Eternals #11
The Eternals and the Avengers clash as Thanos and Druig get closer to the secret the Mad Titan wants in Eternals #11, by writer Kieron Gillen, artist Guiu Vilanova, colorist Matthew Wilson, and letterer Clayton Cowles. This issue combines action and plot in a masterfully entertaining chapter.
The issue switches between the Eternals at Avengers Mountain, the Eternals at Little Hollow, and Thanos and Druig. Kingo bluffs the Avengers at the Mountain, eventually telling them about the plasma attack before trying unsuccessfully to hold back Cap and Black Panther as Ajak attacks the Celestial ghost to get the information she wants. At Little Hollow, Thena asks Ajak for help and sends Ikaris to get a device created to hold Makkari. Gilgamesh shows up, and the three Eternals are able to move the town before the Avengers' heavy hitters arrive and a battle begins. At Olympus, Thanos and Druig figure out another way to get the information they need and force their way into A'Lars' mind, ready to face his defenses.
Gillen keeps proving with every issue of Eternals just how talented a writer he is. This book has depended on plot more than action for a lot of its run, but Gillen gives everyone the action they crave in this issue. It's really only a preamble to what looks to be a bigger battle, but it's all very exciting and serves to break up the info dumps that this issue could have consisted of.
Characterization wins the day in this issue. Kingo gets to show off his acting skill, which is hilarious in its way. Thena thinks things through to save the day, especially since Ikaris's idea was to move the townhouse by the house, another nice bit of humor. In fact, there are a lot more jokes in this issue than in most of the run, but they're nice and dry, which fits the tone of the comic. Elsewhere, Ajak's rage at the Celestial not speaking to her is on full display and feels like a dark precursor of things to come.
The moment of Ajak's rage wouldn't work nearly as well if it wasn't for Vilanova's artwork. The pencils capture just how frightening that Ajak can be, and it looks amazing. Vilanova's style is very different from Ribic's, but it works wonderfully for the issue. The action looks sensational, as does Kingo's disguise, and the character acting really sells every panel. Wilson's colors make the pencils that much better, adapting his coloring and palette to Vilanova’s style. The art on this issue is some of the most impressive in the book yet.
Eternals #11 continues this book's superb run of quality. Few writers can match Gillen, and this issue is a beautiful example of why. It balances action and plot beautifully. Vilanova and Wilson are a great team, and the art fits the script very well. Eternals is the cream of the crop.
