Behold The Bloody Mayhem: Reviewing ‘Untold Tales Of I Hate Fairyland’ #1

In the realm of fairy tales, there are countless untold tales the masses are clamoring for. Then there’s Gert stories. Did you think that the first volume of I Hate Fairyland was the sum of all the adventures that Gert got up to?

Oh no, dear friends, thirty years trapped in a fantasy/fairytale realm leaves plenty of story stones left unturned. Pull up a chair and behold the Untold Tales Of I Hate Fairyland.

We’re getting plenty more bloody Gert shenanigans over in the new volume of the main series. Creator Skottie Young has had years to think about these types of tales and one title can not contain them. Young is not alone though. This new series is giving other creators the chance to play in this colorfully brutal sandbox.

In the first issue, we’re treated to two different stories of Gert unleashing havoc. The first is from Young, who teams back up with his Bully Wars colleague Aaron Conley as well as colorist Sarah Stern. The second story has story and art handled by Dean Rankine. Regular series letterer Nate Piekos handles the lettering for both stories.

Both are straightforward tales of Gert taking on some foes and dispatching them in her usual brutal manner.

Young, Conley, and Sterns create a story that features a character named Bruud the Brutal (who the story is named for) a barbarian sent after Gert. Everything about Bruud instantly reminds one of those overly muscular hulking characters of many 80’s films. Conley frames the issue in a way that makes sure that Bruud is always enormous. We’re always close right there in the character’s faces and in the thick of all the fighting action.

With the colors, Conley and Sterns have a lighter touch here so that the main bits feel ‘real’ or toned down. That way things like Gert’s hair, the gummy bears, the eventual blood, and more can stand out. They are where the most vivid of colors come into play.

Basically, Gert fights and flirts with Bruud and moves on with her adventure. Yet, as usual, Young fills it full of tons of dark and adult humor and zingers that are typical for this series. Even as a shorter story, it feels pretty packed and right at home with all the other stories. As it should since this is Young’s sandbox.

This is not a world created by Rankine, but you wouldn’t know that by the story that he put together. Once again, Gert is pissed off and out to get someone (in this case three little pigs) and a fight ensues. Rankine leans into the fairy tale aspect of this series both in the story plot but also his style of artwork. It has a whimsical appeal with the proportions and overall aesthetic, like Gert barged into a children’s picture book and decided to pick a fight. This is pretty much the overall gist of the entire overall series truth be told.

Just like the first story, the colors are done in a way where most of the elements on the page are pretty common tones. It’s the background and certain aspects that get the more vivid treatment. It draws our eyes in during big moments, making sure we’re not straying from the action about to go down.

Also, that amorphous pig monster beat…disgustingly beautiful.

One thing that bridges both stories and the overall series is of course the lettering from Piekos. There is just fun and scary energy to the way that Piekos always lays things out. From the big giant colorful SFX that flows around the pages to the storybook-like font of dialogue. Not to mention Gert’s censored cursing that is always a colorful delight.

Untold Tales Of I Hate Fairyland #1 is now available from Image Comics.