Book Review: Once and for All

Reviewed by Timothy Thomas

A short graphic novel with real depth that questions if we are truly the heroes of humankind’s story

Can heroes be made? What does it to take to make one? Can we ever truly save ourselves, or will our pursuit of that goal only lead us further away from it?Despite a short page count, Once & For All raises some serious, thought-provoking questions regarding the nature of heroism. 

From the minds of Daniel Benedon and Daniel Reed, this graphic novel drops readers into a world where heroes are not just those who are equipped with extraordinary technology or given powers by some peculiar, radioactive accident; instead, they are coals turned diamonds under incredible amounts of intentional, intensive, impossible pressure. With clear allusions to Biblical literature, this story ponders the consequences of putting our trust in ourselves when there exists a greater power capable of doing what we can’t. 

“Designed with no hope of success, and an absolute certainty of failure,” the “Forging” is a process of grueling intensity that all aspiring heroes must make it through. It combines hours of impossible endurance exercises in the hot sun and practically no sleep or food, and it forces the complete loss of personal identity necessary to become a hero and join the hero brigade—a group whose ranks are filled with the cynical and nihilistic who see the mission as hopeless but who still prioritize it above helping those actually in need. 

There are still those, however, who believe in a better way: the All. He is said to be the very source of all being—to whom all that has been, is, and ever will be owe their very existence—a being of great love who desires to bring the discordant notes of humanity back into harmony with himself. To many, this is an outdated, childish, and vain hope, but a hero brigade’s mission gone sideways may well bring all those assumptions into question.

Once & For All wastes no time jumping into the story. It delivers a lot of content in a short space and gives readers quite a lot to chew on. Even though it is only the first installment of a series, a feeling of incompleteness lingers beyond the bite-sized experience. Could we have gone beyond the cliffhanger?

But the material! The writer and illustrator have done excellent jobs in creating a product so difficult to pull one’s attention away from. Replete with appealing details and memorable artwork, Once and For All conveys a captivating mood that calls for an examination of the little things in the art. The written content is equally strong, with dialogue that feels natural and language that is refreshingly poetic at times. This purposeful harmony of the art and the language leaves no room for ambiguity in the intended mood of any given scene.

Daniel Benedon and Daniel Reed craft a story of great depth in Once and For All. Fans of the fantasy superhero genre and those who appreciate a fresh take on it will find a lot to love here. My hope is the next installment comes with even more—and soon!

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