Report: Y: The Last Man TV series in development at FX

In addition to being one of the comics that even people who don't read comics should read, Brian K. Vaughan's apocalyptic epic Y: The Last Man also has cinematic feel that begs to be adapted to the screen. Now, The Hollywood Reporter claims that FX has taken the bait, pulling in Vaughan to help develop a TV series based on the graphic novel.

If you're unfamiliar, Y: The Last Man is the story of Yorick Brown, the last genotypic male human alive on earth (hence the name), and his monkey, Ampersand. They are the only male mammals to survive a mysterious plague, the specifics of which are unearthed throughout the book. In addition to that central mystery, much of the series' plot is focused on Yorick's quest to reunite with his girlfriend, Beth.

Despite the grim setup, the tone is often buoyed by Yorick, the amateur escape artist and professional slacker who seems the least likely candidate to be humanity's last hope for procreation. Its multilayered narrative and cast of strongly drawn characters seem a perfect fit for a screen translation; as NPR's All Things Considered said while Y: The Last Man was in production: "This year's best movie is a comic book." (It's also one of the rare TV series that will almost certainly pass the Bechdel test in every single episode.)

There have been multiple attempts to turn Vaughan's series into a feature film. The most recent was to be helmed by Dan Trachtenberg, Totally Rad Show co-host and creator of wildly popular fan film Portal: No Escape. That project was cancelled last year. The Hollywood Reporter states that this new project is still in search of a director and writer to collaborate with Vaughan, but offered no concrete timetable.