Comic Review – “Eternal #3”

Remember folks; just because only adults are allowed to buy a
title, that doesn’t mean it’s written with an adult mentality in mind.

General Information

Title: Eternal #3

Author: Chuck Austen

Illustrator: Kev Walker

Original Publication Date: August 6, 2003

Cover Price: $2.99 US, $4.75 Can

Premise

Kurassas is back, and ready to start a war against Ikaeden, who
is
regarded as a traitor.

High Point

Jeska’s speech about how different she isn’t. There’s finally
some
hint that she’s unhappy with her position, and that the other
women
usually feel the same way.

Low Point

The re-introduction of Kurassus. He was declared dead last
month.
This month Ikaeden decides to heal him, just so he can be
executed.
Where is the logic in that? It seems a pretty pointless way to
have
the villain live without the hero’s knowledge.

The Scores

It feels original for the series, only because it rises up
to
the level of “decent.” The slaves start to act like slaves, and the
men move to privacy with their sex dolls instead of the orgy room
(although that change had to be forced on some.) For once,
characters
and readers are treated with some respect. I give it 4 out of 6.

The artwork is the same as it has been for the last
two
issues. I was giving it the benefit of the doubt, assuming that Kev
Walker was just taking time to get used to the characters. It
seems I
overestimated him; this is as good as it’s going to get. I give it 3
out of 6.

The story is starting to tell about something other
than
gratuitous cartoon sex. It’s not dealing with much else, but there
is
some in there. I give it 4 out of 6.



The characterization develops in a worthwhile way
for Jeska
only, in my view. Everyone else is still the unlikable buffoon he
was
in the last issue. (That sexism isn’t mine; Jeska is the only
female
character in this title.) Jeska’s development is still too little, too
late. I give it 3 out of 6.

The emotional response is a reduced sense of
disappointment.
Either the first two issues just lowered my standards for this title,
or it really is getting a bit better. It’s still not particularly
entertaining. I give it 2 out of 6.

The flow is battle sequences is still shoddy. Jumping
from
one character to another quickly may work on film, but in comic
form
it just strips all sense of motion when you don’t get at least two
panels viewing the same action. I give it 3 out of 6.

Overall, there’s nothing in this issue that makes me
regret
voting for this title as my pick for the “most disappointing” and
“why
am I still buying this?” categories in the Bizarro Squiddie awards.
(They’re online comic awards.) I give it 3 out of 6.

In total, Eternal #3 receives 22 out of 42. I think it
may
be time to take another look at the rating system; I wouldn’t have
expected this issue to break the 20 barrier. I don’t expect to
collect it beyond the first story arc.