Eternals....yay or nay?

[mata-leao]

i almost never see anyone talking about the Eternals.

just from reading a basic description about them online, it seems to be something i'd be interested in reading. genetically altered humans similar to the Inhumans and Adam Warlock and i'm a huge fan of both.

every now and then when i come across reviews for random issues, they're often pretty bad.

soooo why is that? what seems to be the major problem w/ the Eternals? i enjoy reading the most when i'm reading about new characters, i was interested in learning more about Ikaris but i don't want to waste my time if it is really THAT bad haha.

[FlyingFox]

i almost never see anyone talking about the Eternals.

just from reading a basic description about them online, it seems to be something i'd be interested in reading. genetically altered humans similar to the Inhumans and Adam Warlock and i'm a huge fan of both.

every now and then when i come across reviews for random issues, they're often pretty bad.

soooo why is that? what seems to be the major problem w/ the Eternals? i enjoy reading the most when i'm reading about new characters, i was interested in learning more about Ikaris but i don't want to waste my time if it is really THAT bad haha.

I can't say much. I tried reading the Eternals by Gaiman but I couldn't get past the second issue. The story wasn't very interesting and I couldn't stand John Romita Jr.'s art.

[Personamanx]

I've only read half of Gaiman's Eternals, and I thought it was awesome.

[Personamanx]

I couldn't stand John Romita Jr.'s art.



Yeah I usually have nothing against JR Jr's art, but this book just was not for him.

[spiderwire]

I can't say much. I tried reading the Eternals by Gaiman but I couldn't get past the second issue. The story wasn't very interesting and I couldn't stand John Romita Jr.'s art.

I agee, so much potential but always end up with bad and boring stories. The Inhumans have basically the same origin but way better characters and stories.

[durty dee]

The Eternal were created to protect the human race. Usually that isn't threats in most comic books.

[Jared]

I like Gaiman's story. But ultimately even he couldn't solve the Eternal's biggest problem: they just don't "fit" in the 616 universe. Not when there are actual gods running around, to say nothing of the mutants and other super beings. Gaiman's story reads like it would be so much better in a world where there could be a real sense mystery and wonder about super powers and alien visitations.

[Frank]

I like Gaiman's story. But ultimately even he couldn't solve the Eternal's biggest problem: they just don't "fit" in the 616 universe. Not when there are actual gods running around, to say nothing of the mutants and other super beings. Gaiman's story reads like it would be so much better in a world where there could be a real sense mystery and wonder about super powers and alien visitations.

Yea they were created to be Marvel's equivalent of DC's New Gods when Kirby returned to Marvel. The problem is Lee & Kirby already had created the perfect Universe with the Marvel Universe where everything fell into place: For cosmic beings, you cannot top the Silver Surfer. For mythology you have Thor and the Asgardians. And for ideal city of super-humans you have the Inhumans and Attilan. New Gods wouldn't fit in the MU so the Eternals shouldn't be in the MU.

I actually think the NG would fit in the MU more than the Eternals because the New Gods were created after the destruction of the Old Gods-the Asgardians- after Ragnarock. So maybe if they were in the MU, the New Gods could be set in the futur. So they would fit somewhere and wouldn't have to interact with the regular Marvel Universe. Heck this would make one great, awesome futur World for Marvel, something they never had(other than The Guardians of the Galaxy).

Also the only Eternals take I only cared about was the series created by Chuck Austen(yes THAT Chuck Austen!) called "The Eternal" for the MAX imprint. It retold the story of the Eternals crossed with Adam and Eve and was so crazy and effed-up, only that version should ever exist.

[TOAA]

Kirby created them as not part of 616, he understood that they wouldn`t work in main continuity, saldy editors don`t get that.

[The Sword Is Drawn]

In order to make The Eternals truly work you don't so much need a relaunch as an entire re-invention from scratch, to establish them a true role within the Marvel Universe, and show how they fit in with Gods and other God Level beings within Marvel.

That's kind of what I had hoped Gaiman's Eternals would be. It was good. Very good in fact, but it didn't quite go far enough. And I feel that tying it in to Civil War period Marvel was a bit of a mistake too.

[BugsySig]

I actually liked the more recent volume that followed Gaiman's series. It had a bit more action and intrigue overall, I thought.

As far as the Eternal's connection to the other God-level beings in the MU, The "Sacred Invasion" arc of Incredible Hercules did a good job of showing a small piece of that. I would hope the Eternals show up in that book again soon.

