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Eternals (2006) #1-7
Eternals
You are thousands of years old. You have amazing powers. You have watched civilizations rise and fall. So why does no one remember any of this? Bestselling Author Neil Gaiman (Marvel: 1602, Anansi Boys, Sandman) is joined by superstar artist John Romita Jr. (Amazing Spider-Man, Wolverine) to present a tale that will change the Eternals and the Marvel Universe forever! Collects Eternals #1-7.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 867 reviews
September 9, 2021
The first time I read this I was a diehard Gaiman fangirl and I gave it 4 stars.
This time around?
Eh.
It wasn't bad, but it wasn't exactly satisfying (to me) in any sort of a meaty story sort of way. It does, however, have that typical Gaiman smell to it. So, if he can do no wrong in your book, then you'll want to check this out.
The Eternals are these super-powerful & immortal beings that were created before humanity, and they (I guess) act as our protectors when even bigger, more powerful, older immortal beings decide it may be time to end us. Ish.
Due to vaguely explained happenings, the lion's share of these Eternals have been mindwiped and have no idea who or what they are anymore. They're living among us as humans and occasionally superheroes.
The story takes place during the events of the Superhero Registration Act, so there are a few cameos with Tony & Co. that gives this a somewhat Marvel universe-y feel to it.
But not really.
At the end of this I was kind of left scratching my head, but maybe this isn't the whole thing?
Is there more to their story?
Preferably told by someone other than Neil Gaiman? Anyone?
This time around?
Eh.
It wasn't bad, but it wasn't exactly satisfying (to me) in any sort of a meaty story sort of way. It does, however, have that typical Gaiman smell to it. So, if he can do no wrong in your book, then you'll want to check this out.
The Eternals are these super-powerful & immortal beings that were created before humanity, and they (I guess) act as our protectors when even bigger, more powerful, older immortal beings decide it may be time to end us. Ish.
Due to vaguely explained happenings, the lion's share of these Eternals have been mindwiped and have no idea who or what they are anymore. They're living among us as humans and occasionally superheroes.
The story takes place during the events of the Superhero Registration Act, so there are a few cameos with Tony & Co. that gives this a somewhat Marvel universe-y feel to it.
But not really.
At the end of this I was kind of left scratching my head, but maybe this isn't the whole thing?
Is there more to their story?
Preferably told by someone other than Neil Gaiman? Anyone?
October 21, 2018
I didn't know anything about the Eternals and I was excited by this Marvel outing. I hope they do make this into a movie and give it a good treatment. I do feel like there was much more to the story. This was simply a beginning and I don't see more volumes for this run.
The Eternals have been on this world from the beginning of time. There are children of the Celestials which is what Ego was in Guardians 2 I believe. They are supposed to protect humanity, although, one of them has now taken over a country in Eastern Europe. They have this ability to create a Uni-mind which can change time and events. During their last great Uni-mind one of the Eternals who is a stuck in a child's body made them all forget who they were. The whole book, they are waking up to who they are.
We slowly learn about these people. They can't die. They each have a unique power. There are only 100 of them. We only see like 10 of them in this story.
Gaiman brings his unique pen to spin this story. I enjoyed this story. It was interesting and better than most Marvel action comics I read for the older set. I can't wait to learn more about these people.
The Eternals have been on this world from the beginning of time. There are children of the Celestials which is what Ego was in Guardians 2 I believe. They are supposed to protect humanity, although, one of them has now taken over a country in Eastern Europe. They have this ability to create a Uni-mind which can change time and events. During their last great Uni-mind one of the Eternals who is a stuck in a child's body made them all forget who they were. The whole book, they are waking up to who they are.
We slowly learn about these people. They can't die. They each have a unique power. There are only 100 of them. We only see like 10 of them in this story.
Gaiman brings his unique pen to spin this story. I enjoyed this story. It was interesting and better than most Marvel action comics I read for the older set. I can't wait to learn more about these people.
June 13, 2017
Do you just love backstory?! Then this graphic novel may be for you! Cuz, there's really nothing else besides the backstory. The characters not even wooden so much as paper dolls marching around scenery, barely distinguishable. Except for the Deviants, our Bad Guys; it is obvious who they are because they are ugly! They have gross deformities like tentacles and fangs and mouths in their stomachs. Everyone knows that ugly/deformed/otherwise differing-looking people are Teh Ebuls. And also, Bad Guys are so awful, they are like Nazis! In that they say vaguely Nazi-sounding things like, "Tomorrow they will announce that atrocities have been committed by... Who? Gypsies, perhaps. Or homosexuals, or Slavs. And it will be necessary to bring back the secret police." This is in Russia, by the way, where as far as I know Slavs and Gypsies are not considered highly problematic. And why would someone who wasn't actually human care about race, anyway? Aside from the robot-looking-but-apparently-not-robotic Celestials, who think some types of people taste better than others. And even the people-eating is boring because the folks who get eaten are faceless nonentities who get tossed down like popcorn. There's not even any gore. Aside from some interesting mythological elements, which get related in the least-interesting way possible, and some under-played alternate history aspects, this is a disappointingly generic oh-noes-destruction-of-the-entire-world comic book. I really hope when I have lived for millenia with my superpowers 'n' stuff I have more personality than these dopes.
June 12, 2017
The Eternals were one of those lesser known groups that I'd often heard about but rarely seen. Thankfully, for me, they are the basis for this superb graphic novel by Neil Gaiman.
In the beginning the Celestials seeded the Earth with life. They created two races the nearly indestructible Eternals and the quickly multiplying Deviants. In time the Deviants took over the world and the Eternals were required to summon a Second Coming of the Celestials. The Deviants were scoured from the land and only a few remained in hiding. Humanity, freed from the shackles of the Deviants, flourished and were watched over by the Eternals.
Yet the Eternals had one other mission- to watch over the Dreaming Celestial. In a strange homage to Lucifer (the Fallen Angel, not the comic book), the Dreaming Celestial was once coated in the brightest gold, but has not been covered in black tar and cast away into the Earth in the deepest ocean. The Deviants worship him as their God. The problem with the Dreaming Celestial is that his awakening can lead to another Celestial "visitation" which could lead to the end of all life.
Of all the Eternals, there is one who is unhappy with his lot in life. In order to secure a measure of mortality he sets in motion a complex plan that involves the Eternals, the Deviants and in the end the Celestials. More than that I will not spoil-this is an amazing tale.
I have always loved cosmic level adventures (Silver Surfer, Guardians, Thanos, Galactus, etc) and this is a superb one. Neil Gaiman does a great job with the Eternals and their story. The back story of what the rogue Eternal is up too is also excellent. The entire story is illustrated by John Romita Jr. I am not a huge JRJR fan, but his art works well in this volume. The color palette is bright and works well with his art style.
But read this for the epic, cosmic story that is the heart and soul of this. The Dreaming Celestial's thoughts are magic in Neil Gaiman's talented hands. This entire story is well written and coupled with some good JRJR art this is a gem. Highly recommended for anyone who like a big cosmic tale that is very entertaining.
In the beginning the Celestials seeded the Earth with life. They created two races the nearly indestructible Eternals and the quickly multiplying Deviants. In time the Deviants took over the world and the Eternals were required to summon a Second Coming of the Celestials. The Deviants were scoured from the land and only a few remained in hiding. Humanity, freed from the shackles of the Deviants, flourished and were watched over by the Eternals.
Yet the Eternals had one other mission- to watch over the Dreaming Celestial. In a strange homage to Lucifer (the Fallen Angel, not the comic book), the Dreaming Celestial was once coated in the brightest gold, but has not been covered in black tar and cast away into the Earth in the deepest ocean. The Deviants worship him as their God. The problem with the Dreaming Celestial is that his awakening can lead to another Celestial "visitation" which could lead to the end of all life.
Of all the Eternals, there is one who is unhappy with his lot in life. In order to secure a measure of mortality he sets in motion a complex plan that involves the Eternals, the Deviants and in the end the Celestials. More than that I will not spoil-this is an amazing tale.
I have always loved cosmic level adventures (Silver Surfer, Guardians, Thanos, Galactus, etc) and this is a superb one. Neil Gaiman does a great job with the Eternals and their story. The back story of what the rogue Eternal is up too is also excellent. The entire story is illustrated by John Romita Jr. I am not a huge JRJR fan, but his art works well in this volume. The color palette is bright and works well with his art style.
But read this for the epic, cosmic story that is the heart and soul of this. The Dreaming Celestial's thoughts are magic in Neil Gaiman's talented hands. This entire story is well written and coupled with some good JRJR art this is a gem. Highly recommended for anyone who like a big cosmic tale that is very entertaining.
December 2, 2021
In the Neil Gaiman canon, this rare example of his work for Marvel is only average. I just have to be honest.
It's fun and interesting to see his take in this universe, with the likes of Iron Man showing up and the Avengers in the background. And the John Romita Jr. art, even if his style is not for everyone, shows phenomenal storytelling which gives this semi-postmodern spin on the Eternals the gravitas it deserves.
But Jack Kirby's space gods, in my view, never fit that well into the Marvel universe in the first place. When there's already Thor and Zeus, do we need to add more mythological archetypes? The celestials are indeed fascinating, but they are always merely the backdrop to other stories. When the Eternals are the stars, even when humanized because of a cliched amnesia plot, they kind of seem to be average superheroes even if immortal and thousands of years old.
Perhaps I'm too harsh. Both casual Gaiman readers, and fans of the new film, should enjoy this graphic novel for what it is. Not everything has to outstandingly reinvent the genre. It's also more readable than the weird 1970s Kirby comics, so there's not that much else Eternals to choose from for a new and curious audience.
So read NEIL GAIMAN'S ETERNALS in an afternoon, enjoy a master fantasy author's modest take on a superhero setting, and also heartily appreciate some nice yet epic space opera art...
