Volume 53: Eternals

Eternals

Author: Neil Gaiman  |  Illustrator: John Romita Jr.

"Tell me, is it the slime of the tentacles that upsets you or the way they twine bonelessly, the faceless snaking of them..."

Taking place in an era and location far removed from his previous work for Marvel (see Vol 32: Marvel 1602), Gaiman's second book for the House is much better than his first, in my opinion. I've not read the original Eternals stories from yesteryear, so the heroes were mostly all new to me, but, as far as that goes, Gaiman's version of the group is a fascinating one that occasionally bears a strong resemblance to some of his previous works for other publishers.

It doesn’t even feel like a Marvel title for a long time. Building a world around a creation myth that isn't actually a myth is the kind of thing that Gaiman's really good at. When coupled with a peculiar state of affairs in which something that has existed for a very long time but until now has remained unnoticed by almost everyone, the created world feels like it has life – it's the fantastical made convincing.

The story references the super-human registration act that was happening within the Marvel universe at the time, but it doesn't dwell on it, which is a good thing for me because, frankly, I'm sick of it already. Its inclusion was probably an obligatory one, but, happily, if you weren't aware of the act or the many events surrounding it, then you might not even realise how widespread it really was.

Not knowing really wouldn't matter that much because, while the story takes place inside the extended superhero universe and will surely affect it at a later date, the text itself has pleasing borders.

Unfortunately, that doesn't mean finality when the last page turns, because nothing ends for real in Marvel world; even death can be just a temporary setback. The closing chapter leaves a door or three open for subsequent creators to enter through and mess up the sandpit.

The book collects together Eternals #1–7.

Verdict: