At the heart of the underworld is the city of Inferno- a sprawling,
endless mass made up of the fragments of every earthly city that ever existed. Its
inhabitants: the damned, the desperate, those who redemption cannot touch. Its ruler: Lord
Baal of the Fallen, Prince of Hell.
When John Travis is murdered, this is where his
spirit comes. But it’s all a mistake:Travis’ killers were looking for another
man, an eight hundred year old sorcerer called Jacomo Terence. Now Travis finds himself
both pawn and prize in a game he doesn’t understand- and the stakes seem to include
both his immortal soul and his memory of his past lie.
He does have allies, of course. The prophet Nostradamus, whose
magical powers are nothing compared to his cunning and his ruthlessness; and the
were-woman Shulu Borraial, who can take on the form of any creature whose flesh she has
tasted. Together, they’re prepared to risk their own lives and souls to get him back
into the city in one piece, past the devil birds and the serafinol and the watcher’s
at the gate.
But why do they claim they have met Travis before, when he knows
they haven’t?
And why did they have him killed?
Written by Mike Carey, Inferno is superbly
rendered by Michael Gaydos and is a five issue limited series. It was
compiled and released as a graphic novel by Titan Books in 2004.
