Eternity Girl #5 Review and **SPOILERS**

It’s All Unraveling Together

Script: Magdalene Visaggio 

Pencils, Inks, Cover: Sonny Liew 

Colors: Chris Chuckry 

Letters: Todd Klein 

Assistant Editor: Maggie Howell 

Editor: Andy Khouri 

Cover Price: $3.99 

On Sale Date: July 11, 2018

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Whoa ho, folks! It’s here, the penultimate issue of Eternity Girl! I like to use the word penultimate because I know Eric hates it,* but whenever I do, I am reminded of a time I used the word penultimate incorrectly and was made the fool. So it’s a double-edged sword, cutting me as it cuts Eric!** Regardless, this six-issue miniseries is almost done, so this issue is sure to be a hum-dinger! Check out my review, right here!

*Eric will never read this review

**Seriously, Eric will never, ever even read the introduction to this review

Explain It!

It can certainly be tough to be pulled between two friends with opposing ideologies. I imagine this is pretty common in today’s politically-charged atmosphere. I can recall many times I tried to appease more than one person by splitting the difference between their wants and admonitions; invariably, this results in the satisfaction of no one. No, instead it is more important that “to thine own self be true,” which will not necessarily mitigate the disappointment of others, but at least you will be okay with whatever outcome you’ve presented.

All Caroline wants is to die. Unfortunately, because she was made accidentally immortal, she cannot do that without destroying all reality, which is what her one-time nemesis, and previously presumed deceased Madame Atom wants. On the other side of that equation is Director Sloan, Rick the Never Man, the afro-having eternal Deejay Crash, and…I’d assume most of humanity, if they were even aware of the danger. And here, these forces face off, on two different planes of reality, while Caroline rages against the injustice of a world that will not accept her nor will it allow her to leave. This is sort of like when you play wingman for a friend that has absolutely no chance with their intended objet d’flirting.

To save reality, Director Sloan and the Never Man use some kind of radio frequency to short out Caroline’s inestimable powers, while Caroline fights Deejay Crash on that other plane of existence. They take her back to Alpha-13 headquarters, where Sloan tells Caroline they’re going to scatter her intrinsic field so that she is no longer coherent. This will keep her from eradicating reality is we know it, but will not quell her cognizance, which is what Caroline really wants. She seems receptive to it while Lord Hasho, the Buddhist Lion God appears in that other realm and, after Caroline solves its riddle with an answer we do not read, allows her access to the…whatever it was. Chaos Engine or something. The thing Caroline has to destroy to get dead. And that’s where she’s headed at the end of the issue!

While there was more mano-a-mano action in this issue than the previous four, much of it was given over to recapping previous events—which, for a story of this weird caliber, isn’t unwelcome. I would not, however, say that someone could jump on here and follow right along. Heck, I’m not even sure faithful readers of the series will be able to follow along. I was under the impression that Caroline’s attempt to go nuclear was thwarted two issues ago (it was), but the stakes are just as high as they ever were. When those stakes are “all of existence,” I guess there’s no other way to go. The artist uses a technique to show events happening simultaneously in two dimensions, and this is effective, but I’m afraid the story itself is too obtuse to be followed easily in comic book form. Not that a prose novel would necessarily fare better, mind you.

Bits and Pieces:

This issue serves well to re-establish the somewhat confusing events leading up to it, but provides very little forward movement. We are positioned for a grand finale, so I suppose it has done what a penultimate issue in a series should do. Some great storytelling by Sonny Liew, but the story might be too obtuse for normal comic book layouts. Or perhaps my drugs have worn off.

7/10