While King Arthur is experimenting in Camelot Castle in an attempt to expand his army, a new player appears on the scene. Once a friend of the conqueror of Excalibur, now he is plotting his own plot. It's time to revive another old English myth - this time Beowulf and Grendel! Is the second volume of Once and For All at least as good as the first? Let's find out.
It’s just a poem, after all
Last time, Duncan and Bridgette stopped the undead Arthur from obtaining the Grail, but the King of the Britons did not give up on his plans to cleanse Britain and take power. Our heroes, by unintentionally changing the story of the famous king, allowed the emergence of new legends and characters who will bring new troubles to the world. In Old English , Kieron Gillen puts his heroes in front of characters taken straight (literally) from the epic of Beowulf, the oldest work of Old English literature, which explains the idea for the title. This also shows that although the story began with Arthurian legends, the author intends to expand it to other legendary worlds, and let this be just the beginning, because the potential is huge.
As for the main trio, Duncan is still a bit of a dork, but is slowly accepting his role as a monster slayer. Bridgette, hmm… well, she hasn’t changed a bit, so if you liked how she made sarcastic remarks and ironic jokes in the previous volume, there’s even more of it here. She’s the same sarcastic, action-oriented septuagenarian, and she still has a penchant for solving problems with high-calibre weapons (I’m pretty sure there’s one scene that will put a smile on the face of Evil Dead fans, but we’ll come back to that later ) . And Rose? She still hasn’t spread her wings and seems like a worse version of the Oracle from the Dark Knight universe, but she’ll probably get her five minutes and won’t just be a support for Duncan. However, if this is the case, we’ll probably find out in the third volume.
I guess I’ll have to use a mop
What sets Old English apart is its graphic design. Dan Mora shows off his talent and, at least in a few places, shows excellent timing when characters jump, fly in the air or dodge. His line is amazing and the only thing I’m afraid of is that I will never stop admiring him. Believe it or not, his drawings are a real pleasure to look at. Last time I pointed out very well-made human characters, but this time we got more monsters and you can immediately feel these emotions from their appearance, posture and facial expressions.
It’s hard for me to judge which is better – this or these dynamic scenes. One thing is certain, however, it wouldn’t have made such an impression if it weren’t for Tamra Bonvillain and her colors. The artist also did a great job and if you thought the first volume was bloody, wait until you see this wonderful picture of madness. The moment when our feisty grandmother holds a chainsaw in her hands, stands in front of a huge beast and is covered in blood from head to toe… I can’t convey it, so I’ll say it’s a bit like Salvador Dalí’s paintings – you have to see it to see it understand.
I think it was only in this volume that I paid more attention to the importance of color in the plot. The character designs and colors really add extra depth to them, such as Duncan’s hair, Arthur’s green, Galahad’s gold, and Merlin’s red. Color, however, is not only about the characters, but also about the scenery, and again there is something to catch your eye on, because the light purple sky shimmering with light gives the whole thing an unearthly atmosphere.
I saw that sword again
Now it’s time to add a spoonful of tar to this, despite everything tasty, honey. For the Beowulf-inspired second volume jumps from one scene to the next, which, while exciting and beautifully illustrated, did not have the same emotional foundation as the first volume, which focused on Duncan’s reunion with his grandmother Bridgette and information about the real side of the “family business”. Do you remember last time that I said that the pace of the story is enormous? Well, now it seems to me that someone has shifted into a higher gear. I read the whole thing so quickly that I didn’t even notice when the pages ran out. Well, maybe he should say now that it’s not good, but… I’d be lying. We have the same problem again, because what may be a disadvantage for some may not be a disadvantage for others.
On the one hand, there was action after action and the story presented had even smaller breaks for rest, but on the other hand I felt a bit as if I had just watched one of the episodes of my favorite series – I was having fun and there was nothing else to do but wait for the next one. Gillen is a great storyteller, and Mora and Bonvillain’s art is nothing short of inspiring, thrilling, and vivid, perfect for Halloween.
Coming back to the characters for a moment, Bridgette is an absolute gem when it comes to character building, because Duncan and the others could still use a lot more development. Rose played the magic GPS this time, and the rest is a lot of supporting characters who die, but we don’t spend enough time with them for it to have any major significance for us. As for the opponents, unfortunately Arthur and Galahad were pushed into the background this time. The former is constantly ignorant, while the latter is boring and repetitive. Fortunately, Merlin is a much more competent antagonist. The way he uses legends and manipulates others is interesting, and he’s probably going to make a lot of noise in the future.
To sum up, Old English is a solid volume that develops the plot well, but is more focused on pure, unrestrained action. The drawings are still stunning, the characters are expressive, the colors are striking and eye-catching, and the monster designs match the brutal and suspenseful scenes.
