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bibliothecarivs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I loved this series so it's bittersweet to reach the end after two years. I look forward to revisiting it. My review of Once & Future, Vol. 1 still stands:
An exciting, violent, and funny adventure. I'm not a frequent comics or fantasy reader but I was attracted by the story and then really impressed by the art.
Also, any book with black-billed magpies on the cover gets extra points from me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Infertility
billyjepma's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The ending for such a chaotic, free-wheeling series was bound to be a little messy. Gillen’s storytelling strains to wrap everything up in these final issues, and you feel the strain. Character arcs seem rushed, and major events don’t always have the gusto they maybe deserve. And yet, since this is Kieron Gillen (and Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain and Ed Dukeshire), it’s still a banger of a finale.
Like the rest of the series, a great deal of its charm and fun comes from that messiness and rambunctious, pedal-to-the-metal creativity. There are huge spectacles, exciting twists, and emotional payoffs that somehow manage to land in satisfying, appropriately inevitable ways even amidst the busy, breakneck pace. The whole creative team is having such a blast playing in (and messing up) this world, and it’s infectious. Gory, kickass, touching, deeply nerdy—the ideal ending for this series and, honestly, any series. I’m happy with how things end up, but I would happily take more if the team gets a hankering for more mythological adventure and bloodshed.
And, of course, the artwork is just unreal. Mora’s work is the comic equivalent of a heavy metal concert, with Bonvillain and Dukeshire backing him up with sweeping orchestral flourishes that elevate and complement all the wild swings Mora takes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Minor: Vomit and War