Y: The Last Man #17

Released in 2004, Y: The Last Man #17 serves as the opening chapter of the 'Safeword' story arc within the acclaimed Vertigo series created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Pia Guerra. The series, which debuted in 2002, explores a post-apocalyptic world where a mysterious plague has simultaneously killed every mammal with a Y chromosome, save for the protagonist, Yorick Brown, and his pet monkey, Ampersand. This specific issue follows the travelers as they navigate a landscape defined by sudden, profound societal shifts and the complex power dynamics of a world suddenly devoid of men.

The visual identity of the issue is driven by Pia Guerra's grounded, character-focused pencils, which were intended to steer the book away from traditional superhero aesthetics and toward a more cinematic, gritty realism. The cover art, typically handled by J.G. Jones or Massimo Carnevale, was designed to emphasize the isolation and eerie stillness of the premise. Upon release, the series received widespread critical praise for its pacing and exploration of gender identity, solidifying its place as a definitive work of 2000s speculative fiction.