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Eternals (1976) #1-19
The Eternals: The Complete Collection
Imagine a race of immortal beings possessed with seemingly limitless superhuman abilities. Once worshipped as gods, this fantastic group left Earth to explore the stars after warring with the Greek, Roman and Norse pantheons for supremacy over humankind. They are the Eternals, and they are just one part of a cosmic mythology. Their opposites - the Deviants - also secretly populate Earth, while the towering cosmic entities that created both - the Celestials - are fated to arrive and judge our planet. This is but the beginning of an epic cosmology of gods and men that sprang forth from the limitless imagination of Jack "King" Kirby, the co-creator of Captain America, the X-Men, the Avengers and more. Now, Kirby's ETERNALS epic is collected, complete, in this single volume.
COLLECTING: THE ETERNALS (1976) 1-19 & ANNUAL (1977) 1
COLLECTING: THE ETERNALS (1976) 1-19 & ANNUAL (1977) 1
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
148 people are currently reading
430 people want to read
About the author
Jack Kirby
2,802 books473 followersJack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg) was one of the most influential, recognizable, and prolific artists in American comic books, and the co-creator of such enduring characters and popular culture icons as the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, Captain America, and hundreds of others stretching back to the earliest days of the medium. He was also a comic book writer and editor. His most common nickname is "The King."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
December 22, 2023
Makes me wonder why they did an Eternals movie (I haven't seen it yet) or why Marvel would try to shoehorn this into the Marvel universe. I'm interested in reading some other Eternals comics to see.
This starts off strong! Kirby introduces the Deviants and Eternals, two other human-like species that have been around since biblical times. Plus the space gods - huge celestial beings similar to Galactus. The Deviants try to provoke humanity into a war with the Celestials.
But as the comic goes on, the focus turns more to just typical superhero stuff. The longest story here is actually one with our Eternals fighting a robotic Hulk. Doesn't really make much sense. The only other Marvel tie-ins are a trio of SHIELD agents who get destroyed by a Celestial and a goofy reference to The Thing.
I like Kirby's approach to storytelling here. It's told in vignettes with the focus each issue being spread between 3 or 4 different characters and scenes.
Some fantastic artwork throughout. I was lucky to have the original comics on hand because I think the original print is superior to the glossy reprints you usually find.
This starts off strong! Kirby introduces the Deviants and Eternals, two other human-like species that have been around since biblical times. Plus the space gods - huge celestial beings similar to Galactus. The Deviants try to provoke humanity into a war with the Celestials.
But as the comic goes on, the focus turns more to just typical superhero stuff. The longest story here is actually one with our Eternals fighting a robotic Hulk. Doesn't really make much sense. The only other Marvel tie-ins are a trio of SHIELD agents who get destroyed by a Celestial and a goofy reference to The Thing.
I like Kirby's approach to storytelling here. It's told in vignettes with the focus each issue being spread between 3 or 4 different characters and scenes.
Some fantastic artwork throughout. I was lucky to have the original comics on hand because I think the original print is superior to the glossy reprints you usually find.
June 28, 2021
Collecting all of Kirby's Eternals, i.e. #1–19 and Annual #1, this volume provides another glimpse into the mind of a master storyteller in the medium of comics.
Chronologically appearing in Kirby's bibliography when he returned to Marvel (after the highly productive stint at DC which gave us Kamandi, O.M.A.C., The Demon and the entire Fourth World saga and mythos), it is hard not to see certain similarities between The Eternals and Kirby's Fourth World creations. In fact, in many ways (given the cosmic themes) the former reads a bit like Fourth World light. But that in itself is not a strong critique of the work. It is nevertheless Kirby and even on one of his lesser days Kirby outdrew and out-created many if not most other comics artists.
And it's a fun read.
Also, while there are clear similarities there are also differences. Fourth World was set up in a manner that made it easily separated from the DC Universe whilst simultaneously being easily integrated. The Eternals on the other hand wasn't created as a part of the Marvel Universe. There are three occasions when the Marvel Universe intrude (I say "intrude" as all of these occasions apparently where prompted by Marvel editors and pretty much not what Kirby himself wanted) and on all three occasion the intrusion is superficial in some manner.
First there is Sersi turning the head of a guy into a copy of FF's the Thing in issue #6 (with the audience referencing both FF and the Thing).
Then there is the addition of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on the final page of that same issue, who then reappear and play a more prominent part in the following issue. But prominent or not, they are basically S.H.I.E.L.D. agents pretty much in name only. They are no agents I've encountered elsewhere and their purpose is more governmental agency agents and humans than very specifically S.H.I.E.L.D. (in terms of how the plot is handled).
Finally there is the three issues appearance by the Hulk (#14–16), which of course isn't the Hulk at all but robot made at a university (intended to be a mascot) and then accidentally infused with cosmic energy. Reading the surrounding commentary by the characters even suggests that the Hulk is a fictional Marvel character to the people involved in a story, rather than an existing creature. Clearly there are ways to go around that, but it seems to me to strongly suggest Kirby's opinion that he wasn't telling these stories inside of the Marvel Universe.
And, having read through included textual histories of Marvel's integration of The Eternals mythos into the mainstream Marvel Universe also suggests that it might not have been the best idea. I will shortly be reading the two Thor TPBs entitled The Eternal Saga and maybe I will have cause to retract this statement after that, but regardless of some possibly interesting stories having been generated out of the integration, the universe Kirby suggests in this volume isn't really compatible with the Marvel Universe. And if the latter can extract some strength from the former it seems to do so at the expense of the former.
At any rate, not Kirby at his strongest (nor do I think it would be his weakest), but nevertheless a very enjoyable read.
Chronologically appearing in Kirby's bibliography when he returned to Marvel (after the highly productive stint at DC which gave us Kamandi, O.M.A.C., The Demon and the entire Fourth World saga and mythos), it is hard not to see certain similarities between The Eternals and Kirby's Fourth World creations. In fact, in many ways (given the cosmic themes) the former reads a bit like Fourth World light. But that in itself is not a strong critique of the work. It is nevertheless Kirby and even on one of his lesser days Kirby outdrew and out-created many if not most other comics artists.
And it's a fun read.
Also, while there are clear similarities there are also differences. Fourth World was set up in a manner that made it easily separated from the DC Universe whilst simultaneously being easily integrated. The Eternals on the other hand wasn't created as a part of the Marvel Universe. There are three occasions when the Marvel Universe intrude (I say "intrude" as all of these occasions apparently where prompted by Marvel editors and pretty much not what Kirby himself wanted) and on all three occasion the intrusion is superficial in some manner.
First there is Sersi turning the head of a guy into a copy of FF's the Thing in issue #6 (with the audience referencing both FF and the Thing).
Then there is the addition of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on the final page of that same issue, who then reappear and play a more prominent part in the following issue. But prominent or not, they are basically S.H.I.E.L.D. agents pretty much in name only. They are no agents I've encountered elsewhere and their purpose is more governmental agency agents and humans than very specifically S.H.I.E.L.D. (in terms of how the plot is handled).
Finally there is the three issues appearance by the Hulk (#14–16), which of course isn't the Hulk at all but robot made at a university (intended to be a mascot) and then accidentally infused with cosmic energy. Reading the surrounding commentary by the characters even suggests that the Hulk is a fictional Marvel character to the people involved in a story, rather than an existing creature. Clearly there are ways to go around that, but it seems to me to strongly suggest Kirby's opinion that he wasn't telling these stories inside of the Marvel Universe.
