Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny traBLAM!  Hehe.

Skottie Young is the man.

Share the stories that mo . . . Huh?

You know that’s not gonna fly.  But, what more do you really need? I mean, have you SEEN this thing?!

The people reading this: “Remember what a review is for?  Don’t make me put you on a word count.”

Fine!  I’ll just espouse love for several paragraphs and tell of the obvious brilliance of one of my favorite people working in comics today, whom I hold in regard with Eric Powell for sheer genius. People will have to basically hear, “Hey, that thing that’s the most awesome ever?  Yeah, it’s pretty flippin’ awesome!”

The people reading this: “Oh, so your job?  GREAT.  Maybe you’ll have it in before midnight this time.”

Sure.  (Nope)

So, where was I?  Oh, Skottie Young.  He’s got a new book, and it’s all his.  Story, script, art (with colors by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, who does a phenomenal job), it’s all of his oddball mind on display.  I have enjoyed everything I’ve ever seen him do.  (GoT fans: Remember that image on Geekologie of Martin crushing characters with a rock and saying Khuu Khuu Khuu?  Did you notice the Secret Wars lithograph he did with Doom?   It’s a geeky convergence that makes my brain hurt with joy!)  He’s got a sure, steady hand on anything he touches. His Giant Little Marvel series simultaneously pays homage and parodies his source material while maintaining heart and the truth of his chibi Marvel stars.  His variant covers have been doing the same for years. (I loved all of the Axis ones – hysterical.) He’s the kind of guy that can appreciate the fact that his medium has the word “comic” in it, and no trope is safe from a little outside view.  He’s got the kind of outlook that mirrors Dr. Seuss, looking at things through the wrong end of the telescope and turning thoughts on their side to see what shakes out.  The biggest thing I love, what I enjoy more than his adorable, yet dangerous, artistic style or his ability to craft a story that can be just plain sillier than anything you’ve ever seen and manage to catch you when you’re not looking with an emotional punch to the mental kidneys (Hypothalamus, maybe?) as he did in the short he made for David Petersen’s Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard Volume Three . . . so yeah, maybe I tell you about the comic . . .

The people reading this: “About time.”

You wanted words, I make WORDS.

The people reading this: “Did you forget your meds today?”

Nope.  They’re still sitting where my wife put them.

So, Skottie has given us his typical twist on an old idea.  Lots of kids dream of being pulled into a magical world, where fairies and unicorns run around giving people lollies and singing all the time, but what if you ended up with far more than you bargained for?  That’s the premise of the nutty, little mind warp.  Gertrude is chucked into the magical pit of Fariyland and has only a short quest to get out.  Of course, like the fae of old time’s, she’s a bit twisty, and though she retains the body of her younger self, she’s now spent nigh on three decades (I love the old-timey feel of that phrase, I feel so wizened and — Focus.) trying to get out of the pink nightmare by any means possible, even if it means shooting her eye out. (Please, if you get that reference, comment below. I just wanna see if it works.)  This is an idea I fell in love with when the game Raze’s Hell was in development: A huge, ugly monster’s planet is invaded by cute ‘n cuddly critters and he murders everything.  Like Stitch if Disney was run by Germans.  Anywho, instead of a rampaging beast, we have an adorable young lady who curses like a sailor (but clean, it’s kind of amazing the substitutions he manages to slide in) and has a rather sociopathic view on annihilating things and people that disagree with her. (The “appropriate response” gag may be my favorite line in the issue.)  Unleashed upon a world of goodness, it makes for a wonderland for anyone who cheered for the Ewoks losing in Jedi.

As for the art side, it just makes sense.  Cutesy with a side of bloody viscera that manages to tickle and horrify, it’s the dichotomy that plays throughout the issue.  There’s a strong Ren & Stimpy feel, minus the hyper-detailed close-ups.  The tone has just the right amount of exaggeration, lending to it the light, fluffy air that the material contrasts with so much.  Visually, we’ve got a hand grenade covered in frosting.  It’s so much fun.

If you are a fan of Deadpool but wish he was a nine-year-old girl (Who hasn’t?) and wish he looked like a kid’s party cupcake, then this book is certainly for you.  This series has an incredible amount of promise, and I’ll be pulling it every week.  Check it out!

The people reading this: “See?  Was that so hard?”

I need a nap.

Share the stories that move you.