Writer Kieron Gillen (“The Wicked + The Divine,” “Die”) and artist Dan Mora (“Klaus,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) are teaming for “Once and Future,” an August-debuting limited series that promises to revive both Arthurian myth and the “exploration adventure” genre.
“I’ve been chewing over how the classic explorer adventure serial could operate in the twenty-first century for a while,” said Gillen, in a BOOM! Studios press release announcing the book. “[Star Wars series] ‘Doctor Aphra’ transplanting the genre to space was one conclusion. ‘Once and Future’ is another, taking a genre whose core has barely changed since the 19th century, and updating it for the now.”
In the series’s extra-sized first issue, a group of British Nationalists will summon a villain from Arthurian legend, and perhaps get more than they asked for in the bargain. To combat this ancient threat, aging ex-monster hunter Bridgette McGuire will enlist the aid of her grandson Duncan, a museum curator who knows nothing of his grandmother’s supernatural legacy.
“Kieron’s created a new world very much like our own, but plagued by supernatural and mythological creatures that are a joy to bring to life,” said Mora. “And Bridgette, well, she’s one of the most fun – and surprising – characters I’ve ever worked on, and I can’t wait for audiences to meet her!”
“Adventure, romance, supernatural horror and too much bloody research, as always,” said Gillen, expanding on what “Once and Future” has to offer. “When BOOM! Studios told me one of the most talented action artists of his generation was interested in collaborating, I knew that we had all the ingredients we needed to create gold. Gold which, inevitably, our heroes will steal.”
You can see Dan Mora’s character designs for “Once and Future”‘s Bridgette and Duncan below, and you can find the series’s first issue in comic shops and online this August.