[Gnarl]

As other posters have remarked, they didn't fit into the Marvel Universe. The whole brilliant mythology should have had its own universe.

They tried to modernize them, and hired Gaiman with the explicit instruction to fix them so they fit into the MU and tie in civil war.

After he'd done that job, they launched a series that immediately ditched most of the stuff that Gaiman had done. It didn't last long.

[coconutphone]

Never got into cosmic based stuff in comics for some reason so it's a big nay for me.

[TOAA]

After he'd done that job, they launched a series that immediately ditched most of the stuff that Gaiman had done. It didn't last long.

They launched it too late imo.

[berk]

Yea to Kirby's original series, nay to everything else. As has been pointed out, the concept wasn't designed to work within the Marvel Universe, so, surprise, surprise, it never has and never will. Gaiman's series was as miserable a failure as every other post-Kirby version has been, and I suspect Gaiman knows it.

[BugsySig]

I just finished the Eternals: Manifest Destiny trade, and while it was pretty much terrible, filled with a desperate attempt to boost sales by featuring the X-Men and was obviously rushed to a conclusion (probably due to the pending cancellation at the time), I found myself intrigued by many of the remaining plot threads.

Some answers I would like to see answered at some point include: How was Sersi resurrected? Did the Eternals repair the regeneration chambers or was it the Fulcrum? What's the deal with Ajak and his vendetta against Makkari? Is Ikaris the new Prime Eternal? How exactly is Joey an Eternal? And what happened to Gilgamesh?

[TOAA]

Wait for the next reboot.

[Runguy]

I just finished the Eternals: Manifest Destiny trade, and while it was pretty much terrible, filled with a desperate attempt to boost sales by featuring the X-Men and was obviously rushed to a conclusion (probably due to the pending cancellation at the time), I found myself intrigued by many of the remaining plot threads.

Some answers I would like to see answered at some point include: How was Sersi resurrected? Did the Eternals repair the regeneration chambers or was it the Fulcrum? What's the deal with Ajak and his vendetta against Makkari? Is Ikaris the new Prime Eternal? How exactly is Joey an Eternal? And what happened to Gilgamesh?

Unless Sersi was resurrected off panel somewhere else, she is dead and in the vestibule (bar). Joey is not an Eternal, but a human child. adopted by them I think. The resurrection chamber may take time to fix as it was apparently above their tech level.

[BeastieRunner]

I enjoyed Gaiman's take and liked the new ongoing but I quickly lost interest after the first arc.

[americocaine]

Eternals are awesome. For that last series, Knauf just got all the characterizations wrong. After a good buildup for the mysterious Tiamut, he dropped the ball majorly by killing off like half the cast. Acuna's art started out very strong for the first issue. But there was a quite a fall in quality before the series was put of its misery.

Too early to say if it ever will be back. Joe Cool would probably want a mini to test the waters. And then make them all Red Eternals.

[Babylon23]

I absolutely love Kirby's series. While not quite as impressive as his New Gods work, its still an impressive body of work, and the the single title approach keeps the story more focused without limiting Kirby's incredible imagination.

Unfortunately, as others have stated, it should have stood alone and not been shoehorned into the Marvel U. Kirby intended it to stand on its own and it reads better that way.

Every attempt Marvel has made since then to relaunch the series has failed, at least partially due to attempts to link the characters into the Marvel U. Having said that, I thought Gaiman/JRJR did a decent job with their miniseries.

[BugsySig]

Unless Sersi was resurrected off panel somewhere else, she is dead and in the vestibule (bar). Joey is not an Eternal, but a human child. adopted by them I think. The resurrection chamber may take time to fix as it was apparently above their tech level.

At the end of Eternals #9 there is a scene in the year 2115 where Sersi is back with the Eternals and Joey is said to be the 101st Eternal.

[Runguy]

At the end of Eternals #9 there is a scene in the year 2115 where Sersi is back with the Eternals and Joey is said to be the 101st Eternal.

I saw that and am unsure if that was an error on the writers part or if somehow Joey was later made an Eternal. Maybe someone good chime in about his origin ?

[LungerTony]

I never was interested enough in them to give them a shot. I never see them in anything except maybe an offshoot issue of Hercules.

As others mentioned, I don't understand what niche they fill in the MU. They seem way too similar in concept to the Inhumans, and as someone else mentioned, not nearly as cool or interesting as the Inhumans.

