ONCE & FUTURE #10, available Wednesday from Boom! Studios continue Duncan’s journey as he learns to fight things that go bump in the night. Unfortunately, things look like they’re going to get worse before they get better.
Duncan has only been a hunter for a short period of time. Yet in that time, he’s already faced a king of legend and lived to tell the tale about it. Now he’s about to come up against another legend of old. What are the odds that he’ll get lucky twice?
Once & Future #10 brings fans back to a world of quests, lore, and violence. Only, in this case, the legends are not as magnanimous as they would have had us believe. No, they’re much darker, having had plenty of time to become warped and twisted.
The Writing
The tale of one family’s battles against creatures of lore continues in Once & Future #10. Written by Kieron Gillen, this issue is tense and absolutely full of battles to stay alive. And to save the day, of course.
Once & Future #10 doesn’t hesitate to throw readers into an anxiety-inducing scene. It makes sense, given the last issue ended in a bit of a cliffhanger. Though the suspense seems to go up a few octaves before the revelation fully hit home.
The tension seemed to grow with each passing page until connections were finally forged. That’s when it became clear how bad things were. Oddly enough, it was almost a relief, since at least now we know. The unknown is always worse, as evidenced by what readers will experience here.
The series of events leading up to the action was tense, making that climactic moment feel larger than life. Or perhaps not, since there really isn’t a struggle larger than the one to stay alive. It’s a tone that was played to perfection here, all while once again setting up for something more.
The constant throwbacks to lore and legends have been a delight, especially towards the end of this particular issue. Once again, pointing towards the fact that this is not a problem that is going to be easily pushed aside.
The Art
Once & Future #10 is full of bold colors, dramatic fights, and even more terrifying creatures. In short, it’s entirely at home with the rest of this series. Dan Mora (art), Tamra Bonvillain (colors), and Ed Dukeshire (letters) have worked together to bring this issue to life, and it was well worth the effort.
The juxtaposition between the build-up scenes cannot be ignored. On the one hand, there’s Duncan’s panic expressions and actions to get somewhere and fast. Then there’s Gran, enjoying a rare evening off. It set the tone for what was to come.
What followed was every bit as daunting as one could expect, after such a build-up. It was a monster of legendary proportions – literally. Yet the artistic team was up for the task, portraying unexpected twists in the action.
The colors went a long way in setting the otherworldly feel to this issue, as with the rest of the series. One can see how magic and legend could seep back into the world when it’s full of such brilliant hues.
Conclusion
There are times when the wait between issues is simply unbearable. That is going to be the case now, following Once & Future #10. The cliffhanger alone will be enough to leave readers eager to see how Duncan and his Gran are going to get out of this mess.
