Review: The Eternals by Jack Kirby Vol. 1
Quick Summary
Pros: The concepts and worldbuilding, throughout the entire book, are fascinating and enjoyable to discover. The book holds an important place in comic history. The main narrative has some great excitement and is fun to read. The artwork is unbelievably imaginative and works well with the story.
Cons: The book’s chapters, occasionally, flow poorly from one story to the next.
Overall: This book allows fans to witness the creation of a whole new world within Marvel Comics. Here, Jack Kirby crafts a host of new characters and concepts that have appeal in their introduction and have gone on to have a large impact on comic history. Though the narrative struggles at some points, it still contains enough fun and excitement to satisfy most readers. Plus, the artwork is undeniably wonderful. Anyone with an interest in the Eternals or who enjoys Jack Kirby’s epics should consider reading this book.
Story
The Eternals by Jack Kirby Vol. 1 kicks off a series that radiates imagination and creativity. The concepts found throughout this read are all unique in their own way and form a large piece of Marvel history. It also helps that the path to learning more about these concepts is compelling enough to maintain a hold on readers’ interest. Part of this comes from the way in which information is dealt out but part of it also comes from the appeal of the characters themselves. The only real problem is that the transitions between chapters can feel weird at times and can damage the flow of the narrative. In general though, the positive attributes in this book make it worth reading, especially for fans of this era in Marvel history.
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The most significant and immediate draw to The Eternals Vol. 1 is the unique sense of wonder and imagination found within this comic’s concepts. From the very first pages, a sense of mystery pervades this book. Readers are given hints about the Eternals and their role in the history of the world but, at first, nothing is definite. Then, as the comic progresses, readers see connections form between these enigmatic characters and real-world history. It tremendous and imaginative worldbuilding done in a very successful manner.
It is also fascinating to see the concepts introduced throughout this volume in their infancy. Over the course of this book, Jack Kirby essentially defines the history of Earth within the Marvel Universe. Adding the Eternals, Deviants, and Celestials to this universe has a profound and lasting impact on the legacy of Marvel from this point forward. In general, The Eternals Vol. 1 is undoubtedly an important piece of comic book history.
However, when it comes to actual storytelling, The Eternals Vol. 1 is a little bit mixed. The main conflict centers around the arrival of the Celestials and the reaction this creates among the three species of humanity. Yet, this reaction does not always flow nicely from one chapter to the next. The Deviants’ plot against humanity seems like a huge strike at first but then, later on, seems inconsequential when a few of the Eternals and the majority of humanity appear to quickly move past the incident. A similar problem can be seen when some Eternals return to their homeworld on an important mission but stop to discipline a trickster along the way, deflating the importance and urgency of their quest.
Luckily, there are still positive narrative elements to balance these negatives. Several of the battles taking place here are exciting and contain unexpected twists along the way. This is further enhanced by the high-stakes nature of the entire book, as it always feel as if the fate of the entire planet is in jeopardy. Plus, Sersi is a tremendously entertaining character all the way through and took her place as one of my more favorite Jack Kirby character creations.
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Art
As a Jack Kirby project, it almost goes without saying that the artwork in this book is tremendously appealing. Kirby sculpts mystical lands, unique peoples, and insane technologies at every point in this book. The Eternals and Deviants stand out as the otherworldly creatures they should be and the Celestials stand out even further. Their adventures are also packed full of a cosmic energy that raises the stakes of each encounter. It truly feels like every page is a work of some serious imagination. The only problem with the artwork is that there are a few places where the inks feel to heavy and take away from the appeal of Jack Kirby’s pencils. Overall though, this is a beautiful looking book packed to the brim with the creative energy only Kirby can muster.
Continuity
The Eternals by Jack Kirby Vol. 1 is the first volume in The Eternals series. Most of the characters are introduced here and no prior knowledge of them is necessary in order to understand this story.
The story here continues in The Eternals by Jack Kirby Vol. 2 (Review).