Good Girl (comics)
Good Girl (also known as I Love! Fairyland) is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Skottie Young that was released in five parts throughout 2017 by Image Comics as the third volume of the American comic book series I Hate Fairyland, set in the Image Universe.[3] Part 1, Con Girl, was released on March 15, 2017, Part 2, Lone Gert and Grub, was released on April 19, 2017, Part 3, Larry's Life was released on June 21, 2017, Part 4, Love's Labyrinth, was released on July 19, 2017, and Part 5, I Love! Fairyland, was released on August 16, 2017.
| Good Girl (I Love! Fairyland) | |
|---|---|
| Date |
|
| No. of issues | 5 |
| Main characters |
|
| Publisher | Image Comics |
| Creative team | |
| Writers | Skottie Young |
| Artists | Skottie Young |
| Letterers | Nate Piekos of Blambot |
| Colourists | Jean-Francois Beaulieu[1] |
| Creators | Skottie Young Jason Howard[2] |
| Editors | Rian Hughes |
| Original publication | |
| Published in | I Hate Fairyland |
| ISBN | 978-1-5343-0330-0 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Fluff My Life |
| Followed by | Sadly Never After |
The series follows Gertrude "Gert", a young woman who has spent decades venturing through the candy-coated world of Fairyland on being transported there, trapped as her unageing six-year-old self with pretty green curls and a bow, and accompanied by her top-hat-wearing housefly quest companion Larry as she seeks a way to return home. After taking on a protégé, Maddy, Gert finally realizes that being such a murderous maniac might be the very reason she's never been able to find her way out of Fairyland, and sets off on a new quest to redeem herself, trying to earn her way back home with good deeds, kindness, love, and whatever other mushy, touchy-feely things she can manage to express. Preceded by Fluff My Life, it is followed by the story arc Sadly Never After,[4] with a crossover one-shot, I Hate Image, set between the events of Fluff My Life and Good Girl, also being published for Free Comic Book Day 2017.[5][6][7][8]
The series has received a universally positive critical reception.[9][10][11]
Premise edit
Part One: Con Girl edit
While Gert and Larry are taking a break from their normal questing and killing for some fun at Fairyland’s annual Dungeon Con, Gert is approached by a fangirl, Maddy, who seeks to become her protégé. After training Maddy in the ways of her life, Gert recognises through her what she has become over her decades in Fairyland, and resolves to be "good", to turn around her ways and finally leave Fairyland once and for all.[12]
Part Two: Lone Gert and Grub edit
Tired of being selfish and murderous, Gert decides to be a helpful member of the Fairyland society, starting off with rescuing a kidnapped baby and returning it to its loving family.[13]
The title is a reference to the 1970 manga series Lone Wolf and Cub.
Part Three: Larry's Life edit
Larry imagines what his life could have been like if he'd never met Gert.[14][15][16]
Part Four: Love's Labyrinth edit
Gert attempts to solve a treacherous maze to restore her childhood innocence and restore her hope of leaving Fairyland.[17]
The title is a reference to the 2006 dark fantasy film Pan's Labyrinth.