It's fun and interesting to see his take in this universe, with the likes of Iron Man showing up and the Avengers in the background. And the John Romita Jr. art, even if his style is not for everyone, shows phenomenal storytelling which gives this semi-postmodern spin on the Eternals the gravitas it deserves.
But Jack Kirby's space gods, in my view, never fit that well into the Marvel universe in the first place. When there's already Thor and Zeus, do we need to add more mythological archetypes? The celestials are indeed fascinating, but they are always merely the backdrop to other stories. When the Eternals are the stars, even when humanized because of a cliched amnesia plot, they kind of seem to be average superheroes even if immortal and thousands of years old.
Perhaps I'm too harsh. Both casual Gaiman readers, and fans of the new film, should enjoy this graphic novel for what it is. Not everything has to outstandingly reinvent the genre. It's also more readable than the weird 1970s Kirby comics, so there's not that much else Eternals to choose from for a new and curious audience.
So read NEIL GAIMAN'S ETERNALS in an afternoon, enjoy a master fantasy author's modest take on a superhero setting, and also heartily appreciate some nice yet epic space opera art...
November 26, 2021
I had low expectations for this volume, which I read because several younger people are eventually going to drag me to the Marvel movie that is breaking box office records, blah blah blah, that I still have low expectations for. And no, I don't recall reading Jack Kirby's original comics, though I appreciated the background information Neil Gaiman gets at in this volume to get readers up to speed on these folks, and I liked the interview with Gaiman in the appendix.
But you can tell even from the interview that the original comics, this update or the film will never be anywhere near any of these creative teams' best work. This is a side project for all of them. The Eternals are unkillable, perfect gods, supermen/women. For some reason there are 100 of them, though in this pretty much prefatory volume we are only introduced to ten of them, so you can see what aspirations Marvel had to relaunch this series. The Eternals have all forgotten who they are and are living as humans. They are going to save Earth, when they get up to speed with their own backstory and fully own it, eh. So this is a superhero project that can never rival the Avengers or anything like that. It's Gaiman, so it is not bad, he tried to pump it full of life, but this is mainly a backstory volume, pretty much exposition.
I like Gaiman's work with comics so give him points for effort and I like John Romita, Jr.'s art, they try to recapture the weirdness of the original time and age, but this is not anything on the level of Alan Moore reclaiming and reinventing Swamp Thing. It's probably for me somewhere between two and three stars
But you can tell even from the interview that the original comics, this update or the film will never be anywhere near any of these creative teams' best work. This is a side project for all of them. The Eternals are unkillable, perfect gods, supermen/women. For some reason there are 100 of them, though in this pretty much prefatory volume we are only introduced to ten of them, so you can see what aspirations Marvel had to relaunch this series. The Eternals have all forgotten who they are and are living as humans. They are going to save Earth, when they get up to speed with their own backstory and fully own it, eh. So this is a superhero project that can never rival the Avengers or anything like that. It's Gaiman, so it is not bad, he tried to pump it full of life, but this is mainly a backstory volume, pretty much exposition.
I like Gaiman's work with comics so give him points for effort and I like John Romita, Jr.'s art, they try to recapture the weirdness of the original time and age, but this is not anything on the level of Alan Moore reclaiming and reinventing Swamp Thing. It's probably for me somewhere between two and three stars
April 17, 2020
The Eternals were originally created by Jack Kirby in the 1970s. A young Neil Gaiman read them and was inspired. Many years later Gaiman was approached to write an Eternals tale. I am truly glad he did. A superb story with pretty good artwork, though not a huge Romita Jr fan the art works well with this story.
In NG's version the Eternals are on Earth, but few remember who they are. Ikaris is the only one who remembers and is on a quest to reawaken the rest of his brood. Makkari, who thinks he is a human med student, is first approached but he does not believe Ikaris. In time, we learn that this condition was caused by an Eternal named Sprite, who was infuriated by being stuck in the body of an 11 year old. His actions, in conjunction with the Deviants, will lead to a plan to awaken the Sleeping Celestial. An act that could cause the end of life on Earth.
No more spoilers. A truly wonderful story that gives a great look at NG's version of the "history" of the Eternals and their role in the universe. It was quite interesting and quite well done. In fact the entire saga as it relates to the Celestials, the Deviants and the Eternals is very well done and quite enjoyable. Add to this, Romita Jr's artwork which melds well with the story and you have a truly excellent graphic novel.
Never heard of the Eternals? No worries, I was rather unfamiliar with them. I think Gaiman's version to be excellent and a worthy successor to Kirby's original vision. Highly recommended for any Gaiman fan. But, I would also recommend this to anyone who ejoys sweeping galactic stories of characters with incredible powers (far beyond the run of the mill heroes).
In NG's version the Eternals are on Earth, but few remember who they are. Ikaris is the only one who remembers and is on a quest to reawaken the rest of his brood. Makkari, who thinks he is a human med student, is first approached but he does not believe Ikaris. In time, we learn that this condition was caused by an Eternal named Sprite, who was infuriated by being stuck in the body of an 11 year old. His actions, in conjunction with the Deviants, will lead to a plan to awaken the Sleeping Celestial. An act that could cause the end of life on Earth.
No more spoilers. A truly wonderful story that gives a great look at NG's version of the "history" of the Eternals and their role in the universe. It was quite interesting and quite well done. In fact the entire saga as it relates to the Celestials, the Deviants and the Eternals is very well done and quite enjoyable. Add to this, Romita Jr's artwork which melds well with the story and you have a truly excellent graphic novel.
Never heard of the Eternals? No worries, I was rather unfamiliar with them. I think Gaiman's version to be excellent and a worthy successor to Kirby's original vision. Highly recommended for any Gaiman fan. But, I would also recommend this to anyone who ejoys sweeping galactic stories of characters with incredible powers (far beyond the run of the mill heroes).
June 24, 2022
I am definitely a Marvel fan but I have a tough time loving the Eternals. Their backstory and powers don’t seem to fit with the rest of the Marvel world. Maybe if they were their own creations outside of a bigger universe of stories, I would like their history and powers better. As it is, Gaiman does a pretty good job with the material he’s given. Romita’s art work is pretty fantastic. This installment takes a long time to get going. I felt like the first few chapters were distractions from the real story. Maybe it was supposed to be like a slow reveal of a mystery but it felt a bit overdone. When the mystery was revealed, it felt off. Like it wasn’t fully explained or realized. The eternals are not particularly enjoyable as individuals. There aren’t enough pages to dedicate to their character development that will make a reader fall in love with them. The Eternals don’t work as well as the Avengers because each Avenger has their own story separate from their group story. The Eternals only work as one entity and that doesn’t do them enough justice. This was an interesting view of the group - different from the movie - but I’m not sure I love this Marvel story.
March 19, 2018
Rereading as part of a buddy read.
Neil Gaiman brings back Jack Kirby's Marvel version of the New Gods. The Eternals have all forgotten who they are and are living as humans. As they slowly begin to regain their memories, we find out that someone has done this to them in order to awaken the Dreaming Celestial.
Strangely enough, Marvel was also publishing J. Michael Straczynski's Thor run around the same time which had some similar themes. Ragnarok had happened and the Asgardians were also living forgotten lives as humans. Eternals is well told and set up quite a few things that Marvel could have run with, but most of these characters have been forgotten since then.
June 3, 2011
Until I read Neil Gaiman's rewrite, I had never heard of Jack Kirby's Eternals series. And I think I'm rather glad about that. The conceit is an intriguing one--the gods of the ancient world still exist among us today. The problem with this is Kirby's explanation for their existence. They are the products of alien life forms known as the Celestials who came to our planet (in ginormous robot suit, apparently) and created three species of life: the humans, the Eternals, and the Deviants. These alien "gods" would check in every now and then and see how things were going (they were awfully fond of "smiting" when they found things had gone awry). Yeah, that's all just a little too muddled for my liking.
The first half of the book was well-written and absorbing (hence the 3 stars); however, the second half was full of slipshod explanations for events, an ending that felt unnecessary and unfinished, and a rather strange attempt to incorporate the Eternals into the Marvel Civil War universe (cameos by The Avengers, Iron Man, and The Fantastic Four). Is that the way it was in the original series? I have no idea, but it felt rather forced here.
I don't think my disappointment with the book is necessarily Gaiman's fault. As a premise, I just didn't like what Kirby was trying to do here--it just felt too New Age-Scientology for my liking. I think Gaiman pulls off a similar and superior "gods live among us" narrative in his novel American Gods.
The first half of the book was well-written and absorbing (hence the 3 stars); however, the second half was full of slipshod explanations for events, an ending that felt unnecessary and unfinished, and a rather strange attempt to incorporate the Eternals into the Marvel Civil War universe (cameos by The Avengers, Iron Man, and The Fantastic Four). Is that the way it was in the original series? I have no idea, but it felt rather forced here.
I don't think my disappointment with the book is necessarily Gaiman's fault. As a premise, I just didn't like what Kirby was trying to do here--it just felt too New Age-Scientology for my liking. I think Gaiman pulls off a similar and superior "gods live among us" narrative in his novel American Gods.
December 30, 2020
I picked this up after Marvel announced their new movie and I honestly don't know how to feel about it, the book is good on its own, but it doesn't fit like a glove in the Marvel universe. I thought the main plot was fun and engaging, but all the connections they made to the Marvel universe felt extremely unnecessary, and those were some pretty massive connections. What's the point of having yet another whole group of superpowered invididuals, with a set of powers that are not even that unique, they're basically overpowered versions of the original characters with the single purpose of fighting Celestials. I'd say read it as an individual thing, without trying to figure out how it all fits in the Marvel universe and you should enjoy it more than I did.
September 8, 2021
You can find my review on my blog by clicking .
