I have a little list.

I mentioned in the last issue review that things we’re awkwardly transitioning from a mostly self-contained story into a long-running series, and there’s a wonderful sight gag in this issue where Skottie Young owns it completely and forges on.  That’s one of the things that I love so much about this series, that much like other fourth-wall shattering heroes (not a hero), this book takes great fun in mocking itself and the medium with a gentle tongue-in-cheekiness that is endearing and a big relief for those who may be a little burned out by the cape and tights set.  He’s providing comic relief for the industry, because while certain tropes can be engaging if done right or turned on their head, for the most par,t they get repetitive. It’s wonderful to watch a keen wit send them up issue after issue.

Mr. Young has transitioned Gerturde’s journey into an episodic formula that reminds me of Samurai Jack, but with all the potty humor that makes this title so irreverently fun and adorable.  This seems like a fitting way to broaden the series and give us more examples of Young’s particular brand of sarcasm and the lovely snark that exists between our deranged antagonist and her psychotic Jiminy Cricket.  Though nothing major has been overhauled, the tone feels right for where we seem to be going next, and this issue feels like it’s hitting the groove that is going to provide a solid platform on which to create and riff.

The visuals are still top notch, and fans of his style will be simply enthralled with the silly and deceptively smart designs within.  Jean-Francois Beaulieu continues to make every scene pop with candy-coated life.  The balance of the cutesy with the gore and action of a much more serious (Read: boring.) kind of book is really fun to take in each issue and has been the most consistently engaging part of the title thus far.  There’s always a new gag that these two are trying, and there’s always one or two majestic splash pages that manage to amaze as well as underscore the hilarious tone that they seem to nail effortlessly.

This comic is big, dumb fun for those who love witty wordplay and know the value of poking fun at the medium to keep it fresh and in perspective.  I unabashedly read a lot of different styles of books, and I get sucked into the very tropes that Skottie Young is slapsticking issue after issue.  It’s a good reality check, set in a saccharine world of fantasy that gets better every time.

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