REVIEW: Once Upon a Time at the End of the World #7

What is utopia? Is it heaven? Is it endless pillow fights, or every possible sugar treat imaginable to mankind? Is it naked hot sprint parties or kink-filled orgies with your favorite people? Is it a good book or the lips of your one true love? Is it Golgonooza? This issue of “Once Upon a Time at the End of the World” revolves around two survivors of the apocalypse that find a place where the plants grow abundantly and through hard work and love build a safe haven for all the weary travelers of the now completely arid planet. They name this place Golgonooza after a poem by William Blake, Jerusalem: The Emancipation of the Giant Albion.

This was a very sweet story honestly, it is sweet to think of a place that has it all and no one judges you. A place where everyone asks for consent and expresses love in the most beautiful ways. It is remarkably nice to think of this in the context of a world-ending catastrophe that has the capacity to wipe away the human race. Reading this feels me with a lot of joy and sweet emotions. Of course, it is idealistic in the highest of cases but it is still nice to think that somehow, someday, someday a place like this can exist. I think there is something very beautiful when good writing coupled with good art makes you feel these sorts of emotions. The writing in this issue is very good, I am very fond of the use of poetry to show distinct moments of life in Golgonooza, and the pacing of the story overall. Even though it has its jumps in time, in order to show you how Golgonooza came to be, it still feels very well-paced and is very easy to read and follow along. The writing delivers a fanciful vision that draws you in and makes you want to live in Golgonooza, which is something very fun to read because the characters in the story feel just like you. They too want to stay there forever. Couple this amazing writing with the beautiful art style of Leila del Duca, and you have a comic that isn’t just sweet; it is entirely beautiful and refreshing. From the gorgeous backgrounds to the wonderful character designs, you have a very inclusive story from all angles.

It is a story that talks about consent, polyamory, and sexual acceptance but it doesn’t feel like it’s trying to shove it down your throat. Instead, it’s like in Golgonooza these things are inherent. These characters have gone through hell and back and realized that the only thing that truly matters, in the end, is love, and they will protect that love with more love. It is a very sweet story honestly, I found myself smiling from ear to ear throughout the whole reading experience. The lettering is also very good and whilst some good sound fxs moments were missed, I think it’s alright. It’s nothing too big, the overall writing is so good that these sort of thing moves to the second plane and isn’t as important in this kind of story as how they would be in a more action-oriented comic.

As cringe as this may sound, this is a very “woke” story. In it, you can have a taste of what a utopian society would look like, and even take a look behind the scene at the sort of dynamics that would take place in this sort of society. There is also an interesting way of choosing the people that will be part of Golgonooza through the use of golden artifacts that can only be understood by kind people in the wasteland. In a way, it even talks about how a utopian society can only be maintained if the people in it are selfless and kind rather than selfish bastards. Of course, it is not perfect and there are problems brewing under the surface that we will no doubt see further down the series line, but for now we can just enjoy the beauty that Golgonooza is. Endless cuddle and compliment parties, abundant food sources, and all the Christmas hot springs our bodies can muster. There are even a couple of sex scenes in there to get your mind thinking of all the sensual fun you will be having in Golgonooza.

All in all, this is one of those pretty much perfect comic issues that you stumble upon in your local comic book store, because it is a perfect marriage of art, writing, and lettering that makes you feel sweet emotions and perhaps envision a world that is so different than ours that you are able to step away from the toxicity of our real society for a couple of minutes. To me, that is sheer beauty. To be able to craft a comic that is able to demonstrate so well what we could be instead of what we are that it almost feels like a dream is nothing short of fantastic. Speaking of fantastic, the art is so well too! The colors work really well, and they are both perfect in it’s vibrant scenes as they are richly ominous in their darker scenes. Everyone involved in the creation of this comic brought their A+ game and this comic thrives because of it. In one short sentence. This comic is truly magical.

Writing: 5 Stars
Art: 5 Stars
Colors: 5 Stars

Overall: 5 Stars

Written by; Jason Aaron
Illustrated by; Leila del Duca
Coloring by; Tamra Bonvillain
Lettering by; AndWorld Design
Cover art by; Kevin Wada

Variant Covers by; Kevin Wada, Cory Godbey & A.C. Esguerra

Published by Boom Studios

Reviewed by Antonio “Mabs”