 2000s of kick-ass, interesting women in comic books. I reviewed one yesterday. This one has a few, and yet the product was still coming from mostly male creators. And it's hard to not be critical of that as a systemic problem. Gail Simone, one of the few big name female writers from Marvel/DC at the time has talked of Marvel's toxic boy's club mentality but thankfully Y: The last Man had it's own kick-ass female onboard with the supremely talented Pia Guerra.

Her work is so strong, an interesting mix of characters with distinct looks and equally good in dealing with horror, action, drama or comedy beats.

The first issue is packed full of great detail and sets up the world with quick strokes, not only setting up some of the character dynamics but also introducing many (some silly, some less so) potential hooks for why the plague had happened. Science or Curse. An apocalyptic backlash against the violence perpetuated on womankind. It sort of doesnt matter. But within each vignette is a great deal of information and exposition but doled out carefully, almost stealth-fully with elan from Vaughn and Guerra.

It offers up so much intrigue that I cant imagine anyone would read that first issue and not want the second immediately.

Writer: Brian K. Vaughan.

Penciller: Pia Guerra.

Inker: Jose Marzan Jr.

Colourist: P_amela Rambo.

Letterer: Clem Robbins