Boom Studios Review: Once & Future #11
[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
Bad news comes in threes and so do the creatures terrorizing London – and if they’re going to save the city, Gran and Duncan will need to revive a connection with an old enemy. After all, you’re always better with the devil you know… right?
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. But what makes it work is the tough Grandmother and the milktoast Grandson who is steadily accepting his family’s mystical responsibilities.
However, Duncan comes armed as Bridgette has brought her knife to the fight with Grendel, but it escalates quickly to where Bridgette arms herself with a chainsaw….a chainsaw! Grandma Bridgette is simply awesome! The frames with her greeting the others while covered in blood holding a chainsaw… she has to do a cameo in Image comics Spawn.
I love the fact that Duncan and Bridgette confirm with each other that Grendel runs off in the poem…comic life imitating literature. Way to inspire readers to read other works Kieron Gillen.
Positives 2.0
The art! Dan Mora draws a bloody good Bridgette! In fact, all of his battles are worthy of Todd McFarlane’s Spawn books or any Greg Capullo does! This is a gruesome comic at times, but you cannot drink in the colors and art fast enough!
Negatives
Once & Future #11 is grounded in the literature and it is a high brow read! This is not a negative, but if you know what happens when Grendel is killed, you definitely know what shows up afterwards!
Verdict
Once & Future #11 – family drama, bloody battles, a grandma welding a chainsaw, and cops showing up to complicate matters. 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!
