Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1--Unmanned

Since 2002, DC Comics' Vertigo imprint has run a series of graphic novels titled Y: The Last Man. The fifth volume is out (Y: The Last Man, Vol. 5--Ring of Truth). The more exciting news, however, is that the first issue chapter is available for free on the DC Comics web site as a PDF download.

Y: The Last Man is a highly-rated graphic novel and science fiction series. SF author Cory Doctorow calls it a "must-read comic book/graphic novel series." Here's the basic premise of the series:

In the summer of 2002, a plague of unknown origin destroys every last sperm, fetus, and fully developed mammal with a Y chromosome - with the exception of amateur escape artist Yorick Brown and his surly male helper monkey Ampersand.

This "gendercide" instantaneously exterminates 48% of the global population, or approximately 29 billion men.

This is the world of Y - The Last Man