Inferno #1

By Dennis Hopeless, Javier Garron and Chris Sotomayor

As the Secret Wars tie-ins start to come out, we’re going to have the task of separating the good from the bad. Inferno is available this week and it’s a classic X-Men storyline that has had a lasting effect on some of the characters to this day. Battleworld seems like a fun idea and we are treated to Dennis Hopeless and Javier Garron’s take.

This story centers around Colossus as he attempts to rescue his sister from Limbo. Dennis Hopeless is a good writer who has a pretty good grasp on these characters; however, all bets are essentially off in these Battleworld scenarios. Hopeless does well in capturing characters that are similar enough to their 616 counterparts. It’s nice to see Colossus and Domino in a relationship since they were flirty in Cable and X-Force. Hopeless does give us a good voice for Colossus and his motivation is logical as well. He is the standout character in this book, but Hopeless writes everyone well. It’s also nice to see Colossus determined and showing some motivation. Normally he is a laid back character, but Hopeless allows him to get angry and fight. Dennis Hopeless writes a cool first issue that should bring readers back next month.

The pencils in this issue are handled by Javier Garron with colors by Chris Sotomayor. For the most part, the art is pretty good, but there are some rough panels. At times, members of the X-Men look like small children. It just seems like Garron squished characters bodies to fit a panel, which is a bit of a downer. It would have also been nice if the art was a little darker, this is a story of aHhell dimension and Garron’s art could use some edge. That aside, Javier does have some nice full-page panels, especially Colossus confronting Darkchild. It’s odd that Garron has so much success with creatures and demons, but has some difficulty with humans. The colors by Chris Sotomayor are nice, he’s a pro, but as with the pencils, this could have used a darker tone.

Inferno #1 is a pretty good read that will make you want to pick up the next issue. Dennis Hopeless writes a strong first issue that should satisfy fans of the original story. The art is fine for the most part, but at times feels too optimistic. Javier Garron has a good resume with demons and other beings, so hopefully he can get a better grasp on the X-Men.