‘The Eternaut’: The great Latin American graphic novel

‘The Eternaut’ is widely recognized not only as Argentina’s most iconic comic, but also as the first Spanish-language graphic novel. Its reputation has grown beyond literature, carrying a strong political dimension due to the tragic fate of its creator, Héctor Germán Oesterheld, who was disappeared by Argentina’s last military dictatorship.

Oesterheld (1919) was one of the most influential figures in Argentine comics, both as a writer and publisher. He founded Editorial Frontera in 1955 with his brother, where he first found success with ‘Ernie Pike’, a war correspondent comic. His biggest breakthrough, however, came in 1957, when he launched ‘The Eternaut’ as a weekly strip in the magazine Hora Cero Semanal, and now it’s getting a new wave of hype thanks to Netflix’s adaptation.

Despite its popularity, Frontera suffered financial hardships, forcing Oesterheld to shut down operations by 1961. The rights to ‘The Eternaut’ were sold to Editorial Ramírez, but Oesterheld continued working in comics, reaching the peak of his career in 1962 when he collaborated with Alberto Breccia on ‘Mort Cinder’, another Latin American classic.

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Survival in a world on the brink of collapse

‘The Eternaut’ is fundamentally a story of survival amidst a crumbling society. While post-apocalyptic fiction is now a familiar genre, at the time, it was groundbreaking. Few works—such as George R. Stewart’s Earth Abides (1949) and John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids (1951)—had explored the fragility of civilization in such a way.

Unlike typical sci-fi narratives that focus on individual heroism, ‘The Eternaut’ emphasizes collective survival. Oesterheld presents a world where solidarity is the only path forward, rejecting both religious salvation and authoritarian rule, concepts deeply questioned in Argentina at the time.

The story begins as a deadly radioactive snowfall blankets Buenos Aires, instantly killing anyone it touches. What first seems like an environmental catastrophe soon reveals itself to be the first wave of an extraterrestrial invasion. As survivors navigate the chaos, Oesterheld paints a vivid portrait of society, exposing the diverse ways people respond to crisis.

In Oesterheld’s world, true heroes are those who prioritize the collective good over personal gain. Even as civilization disintegrates, the story maintains a glimmer of hope, not rooted in faith or authority, but in human solidarity.

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A bold visual style

The publication format of ‘The Eternaut’ heavily influenced Francisco Solano López’s artistic approach.

His intense use of black ink became a defining characteristic of his style, a technique later adopted by Frank Miller in ‘Sin City’. Solano’s framing, use of light and shadow, and angular action sequences showcase his background in war comics, giving ‘The Eternaut’ a uniquely gritty realism.

At the time of ‘The Eternaut’‘s creation, Solano was juggling five other comic series, yet his commitment to the project remained unwavering. As Argentina’s political situation worsened, he was forced to emigrate, living in Spain, Italy, and Brazil, continuing his career as a comic artist across multiple markets.

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Oesterheld: A political figure

By the 1970s, Oesterheld’s work took a decisively political turn. In 1976, he joined the Montoneros guerrilla movement, becoming its press chief.

His troubles with Argentina’s military regime had begun long before. In 1968, he wrote a biography of Che Guevara, and had been planning a second on Eva Perón before it was seized by military censors. His later works, like ‘La Guerra de los Antartes’, presented a utopian, socialist Argentina, but were abruptly cut short when Noticias, the newspaper publishing the series, was shut down by the government.

Even in hiding, Oesterheld continued working. He secretly wrote a second part of ‘The Eternaut’, but this time with a strong political message. The protagonist had transformed into a leader guiding the people against an oppressive government, a drastic shift from the original story. This led to a falling-out with Solano, who disagreed with the direction of the sequel.

Tragically, on April 27, 1977, Oesterheld was kidnapped by the military, along with his four daughters, two of whom were pregnant, and three of his sons-in-law. All of them disappeared, becoming victims of Argentina’s infamous dictatorship.

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Legacy and new editions

Today, ‘The Eternaut’ remains a touchstone of Latin American comics, frequently studied in literature and history courses.

Recent restorations have sought to preserve the original aesthetic. One of the most ambitious projects involved recovering 36 missing pages, believed to be held by Italian collectors. Artist Pablo Sapia led efforts to digitally reconstruct the lost artwork, carefully restoring faded ink, adjusting composition errors, and reinstating the original lettering style to match Oesterheld and Solano’s vision.

US edition of ‘The Eternaut’

For readers in the United States, ‘The Eternaut’ is available in English through Fantagraphics Books.

You can find the US edition here.

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