By Mike Badilla

Recap: In the first issue of Seven to Eternity, we see a family living far apart from any civilization. They hunt, they farm, they take care of each other. This family was once royalty until the God of Whispers spread enough lies to convince all the people that this family had betrayed the people in the war against the God of Whispers (known as the Mud God by this family) and the people cast out this family. At their farm, the father of the family is approached by one of the Mud God's warriors and is given an offer he has received many times before: come before the God and hear his offer. The father refuses, as he always has, and is struck down and murdered by the warrior. The mans son, Adam Osidis, decides that the only way to keep his family safe is to go and hear this offer, although his father had one rule: never hear the offer of the God of Mud.

Issue 2 begins in a marketplace. Adams father is doing a deal with a local merchant, wheeling and dealing and trying to get a good price on some medicine. Issue 1 made it very clear that Adam is dying, and this is now showing us that whatever his condition is, it has been going on since childhood. While his father tries for the medicine, young Adam plays with a carved wooden toy nearby. A young girl approaches and asks for his name, but Adam is very reluctant to share any details with this girl. She coaxes him for his name, which he gives her. She asks about his toy, which is a carving of his grandma on what looks like a giant ram (which, from the first issue, seems like this world's horse). Adam tells the girl she can have the carving as his mother makes him many, and she kisses him on the cheek. Adams father, still unable to get a good price, uses his Mosak, which is kind of a 3rd eye ability to see if the God of Whispers is using this person to get information (imagine a Big Brother type of scenario). The medicine seller is not, and Adams father buys the medicine. Upon finding Adam and seeing through this Mosak his father can see that this girl is a 'vessel' and being used to gather information on the whereabouts of this family.

After fleeing the city and riding for hours, Adam and his father stop. His father strikes him and tells him that he is never to talk to anyone he doesn't know, especially not telling anyone his name. His father explains that the little girl has a whisper in her head, and that whisper is a man named Garlis Sulm. Garlis had the Mosak ability of bonding his soul with others, but only if they invited him. He would trick people by offering them their hearts desire, and in turn they would bond souls, but they could never be without him again, allowing him to see and hear everything the person did. He used this power and his offers to gain followers everywhere. Adams father used to know this man, and was the only one to turn down his offer. When he tried to turn in Garlis to the High Arbiter, Garlis had already killed him and pinned the murder on Adams father, thus making him look like a traitor, which is why their family was cast out in the first place.

Back to the meeting between Adam and the Mud God, MG is explaining that Adam's family is basically the last ones without a whisper in their heads, and that he only wants to do this so he can keep everyone safe. Adam is ultimately ready to make the deal allowing MG into his soul so long as his family is safe and his family name is cleared when MG calls him out; he knows Adam is dying and wants to make a different deal instead, which is to cure Adams disease for good thus giving him a much longer life. He knows this is Adams truly greatest wish as Jevalia, the little girl with the whisper in her head, is now one of MG's favorite helpers. Suddenly an owl flies into the chamber, and MG is angered. He orders one of his 'pipers' to kill the owl, when it lets loose some fire from its eyes and suddenly MG can't hear any of his whispers! There is a rumbling, and what looks like a large T-Rex with a metal jaw bursts through a wall with a few others in tow, all vowing to defeat MG!

Wowzers, what a good book so far. Let's start as always with the art; fantastic. Some of the best I've seen in a very long time. Colors are vibrant and well done. Characters and environments are extremely well done, and there is a splash page in issue 2 that was jaw dropping. The story itself is phenomenal, the idea of the whispers taking over all the people and working for MG without even knowing it is fantastic. The dialogue is written very well and you can actually feel people's emotions.

I'll be coming back for more. I don't know if this is a mini or an ongoing, but it's one of the best books I've read in a long time. Go read it!

Score: 5/5

Seven to Eternity #2
Writers: Rick Remender
Artists: Jerome Opena
Publisher: Image Comics