National Comics: Eternity #1
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National Comics: Eternity #1

Writer: Jeff Lemire Artist: Cully Hamner, Derec Donovan Publisher: DC Comics Release Date: July 25, 2012 Cover Price: $3.99 Critic Reviews: 12 User Reviews: 3
7.6Critic Rating
7.5User Rating

An exciting new series of stand-alone comics that feature unique takes on classic characters! JEFF LEMIRE (ANIMAL MAN) and CULLY HAMNER (RED) bring a contemporary approach to the hero we used to know as KID ETERNITY! Can introverted medical examiner Kid Eternity solve a deadly crime in just 24 hours?

  • 10
    Comic Vine - Mat 'Inferiorego' Elfring Jul 25, 2012

    This is a great start to National Comics, and although we'll move on to a new character and creative team with the next issue, I hope it stays on this level for the rest of them. I love that this Kid Eternity book exists and I love that DC is bringing back some older characters and making them acceptable to newer readers. The creative team of Lemire, Hammer, Donovan, and Staples is fantastic here, and again, I hope they can do another Eternity book together. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Comicosity - Matt Santori Jul 27, 2012

    National Comics is precisely the kind of showcase DC needs in a universe reintroducing itself to decades of characters without a current home. With every story tightly constructed to be done-in-one and some top talent gracing these pages month after month, this book will assuredly be a place for experimentation and hopefully a launching pad for future series. Upcoming issues include Looker (August), Rose and Thorn (September) and Madame X (October). If Eternity is any indication, every one of these books will be a must-have for your read pile. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    The Weekly Crisis - Grant McLaughlin Jul 29, 2012

    Jeff Lemire and Cully Hammer combine for a really enjoyable read that is a nice change of pace from the regular DC-fare: a deliberately paced, slightly supernatural mystery starring a pretty regular joe lead. The ending is the only part I would call a little rushed, unnecessarily eliminating what could have been an interesting plot point, but considering this might be the only story Kid Eternity gets, I can't really hold it against them. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comics: The Gathering - lucstclair Jul 28, 2012

    This was a total surprise, I didnt expect to be this much entertained by one issue. I only hope to see more of it in the near future. From DC Comics. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Crave Online - Andy Hunsaker Aug 21, 2012

    I was a bit disappointed to notice the indication that this is only a one shot, as National Comics' Eternity is a series I'd probably check into for a few more issues, should they ever appear. Maybe it'll circle back again after the rest of the line-up gets their turn at bat. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    IGN - Joey Esposito Jul 25, 2012

    The one real technical gripe I should mention is that while the narrative and artwork stand on their own, there are more than a couple of lettering errors " missing letters and such " throughout. It's not a huge deal and doesn't hurt the story (and hey, mistakes happen), but it's worth noting that this is only the latest in a continuing trend of lettering mishaps at DC, including another one this week in Green Lantern #11. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comic Book Resources - Greg McElhatton Jul 26, 2012

    Would I buy an "Eternity" ongoing series by Lemire and Hamner and/or Donovan? Absolutely. There's a lot of story potential here, and this initial taste has me wanting more. The title of "National Comics: Eternity" is a bit cumbersome (the "National Comics" banner being a new heading for one-shots like this), but everything else is great. Buy a copy, please. I want DC to green light more "Eternity" and soon. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Newsarama - David Pepose Jul 30, 2012

    That all said, this story is solid enough, getting its point across and getting some really nice artwork in the process. It would have been nice for Kid Eternity to have been a little more ambitious, but setting up a stable foundation isn't always a bad decision. Here's hoping that as Lemire finds his feet, this comic will take its hero's human ties and use them to the fullest. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Modern Age Comics - Alexander Moser Jul 26, 2012

    I absolutely love the concept of Kid Eternity. The final few pages gives the reader a taste of whats to come, and even with the chilling cliffhanger, the future is looks bright for Kid Eternity. If youre a fan of horror, supernatural crime, or you just like Jeff Lemire, make sure this one is on your pull list. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Eye On Comics - Don MacPherson Jul 28, 2012

    Lemire has clearly endeavored to remove the Kid Eternity concept from the super-hero genre, and he's fairly successful. Unfortunately, it's lost a bit of its charm and magic in the process. In the end, I felt like I was reading a pitch for a new TV series. Mind you, it's a solid pitch, and given audiences' taste for similar fare in recent years, it would likely be a successful, to a certain degree. But somehow, along the way, Kid Eternity became the lead in Ghost Whisperer, replacing Jennifer Love Hewitt with something akin to the starring actor from The Listener. The result is the story feels quite ordinary, rather than the whimsical qualities of the original take on the concept or the more surreal spin on it from the Vertigo series of the 1990s. Read Full Review

  • 5.5
    Multiversity Comics - Brian Salvatore Jul 27, 2012

    I suppose my biggest problem with this book is that with this creative team, with this property, with this format, it doesn't add up to what it should be. There is a nice cliffhanger ending, should DC decide to bring the character back for a second issue and, as I said before, I wouldn't be too shocked to see Eternity show up in the pages of “Justice League Dark” eventually, but when you get one of the most creative writers in all of comics tackling a weird, fun character like Kid Eternity, with a top notch artist, to launch a new book, expectations must be high. Even though I love the Quantum Leap aspects of the book, it just doesn't do too much for me. I would give it another shot, but honestly, if we can't get Joan of Arc to help with our French homework, is it even worth it? Read Full Review

  • 4.0
    Major Spoilers - George Chimples Jul 26, 2012

    National Comics: Eternity ends with cliff-hanger and sets up a villain, making it seem that this one-shot is a backdoor pilot issue for a possible on-going series. Unfortunately, this issue does not make a compelling argument for a Kid Eternity monthly. The dialogue is capable, the art is good, but the core concept is neither original nor compelling nor particularly well-executed. Oddly enough, a character hewing closer to the original Kid Eternity concept, with the power to summon mythical or historical personages, seems like it has fresher potential than this brand new incarnation. National Comics: Eternity #1sadly rates a below average two out of five stars. Read Full Review

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