The Eternals Omnibus collects issues #1-19 and Annual #1 of Jack Kirby’s 1977 Marvel series—one of his last great hurrahs. This hardcover volume was originally released in 2006, according to Amazon reviewer Christopher J. Schillig, to tie in with the Eternals mini-series by Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr.
For fans of The King’s Eternals who have wanted to have a collection of this title, the Omnibus is the way to go. The Eternals Omnibus reproduces this near masterpiece in large, high-grade glossy, color pages. The artwork jumps right off the page because the pages are so much larger than the regular comic format. What is occasionally lost in the gutter of oversized pages is made up for in quality.
For the comic reader or graphic novel collector, this hardbound volume will be an excellent addition to their Marvel library. One of the amazing things about Kirby’s Eternals is his decision to keep it separate from the rest of the Marvel Universe. Many of the characters are based on ancient Greek mythology. From issue #1 to #16, there are no superheroes and no stars. Instead, Kirby creates a textured world that on the surface presents a tale of good versus evil, but evolves into multi-layered storylines with complex characters.
At the time The Eternals was written, no one was writing better dialogue in comics than The King. Kirby’s dialogue is heightened, which fits the concepts and themes he’s exploring, as well as the characters. His humor is underplayed. He doesn’t use bad puns, banal one liners, or absurd battle patter. There is little male posturing in his dialogue.
Although I can heartily recommend this to serious graphic novel readers and collectors, there are some negatives. Firstly, the edition has glued pages instead of pages that are sewn in. That being said, this oversized hardbound book is much more desirable than a soft cover book. Second, for the last three issues the Marvel editors ruined the title by insisting that Jack Kirby bring it into the Marvel Universe and that it have a star (Ikaris).
Who Are The Eternals
The fictional world of The Eternals centers around a race of superhumans. They are an offshoot of the evolutionary process that created sentient life on Earth. The original instigators of this process, the alien Celestials, intended the Eternals to be the defenders of Earth which leads to the inevitability of war against their destructive counterparts, the Deviants. The Eternals were created by Jack Kirby and made their first appearance in The Eternals #1 (July 1976).
The storyline took elements from the ideas of the Ancient astronauts, which postulate that humanity may had been visited by extraterrestrials in ancient times and interpreted them as supernatural beings. Thus, a recurring topic of the plots was to use the Eternals, the Deviants or the Celestials to provide explanations for myths or obscure events from history. In particular, many points from the book Chariots of the Gods? by Erich von Däniken were incorporated into the plot, such as the Nazca Lines being an extraterrestrial airport or the Incas getting technological advances from them and in turn worshiping them as gods.
What’s Included
Hardcover: 392 pages
Publisher: Marvel (July 12, 2006)
The letter pages as originally found in the comics
Language: English
Pages are high-grade glossy paper
Dust jacket
Leather bound hardcover
Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
How Much Should You Expect to Pay?
The cheapest I’ve seen it on Amazon for new books is $199.99 and you should be able to find used issues at around $120.
What Others Are Saying
This Omnibus has received rave reviews from most collectors on the net with an average of 4 out of 5 from most reviewers on Amazon. Here are some of the comments to date:
- “…having all 19 issues (plus the annual) between two covers is an awesome thing”
- “I am so glad I got the Eternals Omnibus!”
- “There are no more comics like this anymore.”
- “King Kirby’s Last Great Work”
- “…the bulk of the book is exciting, cosmic fun from comic great Jack Kirby.”
- “The only Omnibus I have is the Eternals one, and it’s good stuff.”
- “In my experience, hardcover pages open much wider than TPBs…”
- “If you are a casual Kirby fan, I recommend this book. If you are a hard-core fan, you already have it.”
Where Can You Buy The Eternals Omnibus?
You can buy this hardbound Eternals collection from Amazon. At the moment they include free shipping if you buy directly from Amazon. Click here to view on Amazon.
Where Can You Read More Reviews for The Eternals Omnibus?
The best place for reviews from people who actually own The Eternals Omnibus is Amazon.
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