Marvel's Eternals are rising again with a new ongoing comic book title debuting this November, just in time for the planned 2021 film.
Eternals by writer Kieron Gillen with artists Esad Ribić and Matthew Wilson is described as "a new vision the classic Marvel mythology," adding a key twist to Jack Kirby's '70s-era immortals.
"What's the point of an eternal battle?" Marvel's synopsis for the series rhetorically asks. "For millions of years, 100 Eternals have roamed the Earth, secret protectors of humanity. Without them, we'd be smears between the teeth of the demon-like Deviants. Their war has waged for all time, echoing in our myths and nightmares."
"But today, Eternals face something new: change," the synopsis continues. "Can they – or anyone on Earth – survive their discovery?"
While the 'change' it refers to has been left a mystery by Marvel, there have been some recent moments in Marvel comics lore which have redefined the Eternals' role.
In a 2018 issue of Jason Aaron and Ed McGuinness' Avengers run, it was revealed that the Eternals (and many other Earth-bound superpowered individuals) were in essence 'antibodies' created to fight back against an interplanetary infection called the Horde.
It's not clear if Marvel Comics' new Eternals series will be touching on that.
"I said if I was ever to do a book again at Marvel, it would have to be something I've never done before," Gillen said in the announcement. "This is exactly that. This is me teaming up with literally my favorite artist of the epic, taking one of those lightning-storm Kirby visions and re-making it to be as new as the day it was forged."
Gillen lauds his collaborator Esad Ribić for being able to create "whole worlds on the page."
"There's enough scale packed in here that I believe that when you look at the comic, you'll see the pages slightly bulge," the writer continues. "Essentially 'Eternal' has to mean 'never going out of style' which means we're aiming for 'Instant classic.' Also - fight scenes, horror, human drama, emotions, explosions. Comics!"
Eternals #1 goes on sale in November. Look for Marvel's full November 2020 solicitations later this week here at Newsarama.
