Inferno Girl Red, Vol. 1

Massive-Verse

by Mat Groom, Erica D'Urso (Artist), Igor Monti (Artist)

Apex City is a globally-recognised hub of progress and beacon of hope - until it's ripped out of our universe by an ancient cult and its army of demons. The only one who can save it is its newest resident, teen Cássia Costa, after a magical dragon bracelet rockets into her life - but the bracelet is powered by belief, and a life of hardship has left Cássia with little of that to spare.

Inferno Girl Red is a series in the Massive-Verse.

WHAT IS THE MASSIVE-VERSE?
Kyle Higgins & Marcelo Costa's breakout hit Radiant Black took superhero storytelling to new heights. But Radiant Black isn't the only character inhabiting the MASSIVE-VERSE. There's a whole universe for readers to explore! Characters like Rogue Sun, Inferno Girl Red, The Dead Lucky and more yet to be revealed each of them has a different story to tell, different adversaries to face and they each occupy a very different corner of this shared universe. What are you waiting for? Now's the time to get into the MASSIVE-VERSE!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Young Adult

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 13, 2023

About the author

Mat Groom is a writer from Sydney, Australia, where he works on branding and narrative development at the creative agency For The People and teaches open-to-the-public storytelling classes.

Self/Made is Mat’s solo comics writing debut.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had this sitting around for a few months after contributing to the Kickstarter. It's a great looking book and I love legacy characters but I didn't enjoy it enough to want to pick up volume two. Someone with more Power Ranger-y taste would probably dig it.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

The last page in this story read “Inferno Girl Red Will Return” and while that may be true, what also is true is that I won’t be returning to read any more of this. This felt too cliche in the storytelling, too predictably lazy in the superhero world building, and unbelievable even for a science fiction type of book. Another miss for the Massive-Verse. Holding out hope for No/One though!

[Jameson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. I read it in one sitting so it wasn’t awful, but definitely could’ve been better. Probably my least favorite of the massive-verse so far.

[Ryan Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got an ARC of this from Image. I’m not that up on the whole Radiant/Massive-verse series other than I know there are a number of Radiant-colored heroes at this point. I’ve enjoyed bits of Radiant Black and Pink well enough (what I’ve read, anyway) and now we have Infernal Girl Red…aka Cassia Costa, a college student who suddenly finds herself selected to be the next Massive-verse heroine. This first oversized issue is mostly set-up and I enjoyed a lot of the world building and the interesting futuristic technology (I want a hologram phone!) but the plot is a bit of a rehash of many superhero comics that have come before. Think Green Lantern meets Captain Marvel. There’s nothing wrong with that per se, but I wish there was a little more to latch onto in this first issue. What did intrigue me was the problem IG Red now has to overcome: getting an encased piece of Earth out of an alternate dimension and back to, er, Earth. The other thing I enjoyed was the back matter, which offers several pages of artist concept sketches. It hits stands on Jan 25 and is appropriate for all ages.

[Katie Nelson]

Cute, but also a bit corny/saccharine. Similar to Radiant Black, everything seems to happen and fall into place too quickly, especially for an origin story.

[Amy Walker - Trans-Scribe Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of Power Rangers you should be listening to the Ranger Danger podcast, a show that's been going for several years now where a group of friends sit down and watch their way through the Power Rangers franchise from the beginning. At the time of writing this they're on Power Rangers Ninja Storm! Having been listening to it for several years it's been lovely seeing the people behind the podcast becoming involved in comics, with one of the hosts, Mat Groom becoming a comic writer who's worked on DC projects, Marvel's UltraMan series, and Power Rangers itself. But now there's a new hero on the block; an entry in the ever growing Massive-Verse. Inferno Girl Red.

Originally launched as a Kickstarter, the book is now being released in individual issues; but having backed the Kickstarter when it first launched I'm lucky enough to have received the entire first volume in one gorgeous hardcover set. So, after waiting for the book for a few years now, how does it stack up against expectations?

