Calum Petrie reviews Once & Future #18…
The final issue in Once & Future’s third arc throws us right into the middle of the fray, where Merlin has been hatching a long running plan. Bridgette, Duncan and everyone else appear to be nothing more than pawns on the board at any given moment. The threat of a fanatical and otherworldly King Arthur rising to power is enough to make every player in the game push on and fight, whether they are for or against this assentation.
The last issue rounded out with Duncan, Rose, Bridgette and the Shadow government operatives climbing aboard a dragon and giving chase to a grotesque Galahad. The chase commences and for once the party appear to have the upper hand… it all seems too good to be true.
If anyone follows my reviews on this series, I have stated once and will continue to state: this is potentially the best looking comic on sale right now. The art style is nothing short of outstanding, from using bright vibrant colours for backgrounds to differentiate the dead otherworld to the bland and still beautifully crafted world we inhabit.
The art within this pages not only grants a jaw dropping initial reading, but a re-read to examine, admire and appreciate Dan Mora’s craftmanship within the confines of these pages. I sound like a ridiculous fan boy at the moment, but the artwork is the number one reason I love this series; the twisting variations of Arthurian legend makes for an extremely close second.
The final moments of Once & Future #18 make the reader revaluate what they initially thought was going to happen. Duncan and our merry group of operatives have more on their plate now than they every believed possible.
Wherever this series progresses to, I will be patiently waiting for more outstanding artwork and a truly gripping tale of twisted folk lore. Until then, I shall get back to re-reading the entire series, just to admire the artwork and recap on the story as a whole.
Rating – 9/10
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