I know it has only been a couple of weeks since Deadly Class, but I didn’t want to keep waiting to read Seven to Eternity. So we’re going to talk about more Rick Remender.
The idea behind Seven to Eternity is simple: a dying man named Adam sets out to make a Faustian deal to keep his family safe. In this case, the devil is a man who rules from the shadows and can make people’s wishes come true. In exchange, he gets to see and hear everything they see and hear. He’s also responsible for the protagonist’s father’s death and family’s exile.
Adam’s journey is personal—even hearing an offer from the King of Whispers goes against everything his parents stood for. But with his own death on the horizon, he has to decide whether pride—when the rest of the world already hates him for his name—is worth his wife and children’s safety. It’s tight and emotional. Even once the cast expands, most of the tension comes from Adam’s choice.
Phenomenal world-building makes Seven to Eternity stand out. The backmatter for the first issue talks about how Remender and Opeña have spent years building this world—to the point where other books that have nothing to do with Adam, the King of Whispers, or anything else in this series could spin out of its setting. The book has a clear sense of history, even when details remain out of the reader’s reach. Character relationships are clear and well-defined. Magic balances a variety of manifestations with specific rules. The world of Zhal feels organic, as though it existed long before Adam’s story and will continue to long after.
One of the key selling points for this book is Jerome Opeña’s art. It is beautiful and grotesque and strange and recognizable, all at once. Individual panels can have as much detail as entire double-page spreads from other artists. Light and darkness are central to the book’s art, thematically and practically. And Matt Hollingsworth’s colors balance them to make Opeña’s lines pop. Magical effects radiate; deep shadows hide danger.
I’m almost always a fan of Remender’s, Opeña’s, and Hollingsworth’s work, but Seven to Eternity takes it to another level. Remender and Opeña work magic as long-time collaborators, and Hollingsworth is one of the best colorists in the business. If you are into sci-fi/fantasy stories at all, you should check out Seven to Eternity.
Collected in
- Seven to Eternity, Vol. 1: The God of Whispers (#1-4)
Credits
Writer: Rick Remender | Artist: Jerome Opeña | Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth | Letterer: Rus Wooten | Editor: Sebastian Girner