Part Five: I Love! Fairyland edit
Her innocence restored, a child once more in mind as well as body, Gert enjoys her new-found goodness as she proceeds to complete her original "one-day quest" in order to leave Fairyland once and for all.[18]
Reception edit
| Issue # | Publication date | Critic rating | Critic reviews | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 2017 | 8.6/10 | 7 | [19] |
| 2 | April 2017 | 9.2/10 | 6 | [20] |
| 3 | June 2017 | 8.2/10 | 9 | [21] |
| 4 | July 2017 | 8.8/10 | 6 | [22] |
| 5 | August 2017 | 8.8/10 | 5 | [23] |
| Overall | 8.7/10 | 17 | [24] |
ComicBookWire lauded Good Girl as "just as wacky and humorous as previous volumes [and for] Gertrude's quest in this book giv[ing] a bit of nuance to each chapter" with "[e]verything in this book look[ing] fantastic and [being] incredibly detailed", concluding to describe it as "the best volume in this series so far. All of the best aspects of previous volumes return[ing] to create a book that is funny and ridiculous in its own unique way [while providing] just enough of a new twist to keep things interesting",[9] with SKJam! similarly lauding the series' "change of direction [as] a welcome advance [to] the plot".[10] IGN praised the "game-changing shift" of the narrative, as well las Skottie Young's art for having the graphic novel "remain[ing] one of the single prettiest books on stand and the only one I'll buy in trade, floppy, and digital. It's just so gorgeous, gang, it's just so, so pretty [and] the story is (almost) as good as the art. Hope it stays that way".[11]
Collected editions edit
| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| I Hate Fairyland: Good Girl | I Hate Fairyland (vol. 1) #11–15[25] | October 18, 2017[26] | ISBN 978-1534303300 |
| I Hate Fairyland Book Two | I Hate Fairyland (vol. 1) #11–20 I Hate Image: FCBD Special #1 | September 17, 2019 | ISBN 978-1534312487 |
References edit
- ^ Lehoczky, Etelka (May 1, 2016). "No Pink, But Plenty Of Red, In Hack-N-Slash 'Fairyland'". NPR. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
- ^ Lu, Alexander (June 14, 2016). "Interview: Skottie Young On the "Street Fighter Blood Sports" of I Hate Fairyland's New Arc!". Comics Beat. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (August 13, 2018). "The Top 500 Most-Ordered Comics and Graphic Novels in July 2018". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ Garcia, Mayra (July 27, 2023). "10 Best Current Image Comics, Ranked". ComicBook.com. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ Holub, Christian (December 21, 2016). "Free Comic Book Day 2017 announces full list of titles". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
- ^ DeBlieck, Augie (April 4, 2017). "Pipeline #1035: Image Comics' Free Comic Book Day Preview". ComicBook.com. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
- ^ McMillan, Graeme (May 5, 2017). "5 Comics to Pick Up on Free Comic Book Day 2017". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
- ^ Allen, Todd (August 11, 2017). "I Hate Fairyland's FCBD Issue Returns as "I Hate Fairyland Image Special Edition"". Comics Beat. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ a b ComicBookWire Staff (February 5, 2018). "Review: I Hate Fairyland Vol. 3 – Good Girl". ComicBookWire. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
- ^ a b SKJam! Staff (December 16, 2019). "Comic Book Review: I Hate Fairyland Volume 3: Good Girl". SKJam!. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
- ^ a b Schedeen, Jesse; Marnell, Blair (August 17, 2017). "Comic Book Reviews for August 16, 2017". IGN. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
- ^ Jeff (December 22, 2016). "Image Comics March 2017 Solicitations". GoCollect. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ^ Ringwalt, Stuart (April 21, 2017). . Word of the Nerd Online. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
- ^ Allen, Phil (June 23, 2017). "Capsule Review – I Hate Fairyland #13 & Shirtless Bear Fighter #1!". Inside Pulse. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- ^ Snyder, Ben (June 21, 2017). "Review: I Hate Fairyland #13". Comic Bastards. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Payet, Fabienne (June 25, 2017). . Outright Geekery. Archived from the original on September 14, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
- ^ Good, Dusty (July 19, 2017). . Comic Crusaders. Archived from the original on September 14, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
- ^ Pedro, Antonio (August 15, 2017). . Outright Geekery. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- ^ "I Hate Fairyland #11 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. March 15, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
- ^ "I Hate Fairyland #12 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
- ^ "I Hate Fairyland #13 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. June 21, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ "I Hate Fairyland #14 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. July 19, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
- ^ "I Hate Fairyland #15 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
- ^ "I Hate Fairyland: Fluff My Life Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. December 7, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (September 29, 2019). "Image Comics' Twenty-Five Best-Selling Titles, Right Now". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
- ^ Young, Skottie (October 18, 2017). "I Hate Fairyland Volume 3: Good Girl". Previews World. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
External links edit
- Good Girl at Image Comics