While Skeletor King Arthur experiments on super-sizing his knights in Castle Gray-Camelot, Crypt Keeper Merlin’s a-schemin’ - but he needs something to distract those pesky meddlers, Duncan and his gran Bridgette. Time to bring another ye olde English myth to life - this time: Beowulf, Grendel and Grendel’s muvver!
Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora’s Once and Future, Volume 2: Old English is about as good as the first volume was, which is to say it’s a’ight. It’s not deep or thoughtful but it’s a fun read at times.
The story, like in the first book, is straightforwardly one-note and involves fairly shallow, fantasy/horror-themed action as Duncan and Bridgette face off against the latest monsters of the week. Run, fight, next. That said, it’s never boring and some of the scenes play out imaginatively, like in Bridgette’s old folks’ home where Swamp Thing Grendel rocks up.
Mora’s art is superb, though his character designs for Beowulf and co. are derivative. I liked Tamra Bonvillain’s colouring choices in this book with bright purple skies and other interesting colours to lend the action an otherworldly air. It makes for a very eye-catching and pretty book to look at.
The Hot Fuzz cameo was completely random and I loved it, and the ending is bonkers in terms of who Gillen could potentially be introducing as a new knight character in the series.
Fans of the last book won’t be disappointed with this second volume, and I’d also recommend this series to Hellboy fans as all its magic/horror/King Arthur/action is very reminiscent of a lot of that character’s books.
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