Of all the villains we have encountered in the genre of comic books, the Mud King ranks amongst the most complex and the best. This is Othello’s Iago, rendered as a god. I strongly believe that the story itself is solid, with the characters well-written. The character interactions, especially between Garils and Adam Osidis are believable and relatable. The ending isn't something new but very much fitting to the overall message Seven to Eternity wants to convey to its readers. In Seven to Eternity, Spiritbox is not especially unique in being both dead and alive. The lines between life and death in this comic are blurry. The main cast visit a swamp haunted by the malevolent ghosts of the dead goblin civilisation, killed by the Mud King upon his ascension to power. We also witness the occasional and very compelling appearance of a huge, Lovecraftian creature who catalogues the dead, giving the suggestion that the afterlife is in fact a library. And like all other Mosak knights, Osidis has a special power, in his case, to launch fragments of the souls of his deceased relatives as weapons. This enables the shade of his father, Zeb, to determine whether or not Osidis has indeed listed to the Mud King’s offer, and judge him. Remender has a nagging nihilism in most, if not all, of his creator owned work, so much so it becomes a drag to read. However, Seven to Eternity might be the first time it actually works in the books favor, as this is a tribulation for the party involved. That's not to say it breaks new ground, as most if not all the major story beats I could see coming or at least predict closely to say "ah I knew it, you fool". Needless to say, Opeña's art is phenomenal throughout, brought to life by Hollingsworth's impeccable colors.

With that out of the way, let's talk about the story. The first few books take Adam on a trip to rid the world of the Mud King. Along the way you are never really sure of what the King's motivations are, and I think that is done really well. Watching Garils slowly kill off his children and gain Adam's trust was done really nicely. The only thing I was sure about during the entire first 3 books, was that Adam, the main character, truly was a selfish person full of betrayal. I have reread all the way from issue one to prepare myself for the last volume. Seven to Eternity is a wild ride that explores themes of choice (and the illusion of having one), true desires, and the great lengths and risks one is willing to take for such desires to come into fruition. That, and the ridiculously good artwork by Jerome Opena makes Seven to Eternity a memorable read and an almost instant classic. Under all the fantasy trappings are some core themes that help ground the book. The question of principles, and when to bend, is constantly on Adam’s mind, as his father’s unwillingness to compromise is largely responsible for his family’s current state. At what point do you stop fighting fights based solely on principle? It’s a struggle many people can relate to, especially when Adam is tempted by an easy solution. The God of Whispers’ abilities to subtly control people, to pull their strings and spread lies, leads to some interesting questions about power and the concept of truth. I can’t help but see some parallels to the currently political landscape.This observation has much merit. Both The Dark Tower and Seven to Eternity are fantastical, desperate quests with strongly Western frontier themes of vengeance, struggle, and redemption. The shadow of famine through failed crop raising on a desolate prairie haunts the characters at the beginning of the story. Seven To Eternity is coming to end soon. First, we have one more issue to set the stage for the big finale. Seven To Eternity #16 puts Adam against the world, as his daughter, his old allies, and the Piper arrive to stop him from reaching the springs.

Excluding the story, the comic book was very average. Paneling was fine, art was good, writing was decent with a few great parts, and the pacing was rough from time to time. we’re left to ponder whether Remender is crafting a direct stand-in for Donald Trump or merely a manifestation of the cauldron of anger and fear that led to his troubling ascent. Either way, the series can’t be read without the pall of the previous year and the four… years to come hanging over the high-fantasy narrative...Plus the art by Jerome Opeña is flat-out amazing. Not only is it pretty, but he tells the story clearly without trying to be fancy. Everything is communicated and it flows easily. And so we come to admire the admire the villain, yet despise the ostensible hero. That alone is quite a feat of writing. This issue is full of powerful moments and the demise of quite a few characters. Everyone’s motivations are clear, yet they all still falter for very human reasons. Remender understands the nature of his characters and manages to make them feel real. As a result, their interactions are full of weight. This issue is full of emotional beats that make it one of the best of the series. It teases a stellar finale that Remender promises will surprise readers. The “Superhero” Trademark: how the name of a genre came to be owned by DC and Marvel, and how they enforce it Seven To Eternity #16 sets the stage for a massive finale. This series has been full of incredible moments, and somehow this issue brings many more. It’s emotional and powerful thanks to the strong narrative and stellar art. I’m not sure how Adam’s journey is going to end, but I know that it will be memorable.

