Inferno 1 review

As with Old Man Logan, I haven’t yet read the X-Men Inferno event, although I know the gist of the story and its aftermath. This basically takes place in a world where the X-Men lost. Manhattan is overrun with demons, and only the X-Men still stand in their way.

After a flash back to a battle the X-Men lost badly, Inferno 1 takes place 4 years after the X-Men lost to the demons. Every year, Colossus leads a team to try and rescue his sister, Illyana, and the last time, Cyclops was paralyzed and Colossus’s right arm was permanently mangled. This is a very dark comic, with an overall sense of hopelessness. That said, writer Dennis Hopeless still brings his sense of humour and a few welcome elements from his Cable and X-Force run to help lighten the mood. Without spoilers, Colossus’s fourth rescue attempt goes horribly wrong, leaving us with an intense cliffhanger. I have absolutely no idea how they’ll get out of this situation.

The art by Javier Garron is great. The fight scenes feel big in scope, with hordes of well-detailed demons with varied looks. Colossus’s metal body often reflects light in realistic ways, and his mangled arm keeps a consistent look throughout the comic. Not every panel has a background, but when they do, they’re complete with buildings in various states of disrepair, debris on the ground and all sorts of demonic vines.

I wouldn’t call this comic great, but I can’t think of anything to complain about. The writing is good, the story is intense and the art emphasizes the dark mood. If the X-Men living in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by demons interests you, check this out.