There’s a point in our life where we are confronted to an existential crisis. For some, it simply goes through them, impervious to the numerous rumination that it could provoke, as they remain completely content with where they are and what they’re doing in their life. For others, it is a dark and depressive time where nothing makes sense anymore. While there are no answer to our purpose in this world, there is one decision that we are all capable of pondering: to believe or not to believe in who we are. Originally created by the legendary Jack Kirby in 1976, right after establishing the momentous Fourth World and New Gods concepts over at DC Comics in the early 70s, it was in 2006 that critically-acclaimed writer Neil Gaiman and artist John Romita Jr. took it upon themselves to reintroduce the foundational characters know as the Eternals and their own existential plights in a seven issue limited comic book series.
What is Eternals about? The story follows sleep-deprived med student Mark Curry as he encounters a strange individual who believes that he is an Eternal, an immortal super-human created by an alien race called the Celestials. While his strange dreams of an odd life that he has no memory of, brimming with giant gods, mechanical beings, and strange creatures, seem to confirm the deranged man’s stories, he’s not yet ready to confront such an outcome until further proof snaps him back to reality. Unfortunately for him, the Eternals� battle with Deviants continues and he’s about to question every single thing about his existence as the Dreaming Celestial reawakens from its slumber. Although his relative happiness has kept him numb of such possibilities, what awaits is beyond any mortal’s fancy.
It’s as Gaiman as it gets. This story serves not as a tribute or homage to these heroes, forgotten by most during Marvel’s Modern Age, but more of a reintroduction of their existence and purpose amidst humans on Earth. Drawing upon his talents to circumscribe characters within a mythological playground, he establishes these heroes while loosely connecting their tale to ongoing events, specifically the enforcement of the Superhero Registration Act that leads up to the consequential events of Civil War. Unfortunately, this story barely scratches the surface and ends on an anticlimactic resolution that clearly leaves the rest of the Eternals� story in the hands of anyone else who wants to write it. Although there is an intriguing exposition of their age-old battle and ancient origin, the characters have little room to properly grow on the reader with their dialogue and interactions ultimately seeming faded and uninspiring.
Although John Romita Jr.’s art style has often been a difficult selling point, he does execute his mandate with much more technique and flair throughout this graphic novel. His character designs offer a distinctive portrait, mostly observed through size and colour. In fact, the colourist and inkers on this project do a great job in infusing this world with a wide array of flashy colours, almost making a mandatory analogy with a contrast between old and new through primary and secondary colours. Unfortunately, only the final issues give artist John Romita Jr. the opportunity to really explore some of their powers but with the narrative focused extensively on giving fans a preface of these characters, there isn’t much more that can be done to explore their true nature. Nonetheless, there are several bombastic splash panels that emphasizes their otherworldly qualities and promises intriguing things for these characters (which won’t be seen till the nine issue limited series written by Charles Knauf in 2008).
Eternals is an intriguing yet trivial reintroduction of the immortals watching over the rise and fall of civilizations within the Marvel Universe.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog:
March 9, 2021
This is Gaiman's re-boot of Jack Kirby's Eternals, very ably and nicely illustrated by John Romita, Jr. I was not a huge fan of the original version; I read a few issues, but thought Kirby was just essentially re-hashing what he had started or wanted to do with The New Gods and the whole fourth empire thing at DC, and I wasn't a huge fan of that, either. The basic concept of an ancient god-like race of super-beings had been around for a long time, and was pretty well covered by Green Lantern... which I felt was essentially a riff on Doc Smith's Lensmen anyway. The influences for Eternals (as is made clear in the interesting introduction and afterwards in this volume) were pretty clearly the popularity of the pseudo-science craze of Erich von Daniken, with a bit of the end sequence of 2001 thrown in. Gaiman does a good job of re-imagining the group, and tells a very compelling story. I did not like the intrusive attempts to tie the book in with the rest of Marvel continuity, particularly the Civil War and superhero-registration parts. Iron Man, Yellow-jacket, and the Wasp appear in Gaiman's book, but don't add anything. Other than that, though, I enjoyed the book quite a bit.
August 17, 2007
My experience of and his estimable oeuvre is, in large part, a recent acquirement, having come into being over the last year and a bit. If you don’t count an earlier, regrettable experience with —an experience than by no means offered justice either to Gaiman or his grainy little fellow. Or indeed to myself as a reader. I feel fortunate that came along and changed everything.
Because otherwise, I might not have given Eternals its due shot. And that would have been sad.
When I was a wee Danish (jelly-filled), I had the good fortune to inherit a veritable mess of comics that included some real finds among which were the entire original series of Silver Surfer, several giant-sized Hulk books, and ancient and collected reprints of some of the greatest Kirby-era Fantastic Four. And an entire run of another Kirby invention, The Eternals.
I’ll be honest here. Either I was not a very discriminating fifth grader or the Great Jack Kirby wasn’t exactly on his game when he came up with this super group, based, I hear, on ruminations inspired by Chariot of the Gods. I suppose that the truth of the matter lies in all likelihood betwixt these two precarious compass points. In any case, I didn’t really catch the fire for the series and abandoned it both to my crappy-comic box and to that sector of my memory that is now and likely forever unreachable.
And so, I am approaching the work, for all intents and porpoises, as a reader entirely unaware of the personalities and history intimate to the characters going by the nomenclature, Eternals. In essence, as you yourself would approach the work—presuming that you were intimately familiar with the visual vocabulary upon which works of comic storytelling are founded. I will assume this knowledge and allow you to debate my assumption wholly within the realm of your internal monologue in which you engage your mind, your heart, and your moral self.
So then, Gaiman crafts a tale in which no prior knowledge of the Eternals is necessary for events have conspired to leave the Eternals themselves with no knowledge of either their longevity or their grand destiny. Gaiman allows the reader to be introduced to their fantastic world with all the shock, surprise, and inevitable confusion that the Eternals themselves experience. It is an indubitably strange experience. The story is wild and inventive and all those fantastic adjectives that book reviewers indiscriminately slather all over the backs of a a thousand books that grace the new release tables at Borders and Barnes & Noble across the span of any given year.
I cannot be certain that Gaiman’s story will be memorable (at least I still remember now, but it’s only been a week and a half...), but I’m sure I wouldn’t mind reading it again some day. And that’s worth something. I do remember thinking both Woah and Huh on several occasions as Gaiman proceeded to blow my mind. That also must be worth something in whatever currency you call native.
I was not initially certain that John Romita Jr.’s artwork would work for the story that Gaiman was telling. I love JRJR’s work on other, more mundane projects, but was concerned how it would serve this particular yarn. I needn’t have worried. While there are probably artists who might better capture both the grandiose and the pedestrian more capably, it did not mind their exclusion from this particular work.
At the last, I will give Eternals my recommendation. Understand that this is not an unqualified recommendation—as there are a vast number of books that are more worthy. Still, there are a much vaster number of worse books out there and while this is no Anansi Boys, I can certainly claim to have enjoyed myself.
Because otherwise, I might not have given Eternals its due shot. And that would have been sad.
When I was a wee Danish (jelly-filled), I had the good fortune to inherit a veritable mess of comics that included some real finds among which were the entire original series of Silver Surfer, several giant-sized Hulk books, and ancient and collected reprints of some of the greatest Kirby-era Fantastic Four. And an entire run of another Kirby invention, The Eternals.
I’ll be honest here. Either I was not a very discriminating fifth grader or the Great Jack Kirby wasn’t exactly on his game when he came up with this super group, based, I hear, on ruminations inspired by Chariot of the Gods. I suppose that the truth of the matter lies in all likelihood betwixt these two precarious compass points. In any case, I didn’t really catch the fire for the series and abandoned it both to my crappy-comic box and to that sector of my memory that is now and likely forever unreachable.
And so, I am approaching the work, for all intents and porpoises, as a reader entirely unaware of the personalities and history intimate to the characters going by the nomenclature, Eternals. In essence, as you yourself would approach the work—presuming that you were intimately familiar with the visual vocabulary upon which works of comic storytelling are founded. I will assume this knowledge and allow you to debate my assumption wholly within the realm of your internal monologue in which you engage your mind, your heart, and your moral self.
So then, Gaiman crafts a tale in which no prior knowledge of the Eternals is necessary for events have conspired to leave the Eternals themselves with no knowledge of either their longevity or their grand destiny. Gaiman allows the reader to be introduced to their fantastic world with all the shock, surprise, and inevitable confusion that the Eternals themselves experience. It is an indubitably strange experience. The story is wild and inventive and all those fantastic adjectives that book reviewers indiscriminately slather all over the backs of a a thousand books that grace the new release tables at Borders and Barnes & Noble across the span of any given year.
I cannot be certain that Gaiman’s story will be memorable (at least I still remember now, but it’s only been a week and a half...), but I’m sure I wouldn’t mind reading it again some day. And that’s worth something. I do remember thinking both Woah and Huh on several occasions as Gaiman proceeded to blow my mind. That also must be worth something in whatever currency you call native.
I was not initially certain that John Romita Jr.’s artwork would work for the story that Gaiman was telling. I love JRJR’s work on other, more mundane projects, but was concerned how it would serve this particular yarn. I needn’t have worried. While there are probably artists who might better capture both the grandiose and the pedestrian more capably, it did not mind their exclusion from this particular work.
At the last, I will give Eternals my recommendation. Understand that this is not an unqualified recommendation—as there are a vast number of books that are more worthy. Still, there are a much vaster number of worse books out there and while this is no Anansi Boys, I can certainly claim to have enjoyed myself.
February 19, 2017
Θα μπορούσε να είναι καλό.... είναι απλά μέτριο... και εξηγώ:
Εξωγήινοι θεοί, οι Celestials, δημιούργησαν τους Eternals και τους Deviants, εκείνους που αποκλίνουν από το φυσιολογικό. Οι θεοί αποχώρησαν και έρχονταν μόνο για να καταστρέψουν τον κόσμο, με τις Ορδές τους, όταν έκριναν ότι τα πράγματα δεν πάνε όπως πρέπει...
