Last Gert Standing Explained

Last Gert Standing
Publisher:Image Comics
Issues:5
Origpublication:I Hate Fairyland
Origisbn:978-1-5343-9785-9
Writers:Skottie Young[1] [2]
Artists:Brett Bean[3]
Editors:Joel Enos
Colourists:Jean-Francois Beaulieu[4]
Letterers:Nate Piekos of Blambot
Creators:Skottie Young
Jason Howard[5]
Previssue:Gert's Inferno
Nextissue:In the Mean Time

Last Gert Standing is a graphic novel written by Skottie Young and illustrated by Brett Bean that was released in five parts throughout 2023 by Image Comics, as the second volume of the 2022 revival of Young's 2015–2018 isekai comic book series I Hate Fairyland, set in the Image Universe, and the sixth volume overall. Part 1, We Need To Talk About Gertrude, was released on June 21, 2023, Part 2, Seven Gerts Enter, One Gert Leaves!, was released on July 19, 2023, Part 3, Here Or There Be Dragons, was released on August 16, 2023, Part 4, How To Train Your Gert…Or Not, was released on September 13, 2023, and Part 5, A Storm Full Of Pain, was released on October 25, 2023. An omnibus edition was released on January 17, 2024.

After being abandoned in Fairyland once more by her boss at the conclusion of the previous volume, Gertrude "Gert" reunites with Larry and seeks to return to Earth, while on learning of her return, new Fairyland King Cloudeus makes a deal with the Gerts of alternate timelines (from during the events of Fluff My Life, Good Girl, Sadly Never After, and Untold Tales) to take out Gert and allow them to return to Earth themselves.[6] Preceded by Gert's Inferno, it is followed by In the Mean Time.

The series has received a universally positive critical reception.

Premise

Part One: We Need to Talk About Gertrude

Following the events of Gert's Inferno, the grown up Gert is stuck in Fairylannd once again. Reuniting with Larry, she seeks to find a way to escape, as the new Fairyland King Cloudeus hires the time traveller Judd "The One Who Rides The Last Wagon" to recruit Gerts from alternate timelines to face off against her, in particular one from during the climax of Sadly Never After.[7] [8] [9] [10]

The title is a reference to the 2003 psychological thriller novel We Need to Talk About Kevin and its 2011 film adaptation.

Part Two: Seven Gerts Enter, One Gert Leaves!

On recruiting Sadly Never After Gert, the time traveller also recruits Gerts from Gert's vision of the future in Fluff My Life, Gert's redeemed Good Girl self, and two wholly alternate Gerts from The Unbelievable, Unfortunately Mostly Unreadable, and Nearly Unpublishable Untold Tales of I Hate Fairyland!, as Gert's Inferno Gert herself seeks to find a new way out of Fairyland.[11] [12] [13]

Part Three: Here Or There Be Dragons

On defeating her adult Gert's Inferno self, the still-young Sadly Never After Gert embraces her status as O.G. (Original Gert) and prepares to accept her route back to Earth, only to accidentally give up her new exit.[14] [15]

The title is a reference to "Here be dragons", a phrase used on maps as an indication of unexplored and potentially dangerous territories.

Part Four: How To Train Your Gert…Or Not

In the future of Fairyland, O.G. Gert realises that since the Duncan Dragon never formally embarked on his quest, he should still have a Key allowing him to exit, and seek to track him down. On finding him in his adulthood, Gert explains the situation, and he once more joins Gert on her quest to get home.[16] [17]

The title is a reference to the 2003–2015 novel series How to Train Your Dragon and the resulting franchise.

Part Five: A Storm Full Of Pain

Realising she will need help of the former Queen Cloudia (imprisoned since her resurrection and defeat as Dark Cloudia), Gert breaks her out of prison, and the two and Duncan track down Duncan's key. After Duncan decides to stay in Fairyland and let Gert use his key, Cloudia suddenly steals the key for herself and finds herself on Earth, leaving the two humans behind.[18] [19]

Reception

Issue #Publication dateCritic ratingCritic reviewsRef.
1June 20238.5/104[20]
2July 20237.7/103[21]
3August 20237.5/102[22]
4September 20237.5/102[23]
5October 20236.7/102[24]
Overall7.6/1013[25]

Collected editions

TitleMaterial collectedPublished dateISBN
I Hate Fairyland: Last Gert StandingI Hate Fairyland (vol. 2) #6–10January 17, 2024[26]
I Hate Fairyland Compendium TwoI Hate Fairyland (vol. 2) #1–20 and The Unbelievable, Unfortunately Mostly Unreadable, and Nearly Unpublishable Untold Tales of I Hate Fairyland!

External links

Notes and References

  1. Skottie Young is Gert from "I Hate Fairyland!". January 25, 2019. Start. Mitchell. Ian. Brian. January 25, 2019. YouTube. Skybound Entertainment.
  2. The Skottie Young Shoot Interview. July 22, 2019. Piskor. Ruggart. Ed. Jim. July 22, 2019. YouTube. Cartoonist Kayfabe.
  3. Web site: Chiu-Tabet. Christopher. The Rundown: July 27, 2023 – Multiversity Comics. Multiversity Comics. July 27, 2023. July 27, 2023.
  4. Web site: May 1, 2016. No Pink, But Plenty Of Red, In Hack-N-Slash Fairyland. May 1, 2016. NPR. Lehoczky. Etelka. en-us.
  5. Web site: June 14, 2016. Interview: Skottie Young On the "Street Fighter Blood Sports" of I Hate Fairylands New Arc!. June 14, 2016. Comics Beat. Lu. Alexander. en-us.
  6. Web site: Young. Skottie. Skottie Young. New I Hate Fairyland and More!. Substack. January 19, 2024. January 19, 2024.
  7. Web site: Drum. Nicole. Comic Book Reviews for This Week: 6/21/2023. ComicBook.com. June 21, 2023. June 21, 2023.
  8. Web site: Bickerstaff. Russ. I Hate Fairyland #6 // Review. You Don't Read Comics. June 21, 2023. June 21, 2023.
  9. Web site: Redmond. Scott. June 28, 2023. We Need To Talk About Gertrude: Reviewing I Hate Fairyland #06. June 28, 2023. Comic Con. en-us.
  10. Web site: Reyes. Javier. January 25, 2024. I Hate Fairyland #6 Review: A Fluffing Good Time. January 25, 2024. Gonk Bonk. en-us.
  11. Web site: Peters. Megan. Comic Book Reviews for This Week: 7/19/2023. ComicBook.com. July 19, 2023. July 19, 2023.
  12. Web site: Redmond. Scott. July 19, 2023. Seven Gerts Enter, One Gert Leaves!: Reviewing I Hate Fairyland #7. July 19, 2023. Comic Con. en-us.
  13. Web site: Bickerstaff. Russ. I Hate Fairyland #7 // Review. You Don't Read Comics. July 22, 2023. July 22, 2023.
  14. Web site: Peters. Megan. Comic Book Reviews for This Week: 8/16/2023. ComicBook.com. August 16, 2023. August 16, 2023.
  15. Web site: Redmond. Scott. August 22, 2023. Here Or There Be Dragons: Reviewing I Hate Fairyland #8. August 22, 2023. Comic Con. en-us.
  16. Web site: Peters. Megan. Comic Book Reviews for This Week: 9/13/2023. ComicBook.com. September 13, 2023. September 13, 2023.
  17. Web site: Redmond. Scott. September 19, 2023. How To Train Your Gert…Or Not: Reviewing I Hate Fairyland #9. September 19, 2023. Comic Con. en-us.
  18. Web site: Peters. Megan. Comic Book Reviews for This Week: 10/25/2023. ComicBook.com. October 25, 2023. October 25, 2023.
  19. Web site: Redmond. Scott. November 2, 2023. A Storm Full Of Pain: Reviewing I Hate Fairyland #10. November 2, 2023. Comic Con. en-us.
  20. Web site: I Hate Fairyland #6 Reviews. June 21, 2023. June 21, 2023. ComicBookRoundup.com. en-US.
  21. Web site: I Hate Fairyland #7 Reviews. July 19, 2023. July 19, 2023. ComicBookRoundup.com. en-US.
  22. Web site: I Hate Fairyland #8 Reviews. August 16, 2023. August 16, 2023. ComicBookRoundup.com. en-US.
  23. Web site: I Hate Fairyland #9 Reviews. September 13, 2023. September 13, 2023. ComicBookRoundup.com. en-US.
  24. Web site: I Hate Fairyland #10 Reviews. October 25, 2023. October 25, 2023. ComicBookRoundup.com. en-US.
  25. Web site: I Hate Fairyland: Last Gert Standing Reviews. January 24, 2024. January 24, 2024. ComicBookRoundup.com. en-US.
  26. Web site: Young. Skottie. Skottie Young. I Hate Fairyland Volume 6: Last Gert Standing. Previews World. January 17, 2024. January 17, 2024.