Eternals #9
Thanos attacks Lemuria to get Phastos in Eternals #9, by writer Kieron Gillen, artist Esad Ribic and Guiu Vilanova, colorist Matt Wilson, and letterer Clayton Cowles. This issue blends action and heart expertly, building the story and setting the Eternals up for their next big battle.
Thanos and the Oceanic Guard attack Lemuria. The Eternals spring into action, putting a plan into motion they made for the occasion. Thanos drops in, finds out where the Eternals have been staying, and confronts Tolau. That brings Thena, and in order to save him, Thena tells Thanos where Phastos is. Phastos tells Kingo about Thanos’s Deviancy and that they need to work to find out how to exploit it before calling on Thanos. The Mad Titan kills Phastos and orders the Guard to destroy Lemuria, but Druig talks him into coming back early. The Eternals talk to Kro about the Change and why Deviants think Celestials put it into them. The Deviants wouldn’t allow Eternals into their temple after the attack, though, so they go to Celestia. Ajax knows where to look for what the Eternals want to know and sets the Eternals on a collision course with new enemies.
Gillen paces this issue perfectly. His mastery of pacing is one of the best parts of his writing. The issue begins at a frenetic pace, really capturing the feeling of the Eternals scrambling to deal with an attack. The battle moves quickly until Thanos gets to Tolau. Here, Gillen slows things down because this part of the story is the real heart of this issue. Thena’s love for Tolau has been a subplot through the book, and Thanos exploits it. After Thanos leaves, things come to a head as the Change hits Tolau and Thena refuses to leave him. She doesn’t want to kill him, but because she knows it’s inevitable, she does it because of love.
It’s a powerful moment, and Gillen takes advantage of it. Elsewhere in the issue, he uses an infographic page to give readers the cost of Thanos’s attack on the Deviants of Lemuria. It’s a nice touch to show just how terrible these sorts of fights can be. The Change also feels like it’s going to play a part in how the Eternals deal with Thanos, as his Deviant DNA is the key to beating him. The last few pages in Celestia build off of Eternals: Celestia one-shot, and it will be interesting to see where Gillen takes this.
Ribic and Vilanova split art duties in this issue. Ribic’s pencils feel a little less detailed than usual. They’re still pretty good, but there are a few places where readers can tell that he’s not giving it a hundred percent. Vilanova’s style is grittier than Ribic’s, but it looks great. It really brings home the heartache of the scene between Thena and Tolau. Sometimes contrasting styles in the same issue don’t work, but this isn’t one of those times.
Eternals #9 brings the action and the heart. Gillen does a great job throughout and sets the Eternals on the next phase of their battle against Thanos. Ribic’s pencils are a bit less detailed than usual but still good, and Vilanova definitely shines in this issue. All in all, another great issue of this series.
