Once & Future #12
BOOM! Studios
Written by: Kieron Gillen
Art by: Dan Mora
Colors by: Tamra Bonvillain
Letters by: Ed Dukeshire
Dan Mora must’ve been in the Halloween spirit when he drew the cover for Once & Future #12. How does that now catch your attention if you pass it by at your local comic shop? There’s a lot going on there — which is a pretty good representation of what to expect this issue.
Now, every issue of Once & Future has been pretty chaotic. But it felt like Kieron Gillen intended to push the envelope a little more this issue.
More than anything, this probably is the result of everyone flying by the seat of their pants. Usually, it seems like a few characters at least think they know what’s going on. Instead, it felt like everyone was guessing with every move made in Once & Future #12.
Overall, it was a nice change in tempo. More importantly, we don’t know exactly what’s in store for Duncan and Gran yet. Gillen and Mora can go in a couple different directions — leaving us waiting on the edge of our seat for Once & Future #13.
(WARNING: Spoilers for Once & Future #12 ahead.)
Maybe it’s the result of everything that goes on this issue or Gran’s ignorance on the subject — or something else entirely — but the Beowulf storyline has my head spinning.
How about what’s going with Rose? It seemed like a throwaway thing given the intensity of the issue, but it feels like something that could have a ripple effect.
The unanswered questions don’t stop there, either — which is part of why Once & Future continues to be a must-read for comics fans, especially those who love fantasy stories.