I Hate Fairyland #5 Review

I Hate Fairyland, Skottie Young’s mind-warp, murderizing cuteness with a muffer fluffin’ axe fairy tale, wraps up its first arc with this issue.  With a new girl as her competition will Gertrude finally make it out of Fairyland?  Will there be a body count?  Oh yes, there will be blood dear reader.  There will be blood.  Your Major Spoilers review awaits!

I HATE FAIRYLAND #5
Writer: Skottie Young
Artist: Skottie Young
Colorist: Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Lettering: Nate Piekos of Blambot
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.50

Previously in I Hate Fairyland:  After years of searching for the key to a door that will take her back home, Gertrude has murdered her way through Fairyland with little success.  The queen of Fairyland has brought in another child, Happy, in hopes that Happy will find the key so that Gertrude will become a permanent Fairyland resident.  Why?  So she can finally kill Gert.  But Gertrude has a card up her sleeve, and that happens to be the power of Darketh Deaddeath.

BECOMING THAT WHICH YOU HATE

I Hate Fairyland is certainly one trip of a comic book, that’s for sure.  Skottie Young has done a wonderful job of blending every generic fairy tale trope into one story, then sending in a demented character and having her wreak havoc inside.  If you haven’t read I Hate Fairyland before let me make one thing abundantly clear:  It’s not for everyone.  It’s violent, with extremely wicked, slightly cynical and at times mean-spirited humor.  But if you’re the right audience for this book, it’s damn hard to put down.

After last issue’s twist of Queen Cloudia bringing in another girl to Fairyland to go on the same quest as Gert, things started to get really interesting.  What’s hilarious is that the quest Gert is on isn’t that difficult, it’s that she’s just no good at it.  That’s why she’s been stuck there for so long and is now a thirty year old woman stuck in a little girl’s body.  Her traveling companion Larry has even given up and has become a heavy drinking, heavy smoking, dirty murder accomplice.  Boy do I love Larry.  While he seems to hate it there as much as Gert, he also looks out for her.  This issue is the big showdown, as Happy finds the key. Just as she is about to go through the door, Gertrude shows up with her new power from the Darketh Deaddeath.  For those familiar with the title, things of course get really bloody, really fast.  Not only is the fight between Happy and Gert clever in its good vs. evil depiction, but it proves that Gert actually has become the villain of the story.  Needless to say Gert wins, but Skottie Young wouldn’t have a happy ending in a comic like this.  I won’t spoil it, but Gert’s lack of self-control gets the better of her and she sort of becomes the thing she hates.  It’s a great twist that I didn’t see coming and I’m extremely excited to see where Young can take the story from here.

CUTE AND HORRIFYING

I’m convinced Skottie Young was doing all those Marvel’s babies covers just to refine his style for this for this title.  The clash between all the cute characters and the extreme violence is extrodinarily hilarious.  Watching as the narrating sun’s guts get blown out and fall on Happy and Queen Cloudia is disgusting, but there’s no way I could stop myself from laughing.  Young’s trademark frenetic pace and style is all over the book and panels are packed with movement as well as some splendid coloring by Jean-Francois Beaulieu.  The coloring is another element that adds to the childlike nature the book is trying to convey, even though the story is anything but.  Plus it really helps the images pop and everything is a cartoon nightmare of sorts.

BOTTOM LINE:  WICKED ENDING TO THE FIRST STORY ARC

I had so much fun with I Hate Fairyland and I can’t wait until Skottie Young does more.  It’s violent, crude and a little bit mean but perfect for the people that it speaks to.  My only complaint would be that it felt like it went by too fast, leaving me wanting more.  If seeing a little girl who gets stuck in a Fairyland for thirty years and driven crazy to the point where she will kill everything just to find the key to get out sounds like fun, then I suggest you check this out.  Especially if you like Skottie Young’s art style.  Buy the trade when it comes out, it will probably be $9.99.  Or just track down the issues now.  It’s that awesome.

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