By Keigen Rea — Eternals Vol. 1 - Only Death is Eternal is a book I’m of two minds about.

On one mind, it is one of the better musings on the general philosophy of superheroes in recent memory. It’s a book that dissects ideas of heroic sacrifice and the actual cost of it. It is interested in heroes having a fixed, rigid, personality, and both the benefits and drawbacks. Multiple characters embody both of those ideas throughout the arc, and intersect with them in interesting and exciting ways, with the last issue putting emphasis on both themes in a great way, where the Eternals are seemingly going to be forced to confront their individual identities: to “evolve or die.”

This is especially indemnified well by both Ikaris and Sersi, in opposite ways. Ikaris, the simple of the two, has one essential function; heroism. He is designed to be a perfect hero, to save, to do what is impossible, to sacrifice himself for humanity, all of which he does. His story throughout the issues is probably my favorite, where his willingness to sacrifice himself is held as the standard, until we learn that the cost of his life isn’t his own, and his unyielding heroism “breaks,” revealing a hero who needs, and wants, to change.

Sersi, on the other hand, is “complicated,” and delightfully so. The sixth issue’s reveal puts her complexity on full display in a way that also,uncovers it’s own simplicity, that of cynicism. There are still depths to her character that have not yet been uncovered, and I am excited to see them, but the simplicity of her, and really the whole casts, character is one of the finest tricks the series pulls, and lays the groundwork for the future of the series beautifully.

All of the above is wonderful, and it is at the very core of the series as it is, in such a way that there’s really no way I can ignore it or minimalist it. While that part of the book is absolutely worthwhile, this opening arc focuses on what I can say, as a professional hobbyist, is boring as all hell; a murder mystery. 

Now, I don't dislike murder mysteries in general, and I even like a few, but my opinion of this one in particular is very low. On the first read, it was just boring, though it definitely gave the series some propulsion, and it gave Ribić a place to really shine, but on the reread, I think it fared much worse. It largely felt like a distraction, a way to trick the reader into not seeing the magic trick that would be completed with the sixth issue reveals. The reveals are great, to be fair, but the murder mystery feels more like it delayed them than anything else, and it feels like a missed opportunity.

In a lot of ways, this book was pitched, and talked about, as if it were a new HoXPoX, or at least of that vein, what with its A-list creative team, data pages, and revitalization of a team. For me though, it feels like so much of what this book is still feels trapped in what superhero comics are, and what I don’t need from them. At six monthly (sort of) issues, the murder mystery just feels like a way to pad out the arc, and to give the series and easy excuse to break out in punching. One one hand, that itself could be viewed as a critique of superhero comics, pointing to the fruitlessness of both the Eternals' struggle and the writer’s, “how can we become something different when we are forced into the same patterns?”

And as mentioned above, those fights give Ribić plenty of room to wow, with the fights getting as big as time itself, and as intimate as a quickly spreading fungal farm across Thanos. He got to flex every artistic muscle he had to bring the most epic and bold artistic choices to the page (uh, screen). 

But, why does any of the above matter if I’m bored? If it takes me sitting here explaining the book for me to like it, did I even like it? If I was bored in the moment, but entertained by the act of convincing myself that I liked it, does that make it good? 

Nah. I found those parts boring, and while it wasn’t for the duration of the comic, and I enjoyed much of it, it still had a real effect on my enjoyment of it. Which in itself complicates any kind of judgement I have on the book. 

Reading this title monthly was not something I enjoyed at all. The boring parts were hard to follow because I didn’t retain any of the info, and the reveal really only clicked for me because of the shock value. The reread was much better, whether that was because of the bulk reading or it being a second read is a different matter, but both almost certainly had an effect. Either way, I think I had more fun thinking about this comic than I actually had reading it, which is a problem for me. I’m excited to read future issues because the groundwork has been done, and I’ve a history of changing my mind on Gillen comics after the fifth issue or the fourth trade, so that could happen at any point, really. 

Still, as of right now, this isn’t a book I wholly love. It has great parts, and the sixth issue gives ample reason to continue reading, but it has some problems with pacing and structure that I hope get better with future issues. Overall, there are parts I loved, and parts that were boring. As a whole, the boring hurts the book more than the good, but I’m excited to see what comes next.

Eternals Vol. 1 - Only Death Is Eternal

Eternals Vol. 1 - Only Death Is Eternal
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Esad Ribić
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: VCs Clayton Cowles 
Publisher: Marvel Comics 
Price: $17.99 
Never die…never win. What’s the point of an eternal battle? For millions of years, one hundred Eternals have roamed the Earth, secret protectors of humanity. Without them, mankind would be smears between the teeth of the demon-like Deviants. Their war has waged for all time, echoing in our myths and nightmares. But today, the Eternals face something new: change! Can they — or anyone on Earth — survive their discovery? An Eternal has been murdered by one of their own, and this may not be the last such killing. But Sersi’s number one suspect is — Thena?! Plus, titans clash in a city driven mad, as Ikaris battles Thanos! From the thought-provoking minds of Kieron Gillen (YOUNG AVENGERS, UNCANNY X-MEN) and Esad Ribić (THOR: GOD OF THUNDER, SECRET WARS) comes a new vision of the classic Marvel mythology!  COLLECTING: Eternals (2021) 1-6
Release Date: September 2021
More Info: Eternals Vol. 1 - Only Death Is Eternal

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Keigen Rea is wondering how it is only September. It isn’t even Fall. This is terrible.