And, having read through included textual histories of Marvel's integration of The Eternals mythos into the mainstream Marvel Universe also suggests that it might not have been the best idea. I will shortly be reading the two Thor TPBs entitled The Eternal Saga and maybe I will have cause to retract this statement after that, but regardless of some possibly interesting stories having been generated out of the integration, the universe Kirby suggests in this volume isn't really compatible with the Marvel Universe. And if the latter can extract some strength from the former it seems to do so at the expense of the former.
At any rate, not Kirby at his strongest (nor do I think it would be his weakest), but nevertheless a very enjoyable read.
July 21, 2017
A fascinating run from Jack "King" Kirby. What I found most interesting was finally reading a thing that was purely Jack Kirby. While it really is impossible to know exactly who and how much influence each creator put into the final product, the strange/heady space concept vibe from FF is undoubtedly all over this book, making me re-think the "Lee-Kirby" team and their contributions to the FF.
Kirby is just...a great writer, in addition to being an amazing artist. There's a sense of rhythm to the book, like it knows where its going(for a while). Weird little twists every issue. Not every(see: almost every) sentence is followed by an exclamation point, giving the dialogue nuance when needed. His captions though are just incredible; the man has a way with words.
Jack Kirby tackles the origin of humanity and our obsession with the hero myth. It's pretty epic.
I think I enjoyed this book more than normal because of my surprise at Jack Kirby's prowess as a story-teller, it honestly caught me off guard. Plus the Celestials are just so cool; from concept to visual design, just so incredibly creative.
Now, even though I mentioned earlier that it feels like this series "knows where its going", there are still a lot of moments throughout the book that feel pretty meander-y: the "hulk" created by nerds in a college lab is the worst of it, especially as it takes up like five issues.
Also there's no real ending to it; there's two moments that do indeed feel like the closing of a chapter, but there's nothing that could truly be called and ending, as even the final caption reads
"The End...?"
A note on the Omnibus edition: I had always heard of this concept called "gutter loss", and I never really understood it until reading this book. This book won't stay open. It's almost a struggle every page to just read it. It's an older omnibus, so I can understand if they weren't as cognizant as they are now about that sort of thing, but yeah it's definitely there in this book.
Kirby is just...a great writer, in addition to being an amazing artist. There's a sense of rhythm to the book, like it knows where its going(for a while). Weird little twists every issue. Not every(see: almost every) sentence is followed by an exclamation point, giving the dialogue nuance when needed. His captions though are just incredible; the man has a way with words.
Jack Kirby tackles the origin of humanity and our obsession with the hero myth. It's pretty epic.
I think I enjoyed this book more than normal because of my surprise at Jack Kirby's prowess as a story-teller, it honestly caught me off guard. Plus the Celestials are just so cool; from concept to visual design, just so incredibly creative.
Now, even though I mentioned earlier that it feels like this series "knows where its going", there are still a lot of moments throughout the book that feel pretty meander-y: the "hulk" created by nerds in a college lab is the worst of it, especially as it takes up like five issues.
Also there's no real ending to it; there's two moments that do indeed feel like the closing of a chapter, but there's nothing that could truly be called and ending, as even the final caption reads
"The End...?"
A note on the Omnibus edition: I had always heard of this concept called "gutter loss", and I never really understood it until reading this book. This book won't stay open. It's almost a struggle every page to just read it. It's an older omnibus, so I can understand if they weren't as cognizant as they are now about that sort of thing, but yeah it's definitely there in this book.
March 20, 2019
Kirby tiene en este tomo páginas grandiosas. Los ruinas Incas del comienzo, los vistazos a los desviantes en Lemuria, cualquiera de las splash pages o las viñetas con los Celestiales haciendo cosas de Celestiales... Sin duda Los Eternos es el canto del cisne de El Rey entregado a la exaltación del superhéroe cósmico tal y como lo entendía. Esta grandeza mantiene la atención durante muchas páginas por encima de una serie de aventurillas que tampoco son gran cosa. Sin embargo cuando el hombre se queda sin historia que contar (más o menos a partir de la creación de la Unimente) y se arroja en superhéroes de "toa la via" (el anual, los tres tebeos de enfrentamiento con ese Hulk que no es Hulk), la colección se le derrumba lastimosamente.
March 25, 2008
I kinda think all Eternals series go wrong by focusing on Ikaris too much. He's pretty boring. More adventures of Ajak/Tecumotzin Hero of the Incas, or Kingo Sunen, Samurai Eternal, or even future Avenger The Forgotten One, would have rocked. Issue 7 "The Fourth Host" is pretty much this collection's shining star. "SHIELD wants solid fact, not old wives tales! Gods, Devils, or Space Giants -- This Tactical Nuclear Device will decide what they are!"
July 3, 2017
Here is what I remember of this time, late 1975 and into 1976. Kirby's first publications coming back to Marvel were 2001 A Space Odyssey (Marvel Treasury Special) and then Captain America. The Eternals didn't start until months later, towards late spring 1976. We were teased about it for months...and it seemed tantalizing! Those of us who loved New Gods from DC Comics had high hopes this was similar quality and scope. But when I finally got my hands on the first issue...I was a bit disappointed. It was far out, all right, but it didn't have the same punch as New Gods 1, which started off explaining the whole setup and the focusing on the main players in that conflict.
The Eternals 1 starts the story slowly. I think you could almost say The Eternals is an example of decompressed storytelling, or perhaps we could say it is Mosaic storytelling. There is a wide scope and the players / concepts are slowly unfolding, even though there is action and conflict. The guy we think is probably the star of this book, Ikaris, doesn't even get into costume until issue 3.
In order to appreciate The Eternals, you need to consider the influences at the time. There was a very popular paperback book titled Chariots of The Gods by Erich Von Daniken which put out a theory that extra terrestrials visited ancient mankind and influenced our development. This theory included various religious myths, saying that these events had been the work of aliens and not angels or spirits. To an uninformed person, science appears to be magic. Marvel Comics had published a 1975 Marvel Preview magazine which I wrote about earlier, Neal Adams and Alex Nino on Man-Gods From Beyond the Stars. In addition, Arthur C Clarke had a popular science fiction novel, Childhood's End, which was enjoying a new wave of popularity in paperback. In this story there were Overlords who would determine Earth's fate after a 50 year waiting period. Demons in this story were humanity's misrepresentation of another species. The Deviant Kro in The Eternals is pretty much using that Clarke idea.
With The Eternals, Kirby is trying to take these science fiction concepts along with his favorite theme, that the Gods (New Gods, Asgardians from Thor, etc) are actually alien beings with superior technology. The scope of the artwork in The Eternals may be on a grander scale than anything Kirby did before. The first issue brings the Celestials back to Earth in a massive spaceship. If you are young, reading this issue and hoping to see a hero like Thor or Orion, you were disappointed. That archetype never arrived in The Eternals 1. What did arrive are these massive alien beings, The Fourth Host, and they were only alluded to within the story. We learned the Celestials experimented on Apes to Uplift them through science; the Apes evolved into three races on Earth: The Eternals, the humans, and The Deviants.
Now here is one thing that was confusing back then. Kirby called The Celestials "Gods" but they weren't just ordinary Gods, they were Mega Overlord Gods. The ones who were going to decide the fate of mankind after 50 years. What would become our main cast of Eternal characters were Gods of Myth. Sersi was Circe, Thena was Athena, Makkari was Mercury, and so on. Kro was from the Deviant race, clearly the Devil when he sprouted horns. After a number of issues we got to meet this entire cast. We saw hints that nearly every religious pantheon was influenced by a member of The Eternals. I am sure Kirby must have seen the potential for this series to go 100 issues or more.
