Well, that and a hard as nails gran blowing holes out of the living dead. This is a perennial conversation, which to some degree is what the book is about. Kieron Gillen: Well, I’d clearly be lying if I the resurgence of nationalism on a worldwide stage and Britain specifically didn’t make things more timely, but I’m also aware Once & Future likely could have been written at any point in the last thousand years. Was it the rise of of such tendencies across the globe that gave you this ‘inspiration’ or something else entirely? George’s flag, these ne’er-do-wells have taken up King Arthur as their nationalistic icon and leader. Just as the far right have misappropriated the St. Now a figure that embodies the darker side of Nationalism. Olly MacNamee: The legend of King Arthur is a story that has transformed and mutated over the past 1,500 years or so and yet you have still managed, somehow, to find a new way of presenting this old legend in a fresh light.

Lots to talk about, so let’s dive in shall we? The dark is most definitely on the rise, so we thought it prudent to catch up with Gillen to probe him on the Arthurian influences that inform his writing, Once and Future, as well his upcoming new series, The Ludorats from Image Comics. Prior to this, from the last issue, we also got the grand entrance of Merlin too. Kieron Gillen’s reframing of the Arthurian legend, Once and Future, returned to comic book stores this week – well, those that were open anyway – with a rather startling new character making his entrance that can only mean more trouble fo Bridgette and her grandson, Duncan, who himself was revealed to be the true Holy Grail knight, Perceval.

Once & Future, Vol. 1 by Kieron Gillen