Interpreting Y-the Last Man through the Modern Mythological Story

STAR WARS! That's right modern mythology is basically Star Wars. I can write and entire essay about how our generation basically interprets films through the context of the Star Wars films, but I won't. I think the point has been done to death and you really need to look no further than the constant references in Lost, or films like Kevin Smith's which play off of the story beats and philosophy of Star Wars. Also I'm not certain if there were references of Star wars in Y-the Last Man I'm sure their was but for the entire time I read it couldn't stop thinking about it.

Y is the first run that I've read in trades. As such it was a bit difficult for me to digest in that form. I would find myself reading it in a matter of hours which left me exhausted and a little sad that I didn't have a community to break down issues with, on an issue by issue basis . The only thing I've ever read in one sitting before was elseworlds stories like Kingdom Come, The Nail, Superman Red Son, and Watchmen. I find my self digressing though.

Back tot the point. If we look at Y through the context of Star Wars we find ourselves a bit let down. Yorrick is Luke Skywalker. He is the idealized youth on a journey to become a man and control his feelings of fear and inadequacy. If Yorrick is Luke then Agent 355 is Han Solo/ Chewbacca. She is the specialist who is used to doing her job and going off on her own. It's business for her. That thrusts Dr. Mann into the Leia role being the first mission Yorrick and 355 go on is to save her, and although the series does the right thing for a while and let's 335 and Doc Mann hook up they never go all the way story wise. So Leia is off nailing the Australian spy who I guess could be Lando. The problem is Leia can't stay with Lando she has to be with Han. Vaugh not only kills Han making their love unattainable but hooks Han up with some secret love for Luke. So Luke whose story is about communion with the force (in the story of Y this force is love and represented by Beth #1) never comes to fruition. Instead Luke is left with the force and the only connection he makes with it in his relationship with 355 is lost with her death. Leaving the rest of his life and humanities fate not the stuff of happy endings with joyous ewoks singing and dancing but remains bleak and sad. The ending is more reminiscent of the somberness of Revenge of the Sith than Jedi. Meawhile the person who discover's the force is the Anakin Skywalker/Boba Fett character of Hero who ends up with Fett. So the happy ending is for her. Boba Fett can't truly wield the force though he's to evil Vaughn has it all wrong.

I'm not sure who Beth #2 is Amdiral Ackbar maybe. I'm confused this made a whole lot more sense in my head does anyone get what I am saying. Basically, it does not meet the proper beats and as such makes the end difficult to identify with. I think I need to write more on the subject, part 2 will be coming soon.

Comments

Nick said…
I think the ending itself was a bit hard to take for a lot of reasons.

The whole Beth confusion didn't help matters and the ending itself seemed a bit neatly tied up...a bit too quick as it were.

The Stars Wars analogy could work but with the absence of a Darth Vader/Father figure one is a bit hard pressed.

Look forward to part 2.
Stephen said…
vader or the empire i guess would be alter or maybe even hero
Swinebread said…
i haven't read the end yet, must have missed the last trade.

Was the monkey Artoo
Stephen said…
didn't think about artoo or threepio, i guess ampersand would be artoo and i guess the girl monkey is c-3po

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