Let's Talk About ONCE & FUTURE #16
Oh boy. Once & Future continues to just get more intense. The series comes from author Kieron Gillen, artist Dan Mora, colorist Tamra Bonvillain, and letterer Ed Dukeshire. You can grab your physical copy now from your local comic shop or digital copies through outlets including comiXology (affiliate link).
Surrounded by British government forces, Nimue calls for backup -- but will Merlin and Galahad help stop the opposition... or expose Britain to the truth? Meanwhile, Bridgette and Duncan are trapped in the Otherworld and blocking their exit is Arthur's greatest knight: Lancelot.
This issue was pretty intense. We start with Galahad talking to Merlin wanting to know when he can go and get the Grail for King Arthur who is also present. Arthur is sitting on an overgrown throne now and says he’s not well. Is Merlin trying to poison him or something? Or is Arthur just dependent on finding the Grail?
Cue Duncan and Bridgette running for their lives as an enraged Lancelot chases after them. Lancelot actually starts talking in English so they can understand him and he’s still obsessed with finding Guinevere. Bridgette says she’s also looking for her although her name has changed from Mary to Elaine, and is now Nimue. Lancelot finally understands and pieces together that he didn’t actually sleep with Guinevere and blue energy starts going off around him as our heroes start running again. This time, they run into a room with a dragon and its hoard. Oh joy.
At this point we go back to Bristol where Rose is being protected, sort of, by some government people while Mary is trying to fight them off. This is when we learn a bit more about the world. The gentleman in the suit explains the situation to Rose. He is the Shadow Secretary whose job it is to help make sure those that deal with the stories like Bridgette don’t take advantage of a contract. In essence, because a bunch of cops got called in at the retirement home and were killed, this guy was called in to audit the family. Rose quickly puts this together, too. Well, Mary keep shooting at the two heavily armed soldiers who return fire, but it’s a stalemate.
This is when everything starts to converge. Duncan and Bridgette are trying to not wake the dragon, especially since Duncan is Beowulf at the moment who dies by dragon. Lancelot is hunting them though. Mary is cornered and needs a way out when boiling water starts shooting out of the tub. Lancelot runs off after sensing Mary and Bridgette takes the brief reprieve they’ve got to talk about the history a little, but then the dragon awakes, so it’s time for more cardio. The Shadow Secretary then tells the two soldiers that they cannot talk about anything that they’re about to see as some crazy lights happen where Mary was and they need to go after her. He then sends Rose to an apartment across the street for safety. Oh, and then we have Merlin sending Galahad to save Nimue.
Mary comes out of a pond and Lancelot is standing there wanting answers. Enter everyone else at this point. Everyone arrives here and things are going to get messy. Oh, and Galahad is now a centaur. Yay? I am interested if there’s a specific reason that Bridgette tells everyone to not point a gun at “the greatest knight” who is Lancelot. I guess it could be out of manners, but something tells me there’s more to it.