Και τώρα, ο τελευταίος Celestial που βρίσκεται θαμμένος τα κάτεργα είναι έτοιμος να ξυπνήσει... Ποιος θα τον σταματήσει; Σε φιλική συμμετοχή και ο IronMan!
Θα μπορούσα να είχα σκεφτεί τους Μεγάλους Παλαιούς...
Δεν τους σκέφτηκα... θυμήθηκα ότι ο καιρός γαρ εγγύς.... Και αυτό δεν το συγχωρώ από τον άνθρωπο που έχει γράψει το Sandman και το Neverwhere
Παρεπιπτόντος το βιβλίο αυτό γράφτηκε το 2006 και ο Λιακο εμφανίστηκε με τα ... 65 (!) βιβλία που ζουν ανάμεσά μας το 2007 - just saying!!!
Εξωγήινοι θεοί, οι Celestials, δημιούργησαν τους Eternals και τους Deviants, εκείνους που αποκλίνουν από το φυσιολογικό. Οι θεοί αποχώρησαν και έρχονταν μόνο για να καταστρέψουν τον κόσμο, με τις Ορδές τους, όταν έκριναν ότι τα πράγματα δεν πάνε όπως πρέπει...
Και τώρα, ο τελευταίος Celestial που βρίσκεται θαμμένος τα κάτεργα είναι έτοιμος να ξυπνήσει... Ποιος θα τον σταματήσει; Σε φιλική συμμετοχή και ο IronMan!
Θα μπορούσα να είχα σκεφτεί τους Μεγάλους Παλαιούς...
Δεν τους σκέφτηκα... θυμήθηκα ότι ο καιρός γαρ εγγύς.... Και αυτό δεν το συγχωρώ από τον άνθρωπο που έχει γράψει το Sandman και το Neverwhere
Παρεπιπτόντος το βιβλίο αυτό γράφτηκε το 2006 και ο Λιακο εμφανίστηκε με τα ... 65 (!) βιβλία που ζουν ανάμεσά μας το 2007 - just saying!!!
February 4, 2013
A tale about gods of our mythology existing but forgetting who they are because their trickster child god set them all up for the fall. It's blended in with several Marvel heroes in a world where superheroes have to register themselves and a great antagonist is about to be awakened. I felt the first half was more engaging than the latter half and some of the more interesting asides should have been mined but they were not. That said it was a fun enough read but it doesn't compare to Gaiman's SANDMAN materials (though I am still of the opinion he wasn't the only one working on all those stories but that's just me maybe).
CHARACTER/DIALOGUE: B minus to B; ARTWORK: B; STORY/PLOTTING: B minus
OVERALL GRADE: B minus; WHEN READ: January 2012 (revised Jan 2013)
CHARACTER/DIALOGUE: B minus to B; ARTWORK: B; STORY/PLOTTING: B minus
OVERALL GRADE: B minus; WHEN READ: January 2012 (revised Jan 2013)
January 22, 2021
Neil Gaiman is a favorite, and The Sandman is one of the great comics of all time. But just because Gaiman wrote something doesn’t automatically make it good. Remember, he’s responsible for that absurd Beowulf script 15 years ago, and that was just awful bad to its core. Gaiman’s reimagining of the Eternals here isn’t anywhere that terrible, but it’s flawed and flat, and he could have done something a lot more interesting. After all, the storyline has so much potential, and Gaiman (after Starlin, maybe) is the most qualified writer to reboot Jack Kirby’s cosmic creation, but it feels like he’s just phoning it in, or he didn’t take the requisite time to think this project out, or maybe he, even someone like Neil Gaiman, was a little star struck at the prospect of carrying on that legendary Kirby mythology and it froze him. I dunno. But this isn’t very good.
I didn’t read the originals as a kid. Something about Ikaris� blond Dutch boy cut just screamed “dumb� to me from the covers of those comics back in the �70s. But those space gods the Celestials intrigue me and the deep Marvel lore reaching way way back to the origins of the universe along with the Eternal/Deviant divide (especially as embodied in the figure of Thanos) can be pretty fascinating stuff.
However, despite the allure, maybe the Eternals are just a losing proposition to begin with and even Neil Gaiman can’t make it work. Because even though the original comics was Kirby working for Marvel again, the Eternals retained way too much of the goofy hokiness of his New Gods/Fourth World DC enterprise, and so perhaps it was destined to go nowhere, despite that great potential. Even now with Gaiman’s darker cynicism to balance out the gee whizzery of Kirby’s source material, there’s still something here that’s off putting ... maybe not as bad as the silliness of the Forever People or Mister Miracle or Granny Goodness, but it’s not working for me. And I’m not sure it will translate all that well to the big screen next year, either, when the MCU tries to breathe life into the Eternals.
(Maybe the real problem here is Kirby’s original mistake of trying to create heroes out of gods, something he should have known better than to try in the first place. If Ikaris can’t die, then Ikaris is incapable of truly heroic action. Nothing he or his fellow Eternals do really matters if they live forever. Homer knew this and made the flawed mortals Achilles and Odysseus the central figures of his works. Vyas knew it—Krishna is tangential to the Mahabharata, not its hero. And if you want to argue, well what about Thor? Isn’t he really one of Kirby’s greatest heroic characters? Well, yes I suppose he is, but Thor dies and he knows he will die, and that foreknowledge of his and the other Asgardians� future doom shades everything he does from the original sagas through Kirby and into the present MCU. And next you’ll probably argue, well nobody ever truly dies in the funny pages anyway, even in Marvel...look at what they’ve done to your everlovin� once incredible now immortal Hulk...to which I suppose I’ll just have to shake my head sadly and mutter, “I know, I know...�)
And, back to the matter at hand, although artist John Romita Jr does an admirable job here with re-envisioning the Deviants, he’s not the guy to bring the Celestials and those Kirby machines back to life, either. He may have the pedigree but he lacks the skills and the imagination. He has enough problems just trying to draw a human face. Sorry, John Jr...
I didn’t read the originals as a kid. Something about Ikaris� blond Dutch boy cut just screamed “dumb� to me from the covers of those comics back in the �70s. But those space gods the Celestials intrigue me and the deep Marvel lore reaching way way back to the origins of the universe along with the Eternal/Deviant divide (especially as embodied in the figure of Thanos) can be pretty fascinating stuff.
However, despite the allure, maybe the Eternals are just a losing proposition to begin with and even Neil Gaiman can’t make it work. Because even though the original comics was Kirby working for Marvel again, the Eternals retained way too much of the goofy hokiness of his New Gods/Fourth World DC enterprise, and so perhaps it was destined to go nowhere, despite that great potential. Even now with Gaiman’s darker cynicism to balance out the gee whizzery of Kirby’s source material, there’s still something here that’s off putting ... maybe not as bad as the silliness of the Forever People or Mister Miracle or Granny Goodness, but it’s not working for me. And I’m not sure it will translate all that well to the big screen next year, either, when the MCU tries to breathe life into the Eternals.
(Maybe the real problem here is Kirby’s original mistake of trying to create heroes out of gods, something he should have known better than to try in the first place. If Ikaris can’t die, then Ikaris is incapable of truly heroic action. Nothing he or his fellow Eternals do really matters if they live forever. Homer knew this and made the flawed mortals Achilles and Odysseus the central figures of his works. Vyas knew it—Krishna is tangential to the Mahabharata, not its hero. And if you want to argue, well what about Thor? Isn’t he really one of Kirby’s greatest heroic characters? Well, yes I suppose he is, but Thor dies and he knows he will die, and that foreknowledge of his and the other Asgardians� future doom shades everything he does from the original sagas through Kirby and into the present MCU. And next you’ll probably argue, well nobody ever truly dies in the funny pages anyway, even in Marvel...look at what they’ve done to your everlovin� once incredible now immortal Hulk...to which I suppose I’ll just have to shake my head sadly and mutter, “I know, I know...�)
And, back to the matter at hand, although artist John Romita Jr does an admirable job here with re-envisioning the Deviants, he’s not the guy to bring the Celestials and those Kirby machines back to life, either. He may have the pedigree but he lacks the skills and the imagination. He has enough problems just trying to draw a human face. Sorry, John Jr...
August 6, 2009
There's an old chestnut of wisdom that goes, "You can't polish a turd." Gaiman has adapted some nifty things, but this is not one of them.
I'm usually excited when I hear Gaiman has put out a new comic. I was excited for this one right up until I heard it was a reimagining of a late-era Jack Kirby story.
I have to confess something here: I think Jack Kirby is lame as hell, and his later works are doubly cheesy.
In his later years Kirby drifted away from super hero writing into territory involving multiple universes, wacky theories about human origins, and some of the dopiest looking super people ever inked. The Eternals is essentially about powerful creatures created by giant metal gods who also created changeling creatures so they could eat them later.
This came from the same moronic era as the Silver Surfer. It's the age when alternative comics seemed to drive mainstream comics to some pretty gonzo extremes. It's pretty consistently awful.
Gaiman tries pretty valiantly, mostly because he read the series in his teenage years, which gives even the best of us some rose-tinted glasses. He works his ass off giving the bizarreness some grounding, but it's an uphill slog.
Kirby was best known for his interesting directing style and composition, but I always felt his characters always looked like cookie dough squeezed in odd places by a child and then stuffed into some of the ugliest costumes imaginable. Kirby always came off as out of touch not only with the world around him but with much of anything. To say the art style in the new book is an improvement is a gross understatement.
If you're a Gaiman fan or a Kirby fan (they probably didn't get this far) then give it a look, the writing is solid, just working with a might handicap. All others STAY AWAY!
