Once And Future #18
Everything goes topsy turvy in Once And Future #18, by writer Kieron Gillen, artist Dan Mora, colorist Tamra Bonvillain, and letterer Ed Dukeshire. A lot of very interesting things happen in this issue, propelling the book into a whole new world- literally.
Talking about this issue too much would ruin a lot of the surprise of the whole thing, and that would be a tragedy. Suffice it to say that things seem to be going good but then everything goes exactly wrong. Gillen’s work on this book started out more metaphorical than anything else, with Arthur representing the racist and nationalist strain that has been plaguing many so-called Western democracies. As time went on, the book has strayed from that sort of narrative, but this issue brings that back in a rather big way that also propels the book into a vague and unknowable future.
This issue makes things a whole lot more interesting. For a while, the book was about what happens when one finds themselves enmeshed in a story that is out of their control. While that played into the original central metaphor of the book, it was underlying enough that one could almost forget part of why Gillen was writing this book. Almost. It all comes roaring back here, and the set-up for the future is wild, to say the least. The story has changed- it’s safe to say that not even Gran knows how this one will work, and that’s thrilling for everyone. This book gives Gillen the freedom to explore both the literary world that represents the collective unconscious of Britain while also bringing in things he wants to talk about in contemporary culture.
The crux of the story revolves around the actions of two characters- Elaine just wants to save Galahad, and that action seems to resolve everything. Elaine is a lot of things, but her love for her son is quite real, even if he only seemed like a means to an end, one that was just meant to get the Grail. It almost seems like everyone is about to get the mega happy ending, but then the twist strikes, and another character, the prime minister of Great Britain, strikes, and everything changes. These two changes spur things on and are just part of what makes this book so good.
Mora’s art is phenomenal. From the opening with the dragon-born heroes chasing Galahad to some of the great designs throughout the book to an especially cool page where the whole thing is off-kilter, there’s so much to love about the art in this book. As usual, Bonvillain’s coloring is the icing on the cake. If there was ever a thing as a superstar colorist, it’s her; every book she touches looks that much better, and this one is no exception.
Once And Future #18 changes everything about the series. From here on, the book will be completely different, and that’s a very good thing. Gillen plays into the book’s central metaphor again pretty heavily in this issue, and it’ll be interesting to see where the book goes from here on in. He’s got years of stories to choose from to bring into play, and where he goes with it will be half the fun of this new world. Mora and Bonvillain are still one of the best art teams working in comics today, and this book hammers that home. Once And Future has an uncertain future ahead for its characters, but for readers, there’s certainty- that it will continue to impress.
