Eternals by Neil Gaiman

In the 1970's the legendary Jack Kirby returned to Marvel Comics and created The Eternals. While not top grade Kirby, it was full of interesting ideas that didn't quite gel and Marvel never really managed to incorporate The Eternals into the wider Marvel Universe. We're they superheroes? Gods? Immortals? Something else?

Fast forward to the mid-noughties and the equally legendary Neil Gaiman was offered the chance to reboot The Eternals. He jumped at he chance and did his own spin on Kirby's creations. The result is again something of a curate's egg. Gaiman is a gifted writer so the book is never less than entertaining, it just feels a bit rushed, or under-developed in places (this maybe be due to Marvel's tightly imposed deadlines). So we get introduced to the core Eternals, who have forgotten their identities and have lived as humans for thirty years. The plot is about their reawakening and the race to prevent the “dreaming celestial” (a giant space god!) from waking up.

Against the background of the Marvel Civil War aftermath and a race of so-called “deviants” who want to reclaim the planet as theirs, there's a lot to like. We even get a few guest Avengers popping up and a reality show called America's Next Superhero.

So it's an enjoyable read, and Gaiman does succeed in integrating The Eternals into the Marvel Universe much better than past writers have. It's not up there with Sandman, or even Miracleman, but it's well worth a read. This run is, apparently, the basis for the upcoming movie, so it will be interesting to see how well it adapts.