Bingo Square: Illustrated
In July 2002, a worldwide catastrophe happens. All living beings with a Y chromosome simultaneously die. Except for one young man named Yorick Brown, and his Capuchin monkey.
In an instant the world has shifted, and women are left picking up the pieces. Some are trying to do so through governing, others, known as the Amazons, are more violent. When the latter discover Yorick’s existence they go after him, wanting to remove all trace of men from existence. His sister, Hero** is one of them.
And Yorick? He just wants to find his girlfriend/fiancee Beth, who happens to be in Australia.
I should preface this by saying comics/graphic novels are not my favourite medium. I like words. And I don’t mean that in a snobby way, it’s just my preference. I have read and enjoyed other comics, but unfortunately this is not one of them. Part of it is a deep dislike of the main character. I’m sure Yorick being a total immature dick is the point, and he will learn and grow throughout (or maybe not?) but I am tired of following a white dude’s journey to not being an arsehole, even after the world has almost ended. He comes across as about 12 years old and he must be at least 22. He definitely thinks he’s funny when mostly he’s insufferable. Dude, people are trying to kill you, maybe don’t give them any more of a reason. He also has very little interested in helping others find out why all the men died, he just must. find. Beth. Priorities.
The dialogue is also heavy on the exposition so it’s pretty clunky, and I guess it’s hard to convey a lot of backstory in other ways but I feel like I’ve seen it done better. Here people spew out their entire life stories to perfect strangers just so we know what’s going on. The lady giving birth to her own clone tells the doctor at the hospital. For no reason. Maybe keep that one to yourself?
Then there’s the treatment of women. I’m not sure if it’s just that it hasn’t aged well or if it would always have pissed me off. But you have a woman clearing up dead bodies while wearing a strappy crop top. Beth wandering around the outback in a bikini top and shorts. Isn’t she on an archaeological dig? It just seems like a massive lack of respect for the characters. And women calling other women girls. Ugh. Then there’s the mourning of the lost rock legends…OK, you can be sad about it but music didn’t die. There are female rock stars and other musicians still alive. It’s like women are picking up where men left off when we’ve always been here.
I think it’s an interesting premise that so far has been badly executed. If the overarching question is why Yorick is still alive when all other men have died, I have absolutely no interest in finding out the answer.
*I know why, but it’s a stupid name. Another question would be ‘Y is this about the last man when surely the women and what’s going on with them is more interesting?’
**Also a stupid name.