It’s a funny time to be British. And by funny, obviously I mean a bit terrible. In between Brexit and a growing polarisation of politics, it’s hard to feel a sense of common belonging and community. The term ‘nationalism’ has been coined specifically to address the ugly rhetoric that has grown out of wholesome patriotism over the last few years. The new ongoing fantasy comic Once & Future plays to this unease brilliantly; it’s spin on the common Arthurian legend is that if the mythical King Arthur really were to return to Great Britain in the present day, in our darkest hour as prophecised, he would probably come back as a xenophobic, protectionist, homicidal maniac; ie. he’d be the villain. And would you believe, this comic is actually a comedy?
The script is by British writer Kieron Gillen, who has a history of meticulously researching the background of his stories. Once & Future is no different, and many references to Grail legend are folded into a fast-paced escapist thriller over the first six issues. If anything, the third act starts to crunch it’s gears a bit, as some characters are forced to deliver a lot of expository dialogue to keep the reader up to speed. But in general, Gillen manages to keep the dialogue light and the plotting nimble, achieving a tone which is more akin to the movies of Terry Gilliam (Time Bandits), Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz) and Joe Cornish (The Kid Who Would be King).
The art by Dan Mora is superb. He is a frequent collaborator with Grant Morrison on one of my all-time favourite comics, period actioner Klaus. Here Mora shows that he can bring his cinematic, kinetic style to a modern setting with just as much success.
The end result is a crowd pleasing contemporary fantasy adventure, the likes of which is not often seen in comics, and skews closer to the novels of Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and Douglas Adams. There’s potential for real broad appeal of this tale, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it adapted for film, with Helen Mirren and Jack Whitehall as the likeable leads. Issues 1-6 will be collected in the first volume trade paperback soon, and the foundations are laid here for many more volumes to come.