Inferno Girl Red tells the story of Cássia, a teenager who's moving to the high-tech Apex City to attend one of the most prestigious and respected schools in the world. Her mother, Ana, has come along to join her, looking for a new job in the city as a reporter. However, Ana is finding it hard to get a job thanks to her past, reporting on the super hero Inferno Girl Red; who a lot of people still think never existed in the first place. Despite this, the two of them are looking forward to starting a new life in Apex City.

Shortly into starting her new life at Helix Campus Cássia's life is thrown upside down when the entire city is pulled out of place, materialising in a distant part of the universe. Thankfully, the advanced technology of the city saves everyone as a force-field comes online. But it's not fast enough to stop some dark entities from coming through. With monsters attacking the city a new hero is needed; luckily Cássia comes across a strange artefact, a magically powered bracelet, that allows her to become the new Inferno Girl Red. Now Cássia must learn how to harness her new powers, and will have to figure out who's behind the strange events before everyone in Apex is killed.

Inferno Girl Red is a book that's designed for fans of tokusatsu shows like Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, and even Power Rangers. It wears that influence proudly, sticking genre conventions such as heroes in helmets, shouting your transformation catchphrase, having special moves to deploy, and villains sending henchmen one at a time. If you're not into that kind of thing you might not love the book as much, but there's still a ton of wonderful stuff here to get your teeth stuck into no matter how much of a fan you are.

Cássia makes for a really good protagonist. She's clearly a smart person, having earned her place at Helix, but she's also full of nerves and is unsure of herself. She feels like she hasn't really earned her place at Helix, she worries that she's not going to fit in, and she feel bad for her mother relocating to be near her. This helps to keep her somewhat grounded, and stops her from becoming some kind of overconfident showoff when she gains her powers. Other people would revel in being a super hero, they'd want to show off, to receive the adoration; and after a few wins they'd probably start thinking that they could take on anything. Cássia keeps it pretty level though. She feels like she's becoming comfortable and confident one step at a time throughout the book, getting used to her new abilities and responisbilities slowy rather than just diving in head first.

A big part of the reason Cássia does well at becoming a hero is her mother. We learn almost straight away that Ana knew the old Inferno Girl Red, though never knew who she was behind the mask. She was the Jimmy Olsen to her Superman, and it's a really great relationship that's painted in this book. Ana is a bit more Lois than Jimmy, and her passion and drive makes her the hot headed of the team; but her expereince with the former IGR helps her to guide her daughter and give her advice. If it weren't for Ana Cássia wouldn't have even been able to transform the first time.

The mother/daughter relationship is the central one of the book, and it's great to see a familial relationship be given the focus over a romantic one. It helps the book to feel different from other super hero type tales; especially as the mother character is also the mentor, and the person who sometimes needs saving. That being said, it doesn't feel like the book is completely without romance. Maybe I'm reading into things that aren't actually there, but there are a few times when Cássia seems to have a special connection with her roommate, Harriette. There are several panels in the book where the two share looks that feel full of romance, and there's a time or two where it felt like the next panel could have been a kiss and it wouldn't have been out of place. I don't know if this is just my queer eye seeing what it wants to, but I really hope that this is something that happens in future books; as I'd love to see another queer hero leading their own title.

The book is also filled with action though, and fans of tokusatsu will enjoy what's on offer here. There's no giant monsters or mecha, but there's plenty of regular sized monsters, martial arts moves, and energy attacks to keep the moments of action feeling fresh and exciting. I absolutely loved the monster designs on offer here, as they each felt unique, but very clearly all connected. They have a style to them that's creepy and beautiful at the same time, and it feels like a design concept that has a lot more life in it yet, and that future volumes can introduce many more. The main villain also has a pretty cool design to them, and whilst looking visually different to IGR it seems to fit the kind of look that this universe is going for.

