Eternals #6

Eternals #6

Marvel Comics 2021

Written by Kieron Gillen

Illustrated by Esad Ribić

Coloured by Matthew Wilson

Lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles

WHO LOSES? Thanos loses. The Eternals Lose. We all lose. Never Die. Never Win. Can that change now?

I have no idea how Kieron is able to do this but this book is beyond extraordinarily written. There is this amazing intricacy and complexity to the story where the machinations of the individuals don’t match up with the goal of the group or the secrets they hold may cause some strife but these Eternals have lived and died together for so long that they know each intimately. What we are seeing are beings that are older than people can truly comprehend and this affords them the most unique outlook on life, love and loss. How Kieron manages to convey all this through what we see in their words, deeds and actions makes this series one of the most interesting, crazy, fascinating and downright spectacular books you could possibly be reading. This is an original, it is unique (without like, equal or parallel) and it commands respect and admiration as it simultaneously makes you terrified of their power and their presence.

I am head-over-heels for the way that this is being told. The story & plot development we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The character development we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter continues to shine a spotlight on their personalities and who they are at their core. I am super impressed with how well we see these characters and how we as the readers’ feel we know them. How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is immaculately achieved.

How we see this being structured and how we see the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen in such magnificent ways. How we see the layers open up and the avenues they create being explored or in some cases exposed that add this heightened feel of depth, dimension and complexity to the story keeping this rich and full of intrigue. The pacing here is excellent and how we see it takes us through the pages revealing the surprises, twists & turns and so much more keep us glued to the pages and re-reading this multiple times in a row.

The interiors here are bloody mindbogglingly sensationally gorgeous. There is this power and strength to the work that looks as delicate and dainty at the same exact time. The dichotomy is solely Esad’s and that he can create this tightrope kind of balance the way he does is awe inspiring. The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised throughout the creation of this level & quality to the details in the work that we see is just bloody brilliant. The composition within the panels manage to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story beautifully. 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 a master colourist at work. The different ways we see the application of colour and how it’s used to maximise the effects it can have is brilliantly rendered.

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This for me is the best thing Marvel has on stands and it’s probably one the absolute best books being published today. It has everything you could possibly want and then some. The drama and intrigue as well as the mad machinations made out of sheer boredom highlight how someone who is so long lived can snap like a brittle twig. Flawless writing and characterisation and utterly brilliant interiors bring to life one of the most highly anticipated of my monthly reads.