I've been reading the series and see no signs of disrespect. He seems to be restoring the characters to Kirby's ideas after someone else changed them.

(and I have no idea who - All I know from the issues and Marvel's online entry  is that in a previous story (SPOILERS) the characters have lost their memories and sense of self. The opening two issues have been about their identities being restored.)

I would think that was something welcome around here.

Chad Carter wrote: And it's obvious that Kirby didn't create the Eternals "for" Marvel. He brought the idea that had floundered in DC with the hopes of continuing to follow the themes he found interesting.

In the end, it doesn't matter.  He sold the characters to Marvel, work-for-hire and all that. They were his creations, but they were no longer his.  Other than that, Zaki, Trevor and JM have said/asked everything I would have.  Except for...

What's up with this notion of getting pissed (your tone in this thread, Chad) at creators for either not doing a comic you would personally like to see them doing, or that they're not doing anything, in your eyes, to help the industry (creator owned work or your FF example for Gaiman)?  That charge has been leveled at JB for years.  Sure, he did NEXT MEN, DANGER UNLIMITED and BABE, but 99% of his output is on company-owned characters...and not always the most popular.  X-MEN wasn't Marvel's highest selling series, nor was the FF when he came on board.  SHE-HULK was a failed 25 issue series from the late 70s until JB revived her.  He's also worked on Superman, Spider-Man, X-Men (again!), Wolverine, Wonder Woman, and the aforementioned Fourth World, among many others. Yet I've heard people, here and elsewhere, say that him working on the same characters isn't "helping" the industry, or "moving the industry forward": "Who wants to read another story about Superman when there are still NEXT MEN stories to be told?"

Hogwash. 

Why does JB or anyone have to "move the industry forward"?  Why should you feel obliged to let these guys know that they aren't doing anything "new" and aren't helping the industry in any way because, quite frankly, you'd rather see JB on NEXT MEN or Gaiman on FF? Let the creators work on what the creators want to work on as long as they respect the characters and aren't trying to change them into something they're not.  So far, I see none of that from Gaiman and JRjr's ETERNALS mini.  I'm also looking forward to Cooke's THE SPIRIT, a character who couldn't be more tied to a single creator...much more so than THE ETERNALS and Jack Kirby, yet your argument falls flat, Chad, when you shrug this off as a character who is larger than the creator (except that, you know, he's sold as "Will Eisner's THE SPIRIT" and has been the only creator to work on the character for any period of time over 60+ years until his death) as justification for why it doesn't bother you. In one context is terrible, horrible, and disrespectful, yet given the same situation in the nearly the same context with a different set of characters and it's OK?  Huh.

Let's not forget that Sal Buscema worked on a Eternals mini-series. The characters (as a whole or individual) have been used by Simonson, Byrne, and others through the years in Marvel titles. It isn't like they have laid dormant for twenty five plus years and Gaiman is the first to touch them after Kirby. The story for the current mini-series is pretty good so far, and the art is amazing. Danny Miki inking over JRJr.'s pencils are a very nice combination. He gives the work a smoother look, for those of you who are not fans of Janson inking his stuff.

"Why does JB or anyone have to "move the industry forward"? "

Move the Industry forward? How about move it out of an anachronistic void? I relate the disintegration of comics with the overall quality. Complain about distribution all you want, but a majority of the comics produced are sub-standard. Kids can't read them because of content. I can't read them because the art is Manga-ed. 

What's laughable is how supporters of comics, superhero comics specifically, look at an Eternals comic by Gaiman and think, "This is what we need. This will heal the awful schism between what we need as great comics and the high school level Manga-esque tripe pervading the headliners."

I guess I don't know how things work. Good for Gaiman if this is his dream project. Every creator should have a shot at a dream project, if that's what this is for him. 

Help me with my ignorance. Is all work work-for-hire now? I thought artists and writers of any stature worked primarily for one or the other of the companies, unless they're working with today's independents or, like Gaiman, coming in with a specific project, a one-shot deal while more associated elsewhere? Contracts and all that. There used to be a stable of rotating professionals working on these headliner titles. Now there seems to be one or two guys writing and a bunch of people with one name like Prince producing sloppy over-saturated art.

I know there's plenty of good comics. I'm bemoaning very particular iconic loss, of the Hulk, of the FF, of Spider-Man, of the Avengers. What's happened to these titles is worse than anything that occurred in the 90s, and that's saying something. Maybe none of the talent wants to touch these titles with a ten-foot pole. Meanwhile, Batman is being revitalized, at least, by a commitment to the talent. Why John Byrne isn't on a Batman title is a shame, but at least DC seems to be trying. Albeit floppingly with the OYL nonsense. 

If there's talent to be had, use it. Gaiman could be on FF (and again, I have no idea whether he could write it or not) and integrate his Eternals storyline into an FF arc. Why not?

And as far as the Hulk appearance in Kirby's Eternals...that was most definitely forced on Kirby. Every Marvel comic of the day was cashing in on the Hulk television show, and his guest appearances in other titles was stunningly high. Kirby did the best he could to bring in at least ONE Marvel element without compromising his ideas; or do you believe he was DYING to tell the Robot Hulk story? 

I shrug off the Spirit because, as indicated, I believe the new series is under a watchful eye. Cooke is going to do right by the Spirit, it's in his wheelhouse, he's a grand talent himself with the correct sensibilities. Who knows about Gaiman and the Eternals? Jesus, who cares? One more poorly executed comic to join all the rest? Sing the praises. 

I should have said, "Poorly conceived." But you're right, I haven't read it. The argument didn't start out or center around the quality of this particular work. As with anything, I don't know what the argument is about. If Gaiman is working to achieve a Miracleman resolution, I commend him. Obviously that character has meaning for him, and good for him.

I overstepped with "poor execution". I have no doubt that with JR2 involved, the Eternals book is going to be well-done artistically. No doubt if I see it I'll check it out. I AM all for great comics, and if ETERNALS is one, that's going to be wonderful. Aberrant, even. I AM an Eternals fan (at least of some of the characters), while not being too hot on Gaiman. The philosophy behind the series is puzzling. "Why make it?" "Because it's there, Sidney!" Only it wasn't "there". I guess along with Nova and such, and with DC digging up obscure characters to base series on, this is more of that.