Speaking of designs, the artwork, provided by Erica D'Urso, Igor Monti, and Becca Carey, is wonderful to look at. The book is gorgeous. There's not a moment where you're left looking at a panel wondering what the hell it's supposed to be or who people are. Everything is crisp, clear, and well defined throughout. All of the characters look distinct and unique, the environments are gorgeous, and the action scenes are filled with energy and a sense of scale. There are a lot of times I read a comic and come away loving the story but feel let down by the visuals, but Inferno Girl Red is one of those times where everything comes together perfectly. It's the kind of book where you'll find yourself flicking through it after you've read it just to spend time looking at the pictures, soaking in more of the art.

Whilst those collecting the issues as they release, and the eventual graphic novel will be able to enjoy all of that, the Kickstarter edition of the book comes with some fancy exclusive extras. There are several pages that show the various stages of character development and the designs that went into creating Inferno Girl Red, as well as the characters around her. It's always interesting to see behind the curtain like this, and to see some other possibilities put onto paper. Some of the unused designs are really good, but it's interesting to look through them as none of them feel quite right; and it's only when you see the first sketch of what will become the final design that it hits you that somehow this character was always meant to look like this.

There's also a break down of script to final page, with each stage being laid out for audiences to see, as well as a art gallery that contain some amazing images from new artists, as well as industry mainstays. If you were generous enough to pay in more to the Kickstarter you may even have these as prints.

Overall, Inferno Girl Red was a thoroughly enjoyable read. It introduces everything new to the reader, new characters, new world, new lore, and does it all without it feeling bloated or too complex. The characters all work well, the action is entertaining, and there are enough mysteries and clues for things to come that you'll find yourself eagerly anticipating the next volume.

[Shawn Ingle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was classified as YA until I started reading it. Which is fine. There's plenty of YA stuff I've enjoyed. I liked some of the characters, but the plot was just ok, and the lack of connection to the rest of the Massive Verse had me eager to be done with it.

[Will Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty staraightforward Power Rangers/Kamen Rider-esque superhero story, complete with cool armor designs and people shouting their attack names to shoot devastating attacks. The premise itself is very simple, but it’s diverse cast of characters makes this stand out from other Tokusatsu-like stories and the other ongoing books in the “Supermassive-verse”. I won’t lie, I wasn’t particularly impressed, but I remember saying the same thing about Radiant Black and Rogue Sun, both of which have second volumes that are some of my favorite books of all time. Inferno Girl Red has a good foundation, only time will tell whether this series will flourish like it’s contemporaries in its second outing.

[Deborah Zeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girl finds bracelet. Becomes Inferno Girl. Mom is her sidekick, because she was best friends with the former Inferno Girl. Bad guy just wants to rule the universe. Cassia has to take out the bad guy but at what cost? This is an extension of another series. Will be interesting to see what happens in the next book. Again, not just my cup of tea. Lots of gaps in the story, left me a bit confused.

[Theediscerning · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, um, well. Apparently people asked for this – apparently Radiant Black was such a success there are Radiant Any-Colours-You-Want in the pipeline, and this is but one of a range of spin-offs. A cheap, hack reviewer would point to the potential pleasure from these being about on a par with the "Massive-Verse" moniker given to them all, which, being an utterly shite name is indeed what I have just done.

So in this section of the Something-Something-Colour-Verse, which is by far a more realistic name for it all, we have a young Latina lass being sent off to a posh school in a posh city – a posh city that people have bad intentions for. Like, well, bamfing it into the middle of the universe, or something. She also gains the green lantern's ring, I mean the black dooflidonk, oh damn it, she gains some kind of red bracelet that turns her into a superhero – a superhero her mother knows a surprising amount about...

Across the rest of this we suffer irredeemably coloured action scenes, as Infernal Girl battles some kind of Negative Zone scorpions, in such a stupid way she's obliged to name her combat moves – or her prime example, at least – as if this was the cheapest manga. Which is has some affinity to. Not once does the girl stop kvetching about being Ignorable Girl and ask why her, and why her mother?

