Once & Future #12
Boom! Studios
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Dan Mora
Colors by Tamra Bonvillain
Letters by Ed Dukeshire
The Rundown: Duncan and Gran battle the Mother of Monsters and receive come unexpected help.
The Mother of Grendel is tearing through the home, killing anyone she can. Duncan is sent to retrieve more weapons as Brigette tries to stop the creature from killing the residents. As Gran fights to keep the creature at bay, Duncan is confronted by his mother.
Things get even stranger when it appears that she is there to help rather than harm and her plan will require changing the Beowulf story by casting Duncan in the role of the epic hero. A proposition that makes Brigette wary, but might be the only way to stop the monster once and for all. As Duncan goes after the creature, Mary begins to help him, all the while holding back her ultierior motives.
The Story: The tone and pace of the story really ramp up the tension. Kieron Gillen does an amazing job of not only setting up great action and adventure, but the plot and character moments are just as intense. Gillen delivers some great dialogue in those moments and I continue to be impressed with the evolution and progression of Duncan as a character. There is a growth to him that makes him engaging to the reader.
The Art: Dan Mora delivers some stunning, beautifully detailed art in this issue. From the action to the character details, Mora does a beautiful job setting a scene visually.