As a young person, I stopped reading The Eternals by issue 12 or so. This time around I read all 19 issues plus the first and only Annual. It was a lot of fun and clearly there is a pantheon of charactes here that could be mined for other series or movies. The story itself is flawed: there is no through line, no spine of action to drive you through the story as Orion does in the New Gods. Ikaris appears to be the main protagonist, he has a cool costume, but his personality is bland. If you compare Ikaris to Thor or Orion, he just doesn't measure up to those heroes. The character we briefly see in one issue, The Forgotten One (aka Gilgamesh), seems vastly more interesting than Ikaris. There is no overall compelling villain in the mode of Darkseid to propel The Eternals forward. Sersi, with her witty and wild personality, was the breakout character who went on to join The Avengers. I don't know any of the behind the scenes drama on this series, but I am curious now how Marvel editorial staff might have interfered or caused changes to be mind.
You can see my full review of The Eternals on my blog, fully illustrated with lots of nice photo scans: http://www.giantsizemarvel.com/2017/0...
The Eternals 1 starts the story slowly. I think you could almost say The Eternals is an example of decompressed storytelling, or perhaps we could say it is Mosaic storytelling. There is a wide scope and the players / concepts are slowly unfolding, even though there is action and conflict. The guy we think is probably the star of this book, Ikaris, doesn't even get into costume until issue 3.
In order to appreciate The Eternals, you need to consider the influences at the time. There was a very popular paperback book titled Chariots of The Gods by Erich Von Daniken which put out a theory that extra terrestrials visited ancient mankind and influenced our development. This theory included various religious myths, saying that these events had been the work of aliens and not angels or spirits. To an uninformed person, science appears to be magic. Marvel Comics had published a 1975 Marvel Preview magazine which I wrote about earlier, Neal Adams and Alex Nino on Man-Gods From Beyond the Stars. In addition, Arthur C Clarke had a popular science fiction novel, Childhood's End, which was enjoying a new wave of popularity in paperback. In this story there were Overlords who would determine Earth's fate after a 50 year waiting period. Demons in this story were humanity's misrepresentation of another species. The Deviant Kro in The Eternals is pretty much using that Clarke idea.
With The Eternals, Kirby is trying to take these science fiction concepts along with his favorite theme, that the Gods (New Gods, Asgardians from Thor, etc) are actually alien beings with superior technology. The scope of the artwork in The Eternals may be on a grander scale than anything Kirby did before. The first issue brings the Celestials back to Earth in a massive spaceship. If you are young, reading this issue and hoping to see a hero like Thor or Orion, you were disappointed. That archetype never arrived in The Eternals 1. What did arrive are these massive alien beings, The Fourth Host, and they were only alluded to within the story. We learned the Celestials experimented on Apes to Uplift them through science; the Apes evolved into three races on Earth: The Eternals, the humans, and The Deviants.
Now here is one thing that was confusing back then. Kirby called The Celestials "Gods" but they weren't just ordinary Gods, they were Mega Overlord Gods. The ones who were going to decide the fate of mankind after 50 years. What would become our main cast of Eternal characters were Gods of Myth. Sersi was Circe, Thena was Athena, Makkari was Mercury, and so on. Kro was from the Deviant race, clearly the Devil when he sprouted horns. After a number of issues we got to meet this entire cast. We saw hints that nearly every religious pantheon was influenced by a member of The Eternals. I am sure Kirby must have seen the potential for this series to go 100 issues or more.
As a young person, I stopped reading The Eternals by issue 12 or so. This time around I read all 19 issues plus the first and only Annual. It was a lot of fun and clearly there is a pantheon of charactes here that could be mined for other series or movies. The story itself is flawed: there is no through line, no spine of action to drive you through the story as Orion does in the New Gods. Ikaris appears to be the main protagonist, he has a cool costume, but his personality is bland. If you compare Ikaris to Thor or Orion, he just doesn't measure up to those heroes. The character we briefly see in one issue, The Forgotten One (aka Gilgamesh), seems vastly more interesting than Ikaris. There is no overall compelling villain in the mode of Darkseid to propel The Eternals forward. Sersi, with her witty and wild personality, was the breakout character who went on to join The Avengers. I don't know any of the behind the scenes drama on this series, but I am curious now how Marvel editorial staff might have interfered or caused changes to be mind.
You can see my full review of The Eternals on my blog, fully illustrated with lots of nice photo scans: http://www.giantsizemarvel.com/2017/0...
February 26, 2022
Non malaccio, purtroppo un'idea interessante risente troppo del passare degli anni sia nei testi che nei disegni.
Soprattutto i dialoghi e le didascalie impediscono di appassionarsi alla storia ed ai personaggi.
Soprattutto i dialoghi e le didascalie impediscono di appassionarsi alla storia ed ai personaggi.
October 19, 2021
Very good, impatient to see the movie!
February 18, 2021
This was an interesting premise upon which to build a spanning story. Sadly, along with the strengths of Kirby (brilliant design, art packed with power and emotional resonance), we get a nice helping of his weakness as a solo creator (in my personal opinion) and that’s a lack of focus. This leads to plot lines dangling (like the Reject) and writing that doesn’t live up to the plotting or overall look and feel of the comic.
Kirby was a genius, no two ways about it. I personally feel he worked better with an outside writer to harness his immense creative skills and provide focus and direction. This series is a good example of this, to my eye. Your mileage may vary.
Kirby was a genius, no two ways about it. I personally feel he worked better with an outside writer to harness his immense creative skills and provide focus and direction. This series is a good example of this, to my eye. Your mileage may vary.
March 21, 2024
So I'm one of those odd ones who likes the idea of the Eternals. I've only watched the movie and it left me unsatisfied, so I dug up this old one to see what Jack Kirby was thinking of. And this left me unsatisfied as well. Again, I like the idea behind Eternals and Jack Kirby made a better point about why they barely did anything when Earth was going through multiple wars even though it makes them seem like callous jerks, but the worst about it is that it's absolutely directionless. That's not completely Kirby's fault, the whole thing got cancelled 19 issues in, but even in those 19 issues there are a few that are useless (the Hulk plot especially - I get that they brought in someone popular to possibly generate some interest, but dear lord it was asinine).
But some parts are rather great. I loved everything about Thena and the deviants, even Reject. I was fascinated by the society - no one looks alike because of their gene anomaly, and they live in reasonable harmony (they do have their own version of gladiator games and probably slavery, but then it's hard to say that's because of their genes when the humans had/have it too). I initially found the colors (Glynnis Oliver) nausea inducing but it grew on me enough to enjoy the artwork as a whole. But Kirby's hand drawing game was so horrendous.
But some parts are rather great. I loved everything about Thena and the deviants, even Reject. I was fascinated by the society - no one looks alike because of their gene anomaly, and they live in reasonable harmony (they do have their own version of gladiator games and probably slavery, but then it's hard to say that's because of their genes when the humans had/have it too). I initially found the colors (Glynnis Oliver) nausea inducing but it grew on me enough to enjoy the artwork as a whole. But Kirby's hand drawing game was so horrendous.
August 6, 2020
With an Eternals movie pending, the time seemed right to explore Jack Kirby’s original 1976-1977 comic series. Fortunately, this 2006 “omnibus” volume sat in my unread stack.
