Curse Words Vol. 5: Fairy-Tale Ending
Charles Soule, writer; Ryan Browne, artist
Image Comics, 2020
Curse Words has always been an unpredictable fantasy story, and that continues to be true for the finale. The path to the fairy-tale ending is jagged, and the ending is not guaranteed. In fact much of the final arc is a battle royal. But the collection actually opens with the "Spring Has Sprung Special," which is an origin story for Margaret. Turns out that she was the love child of Wizord and Ruby Stitch. Falling in love and having a child was very much against Sizzajee's rules, so he curses them to hate each other and forget about their child.
The arc proper opens on the Hole World, with the battle against Sizzajee and his wizards by Margaret, the Tigers and the Norwegians (an unlikely alliance which Margaret forged on Earth). Having realized that Margaret is their daughter, Wizord (who has powered up by stealing mankind's belief in Santa Claus) and Ruby Stitch transport in to help, significantly altering the balance of power.
On the run, Sizajee takes the fight back to the Earth. There Wizord engages him in a final combat. It's a battle between Love and Hate, and ultimately Love wins. But not without a cost, which makes it a bit less than a fairy-tale ending: everyone does not live happily ever after. But Margaret regains her human form, and the world is a magical place, with magic and magical creatures in it. So call it a win for the good guys. It may be a bit protracted, but it is a satisfying conclusion.
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