The Once and Future Queen #1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 Rani Arturus and her family head to London, where she loses an important chess match after getting distracted by a pretty face in the crowd. Distraught, she goes off on her own, stumbles upon a cave with a sword in a stone, pulls the sword, and meets Merlin. Back home in Portland, Oregon, she meets Gwen, the aforementioned pretty face, and Lance, a guy she knew in high school, just as a band of murderous fae appear to destroy her and / or the sword.Admittedly, King Arthur stories have been done to death, including female Arthurs, and modern settings, and both. However, I really enjoyed the Amelia Cole series by the same writer and art team, and knew they would bring something unique to their version ... or at least make it entertaining while impressing me with their female Arthur. This first issue sets the stage and gets things moving. In a few places things seem a bit rushed, but some of that may just be the nature of an introductory issue. The cast so far is fantastic! Rani is mixed race (Indian and British) and a chess wiz; she's also trying to figure out her place in the world now that she's 19. Gwen is blonde (and possibly Irish); she's also fierce and a little bit quirky (with her talking to herself and buying a plane ticket on a hunch). I love that Rani and Gwen took notice of each other and maybe felt a bit infatuated before they even met each other, and I love that this sets things up for a lesbian couple. Lance is black. We don't know much more about him yet, but his rushed morning routine made me laugh. He does seem to easily go with the flow, which is good considering his day goes from good to bad in a heartbeat. I also like the introduction of Morgan Pari, a YA author. The name obviously caught my attention, but what really drew my interest was how the fae entered this world through her coffee, and that she noticed it and fled before they fully came through. Merlin is appropriately odd, and the space suit is a fantastic visual touch. I like that the fae are creepy enough to be mistaken for trolls. They obviously view the new Arthur as a threat, but why? A few other points worth mentioning. I adore that Excalibur can be disguised as a tattoo and called forth when needed. I also like that Rani notes that the sword may be taking the lead during the fight, which keeps us from falling into the trope of the hero with no experience suddenly being a skilled fighter. The issue wraps well with Merlin appearing during the fight to close out this issue with a few words about how things begin and wondering if they can do this. The art is excellent, with good body language and mechanics, as well as expressions and overall designs. The color use is a bit heavy-handed, painting whole scenes in a specific color. It does help set the scene, but sometimes it's oversaturated. All in all, a strong first issue. I'm definitely curious to read more! Written: January 19, 2017
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