I Read Comic Books discussion

This month's BotM pick is Kieron Gillen's Once & Future, Vol. 1: The King is Undead. What did you think? Vol. 3 is coming out in a few months, do you think you'll continue on with the series?

As always, this thread is FULL SPOILERS for Volume 1! If you've read past that, please don't spoil anything past this volume.

If it's ok to read your comments on the show, please include "OK TO AIR" in your post!

This BotM episode will be recorded on May 16th, and released as a Patreon exclusive on May 30th.

I absolutely love this comic and have been buying it since it came out. Bridgette is a demented delight as a badass granny Buffy. I love the twist on the Arthurian legend.

Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain's art is magnificent. Something about it reminded me of a Don Bluth cartoon like Dragon's Lair.

My full review can be found here.

OK to air

Bloody epic, a real must read by the real madman called ol' Kieron Gillen!

Ok to air :P

Since Gideon Falls concluded this has been my most anticipated title every month. The relationship between the three main protagonists is darkly humorous, and provides a wonderful balance to the increasingly horrific stakes the characters are playing for.

I especially appreciated Gillen’s thoughtful reimagining of Arthurian lore. The idea of a resurrected King Arthur being a magnet for football hooligans and ultra-nationalists inverts the usually heroic role of Arthur, but makes perfect sense here.

And as much as the writing makes this an interesting comic, it is Dan Mora’s breathtaking art that makes it an essential one. Mora might well be the greatest artist working in comics today, and his use of colour here is absolutely bonkers. I own every copy of this title, and am definitely here for the long haul.

Do you think you know King Arthur’s story? Think again!

In this alternative fantasy world set in Britain, Duncan McGuire is a handsome but bumbling academic out on a disastrous date when he gets a call that his grandma is missing from her assisted living home. But his doobie smoking gran Bridgette turns out to be a monster hunter who has been keeping a lot of secrets from Duncan whom she raised. Soon he is in the middle of a crusade to block a woman Elaine from reanimating King Arthur who is not the kindly king of lore. In a Brexit-inspired plot, a group of Nationalists wish for him to keep Britain pure so they bring his remains back to life. Then it a race to prevent a dark prophecy from taking hold, with several twists and turns and improbable family connections.

I really enjoyed the art by Dan Mora and how he drew the characters plus all the fantasy elements. Fond of many panels per page, the action flowed in cinematic-like sequences. The colors by Tamra Bonvillian were superb, with rich colors and a psychedelic swirl of colors and floating orbs in the fantasy realm.

This was a very appealing first volume (as was the second!). The mythology was deliciously warped and I look forward to future adventures with Duncan and his ass-kicking Gran.

*Ok to air*

I loved this comic! Gran is one of my favorite characters. She just kicks ass and does what has to get done. I liked the twist on the King Arthur legend will to me as been over done. This twist totally made it fresh.

It's not often that I read the synopsis for a book and say "F*** yeah!" aloud, but when I read "retired monster vampire hunter and her grandson," I'm going to respond with "F*** yeah," and thankfully, Kieron Gillen didn't disappoint.

Older women protagonists are such a rarity in literally all genres, especially (too often patriarchal) fantasy, and while there are a few self deprecating lines from Bridgette about her age, it's never at her own expense. Bridgette is an unflappable badass, and I love her. I think she needed a moment of vulnerability towards the end, but that's alright.

Once and Future is a very solid fantasy with a fun Arthur twist, it would translate very well into a TV show. (How is this not a TV show yet?) There are definitely echoes of other fantasy/adventure stories, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade came to mind more than once. The pacing was a bit quick, it throws a lot at the reader in a few issues without much pause. A few characters are a little underdeveloped, especially Elaine and Rose, and Duncan's 'coming of age' arc also felt a bit rushed. But Bridgette rightfully steals the show, and there's absolutely no filler.

Mora and Bonvillain's art was the perfect match for Once and Future. It's light and kinetic, with facial expressions that are consistent and just over the top enough. The psychedelic colors of the otherworlds was also perfectly done. (Nancy, I love how we chose the same word!) I also liked the amount of horror and gore - enough to feel like an adult story, not so much that it felt like horror genre.

Yet another new favorite thanks to this group! I'm excited to read volume two.

Ok to air!

I agree with what everyone has said! I don't remember a book with this much agreeance on it being awesome.

Since Hellboy proper ended there's been a myth and legend shaped hole in my comic book reading and Once & Future really captures the same spirit of adventure, humor, and weaving in legends. Gran steals the show. I love the humor Gillen teases out of Gran and Duncan's relationship.

The art is also fantastic. Mora is just really good and I love his rendering of Arthur and the other monsters. But as others have mentioned, Tamra Bonvillian's coloring here is *chef's kiss*. Just a tour de force in how much coloring can improve a book.

I love this series and I'm hoping it's here to stay for a while.

OK to air.

Kyle wrote: "I don't remember a book with this much agreeance on it being awesome. ..."

I'm gonna have to spoil the trend. There are good things about this, including the art and colors. Volume 1 was setting up a pretty interesting story. Good art, good colors, too. Then I went and read volume 2. It starts bringing in other legendary stories unrelated to King Arthur and I just didn't want the story to go there.

This was way more than than it had the right to be on the surface. There were plenty of voices here on GR that I trust who were enjoying this, but it still surprised me.

Great pace, great art, fun all over.

I didn't think I would be so sucked in with this because I really don't know much about Arthurian lore, and yet... this book super worked for me.

I read the first arc.... then read the next 12 issues, getting myself completely caught up with the series.