Once & Future Vol. 1: The King is Undead
Kieron Gillen, writer; Dan Mora, illustrator; Tamra Bonvillain, colorist
Boom! Studios, 2020
A group of Nationalists intent on bringing back the Britain of Arthurian myth steals an ancient artifact and attempts to use it to resurrect an Arthurian villain. Working to stop them, retired monster hunter Bridgette McGuire pulls her unsuspecting grandson Duncan (a museum curator) into a world of magic that he is clueless about. Bridgette (who Duncan thought was a harmless old lady) is a complete badass, and Duncan's utter amazement at her language and feisty attitude is one of the most enjoyable things about the story.
But there is also plenty of violence and action that moves between our world and magical realms. Best of all, as the story goes on it becomes apparent that both sides in the conflict have been literally re-enacting Arthurian legends. Duncan learns that he was brought up to play a role, and by the end of this first installment he begins to embrace it. Lots of potential going forward (and as I write this the second volume is already out). The whole creative team seems to be having fun with this: Gillen has crafted a diverse group of characters while still nodding to the underlying fantasy; Mora makes the most of both realistic and fantastical settings; and Bonvillain utilizes a wild color palette, sometimes going absolutely lurid.
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