Calum Petrie reviews Once & Future #6…
Issue #6 of Once & Future starts off with the legendary sword of Excalibur now in Percival’s possession, as it was granted to him by the ladies of the lake. The mission was then to meet with the King of Legend to bargain use of the scabbard to heal a dying loved one.
I have been loving the more legendary telling of the Arthurian legends through this series, possibly shining light for people who have no experience with these classic stories (listening to podcasts telling the original stories may further you deep delving if you wish; I would recommend Myths and Legends Podcast).
The gradual build up to this point has been well paced, with issues never feeling rushed or cramming in too much story too quickly. Starting from issue #1 and revisiting the series before starting #6 allowed me to have a complete experience and pick back up on things I’d possibly forgetting. The story fits together very nicely and leaves the reader on a whirlwind adventure of myth about a family, a king and a legend.
Once & Future has boasted some phenomenal artwork, wither it be the streets of modern Britain or the ethereal other-world where Arthur has his knights operate within. The frames are packed with a level of detail that shows an artist enjoying every second of their work, and where readers will be rewarded for reading through again for the art and not just the story.
Through the six issues of Once & Future, I have been extremely immersed in the lore of Arthurian Legend. A deeper delve into the dark and disturbing history of King Arthur and the legend that follows him and his knights is never a bad thing. The series has done an amazing job at visualising and adapting the story to fit a modern setting, while delivering an outstanding visual medium to display this story on. Once & Future has been fantastic and hopefully with the teaser delivered at the end of the issue, we shall get a continuation on this outstanding series.
Rating – 8/10
You can follow me on Twitter – @Cetrie
Originally published January 22, 2020. Updated January 21, 2020.