I'm usually excited when I hear Gaiman has put out a new comic. I was excited for this one right up until I heard it was a reimagining of a late-era Jack Kirby story.
I have to confess something here: I think Jack Kirby is lame as hell, and his later works are doubly cheesy.
In his later years Kirby drifted away from super hero writing into territory involving multiple universes, wacky theories about human origins, and some of the dopiest looking super people ever inked. The Eternals is essentially about powerful creatures created by giant metal gods who also created changeling creatures so they could eat them later.
This came from the same moronic era as the Silver Surfer. It's the age when alternative comics seemed to drive mainstream comics to some pretty gonzo extremes. It's pretty consistently awful.
Gaiman tries pretty valiantly, mostly because he read the series in his teenage years, which gives even the best of us some rose-tinted glasses. He works his ass off giving the bizarreness some grounding, but it's an uphill slog.
Kirby was best known for his interesting directing style and composition, but I always felt his characters always looked like cookie dough squeezed in odd places by a child and then stuffed into some of the ugliest costumes imaginable. Kirby always came off as out of touch not only with the world around him but with much of anything. To say the art style in the new book is an improvement is a gross understatement.
If you're a Gaiman fan or a Kirby fan (they probably didn't get this far) then give it a look, the writing is solid, just working with a might handicap. All others STAY AWAY!
March 26, 2013
Gaiman's take on the celestial. It is, it would seem, a remake/mainlining of an old Jack Kirby series. I suppose it was meant to bring the New Gods-ish Eternals fully into Marvel continuity. Sadly for the book, this was in the middle of Civil War, so you have a bunch of nonsense about registering. Tony Stark doesn't come off all that well here, which is, I suppose, in keeping with his other Civil War era appearances. (Demanding that an Eternal register seems awfully like missing the forest for the handful of saplings off the side there.)
Frankly, I'm not that enamored of the concept, and given that, I guess Gaiman did the best he could. Kirby apparently took his inspiration from , so make of that what you will. (I find it hilarious that the basic concept is no more believable in the Marvel U than it is in reality.) The first half or so, with the now human (or humanish, I guess) Eternals discovering themselves is really good stuff. Things get a bit more muddled when the Celestials come into the picture, and I find the ending less than convincing. I think that if Gaiman hadn't tried to mainline the Eternals into the Marvel U, it would have been a better read, and it wouldn't have the baggage of both the Civil War (a time in the Marvel U I'd rather forget, thanks) and being left open-ended.
Frankly, I'm not that enamored of the concept, and given that, I guess Gaiman did the best he could. Kirby apparently took his inspiration from , so make of that what you will. (I find it hilarious that the basic concept is no more believable in the Marvel U than it is in reality.) The first half or so, with the now human (or humanish, I guess) Eternals discovering themselves is really good stuff. Things get a bit more muddled when the Celestials come into the picture, and I find the ending less than convincing. I think that if Gaiman hadn't tried to mainline the Eternals into the Marvel U, it would have been a better read, and it wouldn't have the baggage of both the Civil War (a time in the Marvel U I'd rather forget, thanks) and being left open-ended.
December 2, 2020
Κείμενο στο
Γράφοντας στους ώμους γιγάντων
Ο Jack Kirby δε χρειάζεται συστάσεις στον χώρο των comics. Ακόμα και αν κάποιος δεν έχει δει την εμβληματική και επαναστατική δουλειά του σε πληθώρα υπερηρωικών χαρακτήρων (και όχι μόνο) ή τα καρέ που φιλοτέχνησε τα οποία στέκονται και από μόνα τους ως έργα Τέχνης, θα έχει ακούσει το όνομα του από άλλους καλλιτέχνες που τον βάζουν ως βασική του επιρροή και έμπνευση. Είναι, με λελογισμένη υπερβολή, ένας γίγαντας της 9ης Τέχνης.
Πώς θα μπορούσε λοιπόν κάποιος να πάρει ένα concept που δημιουργήθηκε από τον Kirby το 1976, άμεσα συνδεδεμένο με την διαστημική ψυχεδέλεια που διαπότιζε τόσο την pulp λογοτεχνία (άρα κατ’επέκταση και τα comics) και να το κάνει δικό του; Ή έστω κάτι άξιο όχι σύγκρισης, αλλά έστω αναφοράς στη συνέχεια των χαρακτήρων;
Αυτό είναι ένα πρόβλημα που αντιμετωπίζουν αρκετοί τίτλοι στα υπερηρωικά comics, ότι η ποιότητα (και η εσωτερική τους συνοχή) πάντα βασίζεται στο ταλέντο της εκάστοτε δημιουργικής ομάδας που τους διαχειρίζεται. Παραδείγματος χάρη o Spider-man όντως δημιουργήθηκε από τους Stan Lee και Steve Ditko όμως ελάχιστες από τις αρχικές ιστορίες αυτές θα βλέπατε σε μια λίστα με τις καλύτερες περιπέτειες του Αραχνάκια. Το πρόβλημα εδώ είναι οι Αιώνιοι είναι τόσο ανεξίτηλα σημαδεμένοι από τη μεγαλεπίβολη πληθωρική και μαξιμαλιστική αισθητική του Kirby που λίγοι θα μπορούσαν να τη διαχειριστούν.
Και πράγματι, η (σύντομη) παρουσία τους στο εκδοτικό rooster της Marvel σημαδεύτηκε με διαφορετικούς βαθμούς επιτυχίας, ωστόσο ελάχιστα απασχόλησε τις ερχόμενες δεκαετίες. Μέχρι τουλάχιστον τα μέσα των 00s, όπου στα comics , ειδικά τα υπερηρωικά, παρατηρήθηκε μια απότομη ανανέωση, και δημιουργήθηκαν πολλές ιστορίες που πλέον, 20 χρόνια αργότερα, θεωρούμε κλασσικές.
Στο πνεύμα αυτής της ανανέωσης, η Marvel εμπιστεύτηκε για ένα limited run τους Eternals ίσως στο πιο ταλαντούχο δίδυμο που θα μπορούσε. Το σενάριο ανέλαβε ο λαοφιλής βρετανός συγγραφέας Nel Gaiman ενώ το σχέδιο o βετεράνος John Romita Jr. Τα 7 τεύχη αυτής της limited σειράς έχουμε πλέον την ευκαιρία να τα ευχαριστηθούμε ξανα σε μία συνολική επανατυπωση, σε μετάφραση του Γιώργου Γρίβα, από τις εκδόσεις Anubis.
Σεναριακά, ο Gaiman ήξερε πως δεν έχει κανένα νόημα να προσπαθήσει να επεκτείνει ή να αλλάξει κάπως το κεντρικό concept του Kirby. Πράγματι μια φυλή θεϊκών σχεδόν όντων που φτιάχτηκε από εξωγήινες διάνοιες (που μοιάζουν με robot από τα 50s) φαινομενικά δεν έχει και πολλά περιθώρια εξέλιξης, ειδικά κάποια που μία από τις υπόλοιπες τέτοιες ομάδες που υπάρχουν στα comics (New Gods, Inhumans κα.) να μην έχε ήδη αναπτύξει. Τελικά όμως καταφέρνει να δώσει τη δική του προσωπική σφραγίδα σε έναν έργο δεκαετιών και τελικά να μπορεί κάποιος να υποστηρίξει ότι είναι ένας τίτλος οριακά προσωπικός.
Ο Gaiman το καταφέρνει αυτό δημιουργώντας σεναριακά όχι χαρακτήρες ολοκληρωμένους, αλλά δια τετμημένους σε πολλά κομμάτια, το καθένα από τα οποία παλεύει για την πρωτοκαθεδρία. Αναμνήσεις βιωμένες και καταπιεσμένες αναδύονται συνεχώς, υπερδυνάμεις κάνουν εντυπωσιακές αλλά σύντομες εμφανίσεις και, τελικά, οι προσωπικότητες των Εternals είναι ουσιαστικά ένα παλίμψηστο που χτίζεται όσο πιο πίσω (και μέσα ) αυτοί γυρνούν.
Παραδόξως, ο τόμος αυτός των 7 τευχών έχει πολύ λίγη δράση, ελάχιστες μάχες. Ακόμα και ο κίνδυνος της καταστροφής του κόσμου είναι μεν υπαρκτός αλλά συγκεχυμένος. Κάθε ομάδα διατρανώνει πως πρέπει να τον σταματήσει αλλά καμία δεν έχει εικόνα του πως ή του γιατί. Η ουσιαστική δράση είναι η ψυχολογική σύγκρουση των Eternals με την ανθρώπινη κατάσταση και τη θεική φύση που μετεωρίζονται μέσα τους. Πώς τις αποδέχονται, τις εξοβελίζουν ή συνδυάζουν. Aκόμα και ο μεσσιανισμός, μια συστηματική σεναριακή αδυναμία στο υπερηρωικό είδος αργεί να κάνει την σχεδόν αναπόφευκτη εμφάνιση της.
Βέβαια ο πυρήνας αυτός του σεναρίου ενισχύεται με συνωμοσίες, υπερηρωικές στιγμές και χιούμορ, κάνοντας τον τόμο ένα τρομερά ενδιαφέρον ανάγνωσμα από κάθε πλευρά.
Είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα αυτή η οπτική, καθώς μια φυλή με θεϊκή καταγωγή και αποστολή ως σεναριακό αντικείμενο θα μπορούσε πολύ εύκολα να ξεφύγει, ακόμα ίσως και σε κάποιο φασιστικό έκτροπο. Παραδείγματος χάρη, οι εχθροί των Eternals, οι Aλλόμορφοι (Deviants) «όπου ο καθένας είναι εντελώς διαφορετικός από τον άλλον» υπό το πιο σύγχρονο πρίσμα του αιτήματος της πολυπολιτισμικότητας και της διαφορετικότητας θα μπορούσαν να χρησιμοποιηθούν από ακραίες ομάδες ως σύμβολο μίσους. Ο Gaiman αποφεύγει ενδελεχώς αυτές τις κακοτοπιές, υπό οποιοδήποτε τρόπο και αν εξεταστεί το έργο. Αυτό βέβαια δεν αναιρεί τα παραδοσιακά πολιτικά κλισέ των δυτικών comics για ανατολική Ευρώπη κοκ.
