'I Hate Fairyland Volume 4: Sadly Never After' – Skottie Young (Image Comics)
While I have other books that I want to talk about (at least one of which I've actually finished...), there's something about this series that when I'm properly into it, I can't (or won't, either is good) stop reading until I'm done. That's what happened over the last week, anyway, and I'm hoping that at least some of my ramblings have shed a little light on just why you need to be reading this series, even if you don't normally read comic books (actually, especially if you don't normally read comic books, 'I Hate Fairyland' is a great example of how much fun comic books can be if you give them a chance).
But anyway, all good things come to an end (well, until the next re-read) so lets settle down one more time and see what Gertrude's been up to, shall we...?
Just a couple of things before we begin...
As with the last review, I'm not going to go on loads about Skottie Young's amazing artwork because I'll just be repeating what I've already said, in earlier reviews, and what's the point in that. Let's just say that it's still great and that I want it on a tshirt, that pretty much says it all.
What I will say though is that I had a read through the author bios, at the back of the book, and realised that I have totally neglected to mention Jean-Francois Beaulieu's stint on colours for this title. Half the reason this comic is so in your face is because Beaulieu is the man who coloured it all in to do just that. I'm not going to forget Nate Piekos' lettering work either which does the best job of letting us know what level of homocidal Getrude is operating at today.
And the other thing? I generally tend to copy the blurb, from wherever, which means that there's a pretty big spoiler lurking in it this time round, If you haven't read Volume 3 already, you may want to avoid the next paragraph...
Seriously....
It's coming up....
NOW!
What should be a time of rest and reflection for our recently departed darling – and for all of Fairyland – is anything but. As Gert navigates a fairy-tale netherworld with a captial 'H', Fairyland's baddies brood and brew to revitalize a rotten ruler... Can Fairyland hope to survive the coming storm when the only people trying to save it are the mastermind tag team of Larry and Duncan Dragon? Are the fates of Gertrude and the land she loves to hate more intertwined than anyone expected...?
You're still here? Brilliant. Lets talk about the book.
Skottie Young has taken Gertrude to the depths of badness and, from there, scaled the peaks of absolute goodness; the lesson being that if you don't listen then whatever your intentions are, it's all going to end in the same way. Is that really the point though? Young has saved all his best stuff until last and that includes panning back, with the 'camera', and showing us that what he was really up to was nothing less than a big old deconstruction of Fairyland itself. And he has a point, Fairyland is actually quite creepy, when you stop and thnk about it and Gertrude has been living that for forty years. When you realise that, you actually have to admire her for her 'restraint'. It also makes her 'return', to fight something that will actually destroy something she really hates, that much more powerful and it's a real hook just when the story needs it. Turns out that Young is a master of timing as well.
'Sadly Never After' has all the humour you've come to expect by now but it's dialled back now as Gertrude enters the endgame. This is more of a book about properly listening now and knowing, deep down, what to do with that advice, even if it's the last thing that you want to do. Without going into too much detail then (it's a book that I want you to experience for yourself, like I did), it's a very bittersweet book in more than one way and definitely a book that will have you hoping for at least one more book where Gertrude can finally make an informed decision on where she wants to end up. I don't think that will ever happen though so I'm just going to be content with my head canon ending where Gertrude realised where she belongs. We all know where that is and credit to Young for bringing us to that realisation, even if Gertrude isn't there yet.
'Sadly Never After' is also the one book in the series where it's not all about Gertrude. For reasons that are obvious if you've read Volume Three, the supporting cast get their time in the spotlight and it's great to finally have it confirmed that Duncan the Dragon, Larry and the Devil are more than capable of carrying the story for an extended burst. I mean, we all knew that already but it was great to see Young's sense of comedic timing, and feel for what makes a great laugh out loud piece of dialogue, come through in other characters. Especially Duncan, there's a story there just waiting to be told (Hint)
There are no big surprises in this final volume but this series has always been about Gertrude's personal journey and by now there are no new places to go. You know how it all has to end but it's more about seeing Gertrude take those final couple of steps, the most difficult steps of all. And it is bittersweet but it's worth it too.
If you've picked up the other books... Well, of course you're going to pick up this last book and it is worth it. It may feel like nothing new is happening but just remember that this a tale of Gertrude, not Fairyland, and you'll realise that there's a very deep tale going on in front of your eyes, and it's all good.
I'm not quite done... If you haven't read my other 'I Hate Fairyland' reviews, just follow these links...
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