What would make a new Eternal series good?

[berk]

DC Universe Legacies #8.
http://i.newsarama.com/images/dculeg_cv8_ds_copy.jpg

Thanks. It looks like a straight-re-telling of the corresponding scene from Kirby's New Gods - was it?

[Deus ex Chris]

Hickman's a good place to start. Aside from being perfectly suited, he also wants to do it.

[berk]

Hickman's a good place to start. Aside from being perfectly suited, he also wants to do it.

Really - has he said as much? I don't think he'd be right for it at all, judging from what I saw of his use of the Celestials in his FF.

[Wellman]

Really - has he said as much? I don't think he'd be right for it at all, judging from what I saw of his use of the Celestials in his FF.

The Celestials in F4/FF were meant to be the big near unbeatable threat due to being driven mad because of the Council of Reeds. If Hickman wanted to, I am sure he could work within the frame work of the Eternals story to craft a interesting story.

I just don't think between his biweekly Avengers book and New Avengers he will have the time or energy to do the necessary world building.

[Deus ex Chris]

Really - has he said as much? I don't think he'd be right for it at all, judging from what I saw of his use of the Celestials in his FF.

If you don't think he's suitable for a book about science meeting the divine and secret caretakers of progress, I definitely recommend reading SHIELD and Manhattan Projects. Both are fantastic. Nobody's doing what he does as well as he's doing what he does. He's perfect for this, and yeah, he's mentioned having an Eternals story that he'd eventually like to tell.

[berk]

The Celestials in F4/FF were meant to be the big near unbeatable threat due to being driven mad because of the Council of Reeds. If Hickman wanted to, I am sure he could work within the frame work of the Eternals story to craft a interesting story.

I just don't think between his biweekly Avengers book and New Avengers he will have the time or energy to do the necessary world building.

If you don't think he's suitable for a book about science meeting the divine and secret caretakers of progress, I definitely recommend reading SHIELD and Manhattan Projects. Both are fantastic. Nobody's doing what he does as well as he's doing what he does. He's perfect for this, and yeah, he's mentioned having an Eternals story that he'd eventually like to tell.

It's exactly because "The Celestials in F4/FF were meant to be the big near unbeatable threat due to being driven mad because of the Council of Reeds" that tells me he's the wrong guy to do an Eternals story. He thinks they're Galactus, while the role they play in the Eternals is entirely different from that played by Galactus in the MU. Hickman seems to be interested in how the human spirit, as represented by the hero, rises to the occasion and overcomes these "near unbeatable threats." That's not what the Eternals are about at all and I wouldn't want to read a story that embodies that misreading.

[tigerkaya]

It's exactly because "The Celestials in F4/FF were meant to be the big near unbeatable threat due to being driven mad because of the Council of Reeds" that tells me he's the wrong guy to do an Eternals story. He thinks they're Galactus, while the role they play in the Eternals is entirely different from that played by Galactus in the MU. Hickman seems to be interested in how the human spirit, as represented by the hero, rises to the occasion and overcomes these "near unbeatable threats." That's not what the Eternals are about at all and I wouldn't want to read a story that embodies that misreading.

To be fair they weren't the 616 Celestials just alternate versions. Wheres this whole The Council of Reeds making these Celestials insane I presumed they were driven insane by the Celestial from SHIELD.

[Desaad]

Thanks. It looks like a straight-re-telling of the corresponding scene from Kirby's New Gods - was it?

Yes, it's a direct - and frankly lackluster - retelling.

[Will.S]

I don't think it's impossible to make the Eternals in the 616 universe fully work but as berk has been stating for a while now there certainly are problems in keeping them there because their role is kind of filled out by either the Avengers or Defenders.

You'd have to dramatically increase the scope to the point in which it overshadows even the Avengers and the Eternals can take a more front and center approach to the threats whether it be in conjunction with the Avengers or having the Avengers defer to them kind of similar to the original Guardians of the Galaxy. There's certainly merit to Expletive's suggestion of just proliferating them and integrating them more into the Avengers books or the MU in general with perhaps them meeting only when something in dire need of the Uni-Mind is necessary.

There's also the possibility that the Eternals just doesn't lend itself all that well to an ongoing since coming up with world ending threats in every arc can be a bit much to throw out there unless you counter that with something more in depth like living the life of an immortal, what their world view is, and exploring other cerebral avenues that don't involve just punching/laser blasting stuff.

