Eternals #8 Eternally yours, eternally mine, eternally ours…

A new day has arisen for Earth’s Eternals, as it is the first day of the new Prime Eternal, Thanos, and things are just about to get uglier. Druig returns, stripped of any memory of the failsafes set by Phastos for Thanos, Druig does what Druig has always done: he begins to scheme. Now, Druig has always been, and will always be the snake of the Eternals, and I’m fine with that. Should he become one of the more heroic and poetic Eternals? Absolutely not, but I wouldn’t mind seeing some development that gives him something more than just the Eternals version ofSilver/Bronze Age Loki. I also can’t wait to see as the Eternals who we’re most familiar with come to the realization that Thanos is Prime Eternal, since they were not a part of the Unimind vote that happened last issue. 

This issue continues to develop the new status quo for our more familiar earthly Eternals, who have taken up residence as political refugees in Deviants colony, Lemuria, and how their presence there sits with the Deviants. To say it doesn’t sit well with the Deviants is an understatement. The Eternals have hunted and killed their kind for billions of years, so their residency has raised several eyebrows. Kro’s portrayal here is such a nice departure from his film version, and adds such a layer of depth and gravitas that we’ve unfortunately not been made available due to the lack of exposure over the decades since their creation. 

Another development I was excited for was the introduction of yet another of the Gillen created Eternals, Khoryphos, and his Deviant lover, Yrdisis, who have lived together for the last 40 years. I love this development, because it adds such a layer to these two civilizations that can now be expounded upon that encompasses characters that aren’t just Thena and Kro. These two immortal civilizations that have been portrayed as enemies, are so much more. Love can transcend anything, and that’s the message I’m getting from this issue. 

I can’t really add anything to my opinion on Ribic and Wilson’s art here that I haven’t already stated. It’s gorgeous, mythical, and oozing with hardcore science fiction sensibilities, that it puts my senses into overdrive with every new issue. These two put so much heart and soul into every page and panel, and it shows. 

Now we reach the point that I hate, and that’s the negatives I had. Mainly the lack of acknowledgment elsewhere in the Marvel universe, and the pacing with the issue. The decompression that is given with each issue is absolutely necessary, but with the frequency of its publishing, it should almost be printed bi-weekly, otherwise it’s harder for more casual fans to maintain interest in the title. I’d hate to see the fate of this book go the same way as so many other Eternals titles, because this mythology is such an unique perspective that could only add positively to the tapestry that is the Marvel Universe, and their absence would be a travesty.