One of the things about serialized stories is that if there is a break in the story, then the viewer or consumer can become disinterested due to the amount of time that has passed. It’s why when TV shows come back on the air after a year-long break, viewership can sink.

Comics often have breaks between story arcs for a variety of reasons which brings us Seven to Eternity by Rick Remender and Jerome Opeña.  The series took nearly a year-long hiatus between its story arcs.  The idea of whether we can stay invested in a story that – in this case – barely started before taking such a long break can easily be answered within the opening narration.

In this issue, the reader is thrown back into the world of Zhal without skipping a beat, picking up where we left off. Both Adam and the God of Whispers, now travel companions, head to where Adam himself can be cured of his incurable disease. Of course, nothing good ever seems to happen for Adam (this includes his bargain with the God of Whispers), and he and his companion encounter another bump in the road that sets off what many can assume to be an intense and bloody chapter in this saga.  Seven to Eternity #10 seems to be more of an introduction to a new chapter than an authentic addition to the series. That’s not a bad thing, per se, as both Remender and Opeña are an unstoppable force when it comes to storytelling.

This issue, although greatly enhanced by Opeña’s art, seems more concerned with setting up the pieces on the board and playing catch-up. Every player (that’s still alive and relatively close to one another) is accounted for, but are only given enough screen time to announce where they will be going or staying in the upcoming issues. One character is only seen glaring, with no lines to speak of, assuring us that she is still where we left her. Again, there’s nothing inherently wrong about an issue acting as a stepping stone, especially when that issue is made by Rick Remender and Jerome Opeña, but after a nearly year-long break between issues, it just felt as though there should be a little more.

Nevertheless, the magnificent team of Remender and Opeña leaves you excited for the next issue and completely grateful that you don’t have to wait another year.

Creative Team:  Rick Remender (writer), Jerome Opeña (artist), Matt Hollingsworth (Colourist), Rus Wooton (Letterer), Erika Schnatz (Producer), Sebastian Girner (Editor)
Publisher:  Image Comics
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