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Eternal Descent (Vol. 2) #3

By Andy Frisk
February 7, 2012 - 21:00

Now that Sirian isn’t around to protect Lyra anymore, she is going to have to make her own tough choices and follow her own path. Whether that leads her to eternal damnation or salvation really will be up to her. The only problem is that she is out of place in the universe, quite literally. She fell into The Morass in one reality and Sirian brought her out of it into another. Lyra shouldn’t be aware of this, but somehow she is, and she plans to do something about it…

Writer creator Llexi Leon’s tale of guitar slinging, music of the spheres manipulating, and eternally descending and ascending angels, demons and those in between continues. As Lyra ponders her existence, as well as her place in it, Sirian, now comprised of energy instead of matter (i.e. “dead”), gets a lesson in the higher functions and responsibilities of those who have ascended to the plane of pure energy. He gets this instruction from the Wormhole Wizard himself, special guest star Joe Satriani. The Extremist, The Black Swan and The Wormhole Wizard, and Colossal guitarist himself helps to introduce Sirian to the higher planes of existence. To date, Satriani makes for the best guest star Eternal Descent has sported yet in its pages.

Leon’s landing of Satriani’s approval to be brought to animated life is a big leap forward for Leon and his unique comic book/music/animated property. While bands like Firewind and God Forbid were cool, attention grabbing special guest stars, Satriani is a living legend of a special guest star. Satriani’s career has taken him far and wide to wide acclaim, but now he’s gone from being the man who taught Kirk Hammett how to play guitar while surfing with the alien to enlightening an angelic being on the workings of the higher planes of existence while shredding with the angels. Of course, the second half of the achievements listed above are fictional, but still how many rock guitarists can point to an achievement (fictional as it may be) like that?



Speaking of achievements, Leon’s inclusion of Justin Peniston as co-writer on this issue really helps the narrative flow more smoothly. At times in the past, Leon’s storytelling came off as slightly stilted, but here it flows and melds from one scene to another while coming full circle majestically. Leon is a great storyteller overall mind you, but Peniston puts the final polish on a tale that just needed a little something extra by way of finishing touches.

Artist Ivan Fernandez’s art brings Leon and Peniston’s polished story to brilliantly polished life. Fernandez conjures up some fittingly psychedelic and super spacey panel work and images that fit Sirian’s Satriani guided metaphysical journey. He does an excellent job of bouncing back and forth between realities visually with an effortlessness fitting someone of his artistic skill.

Overall, Eternal Descent continues to deliver while getting better and better each issue. Here’s to an eternal run for Eternal Descent. 


    

Rating: 8 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12