The book contains the story pages of all 19 issues plus the double-sized 1977 annual. We also get some original letter column essays by Kirby (although no actual letters from readers.), two essays by Robert Greenberger on the Eternals’ history (both fictional and real) and an introduction by inker Mike Royer. Royer’s introduction needed better editing (There are several typos.), but otherwise, I have no complaints about the bonus material and feel that it supplements the stories nicely.
The book itself has a sturdy hardcover and is a little larger than your average comic book. The interior pages are of a strong, high quality, glossy paper, and the colors are bold and vibrant. Some fans prefer reprint volumes to more closely resemble the original newsprint paper and coloring, so if you’re among those, then you needn’t bother with this. Personally, I like the better paper and brighter coloring, and I find it especially apt for Kirby’s high energy storytelling. THE ETERNALS OMNIBUS looks good on my coffee table but is also a pleasure to read. Unfortunately, a $75 cover price comes with that quality, but copies may be available for less (I just checked Amazon, and one can currently obtain a copy there for $35.99.).
Now, we come to the stories themselves. How you feel about them largely depends on how you feel about Jack Kirby’s post-1970/post-Stan Lee material. Some love it, and some hate it, and regardless of which camp you’re in, THE ETERNALS will likely reinforce your opinion. If you dislike Kirby’s blocky artwork and find his writing and character work lacking, then you probably won’t deem ETERNALS an exception. If, on the other hand, you love his grand, cosmic ideas, colorful (if largely two dimensional) characters, dynamic, kinetic illustration and fast-paced storytelling, then you’ll be delighted to find those elements present.
This time, the grand cosmic ideas begin with giant “space gods” (Kirby also calls them “Celestials”) arriving on Earth. As it happens, it’s not their first visit. In prehistoric times, they evolved Earth apes into three species: the physically perfect, super powered and immortal Eternals; the genetically unstable Deviants, and the humans. All three continue to co-exist, although the first two have remained hidden from the latter. The space gods’ latest visit adds a complication, as the space gods are here for a fifty year “period of judgement.” What happens when that time is up, and judgement is rendered? It’s that very question that makes human, Eternal and Deviant alike quite nervous.
If you’re familiar with Kirby’s prior work, then you’ll note that he’s once again mining Erich von Daniken’s CHARIOT OF THE GODS? for inspiration. Von Daniken’s book is derided by serious archaeologists, but it makes good fantasy story fodder, and whether Kirby believes the premise or not (His biographer, Mark Evanier, claims that Kirby actually found it “unlikely”), he clearly enjoys playing with the possibilities. One recurring theme in ETERNALS is that those who react to the space gods out of fear tend to meet unfortunate ends, whereas more cautious individuals seeking knowledge fare better.
As always, Kirby creates a new mythology while also drawing on historical mythology. We’re told that ancient myths and legends were often based based on Eternals, Deviants and space gods. Eternals have names like “Makarri” (Romans called him “Mercury”), “Thena” (aka “Athena”), "Sersi" (aka “Circe”) and "Ikaris," while the Deviants live in the undersea kingdom of Lemuria. One would naturally expect the Deviants to be evil, and the Eternals to be heroes, but Kirby occasionally plays with those perceptions. A Deviant general named Kro loves the Eternal Thena and has a code of honor, even if his tacit endorsement of the Deviant genetic “purges” (as often, Kirby draws on World War II, Nazism and the Holocaust for depictions of evil) still mark Kro as essentially a villain. Elsewhere, two Deviants known as Karkas and the Reject act in contrast to their appearances, as the handsome, human-looking Reject proves savage and bloodthirsty, whereas the ugly, monstrous-looking Karkas is noble and kind. The Eternal Thena realizes that both need a more nurturing environment; yet, she, too, is not perfect and initially judges both by appearances.
Many fans at the time and today criticize Kirby’s two dimensional characterizations, but his ETERNALS characters are colorful and have strong potential. Kirby can certainly create great characters (The Marvel Universe stands as testament to THAT!), but it’s also true that the characters aren’t his main focus. Rather, Kirby’s work tends to be more story-driven and idea-driven. Fans, however, DO tend to focus on characters, and here, I suspect, is where Kirby’s latter-day “disconnect” with fans begins. To be fair, he doesn’t do himself many favors in ETERNALS by constantly shifting among his many characters, thus not giving readers sufficient time for attachments. It’s also true that dialogue isn’t his strong suit. That said, his characters are fun and generally well-defined, and there’s a reason that later writers continually returned to them. I’d also argue that his characters sometimes have more depth than fans appreciate (My own favorite Eternal, e.g., is Thena, who is both a warrior and a diplomat. Thena can also be nurturing - as evidenced by her humane treatment toward Karkas and the Reject...and practical - as evidenced by her insistence to the smitten Deviant Kro that any romance between the two can’t work.).
Kirby is as Kirby does, and fans love his post-1970 work or hate it. If you’re in one of those camps already, then ETERNALS won’t change your mind. If you haven’t quite made up that mind, however, then ETERNALS is a good place to begin. It’s among the man’s better solo works, and if it doesn’t grab you as it did me, then you might as well stop there. If, however, Kirby does capture your imagination, then you’ll be happy to know that there’s plenty more to discover.
The book contains the story pages of all 19 issues plus the double-sized 1977 annual. We also get some original letter column essays by Kirby (although no actual letters from readers.), two essays by Robert Greenberger on the Eternals’ history (both fictional and real) and an introduction by inker Mike Royer. Royer’s introduction needed better editing (There are several typos.), but otherwise, I have no complaints about the bonus material and feel that it supplements the stories nicely.
The book itself has a sturdy hardcover and is a little larger than your average comic book. The interior pages are of a strong, high quality, glossy paper, and the colors are bold and vibrant. Some fans prefer reprint volumes to more closely resemble the original newsprint paper and coloring, so if you’re among those, then you needn’t bother with this. Personally, I like the better paper and brighter coloring, and I find it especially apt for Kirby’s high energy storytelling. THE ETERNALS OMNIBUS looks good on my coffee table but is also a pleasure to read. Unfortunately, a $75 cover price comes with that quality, but copies may be available for less (I just checked Amazon, and one can currently obtain a copy there for $35.99.).
Now, we come to the stories themselves. How you feel about them largely depends on how you feel about Jack Kirby’s post-1970/post-Stan Lee material. Some love it, and some hate it, and regardless of which camp you’re in, THE ETERNALS will likely reinforce your opinion. If you dislike Kirby’s blocky artwork and find his writing and character work lacking, then you probably won’t deem ETERNALS an exception. If, on the other hand, you love his grand, cosmic ideas, colorful (if largely two dimensional) characters, dynamic, kinetic illustration and fast-paced storytelling, then you’ll be delighted to find those elements present.
This time, the grand cosmic ideas begin with giant “space gods” (Kirby also calls them “Celestials”) arriving on Earth. As it happens, it’s not their first visit. In prehistoric times, they evolved Earth apes into three species: the physically perfect, super powered and immortal Eternals; the genetically unstable Deviants, and the humans. All three continue to co-exist, although the first two have remained hidden from the latter. The space gods’ latest visit adds a complication, as the space gods are here for a fifty year “period of judgement.” What happens when that time is up, and judgement is rendered? It’s that very question that makes human, Eternal and Deviant alike quite nervous.
