Fun Arthurian times. [Once & Future Vol. 1 by Kieron Gillen]

When a group of Nationalists use an ancient artifact to bring a villain from Arthurian myth back from the dead to gain power, retired monster hunter Bridgette McGuire pulls her unsuspecting grandson Duncan, a museum curator, into a world of magic and mysticism to combat the deadly secrets of England’s past that threaten its very future. 

When a group of Nationalists use an ancient artifact to bring a villain from Arthurian myth back from the dead, retired monster hunter Bridgette McGuire pulls her unsuspecting grandson Duncan, a museum curator, into a world of magic and mysticism to defeat a legendary threat. Now the two must navigate the complicated history of the McGuire family, all while combating the deadly secrets of England’s past that threaten its very future.

New York Times bestselling writer Kieron Gillen (The Wicked + The Divine, Star Wars) and Russ Manning Award-winning artist Dan Mora (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Klaus) explore the mysteries of the past, the complicated truths of our history and the power of family to save the day…especially if that family has secret bunkers of ancient weapons and decades of experience hunting the greatest monsters in Britain’s history! Collects Once & Future #1-6.

Save their explicit description as nationalists in the description, there was no real sense of the villains and their end goals. That aside, this first volume of Kieron Gillen's Once & Future was a fun adventure not often seen, one centered on a grandmother and her grandson. An awkward and clumsy academic finds himself suddenly thrust into a world of magic and monsters after his grandmother reveals to him the family history of myth hunting.

The take on Arthurian legend and its place in the context of British history was fresh and welcome. The story seems to be going to an interesting place in its fantastical and interpersonal elements and I'd quite like to read the next volume. The small weak point of the story aside, I really enjoyed my read. I'm giving this 5 stars.

Once & Future has an expected publication date of March 31, 2020.