Review by Ian Keogh
Duncan McGuire means well, but he’s socially inept and can be slow on the uptake, conditions that have surely combined to ensure he’s still a virgin in his early twenties. Don’t laugh, that’s significant. What he’s not been told about his family history could fill volumes, with the person who’s kept so much from him being his grandmother, now resident of an old folks’ home.
Bridgette McGuire is the most unlikely leading character in what’s a modern reinterpretation of legends, primarily that of King Arthur, although others intrude. Just in case it occurs based on that description, this is most definitely not Fables, which had its dark moments, but Once & Future is a deliberate step into infinitely more horror. Bridgette has been dealing with such stuff for decades and had believed it was all done and dusted, but she needs to pull her old bones from the armchair and step back into her abrasive personality to ensure the past doesn’t supplant the present. The threat is the resurrection of King Arthur, who the prophecy claims will return in England’s darkest hour. What the prophecy isn’t as clear about is whether he’ll be responsible for that darkest hour.
Once & Future is a thriller throughout, but at its heart it concerns the interpretation of stories, the power of them, and the emotions they release. Kieron Gillen feeds modern day ideas into the mix, twisting those legends to suit his needs, but they remain fundamentally about a desire to perpetuate England in what some see as an ideal state. Allegory is obvious, but passing satire.
The art is amazing from the opening page. Dan Mora’s people have personality, even the deliberately bland Duncan, with Bridgette magnificently designed as frail, yet her expressions deliver her true personality. Given the Arthurian canon to play with, spectacle is the primary object of the remainder for Mora and it’s delivered on page after page. The colouring supplied by Tamra Bonvillain lifts those pages to greater heights, with bright greens and yellows giving an otherwordly vibrancy.
This beguiling blend of fantasy, horror and human drama is an unpredictable treat from start to finish, and so much changes from start to finish, not least Duncan growing into the role of hero. You could pick up the three paperback volumes beginning with The King is Undead, but if you can afford it surely it’s worth treating yourself to this Deluxe Edition in oversized hardcover format.