[Timmy]

Gaiman. He understood the characters. Loved the mini.

[Wellman]

I don't think it's impossible to make the Eternals in the 616 universe fully work but as berk has been stating for a while now there certainly are problems in keeping them there because their role is kind of filled out by either the Avengers or Defenders.

You'd have to dramatically increase the scope to the point in which it overshadows even the Avengers and the Eternals can take a more front and center approach to the threats whether it be in conjunction with the Avengers or having the Avengers defer to them kind of similar to the original Guardians of the Galaxy. There's certainly merit to Expletive's suggestion of just proliferating them and integrating them more into the Avengers books or the MU in general with perhaps them meeting only when something in dire need of the Uni-Mind is necessary.

There's also the possibility that the Eternals just doesn't lend itself all that well to an ongoing since coming up with world ending threats in every arc can be a bit much to throw out there unless you counter that with something more in depth like living the life of an immortal, what their world view is, and exploring other cerebral avenues that don't involve just punching/laser blasting stuff.

I don't think you have to have them be BIGGER then the Avengers in being the front line of major threats, if anything I think to make the Eternals viable as a concept you'd have to put them in a different area of expertise such as facing threats that your normal Avengers squad wouldn't even know about or have them in a legitimate global-political capacity that most Avengers stories usually steer clear of. Blockbuster action and explosions can still be a part of the book but if the Eternals is to survive as a separate concept and not just another type of sub species you have to push the idea of it being something different from your standard story that could be Avengers or X-Men stories.

[Hypestyle]

have a new mini set in its own continuity, without Marvel-proper heroic history..

[EXCELSIOR 2.0]

I was just about to make an Eternals thread before I saw this one! I was re-reading Uncanny X-Men actually, with the dreaming Celestial & Sinister and all that, and thought how the Eternals wouldn't be too keen on all this. With that said, I realized I was thinking about the Eternals. Mostly Sersi but w/e. What are they up to currently? I'm pretty sure that last time I saw an Eternal was a pissed Sersi that Jessica Jones tried to stick her dumpy child on. I kinda mix Starfox too, that little rascal. All this Thanos business & no Fox in sight?

[berk]

Gaiman. He understood the characters. Loved the mini.

People say that, but I don't see it. Having the Celestial talk, Sersi being impressed by Iron Man's wealth, making Makarri replace Ajak as the Eternals' Celestial contact ... all this shows a lack of understanding of the characters, in my view; a by-the-numbers approach (e.g. Makkarri replacing Ajak presumably because Mercury's the god of communication, among other things) that makes me wonder if Gaiman was ever really that interested in the project. I think he was always more attracted to the MU than to the Eternals, which doesn't exactly make him a good choice for an Eternals series.

Of course, I imagine it wouldn't be easy to find a comics writer who WASN'T more interested in the MU than in the Eternals ... which doesn't say much for comics writers, IMO.

I don't think you have to have them be BIGGER then the Avengers in being the front line of major threats, if anything I think to make the Eternals viable as a concept you'd have to put them in a different area of expertise such as facing threats that your normal Avengers squad wouldn't even know about or have them in a legitimate global-political capacity that most Avengers stories usually steer clear of. Blockbuster action and explosions can still be a part of the book but if the Eternals is to survive as a separate concept and not just another type of sub species you have to push the idea of it being something different from your standard story that could be Avengers or X-Men stories.

This highlights one of the problems with placing them in the MU: what's the point of them? It would be tough to come up with something that isn't or couldn't be covered by one of the numerous super-teams already out there. And I suspect that even if some writer did come up with some unique niche for them, it would soon be taken over by a more popular franchise, like one of the many Avengers or X-Men teams.

There really is no up-side to forcing the Eternals into the MU.

[Wellman]

I was just about to make an Eternals thread before I saw this one! I was re-reading Uncanny X-Men actually, with the dreaming Celestial & Sinister and all that, and thought how the Eternals wouldn't be too keen on all this. With that said, I realized I was thinking about the Eternals. Mostly Sersi but w/e. What are they up to currently? I'm pretty sure that last time I saw an Eternal was a pissed Sersi that Jessica Jones tried to stick her dumpy child on. I kinda mix Starfox too, that little rascal. All this Thanos business & no Fox in sight?

Last legit Eternals appearance that I know of was in a issue of Parker's Hulk, Ikaris had a fight scene with Red Hulk in the middle of a erupting volcano, while the rest were discussing how current heroes could be considered gods.