If you’re familiar with Kirby’s prior work, then you’ll note that he’s once again mining Erich von Daniken’s CHARIOT OF THE GODS? for inspiration. Von Daniken’s book is derided by serious archaeologists, but it makes good fantasy story fodder, and whether Kirby believes the premise or not (His biographer, Mark Evanier, claims that Kirby actually found it “unlikely”), he clearly enjoys playing with the possibilities. One recurring theme in ETERNALS is that those who react to the space gods out of fear tend to meet unfortunate ends, whereas more cautious individuals seeking knowledge fare better.
As always, Kirby creates a new mythology while also drawing on historical mythology. We’re told that ancient myths and legends were often based based on Eternals, Deviants and space gods. Eternals have names like “Makarri” (Romans called him “Mercury”), “Thena” (aka “Athena”), "Sersi" (aka “Circe”) and "Ikaris," while the Deviants live in the undersea kingdom of Lemuria. One would naturally expect the Deviants to be evil, and the Eternals to be heroes, but Kirby occasionally plays with those perceptions. A Deviant general named Kro loves the Eternal Thena and has a code of honor, even if his tacit endorsement of the Deviant genetic “purges” (as often, Kirby draws on World War II, Nazism and the Holocaust for depictions of evil) still mark Kro as essentially a villain. Elsewhere, two Deviants known as Karkas and the Reject act in contrast to their appearances, as the handsome, human-looking Reject proves savage and bloodthirsty, whereas the ugly, monstrous-looking Karkas is noble and kind. The Eternal Thena realizes that both need a more nurturing environment; yet, she, too, is not perfect and initially judges both by appearances.
Many fans at the time and today criticize Kirby’s two dimensional characterizations, but his ETERNALS characters are colorful and have strong potential. Kirby can certainly create great characters (The Marvel Universe stands as testament to THAT!), but it’s also true that the characters aren’t his main focus. Rather, Kirby’s work tends to be more story-driven and idea-driven. Fans, however, DO tend to focus on characters, and here, I suspect, is where Kirby’s latter-day “disconnect” with fans begins. To be fair, he doesn’t do himself many favors in ETERNALS by constantly shifting among his many characters, thus not giving readers sufficient time for attachments. It’s also true that dialogue isn’t his strong suit. That said, his characters are fun and generally well-defined, and there’s a reason that later writers continually returned to them. I’d also argue that his characters sometimes have more depth than fans appreciate (My own favorite Eternal, e.g., is Thena, who is both a warrior and a diplomat. Thena can also be nurturing - as evidenced by her humane treatment toward Karkas and the Reject...and practical - as evidenced by her insistence to the smitten Deviant Kro that any romance between the two can’t work.).
Kirby is as Kirby does, and fans love his post-1970 work or hate it. If you’re in one of those camps already, then ETERNALS won’t change your mind. If you haven’t quite made up that mind, however, then ETERNALS is a good place to begin. It’s among the man’s better solo works, and if it doesn’t grab you as it did me, then you might as well stop there. If, however, Kirby does capture your imagination, then you’ll be happy to know that there’s plenty more to discover.
November 5, 2021
Iconic
November 2, 2021
Kirby is still the King, but of all the things he created it is arguable that the Eternals under his pencil had the widest gulf in terms its promise and what it ended up being. The main problem is that it doesn’t ever feel like the series is going anywhere: the first several issues introducing the Celestials, Eternals, and Deviants are wild, but the imminent arrival of awe-inducing space gods is replaced by a distant and somewhat arbitrary period of judgment. The rest of Kirby’s run meanders, and while some threads are compelling (the Annual with the Reject and Karkas taking on various time-traveling threats is the high point), it fails to unify plot threads or otherwise indicate any larger plan, and unlike earlier Kirby co-creations his Eternals are just not that interesting on their own. That’s not to say it isn’t a fun read: the typical Kirby dynamism and melodrama are here, as well as some sarcastic humor. And it is interesting how he avoids any labels of white hats and black hats among the Eternals and Deviants, who have shared culture among their separate species but wide-ranging motivations and schemes among individuals. But ultimately this is a seeding for better stories later when other writers will take up the torch.
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December 4, 2021After seeing the MCU movie “Eternals”, and also reading Neil Gaiman’s 2006 miniseries, I was curious to go back and check out Jack Kirby’s original source material. I enjoyed (but did not love) the movie (it is definitely the biggest – in fact, to date, the only – clunker of a film in the MCU), and I found Gaiman’s take imaginative, and pretty to look at. What would I think of the Eternals’ very first appearance?
To be blunt: it mostly sucked. If you’re a Kirby art fan, it has that going for it, and the storyline was compelling enough to keep me reading, even through the fouls and errors of the collection as a whole.
The big problem was that the whole thing just looked and sounded really dated. Three big ways this is apparent pop immediately to mind:
• The writing was really clunky. Kirby wrote as if he was trying to sound serious and Shakespearean I think, but instead it just came off as really florid and over-the-top, the dialogue ridiculously purple and overdramatic.
• The costumes and hair on nearly every single character were laughable. And I don’t just mean in that goofy comic book way – I mean the questionable fashion choices that were bizarre by even late-1970s standards. I could never take Ikaris seriously because his hair was so completely ludicrous (overshadowing even his ludicrous dialogue).
• It was sexist AF. These supposedly more highly-evolved immortals still ordered all the females of the cast around (and yes, they referred to them as “females”), keeping them out of the bulk of the fighting due to their delicate feminine constitution or whatever claptrap reasoning.
There were other, minor issues, but those above were enough to make it a bit of a chore to slog through this series. Its main saving grace is that Kirby’s storytelling is always pretty riveting (although you should know that the plot of the MCU movie really has no parallels in this comic run).
Keep in mind that I am actually a genuine comics fan, so it’s not like I’m just unused to this form of storytelling. I’m not; this one was just… bad. (Marvel agreed; the Eternals never got another comic run until close to 10 years later, and never again under Jack Kirby’s authorship.)
To be blunt: it mostly sucked. If you’re a Kirby art fan, it has that going for it, and the storyline was compelling enough to keep me reading, even through the fouls and errors of the collection as a whole.
The big problem was that the whole thing just looked and sounded really dated. Three big ways this is apparent pop immediately to mind:
• The writing was really clunky. Kirby wrote as if he was trying to sound serious and Shakespearean I think, but instead it just came off as really florid and over-the-top, the dialogue ridiculously purple and overdramatic.
• The costumes and hair on nearly every single character were laughable. And I don’t just mean in that goofy comic book way – I mean the questionable fashion choices that were bizarre by even late-1970s standards. I could never take Ikaris seriously because his hair was so completely ludicrous (overshadowing even his ludicrous dialogue).
• It was sexist AF. These supposedly more highly-evolved immortals still ordered all the females of the cast around (and yes, they referred to them as “females”), keeping them out of the bulk of the fighting due to their delicate feminine constitution or whatever claptrap reasoning.
There were other, minor issues, but those above were enough to make it a bit of a chore to slog through this series. Its main saving grace is that Kirby’s storytelling is always pretty riveting (although you should know that the plot of the MCU movie really has no parallels in this comic run).
Keep in mind that I am actually a genuine comics fan, so it’s not like I’m just unused to this form of storytelling. I’m not; this one was just… bad. (Marvel agreed; the Eternals never got another comic run until close to 10 years later, and never again under Jack Kirby’s authorship.)
October 10, 2020
While i like Kirby's art and the creativity of his designs, i'm a bit torn with his writing/narrative. I like the story idea of the celestials and the different spieces they created. I like the Aztecs lore woven into the story, and all the mythological backgrounds. A lot of this is also enjoyable because they are used to create unique sci-fi art designs. Especially the celestials look great. I can see why later comic writers wanted them in the regular marvel comics.
Speaking of continuity, it's a bit weird for a marvel book not to be connected to the rest of the marvel universe. I did read a lot of 70s marvel comics lately, and i love how the characters trough most of the books are appearing in each others stories from time to time. I think that is the strength marvel had in this era, so i feel this book is a bit of a bad fit into that.
There is a problem i have with the Kirby stories as a whole. While they look nice, for me personally the issues are a bit of a slug to read trough, even in comparison with a lot of other 70s comics. I had the same problem with the Fourth World, but here it's somehow worse. Most adventures the main cast go trough i have trouble getting invested in, and the dialogue doesn't help. With the New Gods my focus always tightened when Darkseid showed up (which was surprisingly often), but this series misses this kind of excitement.
Since the celestials are so awesome, i do look forward to the mcu Eternals movie. But looking at this book i don't know how they will fit it into the mcu continuity. A lot must be rewritten for that to make sense.
Speaking of continuity, it's a bit weird for a marvel book not to be connected to the rest of the marvel universe. I did read a lot of 70s marvel comics lately, and i love how the characters trough most of the books are appearing in each others stories from time to time. I think that is the strength marvel had in this era, so i feel this book is a bit of a bad fit into that.
There is a problem i have with the Kirby stories as a whole. While they look nice, for me personally the issues are a bit of a slug to read trough, even in comparison with a lot of other 70s comics. I had the same problem with the Fourth World, but here it's somehow worse. Most adventures the main cast go trough i have trouble getting invested in, and the dialogue doesn't help. With the New Gods my focus always tightened when Darkseid showed up (which was surprisingly often), but this series misses this kind of excitement.
Since the celestials are so awesome, i do look forward to the mcu Eternals movie. But looking at this book i don't know how they will fit it into the mcu continuity. A lot must be rewritten for that to make sense.
November 15, 2021
Wasn’t a fan when the comics first came out and now, 40+ years later, I’m still not. Always preferred the less ‘fantastical’ Marvel stuff, but ahead of watching the film, I thought I’d give it another go. Can’t fault the art or ambitious scope, but elsewhere there are flaws, too many to list, though I will single out the repetitive Eternals can’t be killed dialogue and cosmically powered Hulk robot (which from the reprinted letters at the end of the book wasn’t a hit in 1977 either!).
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May 13, 2016It's weird; I would certainly agree that The Fourth World is the purest version of Kirby's vision, but the Eternals have THE CELESTIALS. 2001 is my favorite movie by a wide margin, so the idea that there are cosmic Kirby-eque slightly-anthropomorphized Monolith-esque beings is right up my alley. --MK.
November 11, 2021
In preparation for the upcoming Eternals movie, I decided to delve into the characters’ history and read the original comics.
Jack Kirby created a comic of big ideas that were executed in a mostly sloppy way. There is a lot for us to take in right from the start - and the world-changing revelations never really stop coming. We have to digest that in this world, the Inca gods from their wall reliefs are real, and they also kickstarted human revolution, and there are also two other races living on Earth next to us, namely the Eternals and the Deviants, who are somewhat superior, and lesser beings to humans, respectively. Also, these Eternals are the basis for all the mythological Greek characters (humans have just always been spelling their names wrong), and Deviants are responsible for all myths of demons and devils in the world. Also, the Biblical flood was real apparently, and the Eternals were there.
The revelations keep coming, but there is not a moment to sit down and digest any of it, because the comic always gets right into the action. Unfortunately it does so in a way that does not feel planned or plotted out in advance. The storytelling feels frantic. Things just kind of seem to happen for no reason, no sign of setup and payoff. I understand that this kind of sensationalist storytelling was common in 70s superhero comics, that mostly had monster-of-the-week format - but compare The Amazing Spider-Man that ran at the same time for effective storytelling in this setting.
The comic would do good to slow down every now and then - we barely even know our supposed main characters at the start, when it’s revealed that one of them is not even human, but an Eternal. But then we learn the Inca gods are real, and then, they immediately return, and then the other two characters get separated forever. Things keep happening in this fashion throughout the whole series, and it’s just hard to feel something. The storytelling feels more like a slog to get through, because so much always has to be happening.
To be clear, I am really fascinated by the ideas in this comic. That the characters who were the basis for most (all?) religious myths are still living among us and still have their own city of Olympia is very intriguing. As are the Space Gods. (the comic also really likes to say “Space Gods” a lot) Unfortunately Kirby doesn’t seem to know how to craft a good story around them. As the characters break up into smaller groups, more storylines keep running parallel, that never really seem to go anywhere. The first part of the series seems to deal with the world-changing event of the Eternals revealing themselves and the whole true history to humanity, but this just kind of peters out and is not explored as much as would be desirable.
Jack Kirby’s artwork in this is also notably much weaker than I expected. I’ve been reading the early issues of Fantastic Four lately, and those are much more pleasant to look at. The angles and framing are much clearer, the action is defined and focused, and the colors are soft and not overbearing. In this comic though, the artwork feels as frantic and crammed as the story. The angles feel consistently off, with the geography of the scene being very unclear, the characters awkwardly posed, and the camera being too close most of the time. By modern sensibilities, this looks much more like beginner artwork. The colours are also insanely over-the-top, which must be a late 70s-thing, but it’s mostly distracting, and you’re not sure what to focus on.
Also, it has to be noted just how much this series seems to take place in its own universe, as opposed to being part of the larger Marvel comics universe. It makes a bunch of references to other Marvel characters, that all seem pretty forced - culminating in the creation of a cosmic-energy-powered Hulk-robot - but no explanation whatsoever why nobody else is showing up in a time of arguably the biggest revelation for humanity. At least a mention of the Avengers being busy in Space or something would have been nice. As it is, it feels more like in this universe, Marvel characters just exist in comics, like in ours. But maybe all this is on purpose, I’m not sure.
Ultimately, I’m looking forward to reading more adaptations of these concepts, which hopefully make more use of them. I’ll give this probably like a 5/10 more for a its big ideas.
Jack Kirby created a comic of big ideas that were executed in a mostly sloppy way. There is a lot for us to take in right from the start - and the world-changing revelations never really stop coming. We have to digest that in this world, the Inca gods from their wall reliefs are real, and they also kickstarted human revolution, and there are also two other races living on Earth next to us, namely the Eternals and the Deviants, who are somewhat superior, and lesser beings to humans, respectively. Also, these Eternals are the basis for all the mythological Greek characters (humans have just always been spelling their names wrong), and Deviants are responsible for all myths of demons and devils in the world. Also, the Biblical flood was real apparently, and the Eternals were there.
The revelations keep coming, but there is not a moment to sit down and digest any of it, because the comic always gets right into the action. Unfortunately it does so in a way that does not feel planned or plotted out in advance. The storytelling feels frantic. Things just kind of seem to happen for no reason, no sign of setup and payoff. I understand that this kind of sensationalist storytelling was common in 70s superhero comics, that mostly had monster-of-the-week format - but compare The Amazing Spider-Man that ran at the same time for effective storytelling in this setting.
The comic would do good to slow down every now and then - we barely even know our supposed main characters at the start, when it’s revealed that one of them is not even human, but an Eternal. But then we learn the Inca gods are real, and then, they immediately return, and then the other two characters get separated forever. Things keep happening in this fashion throughout the whole series, and it’s just hard to feel something. The storytelling feels more like a slog to get through, because so much always has to be happening.
