Image Comics’ Radiant Black reimagines superheroes with a layered story that blends the best elements of Invincible and Power Rangers.
What makes a hero? That central question lies at the heart of Radiant Black, a new series from Image Comics that follows in the footsteps of Invincible and Power Rangers. Created by Kyle Higgins and Marcelo Costa, the comic modernizes the superhero genre with engaging characters, big action and crazy sci-fi concepts. While it could have simply been content with being a millennial take on superheroes, Radiant Black goes above and beyond to provide twists that’ll leave readers hooked and wanting for more.
Collecting the first six issues of the series, Radiant Black Vol. 1 opens with the introduction of Nathan Burnett, a 30-year-old writer who is forced to move back to his hometown after his bills become too much to handle. While Nathan is humiliated by his poor fortunes, his childhood friend Marshall couldn’t be happier to see him. Together, the pair decide to go out for a night on the town. After drinking far more than anybody ever should, they stumble across a floating orb that grants Nathan superpowers beyond his imagination. With Marshall’s help, Nathan takes on the name of Radiant Black and becomes a hero in Chicago’s suburbs, but when a criminal that looks mysteriously familiar shows up, Nathan finds out that being a hero is a lot harder than it looks.
Radiant Black is written by Kyle Higgins, who brings with him the sensibilities that made the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic such a massive success. Higgins uses strong character dynamics to guide readers through this introductory arc, with Nathan and Marshall’s bond becoming the driving force behind the action. Higgins makes these characters feel like real people, right down to Nathan’s struggle to find success as a writer. Beyond that, the scale of the series grows every issue, as Radiant Black slowly realizes that he isn’t the only superpowered citizen running wild.
Joining Higgins is artist Marcelo Costa, who brings a high-energy approach to every page of the action. Costa shines with his expressive characters, who make everything feel even bigger than it already is by reacting to the chaos as it unfolds. This applies later in the series as well, when artist Eduardo Ferigato and colorist Natalia Marques jump in for an epic battle between Radiant Black and a new foe. The pair juggle a lot of characters as the scale of the series reveals itself, building towards future stories that feel like a Power Rangers team-up.
The final issue of this collection is a standalone story that explores the background of the first arc’s villain. Higgins is joined by co-writer Cherish Chen and guest artists Darko Lafuente and Miquel Muerto for this story and, within the span of 22 pages, they are able to to introduce a new character and explore how they operate within the world of Radiant Black. This addition to the overall mythos opens up countless new possibilities and explores the limits that people will go to in order to stay afloat. Lafuente’s art builds off of the work of those before him, while also distinguishing itself with an atmospheric emptiness that enhances the plights of the character’s journey. This is a great compliment to Nathan’s arc and may be the best issue of the series to date.
While this isn’t the first time that Image Comics has created a new superhero, Radiant Black has a distinct identity and a unique scale that stands apart from its peers. Higgins, Costa and the rest of the creative team have found a way to capture the plights of millennial heroes in a way that makes Nathan feel more relatable than Spider-Man, without sacrificing the dynamic action that makes the genre so much fun. The series has already proven to be a sales success and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Radiant Black Vol. 1 is already one of the most immersive and exciting superhero comics of the decade.
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