Once And Future #6
As Gran’s life hangs in the balance, Duncan confronts Arthur in Once And Future #6, by writer Kieron Gillen, artist Dan Mora, colorist Tamra Bonvillain, and letterer Ed Dukeshire. This issue ties up a lot of the hanging threads of the mini and sets things up for a sequel.
Duncan takes Gran into Otherworld, Excalibur in hand, and confronts Arthur, Galahad, and Mary, asking Arthur for his healing scabbard. Duncan reveals to them how he got into the Grail Castle and confronts Mary with the knowledge that he’s her son as well, but she denies him for Galahad. Arthur sics his monsters on Duncan, but he makes short of them with Excalibur and again asks for the healing scabbard. Arthur offers to trade it for Excalibur, but Duncan tells him that the sword doesn’t belong to him and can’t give it to Arthur. Mary tells Arthur not to give them the scabbard, but he does, telling her that at least Gran and Duncan have never failed him. Gran puts on the belt and tells Arthur the story of why Galahad is the perfect knight- how Lancelot, a Frenchmen, slept with Arthur’s queen to produce Galahad. Arthur flies into a rage, and Mary wants to leave with Galahad, but he wants to stay, reasoning that he belongs in Arthur’s court. Arthur goes to attack Mary, but Duncan stands between them, fighting Arthur off. Gran throws the healing scabbard out of the castle, and Arthur and his knights go to retrieve it. Otherworld begins to melt around them, and Gran offers Mary her hand, but Mary refuses it and runs off. Duncan and Gran escape back to the real world. Much later, Duncan and Gran go to one of her weapon’s dumps. Duncan doesn’t have a problem with being in the family business- he just doesn’t know if he can deal with Gran and her selective truth-telling. The quest beast attacks again, and Duncan slays with a Gran assisted spear in one blow, and they walk off into the sunset, knowing their quest isn’t over. In Otherworld, Mary encounters Merlin, who’s looking for a Nimue….
This issue doubles down on one of the main themes of the series- the power of stories. Duncan pierces the Otherworld and get to the Grail Castle because of all of Gran’s work to make him a part of the story. Mary produces a Galahad to get Arthur the Grail, but forgets the whole story- namely that the French Lancelot was the father of Galahad and that Arthur would take exception to a Frenchmen laying with his queen… even if there isn’t one yet. Stories have power, both in Otherworld and beyond.
Beyond that, there are a lot of great little character moments, moments that are there to wet the reader’s whistles for a sequel- Mary denies Duncan, but he saves her from Arthur’s wrath. Duncan’s distrust of Gran and his growing skill. Galahad embraces his place in the story. Arthur choosing to help Gran and Duncan even though they’ve been fighting against him because they still haven’t failed him. Merlin taking Mary for his Nimue, with all that entails for the future. This all Gillen working overtime to hook readers, and it works wonderfully. If there’s any detriment to the whole thing, it’s that this doesn’t feel like the final issue of a miniseries. There’s no closure to the story being told up to this point, just a lot of cool hooks for the next chapter in the story. This isn’t a bad thing, because it’s all very well done, but it’s still sort of obvious to a discerning eye.
The art by Dan Mora is wonderful as usual. The action scene where Duncan fights off Arthur’s monsters with Excalibur is a treat. It’s a single page topped with one big panel that uses motion lines to imply multiple swipes of Excalibur, followed by smaller panels showing up-close views of Duncan using the sword. Mora’s character acting also helps sell the emotional beats of the story, making Gillen’s set-up that much better. Another standout of the books is the Otherworld falling apart as the heroes escape, and it’s here where the Sympatico between Mora and colorist Tamra Bonvillian comes into play. Bonvillain is one of the best colorists in the industry right now, and her work on this book has helped cement that. Without her expert colors, the atmospherics of this book would have suffered greatly, and Otherworld falling apart wouldn’t have looked nearly as good as it does.
Once And Future #6 is a great comic. Gillen, Mora, and Bonvillain turn in an entertaining chapter and set things up for the future. Looking at this issue as the final issue of a miniseries is the wrong way to look at it. Instead, this feels like the last issue of a story arc. Gillen sets up things for the future expertly. This modern retelling of Arthurian myth has many more places to go, and this issue definitely works to keep readers along for the ride.
Grade: A
