Eternals #4
As the Eternals search for their betrayer, another attack waits in the wings in Eternals #4, by writer Kieron Gillen, artist Esad Ribic, colorist Matthew Wilson, and letterer Clayton Cowles. This issue primarily focuses on Thena and Kingo questioning Druig, and it answers questions while also dropping a rather large bomb.
As Phastos and Sersi discuss her upcoming dinner with Tony Stark, Druig meets Thena and Kingo in Polaria as Sprite is introduced to her new job- guarding Toby up close for Ikaris, who is still watching over both of them. As Thena and Kingo question Druig, Kingo thinks back to a time when he thought Druig was manipulating the Mongol Hordes and what he almost did to stop him and realizes that Druig is telling the truth. This is proven when Thanos attacks again, killing Druig’s servant. Thena and Kingo engage him, and Druig uses his mental powers to distract Thanos long enough for Thena and Kingo to hurt the Titan and force him to retreat. Druig has an epiphany and sends Thena and Kingo on to who he thinks is helping Thanos. After they leave, Thanos returns because of a message Druig put into his head. Druig asks Thanos why if he needed an Eternal to betray everyone, why didn’t he just come to Druig?
Gillen does a lot in this issue, and it’s a lot of fun. For example, the Eternals have a certain way of speaking about mortal humans. It starts with Sersi talking to Phastos about Tony Stark and the other Avengers. It’s very condescending, which makes complete sense. Eternals have survived millions of years, yet mortals like Stark, Richards, and T’Challa think they are some kind of experts in the world and need to be told everything and take charge. Elsewhere in the book, during Kingo’s flashback, Kingo almost murders Ogedei Khan to stop the Mongol invasion of Europe, almost as if it’s his job to protect the mortals like they are wayward children. It really takes readers into the heads of these immortal characters- they have millions of years of experience, and even the most learned, advanced humans are nothing more than squabbling, arrogant children, to them.
In fact, the only one who says anything good about them is Druig, who actually seems to like humanity. Sersi sleeps with humans, but she probably doesn’t like them very much. Druig does, partly because they’re easy to manipulate but also because they are different from him and the other Eternals. This issue serves to get into Druig’s mind a lot without him being one of the “main” characters. He’s there to be interrogated, and he’s not a part of the current plot, although he is disappointed that Thanos didn’t come to him, which is wonderful and looks to set some interesting things up down the road. Gillen gives a possible answer to who betrayed the Eternals, and it’s quite interesting, especially if anyone knows their Eternals and Marvel history.
This issue highlights some of Ribic’s best work on the book so far, especially during the flashback sequences. His faces still look very weird in place- there are a few times when both Sprite and Toby look pretty frightening, but otherwise, there is a lot of outstanding art in this book. His Thanos is easily one of the best renditions of the character ever- he’s a massive, larger-than-life presence in every panel he’s in, highlighting just how much of a threat he is.
Eternals #4 seemingly puts an end to the mystery of who betrayed the Eternals to Thanos, but there’s still so much more left to discover. This is Gillen’s writing style’s greatest strength- he finds ways to answer the mysteries in his books that open up to more mysteries. Ribic turns in some of his best art of the series so far, and the more he gets to draw Thanos, the better. All in all, this is another top-notch issue of Eternals.