This comic book is not for Marvel fans. Or Jack Kirby fans. Or those familiar with the Eternals.
Don't get me wrong... those groups will be entertained, and the writer offers a moody, playful script and the penciller delivers some innovative visuals. But ultimately, this is a comic book for Neil Gaiman fans, for non-comics readers or those who have just followed the writer's comic work. In other words, this is a thoroughly accessible introduction to the Eternals that also takes them in a new direction. The approach is understandable. It's Gaiman who's got the built-in audience, not the somewhat obscure title characters. Those familiar with Ikarus and the other immortal super-heroes can see where the plot is headed, so it lacks a certain mystique for that crowd. But the atmosphere of the script and the artist's effort to try new things in his super-hero genre artwork more than make up for it.
Mary Curry's life isn't an easy thing. He's a med-student working Herculean shifts in an emergency ward, and his girlfriend's just left him. And to make matters worse, some would-be messiah is stalking him. He says his name is Ike Harris, but he's better known as Ikarus, the new leader of a race of immortal superhumans known as the Eternals. Ikarus tells Curry he's one of them but has simply forgotten. Curry's more than willing to blow Ike off, but there are some weird things that can't be explained, such as the stranger's surprising knowledge about his innermost thoughts and his ability to survive a terrorist bombing that claimed dozens of lives... save Ike's.
Romita's artwork on this project is breathtaking. There are two contrasting tones throughout the book, and he manages to incorporate both incredibly well. One the one hand, he conveys the cosmic scope of the Eternals' past adventures and their power (not to mention the Celestials) incredibly well; the last time we saw something this powerful and awe-inspiring from the artist was on the Amalgam book Thorion of the New Asgods. The other tone he conveys is a much more grounded one. He employs a more realistic style than we're accustomed to seeing from him when it comes to his depictions of Mark Curry. He goes out of his way to make Mark breathe, to convey his humanity.
There's no denying it. Gaiman is one of those few comics writers who just has a different, more inventive, intelligent and articulate way of describing the impossible. The pieces of the script that delve into the Celestials' experiments on Earth are mesmerizing. There's a real sense of wonder and magic to it, even though there's a definitive sci-fi feel.
Where the script is at its strongest, though, is with the surreal exchanges between Ike and Mark. The two characters represent a perfect contrast between the mundane and the insane. It's a little difficult to buy into how patient Mark is with Ikarus, but it's a necessary element to get the story started. 7/10