The bonkers thing about these books is that they're seemingly marketed at the mature readership – I can't remember a Teen badge on the Blacks, and there's none on this early, early copy. I mean that might change – I saw this before the single issues came out, after all. But not even a Teen title need be as asinine as this, a brashest of brash cheese-fests if ever there was one. Actually, scrub that – in exclusive latest news I see a mention of it being 13-and-up, which is the smallest "up" since someone tried to see a gazillion balloons lift a house on a four inch phone screen. Nobody of any discernment should be choosing this crud – it's barely a gateway to anything superior, and with me being offered Radiant Red and adamantly ignoring it, I think it safe to say I'm done with this Dulux-iverse. Colour me disappointed. One and a half stars.

[tai-tai*]

I’ll start with the positives. The art is good. Ok, now that the positives are done, Inferno Girl Red is immensely lacking in all aspects. Everything here feels way too referential and meta, as opposed to simply being its’ own product.

Yes, we get it— you’re inspired by Tokusatsu. Yes, we get it— you think a teenage hero should speak in NOTHING ELSE but quips. Yes, we get it— this isn’t your average male-centric comic and the presence of women is everywhere here. While none of these are inherently negative, in the instance of ‘Inferno Girl Red’ they just make for an overall cheesy product. Especially when that woman-inclusion hinges on nothing more than having more women than male characters but then giving them the same cookie-cutter roles as your average MCU film.

Quirky Friend.

Nerdy Friend (who we need during our techno-jargon segments because we all love those).

Gender Diversity Friend (there’s no way the guy isn’t joining the group later on— if there is a later on).

The story also moves way too fast for anyone to care. Everything feels like a preview, but I’m supposed to believe that I received a volume’s worth of content when it’s all said and done? My wattpad stories at 14 about a protagonist with imagination powers had more depth than this ( it did not, honestly they’re both equally bad… which is why I confidently write this negative review ).

This is my first introduction into the Massive-verse and I’ll check out the rest, but I’m not exactly excited about it given my run-in with IGR.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inferno Girl Red is an interesting book to review. The character was introduced in the 2022 Supermassive crossover and she was likable enough in it. What was most intriguing was that she is from another Earth, multiverse style. This volume acts as an origin story and is unique in that the progagonists mom is an active player in the superhero game despite being a regular human. I don't know too many parents that are essentially down to be their kid's sidekick, and that element was intriguing. The setting of the book, a town transported away from its own Earth, is also intriguing though rather unrealistically portrayed, with students still attending their college classes as if they were not disconnected from their planet. The book brings up more questions than answers and is a bit formulaic in other ways, but its the handling of some of these mysteries that disappoint. Still excited for more of the character.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ties to Higgins other Image work is not fully apparent and that is OK. I'm fine with this as a stand alone series (and in the interests of full disclosure I backed this on Kickstarter).

Cassia Costa and her mother are returning to Apex City, a futuristic city where her mother had once been a respected journalist until an undisclosed matter led to her leaving. Cassia has been accepted to an academic super school, if you will, hence their return to Apex.

But, things from their past come back to hit them squarely in the face (excuse the use of a cliche). This leads to Cassia getting a bracelet that allows her to transform into Inferno Girl Red, the super hero that supposedly does not exist.

This title wears its Tokusatsu influences proudly and this was quite the fun read.

[Julio Bonilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you believe in magic?

This book starts off slow, but it gets better the more you read.
I couldn't tell if the heroine was Black or Latina, since the name Cassia sounds Hispanic?

[Keru Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a promising title and the plot is intriguing.
However, it's too fast paced, packing too much information and action together that I don't feel like the story has time to breathe. I understand why, tho. It isn't easy to get a story going in such a short period of time and for a Kickstarter book, it needed to get interesting as soon as possible.

Erica's art is beautiful and fluid; Igor's colours are stunning and set the mood outstandingly well; Becca's lettering is very expressive. All in all, the whole team is great!

[James DeSantis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably the weakest series that ties into Black Radiant series.

This just hits too many cliches and boring tropes, without zero interesting story beats. The main character lacks the charm needed to be hooked to her plot. Her mother just goes along with things far too quickly. The whole futuristic but not TOO far distant feels feels too disconnected. Overall besides that art, which is great most of the time, I wasn't feeling this one much at all.

A 2 out of 5.

