Boom! Studios Review: Once & Future #12

by Carl Bryan
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Review:  Once & Future #12

 

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Kieron Gillen

Artist: Dan Mora

Colors: Tamra Bonvillain

Letters: Ed Dukeshire

 

Reviewed by: Carl Bryan

 

 

Summary

“A chainsaw has many virtues, but stealth is not one of them!” – Gran

The veil between the Otherworld and the human world is thin, and as the story changes around Duncan and Gran, each foe becomes harder to defeat…and predict. They may be holding the line, but enemies both new and old are closing in fast, and even Gran and Duncan may not be prepared for what’s next!

 

Positives

Kieron Gillen has created quite the family story of grandson Duncan and grandmother Bridgette in their constant battle of dead Knights of the Round Table and other mystical creatures.

Gran Bridgette is in the thick of it with Duncan as Grendel is dead, but it’s mother shows up!  Lot of blood, lot of hiding, and Gran with a chainsaw is something to behold!

Duncan has to take on two roles…one of Beowulf and one of Percival.  You as the reader are inspired to brush up on your literature as that is the key to detecting a bit how this will all play out.  Though a Gran with a chainsaw is a bit of a wild card!

Positives 2.0

Speaking of a quandary, Gran is in a pickle.  If she kills Nimue she stops reading, and if she stops reading Duncan drowns in the mire as he is being protected by her incantations.  Holy Literature Batman!  Will our Hero escape?  No spoilers here but you would be advised to bone up on your literature!

Kieron Gillen needs to take on some Shakespeare!  I’d love to see what she does in that element!

 

Positives 3.0

The art!  Dan Mora is in the same vein as Todd McFarlane or Greg Capullo.  This is a Violator blood fest, but it works!

Tamra Bonvillain is at the pinnacle of a color fest and she captures night time horror perfectly.

Negatives

Once & Future #12 is grounded in the literature and it is a high brow read!  This is not a negative.  If you are fan, especially of Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table and a Gran who can weld both a chainsaw, a knife, a sword, and a gun, then this book is for you!

Verdict

Once & Future #12 – family drama, bloody battles, a grandma welding a chainsaw, and Merlin.  If Boom Studios is not on your radar, you need to expand your library search!  The art is worth the price of admission, but the storyline….it’s not your average “boom, pow, bang!” comic!

 

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