Review: The Eternals by Jack Kirby Vol. 2

Quick Summary

Pros: The concepts and worldbuilding are great to see. Old and new characters are entertaining. The artwork remains consistently positive.

Cons: Transitions between chapters are handled even worse than before. The collection ends on a frustrating cliffhanger.

Overall: This is a book filled with wonderful and unique ideas but is also, unfortunately, filled with disruptions. The volume’s characters and concepts are a joy to see and are brought forward with a lot of imagination. However, troubled transitions between chapters severely damage any larger narratives. Readers interested in seeing Jack Kirby’s unleashed creativity who don’t mind storytelling problems will likely enjoy this collection.

Story

The Eternals by Jack Kirby Vol. 2 continues to build upon many of its predecessor’s positives but also exacerbates its negatives. Throughout this volume, Kirby’s imagination runs wild as he explores new locations and delves into new concepts. The characters he created before have more of an opportunity to shine and their world seems even more interesting. However, choppy transitions between chapters disrupt any sort of larger narrative that would otherwise exist. This is particularly troubling as the collection concludes without resolution. In the end, there are pieces of this collection that are highly entertaining, especially from a conceptual standpoint. However there are also enough problems to keep it from attaining universal appeal.

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The Eternals Vol. 2 immediately begins expanding the wonderous world Jack Kirby created through this series. New characters are introduced and, with them, come new themes and concepts to explore. Morality and its place within society is a particularly well developed theme. Kirby asks if people raised in a completely “evil” society maintain a different code of morality and if this code can exist outside the society. He also brings up topics regarding the role of nature and nurture in deciding the merits of an individual. 

Meanwhile, previously introduced characters become more prominent. Ikaris’s relationship to the polar Eternals is expanded upon, adding a new element to Eternal society. In addition, Thena becomes a larger character overall and her relationships with others become more entertaining. All of the Eternals are great in their own way so seeing them return in force is satisfying.

However, The Eternals Vol. 2 seriously struggles in transitioning from one chapter to the next. More often than not, these transitions dramatically reduce the importance of major plot points. For example, The Uni-Mind was teased for multiple chapters and it appeared that it would have a large impact on the present narrative. However, after taking place, it had almost no consequence on the narrative at all. Changes like this frustrate the book’s larger narratives and make it hard to tell which plot points will actually develop into anything of importance.

In other places, the transitions between chapters drop entire plotlines altogether. The fate of the two “good” Deviants upon entering Eternal society, the romance between Thena and Kro, and the schemes of Druig are all left unaddressed quickly after being developed. The biggest grievance here comes from the fact that the series, as a whole, ends on a cliffhanger. Though later writers give the comic a conclusion, it is unpleasant to know that all of Kirby’s buildup leads to a release in another series by another writer. The lack of conclusion around the comic and around many of the smaller plot threads makes for an even more frustrating read.

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Art

The one consistently positive attribute throughout The Eternals by Jack Kirby Vol. 2 is the artwork. Kirby continues to delight in his depictions of the unique characters and technology that inhabit his imaginative world. This volume, specifically, does a great job in contrasting the various forms of the Deviants against the more standardized forms of the Eternals. The contrast directly plays into the book’s narrative and works in further establishing its themes. Meanwhile, the Celestials look as magnificent as ever and their power nearly radiates off the pages of this collection. Overall, this book is nearly worthwhile simply to see what Kirby is able to accomplish with the visuals in this series.

Continuity

The Eternals by Jack Kirby Vol. 2 continues the story from The Eternals by Jack Kirby Vol. 1 (Review).

The Eternals series ends with this volume. However, the story from this series is almost directly continued in the Thor series, starting in Thor Annual #7, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 18.