Skottie Young Pays Homage to Marvel’s Oz with New Cover

Image Comics’ fan-favorite series I Hate Fairyland is gearing up for a significant moment. Earlier this week, Image Comics revealed a new cover for the upcoming I Hate Fairyland #17, set to launch in November. Skottie Young’s cover art intentionally reflects his illustration for 2009’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #1, the first issue in his and Eric Shanower’s adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s iconic novel.

Given the narrative parallels between The Wizard of Oz and I Hate Fairyland—though the latter takes a darker, more violent turn—this cover is especially clever. It has been hinted that the “Happy Ending” arc in I Hate Fairyland #17 will directly incorporate characters from The Wizard of Oz. It will be fascinating to see how this storyline unfolds.

I Hate Fairyland follows Gert, a six-year-old girl who has been stuck in the magical world of Fairyland for thirty years. Determined to find her way back home, Gert slashes through any obstacles that come her way.

“It’s amazing,” said Young in an exclusive interview at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. “Just the fact that I’m publishing a book at Image Comics, being an Image kid myself, buying Spawn #1 on the shelf, buying WildC.A.T.S. #1 on the shelf, Savage Dragon #1 on the shelf. So the fact that I have Image Comics #1’s that people buy is amazing,” Young said.

He continued, “The idea that it’s lasted 10 years blows my mind. I feel like I’m living out my childhood dream… We are cooking some fun things up. We have some pretty big things that we were just talking about before stepping in here. I think everyone will have lots of fun, us most of all.”

As for what to expect in I Hate Fairyland #17? The second part of the “HAPPY END GAME” arc dives deeper into the chaos. Happy leads an army of dead Gerts from Hell through the Inferno and into Fairyland. Needing allies, Gert turns to a legend from Kansas who is well-versed in fighting off wicked forces. Who could it be? Perhaps someone with an affinity for glittery footwear and yellow bricks?

I Hate Fairyland #17 is set to hit comic stores on November 6th.

Source: ComicBook