The Infernals #2: Succession in Hell

Following the set-up of the first issue, The Infernals #2 (written by Noah Gardner and Ryan Parrott with art by John J. Pearson and Lola Bonato and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou) follows the Devil’s grandchildren – Nero, Jackal, and Bee – as they work to inherit their dying father’s shadowy empire. The trio start their mission to end the world as they meet with Rain Driscoll, a tech developer set on saving the world. Meanwhile, their father has his own problems as he is visited by an evil stronger than himself: his ex-wife Lilith. Lilith begins her plans to rightfully inherit the Bethlehem manor after Abe’s death.

This fight between good and evil family business story is exhilarating and can best be described as Succession in Hell. The story is headed in a thrilling direction as we slowly get to see what the grandchildren of the Devil are capable of. The series follows one of my favorite formats where the issue’s captions center a different character in every issue.  Noah Gardner and Ryan Parrott do a fantastic job at writing the interactions between the main characters, making them feel like a real dysfunctional family.  Furthermore, the main and side characters feel genuinely fleshed out with distinct personalities and backstories. The beats of the storyline also match the character’s personalities as Nero is the classic messy oldest, Jackal is the wise but soft middle child, and Bee is the powerful youngest child. The dynamic between Abe and Lilith is also well-developed and with just a couple of pieces of dialogue, you can tell their whole history. Gardner and Parrott have created a creatively humorous dark tale of the first family of the Apocalypse, and it is sensational.

The star of this comic is the art by John J. Pearson and Lola Bonato. Pearson and Bonato create a hauntingly beautiful world with a delicate balance of realism and abstract art. Each page in this comic is its own art piece and the varying art styles give the issue a lot of texture. The mix of horror and comedy in this comic is captured in both the art and the writing and makes for a fun and effective story.