Το ίδιο το σενάριο αποφεύγει πολλές υπερωηρωικές αναφορές ή ξύλινη γλώσσα. Έτσι, η μετάφραση του, πράγμα μόνιμα δύσκολο όπως έχουμε πει, γίνεται χωρίς αγκυλώματα και ηχοποιητικές κακοποιήσεις αρκτικόλεξων. Αυτό βέβαια δε σημαίνει μια εύκολη δουλειά. Ο λόγος του Gaiman τείνει να βρίθει λογοπαιγνίων, απαρεμφάτων και αμετάβατων ρημάτων που στα ελληνικά γίνονται μεταβατικά και το αντίθετο. Όμως ο Γρίβας τελικά παρουσιάζει μια στρωτή και προσεγμένη δουλειά.
Όσον αφορά το σχέδιο, ο Romita είχε δύσκολο έργο, καθώς είχε να συνδυάσει δύο φαινομενικά αντιθετικές κατευθύνσεις. Από τη μία τη larger than life, επική και ψυχεδελική κληρονομια του Kirby, η οποία είναι ξεκάθαρα δείγμα της εποχής της. Από την άλλη το λεπτό, παιχνιδιάρικα ανθρωπιστικό και εσωτερικευμένο σενάριο για το οποίο ο Gaiman φημίζεται. Με λίγα λόγια, ο Romita έπρεπε να σχεδιάσει κάτι που να βγάζει την ατμόσφαιρα ενός διαστρικού χαμόγελου του Cheshire Cat, στην προσγειωμένη, χωρίς υπερβολές ατμόσφαιρα ενός μοντέρνου comic. Kαι εν πολλοίς, το κατάφερε.
Οι κυρτές, στρογγυλεμένες γραμμές από τη μία ελέγχουν το περίγραμμα των χαρακτήρων στην ανθρώπινη της υπόσταση από την άλλη όμως χάνονται και αποσταθεροποιούνται όσο περισσότερο οι Eternals πλησιάζουν περισσότερο την σχεδόν θεική κληρονομιά και φύση τους. Αυτή η διμέτωπη σχεδόν φύση του σχεδίου ενισχύεται και από το πανέμορφο χρώμα του Μatt Hollingsworth (με τους Paul Mounts και Dean White σε συμπληρωματικούς ρόλους), όπου το καθαρό και έντομο χρώμα σταδιακά αποκτά πιο παστέλ αποχρώσεις, μέχρι που τελικά κυριαρχεί πλήρως σε μια έκρηξη φωτός. Το τελικό αποτέλεσμα ισορροπεί τέλεια μεταξύ δύναμης και ανθρωπιάς, διαστήματος εξωτερικού και εσωτερικού.
Το Eternals: Το Ξύπνημα των Θεών είναι μία από τις πολύ καλές δουλειές της Marvel, η οποία προσφέρεται πλέον ξανά και στο ελληνικό κοινό. Είτε η ταινία τους έρθει στην ώρα της είτε όχι, το έργο των Gaiman/ Romita Jr αξίζει μια θέση στη βιβλιοθήκη σας.
Γράφοντας στους ώμους γιγάντων
Ο Jack Kirby δε χρειάζεται συστάσεις στον χώρο των comics. Ακόμα και αν κάποιος δεν έχει δει την εμβληματική και επαναστατική δουλειά του σε πληθώρα υπερηρωικών χαρακτήρων (και όχι μόνο) ή τα καρέ που φιλοτέχνησε τα οποία στέκονται και από μόνα τους ως έργα Τέχνης, θα έχει ακούσει το όνομα του από άλλους καλλιτέχνες που τον βάζουν ως βασική του επιρροή και έμπνευση. Είναι, με λελογισμένη υπερβολή, ένας γίγαντας της 9ης Τέχνης.
Πώς θα μπορούσε λοιπόν κάποιος να πάρει ένα concept που δημιουργήθηκε από τον Kirby το 1976, άμεσα συνδεδεμένο με την διαστημική ψυχεδέλεια που διαπότιζε τόσο την pulp λογοτεχνία (άρα κατ’επέκταση και τα comics) και να το κάνει δικό του; Ή έστω κάτι άξιο όχι σύγκρισης, αλλά έστω αναφοράς στη συνέχεια των χαρακτήρων;
Αυτό είναι ένα πρόβλημα που αντιμετωπίζουν αρκετοί τίτλοι στα υπερηρωικά comics, ότι η ποιότητα (και η εσωτερική τους συνοχή) πάντα βασίζεται στο ταλέντο της εκάστοτε δημιουργικής ομάδας που τους διαχειρίζεται. Παραδείγματος χάρη o Spider-man όντως δημιουργήθηκε από τους Stan Lee και Steve Ditko όμως ελάχιστες από τις αρχικές ιστορίες αυτές θα βλέπατε σε μια λίστα με τις καλύτερες περιπέτειες του Αραχνάκια. Το πρόβλημα εδώ είναι οι Αιώνιοι είναι τόσο ανεξίτηλα σημαδεμένοι από τη μεγαλεπίβολη πληθωρική και μαξιμαλιστική αισθητική του Kirby που λίγοι θα μπορούσαν να τη διαχειριστούν.
Και πράγματι, η (σύντομη) παρουσία τους στο εκδοτικό rooster της Marvel σημαδεύτηκε με διαφορετικούς βαθμούς επιτυχίας, ωστόσο ελάχιστα απασχόλησε τις ερχόμενες δεκαετίες. Μέχρι τουλάχιστον τα μέσα των 00s, όπου στα comics , ειδικά τα υπερηρωικά, παρατηρήθηκε μια απότομη ανανέωση, και δημιουργήθηκαν πολλές ιστορίες που πλέον, 20 χρόνια αργότερα, θεωρούμε κλασσικές.
Στο πνεύμα αυτής της ανανέωσης, η Marvel εμπιστεύτηκε για ένα limited run τους Eternals ίσως στο πιο ταλαντούχο δίδυμο που θα μπορούσε. Το σενάριο ανέλαβε ο λαοφιλής βρετανός συγγραφέας Nel Gaiman ενώ το σχέδιο o βετεράνος John Romita Jr. Τα 7 τεύχη αυτής της limited σειράς έχουμε πλέον την ευκαιρία να τα ευχαριστηθούμε ξανα σε μία συνολική επανατυπωση, σε μετάφραση του Γιώργου Γρίβα, από τις εκδόσεις Anubis.
Σεναριακά, ο Gaiman ήξερε πως δεν έχει κανένα νόημα να προσπαθήσει να επεκτείνει ή να αλλάξει κάπως το κεντρικό concept του Kirby. Πράγματι μια φυλή θεϊκών σχεδόν όντων που φτιάχτηκε από εξωγήινες διάνοιες (που μοιάζουν με robot από τα 50s) φαινομενικά δεν έχει και πολλά περιθώρια εξέλιξης, ειδικά κάποια που μία από τις υπόλοιπες τέτοιες ομάδες που υπάρχουν στα comics (New Gods, Inhumans κα.) να μην έχε ήδη αναπτύξει. Τελικά όμως καταφέρνει να δώσει τη δική του προσωπική σφραγίδα σε έναν έργο δεκαετιών και τελικά να μπορεί κάποιος να υποστηρίξει ότι είναι ένας τίτλος οριακά προσωπικός.
Ο Gaiman το καταφέρνει αυτό δημιουργώντας σεναριακά όχι χαρακτήρες ολοκληρωμένους, αλλά δια τετμημένους σε πολλά κομμάτια, το καθένα από τα οποία παλεύει για την πρωτοκαθεδρία. Αναμνήσεις βιωμένες και καταπιεσμένες αναδύονται συνεχώς, υπερδυνάμεις κάνουν εντυπωσιακές αλλά σύντομες εμφανίσεις και, τελικά, οι προσωπικότητες των Εternals είναι ουσιαστικά ένα παλίμψηστο που χτίζεται όσο πιο πίσω (και μέσα ) αυτοί γυρνούν.
Παραδόξως, ο τόμος αυτός των 7 τευχών έχει πολύ λίγη δράση, ελάχιστες μάχες. Ακόμα και ο κίνδυνος της καταστροφής του κόσμου είναι μεν υπαρκτός αλλά συγκεχυμένος. Κάθε ομάδα διατρανώνει πως πρέπει να τον σταματήσει αλλά καμία δεν έχει εικόνα του πως ή του γιατί. Η ουσιαστική δράση είναι η ψυχολογική σύγκρουση των Eternals με την ανθρώπινη κατάσταση και τη θεική φύση που μετεωρίζονται μέσα τους. Πώς τις αποδέχονται, τις εξοβελίζουν ή συνδυάζουν. Aκόμα και ο μεσσιανισμός, μια συστηματική σεναριακή αδυναμία στο υπερηρωικό είδος αργεί να κάνει την σχεδόν αναπόφευκτη εμφάνιση της.
Βέβαια ο πυρήνας αυτός του σεναρίου ενισχύεται με συνωμοσίες, υπερηρωικές στιγμές και χιούμορ, κάνοντας τον τόμο ένα τρομερά ενδιαφέρον ανάγνωσμα από κάθε πλευρά.
Είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα αυτή η οπτική, καθώς μια φυλή με θεϊκή καταγωγή και αποστολή ως σεναριακό αντικείμενο θα μπορούσε πολύ εύκολα να ξεφύγει, ακόμα ίσως και σε κάποιο φασιστικό έκτροπο. Παραδείγματος χάρη, οι εχθροί των Eternals, οι Aλλόμορφοι (Deviants) «όπου ο καθένας είναι εντελώς διαφορετικός από τον άλλον» υπό το πιο σύγχρονο πρίσμα του αιτήματος της πολυπολιτισμικότητας και της διαφορετικότητας θα μπορούσαν να χρησιμοποιηθούν από ακραίες ομάδες ως σύμβολο μίσους. Ο Gaiman αποφεύγει ενδελεχώς αυτές τις κακοτοπιές, υπό οποιοδήποτε τρόπο και αν εξεταστεί το έργο. Αυτό βέβαια δεν αναιρεί τα παραδοσιακά πολιτικά κλισέ των δυτικών comics για ανατολική Ευρώπη κοκ.
Το ίδιο το σενάριο αποφεύγει πολλές υπερωηρωικές αναφορές ή ξύλινη γλώσσα. Έτσι, η μετάφραση του, πράγμα μόνιμα δύσκολο όπως έχουμε πει, γίνεται χωρίς αγκυλώματα και ηχοποιητικές κακοποιήσεις αρκτικόλεξων. Αυτό βέβαια δε σημαίνει μια εύκολη δουλειά. Ο λόγος του Gaiman τείνει να βρίθει λογοπαιγνίων, απαρεμφάτων και αμετάβατων ρημάτων που στα ελληνικά γίνονται μεταβατικά και το αντίθετο. Όμως ο Γρίβας τελικά παρουσιάζει μια στρωτή και προσεγμένη δουλειά.
Όσον αφορά το σχέδιο, ο Romita είχε δύσκολο έργο, καθώς είχε να συνδυάσει δύο φαινομενικά αντιθετικές κατευθύνσεις. Από τη μία τη larger than life, επική και ψυχεδελική κληρονομια του Kirby, η οποία είναι ξεκάθαρα δείγμα της εποχής της. Από την άλλη το λεπτό, παιχνιδιάρικα ανθρωπιστικό και εσωτερικευμένο σενάριο για το οποίο ο Gaiman φημίζεται. Με λίγα λόγια, ο Romita έπρεπε να σχεδιάσει κάτι που να βγάζει την ατμόσφαιρα ενός διαστρικού χαμόγελου του Cheshire Cat, στην προσγειωμένη, χωρίς υπερβολές ατμόσφαιρα ενός μοντέρνου comic. Kαι εν πολλοίς, το κατάφερε.
Οι κυρτές, στρογγυλεμένες γραμμές από τη μία ελέγχουν το περίγραμμα των χαρακτήρων στην ανθρώπινη της υπόσταση από την άλλη όμως χάνονται και αποσταθεροποιούνται όσο περισσότερο οι Eternals πλησιάζουν περισσότερο την σχεδόν θεική κληρονομιά και φύση τους. Αυτή η διμέτωπη σχεδόν φύση του σχεδίου ενισχύεται και από το πανέμορφο χρώμα του Μatt Hollingsworth (με τους Paul Mounts και Dean White σε συμπληρωματικούς ρόλους), όπου το καθαρό και έντομο χρώμα σταδιακά αποκτά πιο παστέλ αποχρώσεις, μέχρι που τελικά κυριαρχεί πλήρως σε μια έκρηξη φωτός. Το τελικό αποτέλεσμα ισορροπεί τέλεια μεταξύ δύναμης και ανθρωπιάς, διαστήματος εξωτερικού και εσωτερικού.
Το Eternals: Το Ξύπνημα των Θεών είναι μία από τις πολύ καλές δουλειές της Marvel, η οποία προσφέρεται πλέον ξανά και στο ελληνικό κοινό. Είτε η ταινία τους έρθει στην ώρα της είτε όχι, το έργο των Gaiman/ Romita Jr αξίζει μια θέση στη βιβλιοθήκη σας.
November 5, 2021
This was an OK book. The Eternals are living as humans, not remembering who they are. One of them has “awakened� and is trying to do the same to everyone else. We eventually find out who was behind doing this to the Eternals. We also find out about a bigger threat in the Dreaming Celestial that’s been contained in the earth. Someone is trying to wake him up. This is from Kirby’s run. Pretty cool if Gaiman to use this. I believe this is what Jason Aaron was pulling from for his first arc on his Avengers run. Anyway, this wasn’t great yet wasn’t trash either. Decent.
December 13, 2019
I expected something different from a Gaiman Marvel comic which... this is not quite as different as I hoped.
What’s it about?
Basically this doctor is told that he’s a million year old god-like being and thinks the guy that told him is nuts. Then the doctor guy and other people have weird shit start happening to them so yeah, y’all probably know how this storyline goes.
Pros:
The story is an interesting little sci-fi superhero tale.
The artwork has a nice look to it. Sorta like a more modern rendition of older superhero comic art and I like that.
The action scenes are pretty cool exciting superhero action!
Aside from the basic part of the plot I described earlier in the review this isn’t too predictable and some of the twists definitely surprised me!
Cons:
The dialogue is kinda iffy. I probably should have expected this because while I haven’t read piles of Gaiman, what I have read of his has dialogue issues (part of why I quit reading Sandman actually) and Eternals is further proof that his dialogue doesn’t work for me.
So even as someone who usually lets quite a bit go for the sake of a fun story that’s obviously unrealistic (especially when reading about superheroes) I can’t help but be annoyed by some plot holes, especially one in particular.
The ending is kinda lame and underwhelming.
Mixed thoughts:
The characters. Some seemed interesting, some seemed boring.
Overall:
For a decent superhero comic this ain’t bad but if you’re looking for something particularly groundbreaking it ain’t here. It’s a superhero comic, that’s it. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, I enjoy a fun superhero story and kinda enjoyed this but it’s definitely flawed and I can’t find a reason to particularly recommend this more than I’d recommend other average superhero adventures.
3/5
What’s it about?
Basically this doctor is told that he’s a million year old god-like being and thinks the guy that told him is nuts. Then the doctor guy and other people have weird shit start happening to them so yeah, y’all probably know how this storyline goes.
Pros:
The story is an interesting little sci-fi superhero tale.
The artwork has a nice look to it. Sorta like a more modern rendition of older superhero comic art and I like that.
The action scenes are pretty cool exciting superhero action!
Aside from the basic part of the plot I described earlier in the review this isn’t too predictable and some of the twists definitely surprised me!
Cons:
The dialogue is kinda iffy. I probably should have expected this because while I haven’t read piles of Gaiman, what I have read of his has dialogue issues (part of why I quit reading Sandman actually) and Eternals is further proof that his dialogue doesn’t work for me.
So even as someone who usually lets quite a bit go for the sake of a fun story that’s obviously unrealistic (especially when reading about superheroes) I can’t help but be annoyed by some plot holes, especially one in particular.
The ending is kinda lame and underwhelming.
Mixed thoughts:
The characters. Some seemed interesting, some seemed boring.
Overall:
For a decent superhero comic this ain’t bad but if you’re looking for something particularly groundbreaking it ain’t here. It’s a superhero comic, that’s it. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, I enjoy a fun superhero story and kinda enjoyed this but it’s definitely flawed and I can’t find a reason to particularly recommend this more than I’d recommend other average superhero adventures.
3/5
April 19, 2020
3.5 stars
I greatly enjoyed the start of this series. I really liked Mark Curry as a character. I felt like I really understood his voice and I loved watching him interact with Ikaris, a believer, because Mark was pretty sure Ikaris was crazy. I love when the strong believers interact with the doubters and try to get them to believe in the impossible. I wish there was even more of that in this series.
Around issue 3 or 4, Ikaris and Makkari are separated and it becomes a weird, slightly confusing series where they both are caught up in Celestial plots with entirely new characters. In the end, the Druig thing didn't really seem to come to anything. I found Sersi to be the least interesting of all the characters. At least in terms of how shallow it felt. I didn't really get anything worthwhile from Sersi here.
I really liked Thena. She's an interesting character. Brings me to my next point:
While I love Iron Man, I'm not entirely sure why Tony was in this series so much? Was Gaiman forced to discuss Civil War and Registration? Every time he was here, if felt like the vibe changed? It seemed so unnecessary and that's why I think he wasn't part of the original plot? I feel like everything went sideways when Iron Man popped in and started talking about how everyone had to register.
Anyway, I think the first half is pretty strong but I kind of lost interest towards the end there. I'm looking forward to seeing if this is the storyline that get's adapted. I suspect it will be considering it has such an easy set up for how to start the film with these characters not knowing they have abilities. ,
Then again, I thought Fraction's Hawkeye run was the perfect set up for where to go with Clint Barton's character after 2012 Avengers and we all know how well that worked out.
I greatly enjoyed the start of this series. I really liked Mark Curry as a character. I felt like I really understood his voice and I loved watching him interact with Ikaris, a believer, because Mark was pretty sure Ikaris was crazy. I love when the strong believers interact with the doubters and try to get them to believe in the impossible. I wish there was even more of that in this series.
Around issue 3 or 4, Ikaris and Makkari are separated and it becomes a weird, slightly confusing series where they both are caught up in Celestial plots with entirely new characters. In the end, the Druig thing didn't really seem to come to anything. I found Sersi to be the least interesting of all the characters. At least in terms of how shallow it felt. I didn't really get anything worthwhile from Sersi here.
I really liked Thena. She's an interesting character. Brings me to my next point:
While I love Iron Man, I'm not entirely sure why Tony was in this series so much? Was Gaiman forced to discuss Civil War and Registration? Every time he was here, if felt like the vibe changed? It seemed so unnecessary and that's why I think he wasn't part of the original plot? I feel like everything went sideways when Iron Man popped in and started talking about how everyone had to register.
