iselenris's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
druig pissed me off fr
frasersimons's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The eternals awake to a betrayer-murderer, Thanos in their midsts, and the more they pull on the thread, the more the usual suspects don’t make much sense. It’s a pretty quiet arc as it goes, but I liked the ending and the pacing just fine. It’s not a normal superhero story, but that’s one of the things that I felt made it work.
beabeabea_'s review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
luisa_he's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
billyjepma's review
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
4.5
"Murder is a small thing for an Eternal, but it's certainly rude."
Honestly, it's obnoxious how into this I was. I go back and forth with Gillen, as sometimes his style totally works for me, and sometimes it totally distances me from the story. Eternals strikes a smart balance and uses a clever framing device to develop a compelling mystery that introduces and explores its cast of characters in cool ways. This is my first time reading Eternals, so I went into it knowing only the broadest basics of the characters, and I never felt inappropriately overwhelmed. Gillen certainly plays on the complex history of the characters, but the tongue-in-cheek he uses when doing so lets you know that all that lore is secondary to the tale he's telling.
Gillen effectively inserting himself into the story--as the narrating voice of the sentient(?) computer/planet that the Eternals rely on--also worked for me more than I would've expected it would. Again, it helped me ease into the story and find my footing with the characters, which is great because I really enjoyed the characters. Seeing how their relationships and histories intertwine is a lot of fun, and Gillen quickly establishes their dynamic and personalities. The whole arc just worked for me--the central whodunnit mystery, the action, the twists, the attention to character moments, the themes (the ending has me so excited about where Gillen could take this). I'm so surprised and delighted to have vibed with this so hard.
Esad Ribic's art is a terrific fit for the series, too. I don't love his facial work (the character's eyes look a little freaky, to be honest), but his staging and layouts are stellar. Killer momentum in the action scenes, his characters have a tactile look and feel, and his detail work is often stunning. Wilson's coloring elevates it all to another level, too, as you can expect. The colors are so tangible and bring so much life to Ribic's characters and environments and go a long way toward making the comic as impressive as it is. This is an easy 4.5 for me.
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