REVIEW: ‘Inferno,’ Issue #2

Inferno #2 is written by Jonathan Hickman, illustrated by Stefano Caselli, colored by David Curiel, and lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino. It is published by Marvel Comics. Following the shocking cliffhanger of the first issue, Destiny has been resurrected and placed on Krakoa’s Quiet Council. This angers Moira MacTaggert, who urges Professor X and Magneto to take action before Destiny tears down everything they have built with Krakoa. In order to maintain their power, they reach out to Emma Frost. Meanwhile, Orchis plans its final assault on Krakoa.

Karl Popper famously said, “Those who promise us paradise on earth never produced anything but a hell.” In the case of Magneto, Xavier, and Moira, the hell is their own making. Their secrets were bound to catch up with them, and the fact that Moira didn’t want someone who could tell the future only spells trouble for all of mutantkind. Hickman’s script crisscrosses between different points in time and space: a sequence flashes back to the first issue to reveal how Mystique was able to resurrect Destiny, as well as convince the other members of the Quiet Council to fall in favor with her. And the Orchis sequences reveal the lengths that humanity will go to in order to solve “the mutant problem,” including a weapon that harnesses the power of the sun itself.

Perhaps the best sequence in the book involves Emma Frost, as she learns exactly what Moira and the others have done to build Krakoa. To say she’s outraged is an understatement. Although they came to her for support she tells them they’ve lost her loyalty forever. My feelings on Emma have shifted over the years along with her multiple allegiances, but in recent years she’s tried to do the right thing for her mutant students. And it’s clear she doesn’t approve of what Moira has done. This fracturing of the Quiet Council only hints at a potential greater division between Krakoa’s inhabitants, which I hope future X-Books touch upon.

Hickman is joined by Caselli, whose art consists of close-ups of characters’ faces as they weigh the heavy decisions they must make. Continuing the trend from Inferno #1 (and Hickman’s other work) Caselli also reinterprets panels from House of X and Powers of X. The page where Emma finds out Moira’s secrets is replicated almost panel-by-panel from Powers of X, with Emma taking Xavier’s place. And Curiel’s colors continue to make the various environments stand out, from the cold sterile labs of Orchis to the lush green habitat of Krakoa. The most visually striking and ominous scene comes from the Orchis Forge, which orbits the sun; the Forge itself resembles the X-Men’s symbol and the glow of the sun only undersells the sense of foreboding I had reading this issue.

Inferno #2 continues to build to the end of the first Krakoan Age, revealing how the Quiet Council’s secrets and lies may spell danger for the X-Men. I’m not sure where the next two issues will bring for the series, but knowing Hickman’s previous work it’ll more than likely end as it began with the X-Men undergoing a massive change.

Inferno #2 is available wherever comics are sold.