Anyway, I think the first half is pretty strong but I kind of lost interest towards the end there. I'm looking forward to seeing if this is the storyline that get's adapted. I suspect it will be considering it has such an easy set up for how to start the film with these characters not knowing they have abilities. ,
Then again, I thought Fraction's Hawkeye run was the perfect set up for where to go with Clint Barton's character after 2012 Avengers and we all know how well that worked out.
May 25, 2020
The end is just the beginning....
I'm not really sure how I feel about this one. I want to say it was good but you don't get a whole lot of information to go off of. There's a giant celestial that's stating to wake up again. He's the worst of the worst because he may have wanted to help the life forms that the other celestials were eating. Now he's back and he is going to destroy everything! Maybe, he hasn't decided yet. The only ones who can stop him are the Eternals! But they can't actually hurt the celestial since it made them...
I love Gaiman but he has no idea how to write violent conflict. It's always talked out or just like "scared" away (or in this case, MIND CONTROL). I also feel like already knowing the Eternals will make a huge difference. By the time they explain what's going on in the book there's no room to let the characters grow or even show off their ablitites. Really, the story feels like it ends in the middle of an event. I was pretty excited to learn about Sersi. There were a few panels were she was looking at the reader and for a second I thought it was gonna get a bit meta like the invisables but didn't. Or maybe I missed it. She didn't even help anyways!
Art is great! I did enjoy sprites part in all this. But I dont know if I can recommend this to someone without knowing how this story ends. Maybe there's a book that comes directly after it. But if it's not by Gaiman then what's the point??
Also, does anyone know what happens with Druig just taking over a country?? Is iron man not going to step in??
I'm not really sure how I feel about this one. I want to say it was good but you don't get a whole lot of information to go off of. There's a giant celestial that's stating to wake up again. He's the worst of the worst because he may have wanted to help the life forms that the other celestials were eating. Now he's back and he is going to destroy everything! Maybe, he hasn't decided yet. The only ones who can stop him are the Eternals! But they can't actually hurt the celestial since it made them...
I love Gaiman but he has no idea how to write violent conflict. It's always talked out or just like "scared" away (or in this case, MIND CONTROL). I also feel like already knowing the Eternals will make a huge difference. By the time they explain what's going on in the book there's no room to let the characters grow or even show off their ablitites. Really, the story feels like it ends in the middle of an event. I was pretty excited to learn about Sersi. There were a few panels were she was looking at the reader and for a second I thought it was gonna get a bit meta like the invisables but didn't. Or maybe I missed it. She didn't even help anyways!
Art is great! I did enjoy sprites part in all this. But I dont know if I can recommend this to someone without knowing how this story ends. Maybe there's a book that comes directly after it. But if it's not by Gaiman then what's the point??
Also, does anyone know what happens with Druig just taking over a country?? Is iron man not going to step in??
April 20, 2010
This collection is Neil Gaiman's attempt to do a soft reboot on Kirby's Eternals concept from the 1970s, and for the most part it works. Kirby was great at putting forward these grand, madcap sorts of ideas, like alien gods who created not only human civilization*, but who also genetically engineered a race of super-powered humans who would protect the Earth (but from what?! FROM WHAT?!) and inspire many of our myths about the gods. Gaiman, on the other hand, is an absolute master of taking grand mythological ideas and bringing them down to the level of the individual. It's a good mix of strengths, and makes for an enjoyable read.
The main problem I had with this volume is that there's only the one - it reads like a set up and introduction to the characters, with a fairly straightforward "the world is in peril" plot, and then it ends. Not just the volume, but the series - why bother spending all this time re-introducing characters if you're not going to do anything further with them? The art can be kind of ugly at times as well - JRJR's great at Kirbyesque landscapes and giant Celestials, but his people all look stilted and unattractive. The Eternals should be more magnificent to look at.
*which, as the introduction of the book states, was a belief put forward by Erich von Daniken shortly before Eternals was first published.
The main problem I had with this volume is that there's only the one - it reads like a set up and introduction to the characters, with a fairly straightforward "the world is in peril" plot, and then it ends. Not just the volume, but the series - why bother spending all this time re-introducing characters if you're not going to do anything further with them? The art can be kind of ugly at times as well - JRJR's great at Kirbyesque landscapes and giant Celestials, but his people all look stilted and unattractive. The Eternals should be more magnificent to look at.
*which, as the introduction of the book states, was a belief put forward by Erich von Daniken shortly before Eternals was first published.
November 10, 2021
Brilliant, and yet I felt like it was a bit too much for insiders- fans of the original. Also that it was all prologue for a greater adventure. Loved the art, the way they updated the characters, and as always the writing was fantastic.
Reread 2021: Picked this up to reread because I couldn't remember much of it, and I thought that perhaps some of the storyline was going to be used in the movie. Loved the movie. Nothing from this was used in the movie, but I had forgotten how sad and poignant the ending is.
Reread 2021: Picked this up to reread because I couldn't remember much of it, and I thought that perhaps some of the storyline was going to be used in the movie. Loved the movie. Nothing from this was used in the movie, but I had forgotten how sad and poignant the ending is.
February 7, 2022
More of a 3.5, but we're rounding up.
When a seemingly unconnected set of civilians begin to exhibit strange powers, it soon comes to light that there's more to them than meets the eye. The only one of them who has any clue what's going on, escaped mental patient Ike Harris, soon disappears, leaving paramedic Mike Cary, party planner Sersi, Vice Prime Minister Druig, weapons designer Thena Eliot, and teen idol Sprite to get to the bottom of the biggest question they're ever going to face - who or what are the Eternals?
This was fun. I've not read a huge amount of Eternals comics, mainly because there really aren't that many anyway, but this wasn't bad. The overall mystery of the book has some funky twists and turns that I didn't see coming, but having read this I can see where the inspiration for the movie version came from - it's easy to draw lines from some plot stuff here to the characters' big screen debut.
The main problem feels like the pacing of it all. The first five or six issues deal with the big problem and the big reveal, but that all gets wrapped up SUPER quickly during issue 6, leaving the final issue to try and resolve the remaining problem (that I hadn't realised was even a problem, really), and then introduce a hook for the next story arc (which isn't even written by Gaiman). I think maybe one less issue and a more satisfying conclusion might have been in order.
This is also technically a Civil War tie-in, but aside from Iron Man and Yellowjacket showing up a few times and a couple of mentions of Sersi registering, it'd be easy for this to not be part of the Marvel Universe at all, to be honest. Little to no background reading required.
Romita Jr.'s art is as good as I've ever seen it. This is classic JRJr, rather than his more modern rush jobs, and it sings. He's still not going to be for everyone, but his big blocky hands and iconic flying poses are always going to hit the nostalgia buttons for me.
The Eternals return to the Marvel Universe is a little lacklustre in places, but it's a compelling (if incomplete) story that showcases the characters in some interesting ways and looks good doing it. It feels a little tame for a Neil Gaiman book, if anything, and has some issues with wrapping itself up, but it's not a bad introduction to the characters if this is where you choose to start.
When a seemingly unconnected set of civilians begin to exhibit strange powers, it soon comes to light that there's more to them than meets the eye. The only one of them who has any clue what's going on, escaped mental patient Ike Harris, soon disappears, leaving paramedic Mike Cary, party planner Sersi, Vice Prime Minister Druig, weapons designer Thena Eliot, and teen idol Sprite to get to the bottom of the biggest question they're ever going to face - who or what are the Eternals?
This was fun. I've not read a huge amount of Eternals comics, mainly because there really aren't that many anyway, but this wasn't bad. The overall mystery of the book has some funky twists and turns that I didn't see coming, but having read this I can see where the inspiration for the movie version came from - it's easy to draw lines from some plot stuff here to the characters' big screen debut.
The main problem feels like the pacing of it all. The first five or six issues deal with the big problem and the big reveal, but that all gets wrapped up SUPER quickly during issue 6, leaving the final issue to try and resolve the remaining problem (that I hadn't realised was even a problem, really), and then introduce a hook for the next story arc (which isn't even written by Gaiman). I think maybe one less issue and a more satisfying conclusion might have been in order.
This is also technically a Civil War tie-in, but aside from Iron Man and Yellowjacket showing up a few times and a couple of mentions of Sersi registering, it'd be easy for this to not be part of the Marvel Universe at all, to be honest. Little to no background reading required.
Romita Jr.'s art is as good as I've ever seen it. This is classic JRJr, rather than his more modern rush jobs, and it sings. He's still not going to be for everyone, but his big blocky hands and iconic flying poses are always going to hit the nostalgia buttons for me.
The Eternals return to the Marvel Universe is a little lacklustre in places, but it's a compelling (if incomplete) story that showcases the characters in some interesting ways and looks good doing it. It feels a little tame for a Neil Gaiman book, if anything, and has some issues with wrapping itself up, but it's not a bad introduction to the characters if this is where you choose to start.
January 10, 2022
Really fantastic reimagining and connection to the original Eternals, coupled with an uneven and odd execution. Internal consistences issues are pretty apparent and it has a bit of a phoned in feel after about the halfway part. But it really does have some interesting ideas when it isn’t silly. I far prefer the movie version.
December 6, 2021
This was just the Introduction I needed. After watching the film, I needed more and this has satisfied me
March 5, 2022
Molto più bello dell'originale di Kirby sia per storia che per dialoghi che per personaggi e disegni.
Lo stile di Gaiman si è ben adattato alla filosofia Marvel, ma quel pizzico di DC comics si nota e in bene :)
Romita è sempre ottimo senza essere mai "artistico" o "banale", ma sempre molto efficace.
Lo stile di Gaiman si è ben adattato alla filosofia Marvel, ma quel pizzico di DC comics si nota e in bene :)
Romita è sempre ottimo senza essere mai "artistico" o "banale", ma sempre molto efficace.
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