Scott's Take: Once & Future Volume One: The King Is Undead by Kieron Gillen and Illustrator Dan Mora

Once & Future Volume One: The King Is Undead by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Dan Mora. This graphic novel collects the first issues in the series. What if the legends and stories are all real and your grandmother was one of the people who used to hunt them? Bridgette McGuire is enjoying her retirement from hunting monsters until a group of nationalists uncover the scabbard of Excalibur and attempt to use his magic to bring back King Arthur. These nationalists have not really thought through the consequences of their actions.  It’s up to Bridgette McGuire and her young grandson, Duncan, to save Britain.

 

The two main characters are incredibly different and interesting. Bridgette McGuire is an action hero long past her prime and living in a retirement home. Duncan is an awkward good guy and some unspecified type pf academic. The young Duncan has been kept from the truth about his grandmother his whole life and thus is totally unprepared for what is going on.  He has no skills that translate to the violent new world that he and his grandmother are thrust into and it will be up  to her to teach what he needs to know so they can survive.

 

The artwork is vibrant and expressive. There is plenty of action, humor, and character development in the tale. The creative team takes old ideas about King Arthur and examines them in a new light. They have a unique interpretation of the power of stories that many readers would enjoy. I could explain more, but doing so would ruin the read. I highly recommend Once & Future Volume One: The King Is Undead for mythology fans or just people intrigued by the main characters.

 

 This book is the first volume in a new series that started earlier this year. Once and Future Volume 2: Old English is currently on order at my local library, but they are not accepting hold on it yet. I eagerly await the second volume in this series.

 

 

Once & Future Volume One: The King Is Undead

Kieron Gillen

https://www.comixology.com/Kieron-Gillen/comics-creator/1864

Illustrator Dan Mora

https://www.behance.net/danmora

Boom Studios

https://www.boom-studios.com/wordpress/

March 2020

ISBN: 978-1-68415-491-3

Paperback (also available in eBook format)

160 Pages

 

 

My reading copy came from the Central or Downtown Branch of the Dallas Public Library System. 

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2021