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| That's not Strawberry Jam on the end of that axe... |
I had heard a lot of good things about Marvel Minis creator Skottie Young's I Hate Fairyland. So when I found this at my local library, I jumped on it. Oh, what did I get myself into???
I Hate Fairyland is the story of young Gertrude who at 10 is whisked away from her home. She finds herself in Fairyland where she is paired with a guide, a bug named Larry, and tasked to find the magical key that will unlock the door barring her return home. Seems easy enough and armed with a map of all the known Fairyland realms, Gertrude should be home within a week.
Jump ahead 27-years and Gertrude (Gert for short) is not a bit closer to finding her way home. She may look 10, but deep down, Gertrude has the mind of a middle aged woman who's just sick to death looking like Shirley Temple. Desperate to get home, Gertrude teeters on the edge of sanity and whoa to anyone who gets in her way, much less speaks to her in riddle and rhyme.
I really thought that this might be an entertaining book to take with me to work and read during lunch. Folks, this is not the type of book you should take with you to work and read during lunch! Doing so just might get you sent to a meeting with HR.
From the various compound fractures to the mass decapitations of city mice to maiming (and eatings of brains) of mushroom policemen to a massive GSW to the face of the Man in the Moon, this is not a book for kids! It might look innocent and sweet but it’s really a PG-13 book at best. It might even be a soft R with some explicit language, innuendo, middle fingers waving victoriously, and violence- lots of bloody violence.
Now you make think having someone kill all of the citizens of Fairyland would making Gert the target of the Fairyland Queen. But Fairyland Rules prohibit the Queen from killing any who are a guest of the realm and until Gert finds the key, she’s a guest in Fairyland Proper. Thus, Queen Cloudia invites another like girl into her realm in hopes that she will find the key first and then all rules and regulations preventing the Queen from exacting revenge on Gert will be null and void. Expect a bloodbath between the two darling pixies who are guests in Fairyland- FOR NOW!
The comic book series Invincible has been noted for having a favorite color- blood red. Well, reading this book, I felt like red was a favored color here. Then I read in the credits as the end of this book, that the colorist was none-other than Jean-Francois Beaulieu who besides from being Skottie Young’s favorite colorist, is also colorist for Invincible!
This volume collects issues #1-5. By the beginning of the 5th chapter, I had this book pegged as having a rating of 5 or 6 out of 10. Sure, the violence was a factor for the lower rating but I also took issue with how Gert was in tune with pop culture.
If Gertrude has been in Fairyland for 27 years, that would mean she left earth in 1988 or 89. So how does she know about Terminator 2 or other movies made after 1992? That just didn't make sense to me. Plus, if she goes home, will is be back to the 80s or will she wind up in modern day 2016? Gert got a chance to see herself as an adult in one scene and she was grossly unhealthy. Wouldn't that make her wanna stay in Fairyland no matter how saccharine?
Difficulties with several plot-points aside, I pressed on with this book and I am glad I did as something magical happened. By the book's last 3 pages, something changed: a light bulb of brilliance exploded. I found myself blindsided by a twist so clever, it beats out the Denzel Washington horror flick 'Fallen' for best save of a story by a shocking ending!
I am a little sheepish to say but the finale had me rooting for Gert and clamoring to know what happens next. Who knows, maybe this little gore-fest will become a guilty pleasure of mine. And that my friends was a plot twist that I really didn’t see coming!
Worth Consuming
Rating 8 out of 10 stars.
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