By LJ Doresseau
June 24, 2004 - 13:54
Someone once said that great ideas are a dime a dozen. In his comic book series, Y: THE LAST MAN, comic scribe, Brian K. Vaughan does all the things that it takes to make a great idea into a great story. He also hardly misses a beat in the transition from the arc of the first trade to the story in the second trade, CYCLES.
Vaughn has a good lead character, but the supporting players are even more intriguing. He has that knack which is important in comic writers - the ability to quickly establish a character through only few words or deeds. He seems to realize that he doesn't have the space a novelist or even a short story writer has, but he does have an artist collaborator. He imagines the ideal scenario for the artist to draw, and then he writes concise dialogue that establishes the characters. He makes it all look easy, but most importantly he makes his story fun to read.
Penciller Pia Guerra isn't a flashy artist, and American comic fans are anal about showy, overdrawn art. The beauty of Guerra's art is how well she tells a story and how she proportions her art to suggest the element of realism.
[DRECK, DULL, READABLE, VERY GOOD, EXCELLENT]