president who feel the same way about ‘taking back’ ‘their’ country by removing those they don’t believe to be ‘real’ Americans. Gillen has said that the story of the book was, if not inspired, then influenced by some of the sentiments that fueled the Brexit movement, and there’s certainly a contingent of supporters of the current U.S. The villains of the tale - a group of nationalists intent on resurrecting King Arthur - are characters who, when asked in the opening pages what they want, reply simply, “England back.” After (spoiler alert) Arthur returns, his first action is to put the group through a purity test, tasting their blood, identifying which of them are ‘true’ Britons, and slaughtering those who he deems not to be (which ends up being most of them). Once & Future is also an interesting allegory for certain current events. They’re able to set up (if not outright manipulate) events by ensuring things play out similarly to the legends. Knowledge of those stories, and the history on which they’re based, amounts to power within the pages of Once & Future, with characters able to accomplish things by believing in the truth of the stories, and by absorbing the themes and details.

The series hinges on Arthurian legend being true, which Bridgette occasionally reminds Duncan is different from something being ‘real.’ Foreknowledge of those legends is helpful but not required - personally my experience with it doesn’t extend much past Monty Python & The Holy Grail, and I had no trouble following anything that was going on, though I know I would’ve gotten more from some of the references if I had more familiarity with Arthur and his knights. The power of story to impact reality plays an important role in Once & Future. Now someone’s decided to resurrect Arthur, who Duncan’s Gran says is destined to come back during Britain’s darkest hour - only it looks like he may be the cause of it.

It seems all the stories Duncan had ever heard about King Arthur, Excalibur, the whole bit were true. The series follows Duncan McGuire, a relatively mild-mannered academic, as he’s drawn into a world of adventure by his monster-hunting grandmother, Bridgette. Once & Future, the BOOM! Studios series by Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, and Ed Dukeshire, falls somewhere in the middle. Stories can convey nuanced messages and reveal secrets about the deepest mysteries of life, and they can do so in a way that entertains along the way. A story can inspire strong emotion, whether it’s hope or fear or sadness, in whoever consumes it.

Once & Future, Volume 1: The King is Undead

Once and future vol 1