[Frank]

I absolutely love Kirby's series. While not quite as impressive as his New Gods work, its still an impressive body of work, and the the single title approach keeps the story more focused without limiting Kirby's incredible imagination.

Unfortunately, as others have stated, it should have stood alone and not been shoehorned into the Marvel U. Kirby intended it to stand on its own and it reads better that way.

Every attempt Marvel has made since then to relaunch the series has failed, at least partially due to attempts to link the characters into the Marvel U. Having said that, I thought Gaiman/JRJR did a decent job with their miniseries.

Well they were part of the MU in a way, since Kirby re-created the origin of the Marvel cosmos and how life began with the Eternals at the forefront of that. The Celestials came, used primitives to create three races, The Eternals, the Deviants and The Humans with humans having the capacity for doing things beyond their means(producing mutants). In short, Kirby created this New Gods-like concept of the Eternals but had them having being at the origin of creation, they became part of the foundation of the Marvel Universe. Not only that but The Eternals gives Marvel a God pantheon when they never needed one, they had the Asgardians that filled that void. That is why Kirby created the New Gods in the first place for DC since they did not have their own Kirby-style mythology at the time.

As much as I like The Eternals and would like to take a crack at writing them, maybe they just do not belong in the Marvel mythos. Their possible roles are filled by other concepts, already. The only see they could stand out would be perhaps to make them truly alien and strange.

[Lord S]

I like the Eternals, but think they've been poorly handled in recent years. I actually find the Celestials to be much more interesting than the Eternals and Deviants.

My favourite Eternals story is "Thor: Eternals Saga".

Too bad they've effectively been put on the shelf for the next 100 years or so. It would have been nice to see a story involving the Earth Eternals and their cousins on Titan. A reunion of Zuras and Mentor would have been cool.

[TOAA]

The only see they could stand out would be perhaps to make them truly alien and strange.

I`d prefer if aliens were portrayed as alien and strange.

I like the Eternals, but think they've been poorly handled in recent years. I actually find the Celestials to be much more interesting than the Eternals and Deviants.

Nah, i think they should be moved out with Eternals.

I saw that and am unsure if that was an error on the writers part or if somehow Joey was later made an Eternal. Maybe someone good chime in about his origin ?

I don`t remember clearly but i thought that Dreaming Celestial fixed everything at the end. All damge to Earth was reverted, who died were ressurected and Joey was made into Eternal so his mother wouldn`t have to see him age and die.

[BugsySig]

I don`t remember clearly but i thought that Dreaming Celestial fixed everything at the end. All damge to Earth was reverted, who died were ressurected and Joey was made into Eternal so his mother wouldn`t have to see him age and die.

I suppose that is the assumption the writers wanted us to make, but it was not very clearly stated other than that the Fulcrum withdrew the Hoard and any damage that came with that.

I thought that perhaps when Joey was resurrected after issue #6 by the Dreaming Celestial that that was when he was made an Eternal, although since Thena is his biological mother, it's possible he just inherited the abilities/lifespan of an Eternal.

[TOAA]

Well second arc was rushed and had forced(imo) gimmick so no surprise that it wasn`t made that clear :)

[mata-leao]

i enjoy Kirby's work so i'll probably check out the Kirby trades.

if i enjoy that, then i'll give Gaiman's run a chance. there seems to be a lot of mixed feelings on that run but i'm also a fan of Gaiman so perhaps i'll dig it.

thanks for your opinions!

[BugsySig]

Well second arc was rushed and had forced(imo) gimmick so no surprise that it wasn`t made that clear :)

Exactly my point. But a side effect of the rushed gimmick was that it got me MORE interested in the loose threads from the series than I was during the series itself.

[Frank]

I`d prefer if aliens were portrayed as alien and strange.


That's a little bit smart assy. :rolleyes:

[Chiasm]

The recent Gaiman Eternals was good. The someone else followup not so much. They have potential but its going to take a good writer.

[Babylon23]

Well they were part of the MU in a way, since Kirby re-created the origin of the Marvel cosmos and how life began with the Eternals at the forefront of that.

Kirby never really intended the Eternals to be part of the Marvel U proper. There's almost no references in his original series to the Marvel Universe or its heroes. Even the Hulk that battles the Eternals turned out to be a robot. It really wasn't until Thor #301 that they were officially incorporated into the Marvel U.