I originally covered the first few issues of this series last year and greatly enjoyed them. Since then, I went ahead and purchased the rest of the series within the deluxe edition considering the entire run is only 17 total issues. After finishing the series, I decided to condense the final review into one article rather than splitting it into two, so there will be more to discuss. Though I’ll be focusing primarily on issues 5 through 17, I’ll also be providing some more general thoughts about the entire series at the end.

As a quick refresher, Seven to Eternity is a science fiction series published by Image comics in 2016. The story is written by Rick Remender with art from Jerome Opena. Taking place on the war-torn planet of Zhal, the story follows a band of magically enhanced knights called Mosak on their quest to free the people of Zhal from the control of The God of Whispers.

Issue 4 concludes after the knights have captured Garils Sulm, the God of Whispers. They have begun their pilgrimage to the sorceress Torgga in order to face judgment. From here, the band begins to fall apart as they visit a variety of awe-inspiring locales scattered amongst the ruins of this planet.

While the settings are certainly well-trodden within the sci-fi space such as a city in the sky and a swamp plagued by the spirits of the dead, Remender adds just enough of his own twist to make them unique. Additionally, the complexity of the main cast certainly never leaves you feeling bored. Garils is an incredibly well-written villain. Every action he takes and every word he speaks is a manipulation that is so effective I was never able to predict what would happen next.

The other characters are also well written with distinct motivations and personalities. However, I wish there was a little more time devoted to fleshing out other members of the Mosak group apart from the main protagonist Adam. Two characters, (Goblin and Jevalia) get some great characterization but others such as Spiritbox and The White Lady felt underdeveloped at points. This is a shame as the core concepts of both characters are incredibly compelling.

Again, I have to praise just how creative the power systems and magic are within this story. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read. Every character has such a wonderfully distinct design and a variety of skills within their arsenal. This makes action scenes incredibly dynamic and visually stunning. There’s a four-armed alien who wields a comically large mace, a mercenary guided by a magic sword that acts as a money radar, and much more.

The world of Zhal, though a ruin of its former self, remains filled to the brim with life and history. This is somewhat of a double-edged sword. The story’s quick pace often doesn’t leave time to be immersed in the dynamic cultures of a particular location before a new setting is introduced. The complexity and depth of the world are not given enough room to breathe with just seventeen issues. As a result, it can be quite easy to get confused as there just isn’t enough time to deliver exposition on every intricacy within the realm. While exposition is given, I wished I had just a little bit more.

The ending of this story will be quite divisive for some readers. This story is not happy by any means, as it chronicles a tragic fall from grace. It’s a harsh and bitter reflection on greed, desire, and the corruption of power. Remender deftly explores these themes within the final few issues and delivers some truly powerful thoughts within the narration, dialogue, and character actions.

Everything great about this series is only enhanced by Jerome Opena’s stunning artwork which is vibrant, evocative, and epic in scale. There are some pages in here that I wanted to rip out of the book and place into a frame on my wall. It manages to almost transcend the page and bring this alien world into reality.

Despite a few flaws, I greatly enjoyed Seven To Eternity. It’s a story I definitely see myself rereading a few times. There is so much packed in here that it’s hard to fully appreciate it with one read-through. I wish there were more stories within this world. It’s so well realized and large that it could easily warrant an entire novel series or perhaps multiple comic series focusing on different characters or timelines.

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Seven To Eternity

59.99

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Vibrant artwork
• Creative magic and powers
• Great villain and supporting cast

Cons

• Overall complexity in scope
• Pacing can be sporadic