Impressive...most impressive.

I have to admit to being quite taken aback by all this, Tom B. It was only last night that I was bugging you over msn to create something for us both to contribute to, and when I awake, here it is. You're like some sort of nerdy worker-elf. And you were right, En Garde, Comics! ain't such a crappy name, afterall.

Oh, how rude of me.
Hello, the internet, I'm Tom W.
I like comics and some other stuff.

Now that the introductions are out of the way, I thought I should dive straight into the reviewing/discussing section OF THE REASON WHY WE HAVE THIS BLOG. As Tom B already mentioned that we enjoy reading Y: The Last Man, I'm going to start there.

Y: The Last Man #58 (Vaughan, Guerra, Marzan, JR - Vertigo)
This issue is harsh, man. This issue is so harsh. After the somewhat predictable conclusion to Yorick's quest for Beth last issue, right here we have a bonafide, straight outta left-field, twist. A knife twist to your squishy guts. BKV takes us on a journey this issue, and the characterization and dialogue are of a quality that's been unseen in the pages of Y for quite some time. We were all worried that the home-stretch was going to be a little bit of a damp firework, but like the idiots we are, we kept returning to it anyway, and it went off right in our faces. Although this is only #58 and there are two issues still left to drop, the last couple of pages really feel like the climax of the series, in terms of both emotional impact, and the character's respective journeys. Touching, tragic, and splendid.

Y: The Last Man #59 (Vaughan, Guerra, Marzan, JR - Vertigo)
This, on the other hand, was wank. Don't get me wrong, the art was lovely, and the look of exhaustion and confusion on Yorick's face in the last panel is a beautiful example of why Pia Guerra is so well suited to this comic, simultaneously showing us symbolism and semaphores that really get to the heart of why this book is great. BUT. The Fuck? Butthefuck?! The reveal of the villain's motivation is completely idiotic and juvenile. A complete cop-out. It's not that I wanted blood, guts and mayhem (that's not what I expect from Y), but a little bit of thought going into the resolution of a character's development would have been nice. Alter was an interesting villain. She did unspeakable things, but you felt that while she believed in her cause, she was irreproachable in a certain respect. Not now. Now she's just an idiot. A boring idiot. And why exactly did her troops take their eyes off the prize? It seemed like a massively convenient non-sequitur. Oh, I did like the introduction of another possible plague explanation though. I like that we'll never really know. Unless things are cleared up in the epilogue of #50.

...All this Y talk reminds me...
Hey, Tom B. Remember that time I was collecting Y and you weren't and we found all those single issues going for cheap in that Southend charity shop, that would've gotten me caught up from the trades, but while I was fetching Dave from the shop next door, you bought up all of them out from under me with a callous disregard for not being a jerk? I remember. Do you remember?

And, also
I think it might be a good idea to give you folks at home a little background information on our illustrious selves. By which, I mean, that we should maybe tell you what comics we like and read, so you know what to expect from us. It's not really a very good indicator of what to expect, because hey, we're wacky guys and we're likely to talk about all kinds of nutty shit, but regardless, here goes - What comics do you like Tom B?