Eternals #10
The Eternals infiltrate Avengers Mountain as Thanos tries for true immortality in Eternals #10, by writer Kieron Gillen, artist Esad Ribic, colorist Matthew Wilson, and letterer Clayton Cowles. This issue is another expertly crafted masterpiece of writing, but Ribic’s art is a little wonky in places.
The Eternals use Sersi asking for dinner with Namor to sneak into Avengers Mountain. As that’s happening, Phaestos allows Thanos to interrogate him to buy time and finally answers his question- that only his parents can connect him to Machine. Druig reveals to Thanos that his parents are in cells in Olympia. At Avengers Mountain, Starbrand picks up the Eternals’ presence, and Sprite is able to diffuse the situation while the others make their way to commune with the soul of the Celestial. Thanos continually tortures his parents, trying to blackmail them into giving him the information he wants by threatening a human town. When they refuse, he activates the weapon. The Machine gives an alert, and Thena and Ikaris, back-up for the Eternals, rush off to help the humans. In the Mountain, the Eternals make contact with the Celestial’s soul, which activates the Avengers’ security, leaving Kingo to hold them off.
Gillen is a master of juggling multiple plot lines in a book, and this issue shows that off. The events in Avengers Mountain and Olympia play off each other, the plotlines each building tension in their own way. In Avengers Mountain, the Machine’s narration does a great job of setting each scene, letting readers in how the Eternals see the team. The Eternals are almost afraid of the group, and that plays out wonderfully as the issue goes on. Sprite’s way of dealing with Starbrand is wonderful and her parting line, promising this will go better than the last time she babysat, is a wonderful bit of gallows humor.
As usual in this book, the best part of the issue is Thanos. Gillen is the best Thanos writer in a long time. He’s able to capture the monstrousness of the Titan while also playing into his complicated backstory. It’s fascinating when he realizes his parents are there in Olympia. At one point, he says that they are the source of all of his pain, and it rings so true. Too many writers only write Thanos as the genocidal monster with no emotions other than glee when he kills, but Gillen captures the nuance of Thanos brilliantly. He’s a reprehensible monster, but there’s a reason behind it.
Ribic excels when he’s drawing Thanos. The issue’s art is at its best when Thanos and Druig are on the page. It makes these sections of the books that much better, really bringing Gillen’s script to life. Unfortunately, there are times in the Avengers Mountain sections where the art isn’t as good. His Captain Marvel does not look good, and his Makkari isn’t so great either. His tendency to draw weird faces also strikes throughout this part of the book.
Eternals #10 is more proof that Gillen is one of the best comic writers working today. He juggles the book’s plots expertly, and his Thanos is the best since Starlin. Ribic’s art is mostly good, with the Thanos sections being excellent. However, when it gets wonky, it’s distracting and kind of funny. This is a great comic, though, even with the janky art.
