Writers Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Pencils David Lopez
Inks Alvaro Lopez
Colorist Val Staples
Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Dated April 2012
The copy that I bought is in Very Good condition, which usually, I never notice anything different (besides it looks a tad lighter or something) but this comic’s cover has this black partial line going down the left side, like an inch from the spin. I can’t tell what it is from.
Inside front cover ad is for Round One of AvX.
This issue opens with Magma getting ready for her date with Mephisto. She has to go on a date with the Devil as he allowed the team to leave Hell during the Fear Itself tie-in arc. Dani really doesn’t want her to go on this date. Dani wants to call Hela, or Cyclops & Beast who can call Doctor Strange or Ghost Rider. The deal was that Magma had to go on one date, so she isn’t that worried.
Sunspot is talking to X-Man about his reasons why Magma shouldn’t go on the date. I sort of love this page, as it really puts Spider-Man’s willingness to make a deal with Mephisto. Mephisto is the Devil Incarnate. The Devil. The Metaphysical Embodiment of the Source of All Evil in the World.
X-Man knows what is up, Sunspot doesn’t like the idea of anyone dating Magma who isn’t him.
Legendary comic book creator, Joe Simon died around this time. 1913 – 2011. Thanks for Captain America!
Mephisto is at the door, he is dressed very well and is ready to treat her like a gentleman. Doug warns her to really pay attention to everything he says and what she says, to look for double meanings and such. Mephisto just wants to have a nice date. Mephisto arrived in a very fancy looking sports car. His other car is a phaeton made of adulterer’s hearts pulled by horses from the abattoir of all pestilence. This is the guy Spider-Man ran to to save his elderly aunt and sacrificed his marriage for.
Five minutes later. Mephisto has taken Magma to hell, the third circle of Hell, to be precise – which is Gluttony, it overlooks the Bay of Agony. DnL sure did their homework on Hell for this issue.
It dons on me now that Mephisto is dressed as a hipster, that makes sense.
Mephisto has arranged for Mounts Etna and Krakatoa to put on a show.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1883_eruption_of_Krakatoa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Etna
Krakatoa is the big name of the two, I had to look them both up. Krakatoa seems pretty intense and I need to watch one of those documentaries.
Mephisto asks the band to start playing, Magma recognizes the keyboardist (though he is playing a piano, so I don’t know) but I’m not sure who anyone is suppose to be. I couldn’t find any websites that took a guess.
Magma wants the date to be over as this isn’t a real date. Mephisto asks her to chill, which is pretty funny. Magma is doing far too much thinking on this date.
1128 Mission Street, San Francisco, California. Warlock is trying to get his Hel puppy to stay quiet, as the dog is there secretly. Warlock got the Hel-hound during Journey into Mystery 632, thanks Seabass! I miss editor notes.
Dani is trying to call Illyana, she is the master of Limbo so she should be able to watch out for Magma. Doug is trying to contact Doctor Strange.
Mephisto is trying to savage the date. Mephisto tries to tell her that he is a good guy. People come to him due to their own life decisions, he isn’t out there tempting people.
Magma tells him where he went wrong, he went too big. She wanted to be impressed not stunned into submission. She has an idea, she takes him to the restaurant where she tried to get a job at. Mephisto explains how he wants people to live as long as possible, so that they can keep making decisions in life. Heaven favors those who die young and accidentally or impulsively, they were living and not thinking.
The restaurant’s chipotle is way to hot for him, that’s pretty funny.
There is an ad for AvX with Daredevil fighting Archangel. Get it? Pretty clever
Mephisto walks Magma home, and treats her like a complete gentleman. She kisses him on the cheek and goes inside. The team greets her and are glad that she is okay, Dani wants all of the details come morning.
Issue ends with Mephisto throwing pebbles at Magma’s window. He wants to know if he can ask her out again, and she doesn’t know if he can, which is a pretty sweet moment.
This was a pretty fun issue.
Shadow and Flame with Magik 