Once And Future #22
As Gran, Duncan, and Rose look for an equalizer, the refugees at Grail Castle have to figure out things for themselves while the Arthurs prepare for a great battle in Once And Future #22, by writer Kieron Gillen, artist Dan Mora, colorist Tamra Bonvillain, and letterer Ed Dukeshire. The longer this series goes on, the harder it is to develop unique ways to praise how well every issue is structured.
Gran, Duncan, and Rose run from Yvain, a knight riding a giant lion, to Stratford on Avon. They're able to survive long enough to get to Gran's destination, another weapons cache set up by England's greatest monster hunter, William Shakespeare. At Grail Castle, the giant attacks and the refugees use Gran's cards to discover how to deal with it. Back at the weapons cache, Gran is able to grab a few weapons and prepare to take the fight to Yvain. Meanwhile, Arthur and Merlin deal with the difficulties of finding knights for the coming battle. Merlin sends Galahad to deal with the other Arthur, but Galahad has other plans. At the cache, the group exits, ready to face Yvain and his giant lion but find them both killed by a familiar foe.
One of the great things about Once And Future is that the longer it goes on, the more interesting things start to happen. Gillen is a master storyteller; he's the type of writer who can take something like making William Shakespeare one of England's great monster hunters and make it more than a joke while also making it the punchline to an actual joke. That's the kind of story this comic tells. It's a love letter to the folk stories of the British Isles, and while it makes total sense to throw some Shakespeare in, it also comes as a welcome surprise.
From there, there's the little character moments and plot-building elements that make this story shine. Merlin is afraid of what will happen at Bath because of what has happened there before. Galahad shows signs of rebellion and wants to join with his father and who he refers to as the true Arthur. Beyond Mary, the villains in this book haven't gotten much characterization, so little moments like these are welcome. As usual, Gillen paces everything perfectly. Few comics are better written than this one, and at least one of them is written by Gillen anyway.
There are few comics better drawn than this one, either. Mora knocks everything out of the park, from the opening chase scene to the character moments in the middle to the surprise ending. He also does a great job with Galahad at the end. Galahad started this book as the pinnacle of perfection and beauty but has been transformed into a horrific beast fueling his discontent. Mora does an excellent job of capturing that transformation in this issue, showing just how foul of a life Galahad has now. It complements the script perfectly and brings Galahad to life for readers in a way a lesser artist might not have been able to pull off.
Once And Future #22 continues this book's run of excellence. Gillen, Mora, Bonvillain, and Dukeshire have reached a level that every issue is a great read. This comic remains one that no fan should pass up.
