What does one do with eternity, and how does one respond when their own immortality is more burden than blessing? Your Major Spoilers review of Eternity Girl #1 awaits!
ETERNITY GIRL #1
Writer: Magdalene Visaggio
Artist: Sonny Liew
Colorist: Chris Chuckry
Letterer: Todd Klein
Editor: Andy Khouri
Publisher: Young Animal/DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in Eternity Girl: “Caroline Sharp has been a lot of things, including both a superhero and a super-spy. But now, with those days behind her and her powers proving unreliable, Caroline finds herself stuck in a life weighed down by her depression and an inability to change. You see, Caroline is going to live forever, and there is no escape to be had. The very act of living reminds her that, to the rest of existence, she is an anomaly. All of that could change, however, when her old foe, Madame Atom, comes to her with an intriguing offer… Madame Atom can give Caroline the power to end her life; she just has to destroy the rest of the world.”
“WHAT HEALTHY SELF-CARE LOOKS LIKE FOR AN ELEMENTAL SUPER WOMAN…”
We open with our heroine, Caroline, in the middle of a therapy session, explaining all the various ways she has tried (and failed) to kill herself. The fact that the first responders are tired of fishing her out of the river is one thing, but the fact that she lacks any blood to successfully exsanguinate herself is a deeper bummer. Worse still, thanks to her therapist’s realistic assessment of her mental state, she will not yet be allowed to return to duty with Alpha 13, the secret agency that helped her to become the elemental shape-shifter that she has become. Caroline has at least one real friend, a human named Dani, and another acquaintance who keeps showing up, the strange ghost of her deceased enemy, Madame Atom. Dani tries to make her feel better with cake and liquor, while Madame Atom tries to convince her that there IS one way to end her existence that will actually work…
It just means destroying the entirety of space and time as well.
VISUALLY FASCINATING, BUT DISTURBING SUBJECT MATTER
Needless to say, Caroline’s dilemma is the kind of thing that could be really upsetting, if you’re sensitive to depictions of self-harm and suicide attempts, especially given the matter-of-fact way the issue presents them here. The fact that she can’t die only mitigates it a little bit, so please be aware that this is not a book for you if that applies. Once you’re past that, there’s a nice dose of the post-modern dark humor that we’ve seen in the other Young Animal titles, presented with lovely dialogue that clearly delineates both the wacky superhuman and boring mundane portions of Caroline’s lives. Sonny Liew’s art is quite well done in these pages, reminding me of the old days of Vertigo (and yeah, I’m sorry that I keep referencing Vertigo in my Young Animal reviews, but the YA books are a clear echo of those 90s stories) and delivering on cubicle farms and glowing ziggurats with equal aplomb…
BOTTOM LINE: A NICE BALANCE OF SUPER-STUFF AND REGULAR NEUROSES
In short, if you’re not bothered by the blase treatment of self-harm, this book has potential and it is interesting enough for me to guarantee I’m in for at least three issues based on what’s here. Eternity Girl #1 makes up for the disappointing reveal of the character throughout ‘Milk Wars’ with an interesting story and clear, well-rendered art that still feels freaky and extradimensional where necessary, earning 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. I may be a sucker for Young Animal books and their off-beat tone, but I think this one will appeal to a broader audience, as long as you’re able to stomach the troubling subject matter…
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