The Obligatory

I never really got into comics. No fault of the art form, but, like Dungeons and Dragons, I either didn't have the money and / or wasn't hangin' out with people who would get me into the stuff I would like. Aside from the occasional Tony Millionaire or Jeff Smith book, I stuck pretty solidly to music collecting instead.

Fast forward a whole bunch of years, and I find my cubicle next to the AOTS producer who works on "Fresh Ink," our weekly comics roundup segment. As a result, my desk almost always has some spillover stacks of comics creeping onto it, and every once in a while, one of 'em will catch my eye.

One that did recently was a trade of Brian K. Vaughn's "Y: The Last Man," a story of a mysterious plague that instantly wipes out all male mammals on the planet, except for an out of work Brooklyn illusionist and his recently-aquired helper monkey.

The SlowKids wrote a 15 minute play about that scenario on a 12-hour combat theatre dare, and this is kind of like that play ... except the play had more dick jokes and this comic's got a tad more depth to it.

I devoured all six trade books this weekend. The story is incredibly well written, with twists, turns, gender issues, feminist critiques, critiques OF those feminist critiques, and explorations into the nature of history, politics, and economies. And if that's turning you off, I should also mention that it's got more than its fair share of dry wit, a large cast of believable characters, and some kick ass action sequences. Also, Book 6 is called "Girl on Girl," if you're down with that.

So check 'em out. They're fantastic. Except now I have to wait God knows how many months before I see how the last twist turns out.

You can read the first issue for free on the ol' DC Comics site.

It's a PDF, though. So watch out.

Y: The Last Man is definitely one of the best and most original comics being released these days. Glad you could join in the fun. I could recommend some other stuff you would no doubt devour just as quickly, if you like.

And trust me, you ain't missing that much with Dungeons and Dragons.

absolutely. recommend away! I'm on "Watchmen" right now, and loving it.

If you enjoy "Watchmen," which is possibly the best comic ever, you will probably also greatly enjoy "V for Vendetta." I recommend reading it before the movie comes out.

The movie actually looks decent, but from what I understand, there's one fairly major change to the story that undercuts its intensity and its relevance a great deal.

Alan Moore in general will likely be a winning choice for you. If you don't enjoy "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," I shall be astounded. I would recommend giving "Promethea" and "Top 10" a try as well if you're looking for something a little unusual. Gimme a call from the comic store if you need on the spot information.

Some thoughts on this post:

1. I actually remember said slow kids play. I have a copy of it and will use it against slow kids who get famous and pretend they don't know me.

2. I think I will definitely download the PDF of this comic and give it a shot. Hell, if I'm enjoying the ones I am reading now as much as this, I'll officially be both the nerdiest and snobbiest person on the planet.

3. Here's the thing that concerns me about all of this: I understand all of the references Jeremy is talking about and now feel obligated to devour everything Alan Moore has ever done.

4. About all of this, it helps me understand why I'll always be single.

Thanks for the advice, and keep it coming...both of you.