Humans have finally gone too far with genetic testing and are now selecting what genes get to live on in society. “Eternal” #1 is another science fiction title from BOOM! Studios, but sadly does not measure up to some of the more successful launches.
Written by William Harms
Illustrated Giovanni Valletta
WHY WE LOVE IT: We love giving readers smart and thrilling science fiction books, such as The Hypernaturals, Six-Gun Gorilla, and our adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s Do Andrioids Dream of Electric Sleep?. We continue that tradition with Eternal, a story where humans can continually make clones of themselves, so death is a thing of the past. We need to know: What does a world like that look like?WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: William Harms (Impaler, Infamous) is crafting a gripping, sophisticated story about what happens if science completely changes the rules of life itself. This is a story where characters’ ethics and loyalties are tested, for society has changed but human failings remain the same. The next step in humanity is brought to glorious life by Giovanni Valetta (Dark Horse Presents).
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: In a world of clones, the Human Liberation Army wants to free people from New Life’s grasp. Their leader Gail will take the most drastic, personal measures yet to do so. Rathmann, a former homicide detective turned New Life enforcer, is on the case, and is asking tough questions. Violet, a young girl and one of the few non-cloned humans—or Pures—is longing to enter the real world. But she has no idea the danger she is stepping into.
“Eternal” #1 takes place in a world where science has perfected genetic testing and human cloning. Society is shaped by the use of the perfect genes. Death is a thing of the past, thanks to cloning. In the midst of this there is a war going on between the cloning organization New Life and those who are “pure”. The “pures” are led by Gail Jensen and she will use any means to win.
William Harms and Giovanni Valletra have a very big concept here that is really in line with some of the science fiction BOOM! has published this year, like “The Midas Flesh”. The concept is also reminiscent of some of the more classic science fiction from the 1970’s and earlier; it’s futuristic technology that doesn’t seem so far off, so there’s a fear present because the tech seems believable. Science has come a very long way when it comes to genetics, and the future that’s described here doesn’t feel that too far off. Harms really taps into that with these characters.
Gail Jensen is the core of the story. She’s the leader of the resistance and someone actively fighting back. The issue kicks off by showing us how capable she is and how far she’s willing to go. Her backstory is also very important because it wraps all the issues within this society in a nutshell; her origin is sadly the only time we really get any other emotion from her. Gail is also a complicated hero because of the lengths that she’s willing to go to achieve her goal. She has the potential to be a very memorable character but this is a big cast. Problem is, while she’s a pretty well developed character so far, the villains are not.
The villains of “Eternal” are the typical corporate monsters. They don’t have a single compassionate bone in their bodies. It’s all about results and they will do what they need to to achieve them. There’s clearly something very good about a story with villains acting like villains but I think I’ve been spoiled in recent years. Comics have put more effort into creating more complex and almost relatable villains. “Eternal” #1 doesn’t really accomplish that. They’re too simple to get and that worries me as the story goes forward.
The biggest problem with “Eternal” is that it doesn’t read entirely like a first issue. I tend to like stories like “Eternal” where we jump right into an ongoing situation. – it adds an urgency to the story – however, “Eternal” #1 isn’t that easy to follow. There are a lot of pieces here and it’s very unclear how it all comes together. I almost wish this was a full ongoing because the concept doesn’t really feel like something that can be told over four issues. I’m sure that things are going to be glossed over or left out entirely to focus on the story of Gail. That’s a bit upsetting because a concept like this could become something long running with a huge payoff in the end.
Continued belowGiovanni Valletta does a fine job on art. Valletta has a really distinct style all his own and for the most part, this is a finely drawn book. He’s got some solid character designs that are not as futuristic as they could be which adds to the feeling that this future isn’t so far off. The action in the early part of the issue is well done with plenty of details in each background. Unfortunately there are a few pages towards the middle, that mostly deal with the antagonists that are almost too gritty looking. It doesn’t mesh well with the rest of the book. The coloring by Adam Metcalfe is also a little inconsistent but that may have to do with the change in general look of the penciling towards the middle of the issue.
I wanted to really like “Eternal” #1. It’s not a horrible book but there’s a lot missing that took this from being a must read to something a little less than average. The concept is very good but with such a short window to tell the story, I’m worried, and predict, that this won’t end up being what I wanted it to be.
Final Verdict: 6.0 – “Eternal” has a great concept but falls short in execution.