The Mud King’s driver is complicated and perverse. He wishes to to prove to a dead man that no one is beyond corruption. The dead man is a zealot, Zeb Osidis, someone who scorned the Mud King as flawed and beneath him. Zeb is able to determine who has succumbed to the whispered promise of Garils Sulm, and regards those who have as beneath contempt. To prove that point, the Mud King does worse than corrupt Zeb’s son. Instead, he remakes him as his successor, the one who would unleash ultimate destruction upon the world. And the darkest thing? It’s that the book’s version of Sauron/Thanos/Apocalypse is *right*. He has the people’s number and he calls them on it. He tells the protagonist that people are confused by complicated ideas, so they don’t trust them. People prefer things to be simple. How often do we see that playing out in our world? Only every day. This was a fantastic, creative, and wonderfully dark series about the choices and compromises a man must make in his life. Remender really doesn't pull any punches here and doesn't flinch at giving Adam Osidis the ending he deserves. A standard Remender reading experience. Phenomenal art with terrific colors and detailed creature designs; wonderfully inventive world-building with a great magic system (particularly love the huge metal-jawed lizardman who can teleport people by swallowing them); and standard issue shoddy, disappointing Remender writing.

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Well, another title with extreme highs, yet also full of missteps, preventing it from being a solid piece through and through. Remender is my favorite comic book writer of all time. I’m used to his writing style. However, StE doesn’t fit quite into my expectations for him. The problem for the reader is that it is easy to fall in love with the worlds of Seven to Eternity. Care and innovative thought has gone into its creation and execution. We resent the curtain being drawn across the set. Otherwise, Mr Remender has a technique of slowly building up a story and then allowing the moving pieces to suddenly crash into each other, bringing about a conclusion. Seven to Eternity’s conclusion has nowhere left to go save for an exclamation mark of doom, fire, blood, and familial vengeance. There, like a classic Shakespearean tragedy, the play is done. The Mud King is psychically linked to millions of people under his control but that’s not enough – he really wants Zeb Osidis to become his slave as well because... uh… When Zeb is killed for defying his wishes, his son Adam must seek mercy in the King’s citadel of Zhal or his entire family will be massacred. However his pa’s not the only dissident in the land and a rebellion is stirring against his Royal Muddiness!

The Seven in Seven to Eternity are chipped away as the tale unfolds. Garils Sulm, also known as the Mud King or the God of Whispers, is the terrible, admirable villain who, even in chains, leads the group. Mr Opeña has designed the Mud King to look like he has been actually carved from mud: a physically intimidating, looming bulk of a figure with clay globs of purple skin, glowing yellow eyes, sitting on a throne of pink skin stretched across bone. He is on a dire journey to prove a point, and get moral satisfaction, in an exercise which costs life after life. But the Seven are oblivious to this – they think they serve the interests of justice. The Seven have against ridiculous odds caught the Mud King, imprisoned him, drag him at great peril through the kingdom of Zhal to judgment… and it evolves that at any time he could have escaped with a flex of his wrists. The God of Whispers does eventually snap his own chains during a mêlée. This causes his captors to finally start to question what precisely is going on. For once all of Remender’s cynical beliefs work in a story that has a strong throughline, and he doesn’t drop the ball at the finale. This is *very* cynical indeed, just full-on nihilistic grimdark fantasy that never lets up. The pontificating is on point in service of the tale, and the conclusion is as dark as it gets.The story draws heavy on one’s choice and beliefs while having a villain that you as the reader can somehow get behind and see how right he is while also caring for protagonist Adam Osidis who’s name has been written wrong in this world but for his own personal reasons looks to gain from it without making any sort of deal with the devil. A word on the art in Seven to Eternity. It is not as radical and diverse as the art in Decorum. Instead, it is conventionally pleasing along the lines of a craftsman like Jim Lee or Travis Charest, and a pleasure to look at. Jerome Opena hardly lets the side down. But it is the colours of Matt Hollingsworth which steal the show. Lurid, vibrant, and striking, Seven to Eternity offers a masterclass in colouring. The artwork is truly well done. But it is the story and the complex plots that intertwine the stories of all the characters. The conflicts are done well and are a believable basis for ill will. It is a complex story and as you read you realize nothing in this plot is easy. By the end I was wondering who the good guys were. The God of Whispers is an excellent and complex character. Eschewing brute force he relies on exploiting inner frailties. The bargain he offers is interesting as it changes from person to person. He is truly insidious and Remender does a great job with the individual characters. All in all, the book had a slow burn. Ending with Adam becoming the type of king he was raised hating was really satisfying and made the most sense for his selfish character. The book was a really good example of how to make a not great person the main character, I especially liked how Adam kept pushing the blame onto other people, partially convincing the audience that he was making the best decision.