In 2021, Mat Groom and Erica D’Urso launched a Kickstarter campaign for their tokusatsu-inspired graphic novel Inferno Girl Red. I quickly backed it and pledged enough to get a nice hardcover copy of the book. Then, earlier this year, they were able to fulfill backer orders and I received my copy and it was gorgeous. Sadly, I just recently read the graphic novel and it was incredible. If you missed the Kickstarter, don’t worry. Inferno Girl Red is being released in three parts with #1 already out and available at your local comic shops with all three being collected in paperback this July.
I fell back Inferno Girl Red for some reason. First, I love the character design and art in general for the comic. D’Urso did an incredible job in both those departments and Igor Monti the colors killed it. Second, it’s part of the Massive-Verse which is a comic book universe that I love. It all started with Bright Black from Kyle Higginsbut it grew into more and Inferno Girl Red is a fantastic addition. Third, I love almost anything tokusatsu inspired.
Inferno Girl Red tells a really amazing story about a girl named Cássia and her mother who move back to the big city to study after the same city basically chased her mother out of town. The reason? Her mother reports on the hero Inferno Girl Red, but no one believes that Inferno Girl Red is real. Well, after some crazy events, the entire city is leveled and one thing leads to another where Cássia becomes the new Inferno Girl Red and has to stop the bad guys. I’m doing my best not to spoil anything, I promise.
The way this story is told is very fun. We have real character moments throughout. We meet great characters as if they exist in this world. It’s a fast pace that keeps you engaged longer and is divided into three parts that I can see easily being adapted into a 3-part animated miniseries. It’s like reading a television show and I love it. I will admit that there is not much mystery in the story. The little mysteries they set up like the identity of the bad guy are pretty obvious. However, I don’t hate it. Honestly, I don’t care about it. It doesn’t have to try to have some crazy twist to be great.
At the end of the day, Inferno Girl Red is a story about belief and self-belief and it is very well done. Maybe it’s just where I am right now, but it’s so important right now to hear this message and see amazing people supporting their friends.
Whether it’s the art or the writing or the character design, I can’t find any fault Inferno Girl Red Apart from one. The story is no longer revealed at this time. The book ends on a pretty big note that clearly shows what the next couple of arcs will be, but there are no announcements about a Book Two. In fact, on Twitter, Groom responded to my cries for a Book Two with this: