The first issue of Inferno was a lot of setup and maneuvering by its characters. It was a comic full of politics and not a whole lot of action. But, it set up the conflict to come with a few twists and turns in the start of Jonathan Hickman‘s endgame for his X-Men run. Inferno #2 is much of the same but delivering events from the view of Mystique. How did she return Destiny to the living? How is she manipulating everyone? We get our answers in a fairly satisfying issue.
Much of the issue is from Mystique’s point of view. We get a lot of answers around how she manipulated those around her to not just resurrect Destiny but also to get them to vote the way she wants. While it all makes sense in a way, there’s absolutely some holes in the plot of how she wasn’t detected in her maneuvering but some individuals. They’re minor headscratchers that are best to just roll with.
The issue is an interesting flipside of the coin as we get events from a different perspective. The issue could easily feel like a retread of events but Hickman manages to go beyond repeating the first issue in multiple ways. It moves the plot forward, especially towards the latter part of the issue as we see the pushback from Professor X, Magneto, and Moira as they attempt to figure out how they were outmaneuvered and what to do.
The art by Stefano Caselli is fantastic. With color by David Curiel and lettering by Joe Sabino there’s a beautiful stiffness to it all. The issue has some emotion but it’s mostly political maneuvers. There’s a lack of action but still a sense of gravitas and maturity about it all. The art perfectly captures it all in a “All the King’s Men” sort of way.
Inferno #2 is interesting as it feels like it has more in common with The West Wing than it does traditional X-Men comics. This is one of thinking and continued setup as the pieces of the puzzle come together for the final action that’s to come. After such a setup, what’s two more issues. Inferno #2 might seem like a bit of a bore but the interaction of the characters is impressive showing the X-Men as a political drama without the action might be more interesting than a showing of its flashy powers.
Story: Jonathan Hickman Art: Stefano Caselli
Color: David Curiel Letterer: Joe Sabino
Story: 8.1 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.15 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW
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Source: Graphic Policy
