Welcome back once again to the comic book corner. This week I’ll be showcasing another Image Comics title by the name of Seven to Eternity. First released in 2017, volume 1 collects the first four issues of the 17-issue run, which concluded in the summer of 2021. The series was created and written by Rick Remender with art by Jerome Opena and colors by Matt Hollingsworth.

The story of Seven to Eternity is a science fiction epic with some western influence, and takes place in the fictional kingdom of Zhal. Years ago, the planet was protected by an ancient order of knights with supernatural abilities called the Mosak, however, a Mosak now referred to as the God of Whispers turned against them. He used his ability to control others in order to take over the world. The story follows Adam Osidis (the son of disgraced Mosak leader, Zebadiah Osidis), who finds himself at a crossroads between ending the tyranny of the God of Whispers or hearing his offer to grant his every desire.

This is quite an interesting premise. I love how the main villain has already won right from the beginning. Zhal is a dying world, with just a few heroic figures left scrambling to retain hope for a better world. The people are constantly warring with one another and the planet is filled with ruins of the once prosperous civilization.

The first volume is very action heavy, but also delivers on the character writing front. Adam is a likable protagonist, as he has been through a lot of tragedy and has lived his life through adversity. You can’t help but want to see him succeed, but also understand why he may fail. This internal battle adds a nice layer to the main external conflict, which takes shape from issue three onwards serving to further increase the stakes of the entire narrative.

I also enjoy the supporting characters. Though I don’t know a ton about each as of now, they all have distinct personalities. It is clear from the well-crafted dialogue that Remender has a grasp of character voice that makes for a truly memorable cast. The immense creativity involving power sets also helps each to stand out as every Mosak manifests a unique skill. This not only creates some incredibly fun and diverse action sequences, but helps each character stand out in your mind.

Jerome Opena’s artwork is absolutely phenomenal in this series. He brings this complex world to life and delivers some beautiful space landscapes. The paneling is also utilized effectively here to further complement the artistic skill on display. I found myself spending time just picking out little details across beautiful two-page spreads and every action scene is a visual feast for your eyes.

In addition to the backgrounds, this series has fantastic character designs. Every creature leaps off the page. The aliens look suitably otherworldly while having distinct visuals that easily set them apart from other denizens of the world. The sheer biodiversity of the races on this one planet is equal to a Star Wars film. It gives you an immediate sense of scale and conveys the feeling that this is truly a living, breathing world.

My biggest issue with Seven to Eternity so far is simply the complexity of the world. There is a lot happening from the second you begin the story and the first issue is very fast-paced. It can be hard to fully grasp what exactly is going on during an initial read. Don’t expect to learn every intricacy about this world from explicit exposition dumps as a lot of world-building is done through visuals and context. You also need to pay close attention to Adam’s diary entries as those provide some additional framework. Fortunately, the later issues slow down the pace enough for you to catch up.

My second biggest complaint stems from the character deaths in these early issues. At least four are killed almost the moment they get introduced. This can make it a little hard to get attached to them and I would have liked more time with each. It is especially disappointing because most of these characters do get a bit of development that had me initially intrigued, but then they are soon ripped away. This had me feeling a little cheated, but didn’t completely kill my enjoyment.

I’m excited to continue this series. In just four issues Rick Remender has crafted an engaging and unpredictable science fiction tale that has me legitimately interested in how the story will evolve in the future.

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Seven To Eternity Vol.1

$9.99

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Beautiful artwork
• Great action and characters
• Interesting world

Cons

• Complexity can lead to confusion
• Characters killed off too soon