Once & Future vol. 4: Monarchies in the U.K.

Boris Johnson may have screwed over a lot of Britons during his time as prime minister in real life, but he’s got nothing on his fictional counterpart in this series.  That’s because the version of him in “Once & Future” managed to send everyone in his country to the fantasy realm of Otherworld where all the legends of the land have come to life.  As Bridgette, Duncan and Rose have had plenty of experience fighting these legends, they’re in a better position to survive, protect the residents of the old folks home they’ve partnered with, and maybe even get everyone back to regular Britain in the end.  The problem is that they’re up against Arthur and his trusted wizard Merlin, and… Arthur and his trusted wizard Merlin?  Also Arthur and his trusted wizard Merlin as well?  Oh, and Mary’s still in the mix too.

I thought that the major twist “Once & Future” ended on with vol. 3 would be taking it to the next level and turning an already enjoyable series into one for the ages.  That doesn’t quite happen here as a lot of the action, character work, and comedy feel the same as they’ve always been despite the change to a much more dangerous setting.  It also convinces me that this series will always be laser-focused on its specific brand of family drama as opposed to being any kind of fantasy epic.  This is made even more clear when you realize that this is the penultimate volume of the series.

Not that any of this is bad, mind you.  The prickly relationship between Bridgette, Duncan, and Rose remains entertaining, spotlighted best in the scenes where Bridgette has to be convinced to go and rescue Rose’s parents in Bath.  Mary’s subplot about wanting to help her son also continues to intrigue, with Galahad’s story adding tragic dimensions here.  I am a bit confused about a late-stage development regarding Arthur and Merlin in this volume, along with where things are going to go with that one god who is now trapped as a king.  My expectation is that Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora will have some satisfying answers for the finale, and maybe even some striking visuals on the level of seeing faeries being uppercutted with a horseshoe as well.