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The Only Living Boy #3

The Only Living Boy #3: Once Upon a Time

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In the third collection of the hit webcomic THE ONLY LIVING BOY, Erik Farrell finds himself at the mercy of the villainous Doctor Once. But, of course, Doctor Once has NO mercy! Surrounded by strange creatures and sinister experiments, Erik’s very life hangs in the balance. Even if he finds the strength to escape the hideous laboratory,Erik won’t be able to escape his tragic past, or his destiny. Gallaher and Ellis’ daring adventure series about an ordinary boy on an extraordinary planet continues in "Once Upon A Time" — the newest book in the acclaimed Only Living Boy series.

72 pages, Hardcover

Published November 2, 2016

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About the author

David Gallaher

63 books72 followers
Author David Gallaher has received multiple Harvey Award nominations and won The Best Online Comic Award for his work on High Moon for DC Comics. David was an early pioneer of digital comics developing projects for Marvel's Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man as well as Box 13 - the first comic designed specifically for the iPhone - for ComiXology. He has served as a consulting editor for Attack on Titan, Sailor Moon, and Fairy Tail for Kodansha. He is represented by the Hill Nadell Agency.

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5 stars
60 (51%)
4 stars
35 (29%)
3 stars
21 (17%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for Char.
2,024 reviews1,977 followers
October 20, 2016
4.5 stars!

Young Erik Farrell is once again mixed up with Doctor Once in the most visually stunning issue yet!

Finding himself the subject of Doctor Once's experiments, Erik struggles not to give up and continues to fight to regain his memory. As Doctor Once tries to figure out the secret of Erik's strength, a few bits and pieces of Erik's past come to life and what a dark story it is.

The Only Living Boy series is beautifully illustrated and delivers some important messages about life, death and not giving up.

Recommended for young graphic novel lovers looking for adventure!

You can get your copy here: The Only Living Boy 3: Once Upon a Time

*I was given an advance PDF of this issue by the author to honestly review.*
Profile Image for Kadi P.
929 reviews153 followers
February 23, 2021
“You have to fight for what you believe in or there will be nothing left to fight for.”

Oh wow. This was fantastic, unique and creative. Finally we have answers and explanations and a deeper understanding of not only who Erik is, but also why things are the way that they are.

The revelations were gripping and really quite heartbreaking. The moment Erik said “You can’t make me a monster... I already am one!” I knew that this was the best addition to the series yet and it’d be hard to top it.

The art really was so beautiful and Steve Ellis’ colour work was masterful. I can’t wait to read the next volume and see more of it!
Profile Image for Gay.
5 reviews1 follower
November 3, 2017
The best graphic novel I read this year.
Profile Image for MerryMeerkat.
438 reviews27 followers
June 2, 2015


3.5 Stars, Borrow it

Self Purchase, Comixology

Erik gets help from a mysterious stranger. While trying to escape, they get chased by some kind of giant worm. Erik ends up in a ship, going off to some new place in which he finds his lost friends. And then they are off to another destination. I found this issue to be a little bit of a let down after the first two. There isn’t a real explanation for how Erik mysteriously ends up on the planet where his friends are. The mysterious person just sets him adrift and he randomly ends up where he needs to be? I felt like that needed to be better explained. Erik is sort of just bouncing around with no purpose (that is the plot but still seems a little weak this issue). I have no idea if more issues are coming out, I hope there are because the story is still interesting even if it isn’t as fantastic as the first two issues were.

Description (Comixology): The Only Living Boy meets ... The Mysterious Stranger
When Erik Farrell ran away from home, he had no idea what he was getting himself into! Trapped in a patchwork world without his memory, he must fight for his very survival against mad science, and savage creatures. But -- will this new mysterious stranger be his salvation or his DOOM?

Nominated as one of the year's best books for younger readers, David Gallaher and Steve Ellis re-unite with a third action-packed volume of The Only Living Boy that will thrill both the young and the young at heart!
Profile Image for Ambie.
275 reviews
August 10, 2017
I read this to my son (we didn't realize it was book 3) and I really liked it. The ending was like poetry and was really moving to read. We're going to find the others asap.
Profile Image for Fern Mayo.
11 reviews2 followers
October 30, 2017
Following this year's election, I found myself down trying to suggest books about resilience to my student readers. Of the volumes produced so far, The Only Living Boy #3: Once Upon a Time is the best. It hit so many of the essential requirements I needed for school, while teaching an important lesson about perseverance. Beautiful graphics.
Profile Image for Aaron White.
380 reviews1 follower
January 1, 2018
This was a great set of graphic novels. I loved the world the authors built, I only wanted more detail. This could have been very fun as a written novel that was very profusely illustrated. I would have loved all the filling in that could have taken place in a medium that allows for more. However, the art could not be removed from this story, it is essential. I loved the art, it was creative, imaginative and lots of fun. I'd read any other books by these authors.
Profile Image for Ron Walker.
7 reviews1 follower
October 27, 2017
The best of the series, bar none. Powerful, powerful ending that brought my son to tears.
Profile Image for Mike Oates.
20 reviews5 followers
October 27, 2017
** spoiler alert ** Just read the whole five book series in one sitting yesterday. Tremendous work by Gallaher and Ellis, who I discovered from their Marvel work. Looking forward to more (will there be more?). The third and fifth volumes are the STANDOUTS, 5/5 stars. Absolutely mortified by what happens to Bear.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Pinky.
7,060 reviews23 followers
May 23, 2020
Erik is not an ordinary kid, he's running from the past of a dead friend and finding the courage to fight again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews