Eternals #7

Eternals #7

Marvel Comics 2021

Written by Kieron Gillen

Illustrated by Esad Ribić

Coloured by Matthew Wilson

Lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles

NEW ARC! NEW JUMPING-ON POINT! MORE THANOS!

The Eternals have learned the truth of their existence. Their society is in shambles. Who can lead them? Who is the visionary that can lead them from the ashes? And how did they take the throne? Hail Thanos the Mad Titan, Eternal Prime.

Well this has been one long main story with arcs that flow through it changing the focus on what we see while still leaving the larger picture in your mind. What Kieron manages to do throughout this thus far is really redefine the Eternals and try to present them with a new future path moving forward. It has been complicated, interesting and full of the perfect amount of drama and intrigue. This is hard to do too because the balancing act without leaning too far one way or another takes great skill and talent to pull off like we see it happening here. While a portion of the population scrambles to figure out a new leader, to presumably keep the status quo the same, Sersi and the others want to grow, change and evolve as they find a new purpose and new way of life which to some degree Druig is helping achieve albeit in a very dangerous direction.

I’m loving the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The character development that we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does wonders in showcasing these unique and individual personalities. The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing the new direction we’re left wondering could this mad scheme actually happen. Though knowing Thanos it’s a pretty forgone conclusion it will.

I’m impressed with how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen. I also like how we see the layers within the story open up these new avenues to be explored. These avenues allow for some great depth, dimension and complexity to be introduced. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably handled.

These interiors are bloody stunning as they appear so soft and delicate and yet the power behind them is incredibly immense. The linework is exquisite and how the varying weights and techniques are being utilised to create this level & quality of detail within the work is mind blowing. How we see backgrounds utilised throughout the book to enhance and expand the moments and how they work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is awe inspiring. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masterful eye for storytelling. The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show such a monstrous understanding of how colour works. The light nearly pastels we see and how they manage to convey that strength is beautifully rendered.

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I love the fact that this doesn’t partake in the mundane daily trappings of the Marvel Universe and instead is its own unique story. While the ramifications and what happens with the Eternals will eventually be felt by the rest of the Marvel U for now this self-contained story remains one of the strongest titles that Marvel is currently putting out. Thanks to this stunning display of writing and intense & complicated characterisation and these utterly bloody brilliant interiors really set this apart from what we see on stands anyone today.