“At the farthest edge of human understanding, Abram Adams – the lost cosmonaut called Divinity – and his comrade, Myshka, have discovered the purpose of their existence in this universe… and in the next one beyond our own. Now, as a seemingly infinite pantheon of mythic gods and cosmic beings rises to meet them head-on, they’ll be forced to ignite a maelstrom of untold proportions to save their child from a fate worse than annihilation…”

My first reaction upon putting this comic down was that I couldn’t recall reading something that felt so complete upon the conclusion of each chapter as the Divinity/Eternity saga. Yes, there are always threads left for continuation in later miniseries, but for the most part each of the chapters are brilliantly self-contained arcs of comic book brilliance.  Eternity #4 is no exception to that rule.

I can’t recall being as excited to read a comic as I was to read this issue (but it was probably another Valiant comic), because with this series the creative team have been producing some utterly fantastic work. This isn’t the typical superhero stuff you’ll find on the racks, instead bearing more of a stylistic relation to Jack Kirby’s outer space work than the spandex clad adventures. Matt Kindt‘s script could, with minor tweaks, very easily be translated into a noir style detective story – his story, despite the bright visuals found at the edge of the galaxy, can be broken down at its essence to Divinity and Myshka’s quest to find their kidnapped child. One could be forgiven for thinking that the story’s essence is deceptively simple, and in some ways it is, but then Kindt uses the most powerful man in the Valiant universe to explore non-violet conflict resolution. What happens when a man determined to rescue his child must also examine his non-violent beliefs?

The back drop to this incredibly well written story is frankly jaw dropping. Trevor Hairsine, Ryan Winn and David Baron produce some of the most exciting and visually impressive art as they explore concepts that are limited only by their imagination.

Eternity #4 lives up to the high standards set by the creative team’s previous offerings in the saga, as it brings the miniseries to a powerful conclusion. For me, this is an early contender for book of the year, and is an absolute must-read for any who have been reading the series, those looking for something a little different, or those who want to experience a comic that sets a high bar for the rest of the industry in every way imaginable.

Story: Matt Kindt Art: Trevor Hairsine
Inker: Ryan Winn Colourist: David Baron
Story: 9.5 Art: 10 Overall: 9.75 Recommedation: Buy

Although Valiant provided a FREE copy for review, I read the physical copy from my LCS for this review.