[London Heady · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, and it's gorgeous, but it's breakneck pacing and formulaic storytelling never lends itself to captivating it's audience. It's all serviceable. The characters are decent, the story is decent. But it's also mostly things you have seen a hundred times before in one form or another, and it doesn't give itself the proper time to cultivate those things into something truly worthwhile. I would still say it's good, but it's definitely not as great as I wanted it to be.

[Gunnar Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art goes extremely hard. I had my mouth wide open seeing some of these pages. Erica D’urso and Igor Monti I think just proved their some of the best rising talent in the scene right now.

I do wish the story itself was a little stronger. Sometimes the pacing was a bit off. Mostly in the school scenes. I just wish there was more of a balance there.

But I think this is a really strong addition to the massive-verse and I’m very glad book 2 is happening.

[Wyatt · Rating 2 out of 5]

It feels like the desperate graspings onto of whatever the creators thought they were going to get a chance to do with this series. Shoots all the loads too quickly without dousing in any of the fun we'd have woth it's ideas. It's hard to get angry at the illogical hoops we're made to jump through. I sincerely hope they get another chance, because the art isn't bad and the ideas have merit. Nothing is executed how it ought to be, though.

[Bryce Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a girl and her mother moving to a new city to start a new life. Except the city isn't new, it's where the mom grew up. And the life isn't really new either because the mom wants to go back to being a journalist and the girl becomes the superhero her mother used to sidekick for. Over the course of the story it becomes about hope and friendship and belief.

It's a gorgeous book with a good story. 4.5/5 stars.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inferno Girl Red is the latest instalment from the Massiveverse, and possibly my favourite so far (which I thought was going to take some beating, because I really like Rogue Sun).

Featuring a plucky protagonist and a Power Rangers-inspired plot that I loved from start to finish, as well as some truly drop dead gorgeous artwork, these three triple-sized issues really left me wanting more.

[Gonçalo Bernardes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Massive-Verse chapter collected! This one may be my favorite so far!! While I still feel the writing and story gets a bit cliche like the previous Massive-Verse stories, Inferno Girl Red (in my opinion) had the best combination of heartwarming story/theme, INCREDIBLE ART, and interesting characters. Excited for Volume 2!

[aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay! It's finally here! I crowdfunded this book a while ago and have really been looking forward to it's release! It is a Super Sentai styled comic in the vein of the Power Rangers or Ultraman, etc. Cassie is tasked with becoming Inferno Girl Red when she gets the dragon bracelet. What follows is a good start to this series with a science based Cassie forced to delve into belief which powers her bracelet. I loved the art and story and look forward to more!

[Domenico Auriemma · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
La storia mi è sembrata estremamente veloce e con pochi approfondimenti messi qui e la. Alcune interazioni con i personaggi e rivelazioni mi hanno lasciato interdetto (tipo il finale con la prima inferno girl).
Non do 2 stelle perché adoro questo stile di disegno e i colori utilizzati

[Ten Pryd Jeden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another massive-verse comics, ane as usual it didn't disappoint. Another beautifully drawn book with short bittersweet story. Nice introduction to I.F.G. I really hope she will appear in some of the crossovers and can't wait for second book!

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A teenage girl and her mom return to Apex City so she can go to one of the top schools out there. They left years ago after her mother's connection to Inferno Girl Red made her lost everything as a journalist. When the city is transported away by some unknown bad guys, the girl becomes the new Inferno Girl Red. This has some real potential. But at this point, it feels more like a framework than a killer story. The art is very good too.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Power Rangers fans. Is it original? Nope. But is it fun with nice characters and a sweet mother/daughter relationship? Yup! I like it more than I thought! I'm really excited for vol. 2!

[Lewis Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

the massive-verse is so much fun, and inferno girl red is no different

[Joebot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really digging how the Massiveverse characters have this link of similarity while also being so unique. Fun ride. Would have been 5 stars but the overusage of 'baby girl' made my skin crawl.

[Omar Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay as an origin story, art was nice but some action scenes were hard to follow. didn't see the connection to the radiant books in these first 3 issues.