To be clear, I am really fascinated by the ideas in this comic. That the characters who were the basis for most (all?) religious myths are still living among us and still have their own city of Olympia is very intriguing. As are the Space Gods. (the comic also really likes to say “Space Gods” a lot) Unfortunately Kirby doesn’t seem to know how to craft a good story around them. As the characters break up into smaller groups, more storylines keep running parallel, that never really seem to go anywhere. The first part of the series seems to deal with the world-changing event of the Eternals revealing themselves and the whole true history to humanity, but this just kind of peters out and is not explored as much as would be desirable.
Jack Kirby’s artwork in this is also notably much weaker than I expected. I’ve been reading the early issues of Fantastic Four lately, and those are much more pleasant to look at. The angles and framing are much clearer, the action is defined and focused, and the colors are soft and not overbearing. In this comic though, the artwork feels as frantic and crammed as the story. The angles feel consistently off, with the geography of the scene being very unclear, the characters awkwardly posed, and the camera being too close most of the time. By modern sensibilities, this looks much more like beginner artwork. The colours are also insanely over-the-top, which must be a late 70s-thing, but it’s mostly distracting, and you’re not sure what to focus on.
Also, it has to be noted just how much this series seems to take place in its own universe, as opposed to being part of the larger Marvel comics universe. It makes a bunch of references to other Marvel characters, that all seem pretty forced - culminating in the creation of a cosmic-energy-powered Hulk-robot - but no explanation whatsoever why nobody else is showing up in a time of arguably the biggest revelation for humanity. At least a mention of the Avengers being busy in Space or something would have been nice. As it is, it feels more like in this universe, Marvel characters just exist in comics, like in ours. But maybe all this is on purpose, I’m not sure.
Ultimately, I’m looking forward to reading more adaptations of these concepts, which hopefully make more use of them. I’ll give this probably like a 5/10 more for a its big ideas.
May 26, 2022
Le doy 5 estrellas porque no me gusta juzgar este material con estándares actuales. Trato de visualizar cómo habría sido leer este comic en la época en que salió a la venta. Con eso en mente, me parece sorprendente el guion y el dibujo de Jack Kirby. Las viñetas están llenas de acción y movimiento. Además, me parece un valor agregado que en esa época se describiera casi cada cuadro de lo que sucedía. En fin, es enriquecedor conocer esta historia en la que se inspira la nueva película "The Ethernals", de Disney y conocer las inquietudes del autor que lo motivaron a hacerla.
November 1, 2021
I had intended this book to be a launching point to read through all of the various Eternals series that Marvel has done. Theoretically not too difficult as there have only been about a half dozen and none of them lasted for very long. But really there is a reason for that.
The original Eternals series has some great artwork and solid Kirby design. It was paced oddly and had lots of tangents going on which end up very confusing since the series was cancelled after a couple of years. I read through this all and it's not a horrible series, there are a few good spots and characters. It also serves as a good introduction to the Eternals and what they're all about.
After reading the original Kirby run I then picked up the Thor issues which continued the cancelled storyline. This was where I began stalling out several times. The overall plot was just not captivating and there was no indication that the culmination would be interesting or answer any of the most important questions.
I can't really comment on any of the other Eternals runs which I intended to read as part of this. I will likely read Gaiman's run at some point and I have heard good things about the current ongoing series. However, my grand idea to read through every Eternals comic is being declared very un-eternal.
The original Eternals series has some great artwork and solid Kirby design. It was paced oddly and had lots of tangents going on which end up very confusing since the series was cancelled after a couple of years. I read through this all and it's not a horrible series, there are a few good spots and characters. It also serves as a good introduction to the Eternals and what they're all about.
After reading the original Kirby run I then picked up the Thor issues which continued the cancelled storyline. This was where I began stalling out several times. The overall plot was just not captivating and there was no indication that the culmination would be interesting or answer any of the most important questions.
I can't really comment on any of the other Eternals runs which I intended to read as part of this. I will likely read Gaiman's run at some point and I have heard good things about the current ongoing series. However, my grand idea to read through every Eternals comic is being declared very un-eternal.
January 19, 2022
honestly? Pretty uneven. Too much about superheroes crashing into buildings in New York and hanging out with professors and newscasters, not enough cosmic wonder. Felt like it took me forever to read, which is never a great sign.
August 6, 2022
I don't think I'll ever understand how comic books survived this era but I'm glad that they did so we can enjoy better story telling and drawing today. I mean wow is the art so not for me. It was painful to look at and slog through.
November 21, 2023
I suppose I am more of a Gold and Silver Age Jack Kirby guy, but the art in here is still fantastic! The story is a bit of a mess, but there is a lot of fun to be had.
December 28, 2023
Just phenomenal storytelling from The King. So rich and detailed.
August 9, 2021
It's hard to classify or describe The Eternals.
There is a mythology that binds it together - in maybe the most ambitious fashion I've ever seen in a comic - but Kirby very much just picked up and put down his plot threads and characters in a haphazard way, so that the series doesn't gel - but at the same time, there are possibilities everywhere and it was clearly another brilliant comic concept from the best comic talent in history.
The characters don't have much character - they have roles, and are archetypes. What The Eternals has, in spades, is cosmic and global threats managed in a single issue. You have interesting little homages to previous creations, that feel like either a thumbed nose - or potentially like a dried up idea well. I'm going to go with thumbed nose.
There is an interesting choice to define the cosmology as tangent to Marvel Comics, and not a part of Marvel. Confusing, since Celestials became a mainstay for Marvel and other creators played with the ideas. In order to have a Hulk "cameo", you have a pair of teenagers creating a Hulk robot (to lead a homecoming parade, or something... I kid you not) who is irradiated with magic Eternals Juice when the super brain that will solve every problem ever comes back to Earth and neglects to solve any problems (instead creating some).
I wonder about his process here.
There are sound and action-packed ideas, but they are episodic to a fault - making you wonder from issue to issue if you are reading the same comic. You'll have a "Stay tuned for..." at the end of every issue - with a word that seems to have been drawn from a bowl of words, like "The Pyramid!", when you're in the middle of an impromtu robot Hulk battle.
The Northern Eternals seem to be a Thor homage (or is it an Inhumans homage?), and the substitute Loki is introduced and lost over the course of two issues - - which also close out the series.
What is BEST about The Eternals, and wholly makes it worthwhile, is Kirby's art at its most confident, with some of his best inkers in tow. Mike Royer never ever gets enough love. Give him the love, folks!
I'm really curious to see what Neil Gaiman made of the series, and how Marvel is going to approach the ideas in film. There is a lot of good to go from... but they will definitely need to pick a direction, which is something Kirby didn't do. And that's okay. Because I love him.
There is a mythology that binds it together - in maybe the most ambitious fashion I've ever seen in a comic - but Kirby very much just picked up and put down his plot threads and characters in a haphazard way, so that the series doesn't gel - but at the same time, there are possibilities everywhere and it was clearly another brilliant comic concept from the best comic talent in history.
The characters don't have much character - they have roles, and are archetypes. What The Eternals has, in spades, is cosmic and global threats managed in a single issue. You have interesting little homages to previous creations, that feel like either a thumbed nose - or potentially like a dried up idea well. I'm going to go with thumbed nose.
There is an interesting choice to define the cosmology as tangent to Marvel Comics, and not a part of Marvel. Confusing, since Celestials became a mainstay for Marvel and other creators played with the ideas. In order to have a Hulk "cameo", you have a pair of teenagers creating a Hulk robot (to lead a homecoming parade, or something... I kid you not) who is irradiated with magic Eternals Juice when the super brain that will solve every problem ever comes back to Earth and neglects to solve any problems (instead creating some).
