REVIEW: ‘Eternals,’ Issue #3

Eternals #3 is written by Kieron Gillen, illustrated by Esad Ribic, colored by Matthew Wilson, and lettered & designed by VC’s Clayton Cowles. It is published by Marvel Comics. Following the events of the second issue, Sersi takes a collection of Eternals to the Deviant kingdom of Lemuria to confront the Eternal warrior Thena. Meanwhile, Ikaris stands guard over a young boy named Toby Robson, determined to protect Toby from a threat he witnesses while battling Thanos through time.

The Eternals are often mistaken for gods on Earth, and much like the gods of various mythologies, Gillen writes them as immensely flawed and emotional beings who happen to be older than the human race and have superpowers. He especially shines while writing dialogue between Thena and Sersi, as the two Eternal women couldn’t be more wholly different. Sersi is mysterious and manipulative and Thena is more direct and honest. It adds more fuel to the underlying paranoia behind the murder of Zuras, as anyone could be a suspect and these characters are at odds.

Meanwhile, the Ikaris storyline features him interacting with Toby and his family, and it’s quite hilarious (and also features a brief but intense action sequence). If seeing gods interact with each other is one thing, seeing a god sip coffee and talk with humans is another. It’s a testament to Gillen’s skills that he can write a sequence that is equal parts absurd and awe-inspiring, and that he pulls it off effortlessly.

Ribic gets to design two new looks for two new Eternals: Thena and Kingo. Thena is tall, blonde, and muscular: more in the vein of Wonder Woman than the typical female hero. Kingo, on the other hand, has a black costume with silvery armor that makes him look more like a ninja than a god-and like a ninja he has hidden blades and can move in darkness. Ribic even has the chance to draw a flashback sequence that features Thena and Sersi in their classic Jack Kirby-era costumes.

Ribic also gives the city of Lemuria a sci-fi touch. It is entirely carved out of stone, with aircraft propelled by massive balloons and its inhabitants have dark blue skin with blood-red eyes. The entire scene looks like it belongs on the cover of an old science fiction novel, which is awesome.

Rounding out the artistic team is Wilson on colors. Since the book has two different plots occurring in two different places, Wilson uses two different colors for the background of the book. The scenes in Lemuria have a reddish-orange hue, placing a sharp focus on the characters as they speak—particularly Thena and Sersi. The scenes with Ikaris at the Robson household are a dark, ominous blue. This feels oddly appropriate given that Toby is hinted to be in danger and helps set a somber mood.

Eternals #3 fleshes out its cast while still delivering top-notch writing and artwork. The ending of the issue throws yet another wrinkle into the ongoing murder mystery, and with all the issues the Eternals are dealing with on top of that, there’s plenty to keep this series going.

Eternals #3 is available wherever comics are sold.