Inferno: Age of Darkness One Shot (Zenescope – Tedesco / Kivela / Valenza)
Mercy Dante is back! The Age of Darkness is coming and the players are choosing sides between the evil army of the Dark Horde and the forces of good. Until now, Lucifer, the ruler of limbo, has stayed out of the affairs of the Horde and its enemies. But the time has come for her to choose a side. Using her loyal servant Mercy, she is out to prove to the Dark One and his Queen that whichever side she chooses, she’s still a force to be reckoned with.
Mercy Dante is indeed back in full force and at least for me too much Mercy is never enough! This one shot allows readers to get caught up with where Mercy has been and the role she is playing in the upcoming Age of Darkness event.
While as a stretch this issue works as a stand-alone story, following Mercy Dante as she daily tried to find redemption and hope while bound to and serving Lucifer – the Lord of the Inferno, in this one-shot Lucifer teams up Mercy with Masumi (another kick-ass Zenescope female protagonist) to attempt to recover a lost artifact from the Dark Queen. This issues’ bigger role is as a linchpin issue in the bigger Age of Darkness series.
Author Ralph Tedesco gives the readers a full blown action / adventure story and a much more intimate look at the delicateness and details of the relationship between Lucifer, Maleci (Lucifer’s father) and the Dark Queen. The art team of Kivela / Valenza creates some awesome visuals that are equal parts Hollywood action sequencing, dramatic facial close-ups and all around eye-candy; it is gorgeous from cover to cover, exactly what Zene-fans have come to expect. The game-changing conclusion of this issue definitely kicks The Age of Darkness in an unexpected direction and creates a situation that I don’t believe neither Mercy nor Lucifer will be able to bounce back from!
If you are new Zenescope comics, this will work as a great “get acquainted” issue and if you are following Age of Darkness, you can’t miss it!
Issue Grade: A