I wonder about his process here.
There are sound and action-packed ideas, but they are episodic to a fault - making you wonder from issue to issue if you are reading the same comic. You'll have a "Stay tuned for..." at the end of every issue - with a word that seems to have been drawn from a bowl of words, like "The Pyramid!", when you're in the middle of an impromtu robot Hulk battle.
The Northern Eternals seem to be a Thor homage (or is it an Inhumans homage?), and the substitute Loki is introduced and lost over the course of two issues - - which also close out the series.
What is BEST about The Eternals, and wholly makes it worthwhile, is Kirby's art at its most confident, with some of his best inkers in tow. Mike Royer never ever gets enough love. Give him the love, folks!
I'm really curious to see what Neil Gaiman made of the series, and how Marvel is going to approach the ideas in film. There is a lot of good to go from... but they will definitely need to pick a direction, which is something Kirby didn't do. And that's okay. Because I love him.
April 2, 2024
While not one of Jack Kirby’s most well known or recognized creations, The Eternals (as well as the Deviants and the Celestials) are certainly well in line with much of the creative direction he was often playing around with: gods, aliens, advanced technology seen as magic and the power of myths. The Asgardians, the Olympians, the Inhumans, the mutant X-Men, the New Gods, these concepts are all variations on common themes and Kirby was fascinated with how to conceptualize them into exciting and entertaining stories.
As originally presented here, The Eternals were not conceived as to be part of the Marvel Universe. It was never Kirby’s intention to confuse the myths of Marvel history with the likes of the Eternals and the Celestials. That process actually comes later (see: Thor and the Eternals: The Celestials Saga for that disaster). As presented here, Kirby was attempting to start fresh with a new world of super powered beings (if the New Gods at DC were part of the “Fourth World” I suppose the Eternals marks Kirby’s “Fifth World”) and it is an exciting and wild read to be sure. Filled with page after page of typical Kirby actions no drama.
This particular, KING-SIZED or rather “MONSTER” sized, edition is the perfect presentation for Kirby’s larger than life art.
As originally presented here, The Eternals were not conceived as to be part of the Marvel Universe. It was never Kirby’s intention to confuse the myths of Marvel history with the likes of the Eternals and the Celestials. That process actually comes later (see: Thor and the Eternals: The Celestials Saga for that disaster). As presented here, Kirby was attempting to start fresh with a new world of super powered beings (if the New Gods at DC were part of the “Fourth World” I suppose the Eternals marks Kirby’s “Fifth World”) and it is an exciting and wild read to be sure. Filled with page after page of typical Kirby actions no drama.
This particular, KING-SIZED or rather “MONSTER” sized, edition is the perfect presentation for Kirby’s larger than life art.
April 2, 2024
While one of Jack Kirby most well known or recognized creations, The Eternals (as well as the Deviants and the Celestials) are certainly well in line with much of the creative direction he was often playing around with: gods, aliens, advanced technology seen as magic and the power of myths. The Asgardians, the Olympians, the Inhumans, the mutant X-Men, the New Gods, these concepts are all variations on common themes and Kirby was fascinated with how to conceptualize them into exciting and entertaining stories.
As originally presented here, The Eternals were not conceived as to be part of the Marvel Universe. It was never Kirby’s intention to confuse the myths of Marvel history with the likes of the Eternals and the Celestials. That process actually comes later (see: Thor and the Eternals: The Celestials Saga for that disaster). As presented here, Kirby was attempting to start fresh with a new world of super powered beings (if the New Gods at DC were part of the “Fourth World” I suppose the Eternals marks Kirby’s “Fifth World”) and it is an exciting and wild read to be sure. Filled with page after page of typical Kirby actions no drama.
As originally presented here, The Eternals were not conceived as to be part of the Marvel Universe. It was never Kirby’s intention to confuse the myths of Marvel history with the likes of the Eternals and the Celestials. That process actually comes later (see: Thor and the Eternals: The Celestials Saga for that disaster). As presented here, Kirby was attempting to start fresh with a new world of super powered beings (if the New Gods at DC were part of the “Fourth World” I suppose the Eternals marks Kirby’s “Fifth World”) and it is an exciting and wild read to be sure. Filled with page after page of typical Kirby actions no drama.
June 27, 2021
my goodness, what a brilliant idea of introducing a much more incredible and mystical power beyond what was conceived before... love that for you, king Jack <3
the introduction of the Eternals while they fight the deviants was very fun and exhilarating to read, but personally after the Unimind storyline happened this title kinda started to go downhill for me. plus, the misogyny and corny dialogue with way too much exposition that plagued the entire 19 issue run of this collection made my brain hurt sooooooooo bad, and while I adore mistah Jack's art every once in a while, the fact that he had a same-face problem didn't help matters for me and my eyes rip.
my #1 strong complaint is that the Hulk that was used in the last issues shouldn't have been a damn robot, it would've been so much better if it had actually been Bruce all along (obviously surviving the fight) and that's how the rest of the world's superheroes learn of the Eternals and co.
loved the last issue and the way it was wrapped up, at least.
but, I guess that's just ME and MY two cents!
solid 3.5/5 though, would definitely recommend if you want to explore the origins of a really interesting Jack Kirby story, and obviously learn more about these characters before the new Chloé Zhao movie of it drops, ha.
(P.S. the pencil sketches they show in this collection after the story is over are so awe-inspiring, wish they'd kept them with just the inking like that in the end!)
the introduction of the Eternals while they fight the deviants was very fun and exhilarating to read, but personally after the Unimind storyline happened this title kinda started to go downhill for me. plus, the misogyny and corny dialogue with way too much exposition that plagued the entire 19 issue run of this collection made my brain hurt sooooooooo bad, and while I adore mistah Jack's art every once in a while, the fact that he had a same-face problem didn't help matters for me and my eyes rip.
my #1 strong complaint is that the Hulk that was used in the last issues shouldn't have been a damn robot, it would've been so much better if it had actually been Bruce all along (obviously surviving the fight) and that's how the rest of the world's superheroes learn of the Eternals and co.
loved the last issue and the way it was wrapped up, at least.
but, I guess that's just ME and MY two cents!
solid 3.5/5 though, would definitely recommend if you want to explore the origins of a really interesting Jack Kirby story, and obviously learn more about these characters before the new Chloé Zhao movie of it drops, ha.
(P.S. the pencil sketches they show in this collection after the story is over are so awe-inspiring, wish they'd kept them with just the inking like that in the end!)
August 2, 2011
Another Jack Kirby Opus, I don't know which came first, but this felt like a retelling of his NEW GODS stories only set in the Marvel Universe. Despite the obvious self-plagerism in the obvious cases of the Fourth World in New Gods and the Fourth Host in the Eternals, and redundant archetypes like Marvel's Ikaris to DC's Orion, the story was very interesting as it brought up ancient cultures' myths as pertaining to actual events that led to the creation of the Earth and all things living upon it. It posits that the Celestials were "gods from space" who came to Earth and evolved apes into three related, dominant species: Humans, Eternals who would become our gods like Mercury, Zeus, Vulcan, etc, and the Deviants who would become our demons. The Celestials return and set about judging their experiment and seeing whether Earth's inhabitants are fit to continue to exist. The reaction of the three races to this event is what brings us on the 19 issue journey that is told in classic Kirby style. Well worth reading if you are a fan of the King of Comics.
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