Best Shots Extra: The Eternals #1

Best Shots Extra
The Eternals #1
From: Marvel Comics
Writers: Charles & Daniel Knauf
Art: Daniel Acuna
Letters: Todd Klein

Although this series picks up the threads left by the ’06 Gaiman reboot, it’s fair to say at the offing that you needn’t have read that book to understand this one. The text page and elements of the plot make things simple enough to follow, and the slowly unrolling introductions establish the cast with ease. Getting over that hurdle is usually a hard thing; I’m glad to see that the Knaufs took to it well.

Before we get into the story, I’d like to address the art of Daniel Acuna. I think that his style suits this book very well. I enjoyed his work on Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters at DC, but there are things in play here to work even better with his approach. I also thought that it was clever that the storytellers use a couple of devices that allow Acuna to draw both some critical scenes from Marvel history and some heroes in some unguarded moments (none more unguarded than Sue Richards, I might add). I realize that Acuna is an acquired taste for some, but I think that he’s going to make more fans with this focused effort.

Storywise, things are essentially a quest motif. Ikaris and Thena are racing to awake and recover the other missing Eternals so that they might stand against the impending extraterrestrial threat of the Horde. Working against them is fellow Eternal Druig; he just wants to wake and brainwash the others so that he might seize control of their people. Elsewhere, Makkari, who now shares a bond with the Dreaming Celestial, tries his damnedest to find the others as well.

That said, the things that I liked most about this issue were the little touches. I found Makkari and Sersi’s relationship to be interesting, given the way that she’s been portrayed in the past. Considering some narrative captions and late events, I have many questions about Thena’s son. And, of course, there’s the strong art and the accessibility. I can safely recommend The Eternals to readers looking for an intriguing epic story that works on some very human levels.