Once & Future #17
BOOM! Studios
Written by: Kieron Gillen
Art by: Dan Mora
Colors: Tamra Bonvillain
Letters by: Ed Dukeshire
Buckle up everyone. Things are about to get even crazier in Once and Future.
On top of the main storyline of Duncan and Gran vs. King Arthur, Keiron Gillen furthers two other developing issues in Once & Future #17. One promises to get quite messy while the other will almost certainly prove to be a thorn in Gran’s side down the line. (Can’t get over the thought of the latter setting her off. I imagine she’s going to be gloriously infuriated.)
Of course, loyal Once & Future readers know by now: just because Gillen set up Once & Future #18 to be an epic issue doesn’t mean this issue was at all slow. The wrinkles thrown in Mary/Elaine/Nimue’s story are particularly interesting. Obviously, she’s a major player, but Gillen has held back just enough from readers to raise questions about what exactly she’ll do next.
And that’s what’s made Once & Future from start to finish, its unpredictability. Familiar names like Merlin and Lancelot have taken on more prominent roles — it’s no shock seeing them enter the fray — but it’s never clear what these individuals will do.
Once & Future remains one of the best ongoing series out there. If you haven’t given it a shot yet, there’s no time like the present.
(WARNING: Spoilers for Once & Future #17 ahead.)
So, I’m looking forward to the whole bit with the government. That’s the part I expect Gran to go nuts over. There are a few ways Gillen and Dan Mora can go about that, but I’d honestly be fine with her simply yelling at everyone. I’m sure she’ll get a little violent, but I’d love to see her flip her lid mid-battle, causing everyone to stop and divert their attention to her.
Also, what I’m wondering about the Nimue vs. Merlin situation is when will Mary try to take him out? Because she’s clearly got her mother’s temper and has little patience left for Merlin. Also, will his actions lead to her aligning herself with Duncan and Gran temporarily?