Eternity Girl #1
Writer: Magdalene Visaggio
Artist: Sonny Liew
Colorist: Chris Chuckry
Letterer: Todd Klein
Publisher: DC’s Young Animal
Review by Anelise Farris
In Eternity Girl #1, Chrysalis, aka Caroline Sharp, is post-superhero glory. With not quite working powers and a work-related incident under her belt, she is on leave from her job. While some people might welcome the break, it is evident from the start that Caroline has high-functioning depression. She needs to be active, to feel that her life has meaning, that she matters. And, when life begins to feel pointless, the depression is only compounded by the fact that Caroline can’t die (talk about the ultimate existential crisis).
Eternity Girl #1 opens with an exchange between Caroline and her therapist (mandated by her employer after the incident). Caroline tells her therapist that she’s always had “momentum” (multiple degrees, type-A, etc.) but the one thing that she can’t do, no matter how many times she tries, is kill herself.
Jumping off a bridge once a month gives her some sort of peace. She doesn’t have a lot of other options, seeing as she doesn’t breathe or bleed, so the fall gives her some hope that it could work. As you might expect, the therapist deems her not ready to return to work at Alpha 13. So, when Madame Atom arrives to offer Caroline death in exchange for killing the rest of the world too, what’s a girl to do?
Bleak and beautiful, Eternity Girl #1 had me mesmerized from page one. The writing is poetic and effecting, with the right amount of punch. And the art is the perfect blend of realism and trippy surrealism. The coloring was brilliant as well, as the moody shades definitely contributed to the overall tone.
Verdict: Buy it.
If you’ve liked any of Young Animal’s other series, you will definitely enjoy Eternity Girl #1. Caroline’s story is moving and beautifully rendered, and I look forward to seeing where the talented creative team takes us next.
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