Find Another Fisher King
Once & Future #5
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Published by BOOM! Studios, 2019.
Issue 5
I’m not sure, but I think this may be my favorite issue of this series yet.
In the previous issue, Duncan’s Grandfather…Gran’s ex-husband…killed himself after he opened the portal to the Otherworld for Galahad. With no Fisher King, Duncan was unable to cross over to contest the Grail…or was he?
So Duncan is pretty confused. He was just told that his Gran raised him as a ‘Percival’ and as a failsafe in case someone tried to use the Grail for nefarious purposes. Now he finds out his Grandfather is helping those who are trying to bring about those nefarious events. And then he sees the Fisher King kill himself. If the issues leading up to this fifth haven’t been crazy enough for Duncan, they certainly aren’t getting any easier to cope with.
As a Percival, Duncan is destined to retrieve the Grail, but without a portal, our heroes are kinda lost. Fortunately, Gran is a quick thinker, and with the fact that she basically raised Duncan on her own, she assumed the mantle of Fisher King by shooting herself. Someone’s gotta put a lock on these guns, so people stop hurting themselves. With a new portal open, Duncan races into the Otherworld to confront Galahad and retrieve the Grail to save Gran before she bleeds out.
It’s quite a quest that plays on the legendary roles that the characters have assumed, along with the use of guns, swords, and fists. Eventually, Duncan confronts Galahad and ends up racing with the Grail back to save Gran…She’s still alive, but the Grail can’t save her; they’ve got to figure something else out, and just like Gran’s quick thinking, Duncan figures out a solution and actually ends up asking the Ladies of the Lake for assistance.
Verdict
This was another great issue. The art was superb and complimented the story well, and wow, what a story it was. Sure you’ve got the typical Arthurian Knight tale, but the modern twists and familial turns really make this enjoyable. Each issue of this series just seems to get better and better, and I’m excited to read the next one soon – I’ve already purchased it but have been holding myself back to let the anticipation build. Happily, I just learned that the series continues after the 6th issue, so there will hopefully be many more adventures for these characters.
Once again, I easily give this issue a Must Read rating and hope that you’ve been following along so far in this wonderful story.
This comic can be found on Comixology or at your local comic book shop.
Comic Corner | Reading Recommendation of Once & Future #5