Image Comics series Supermassive features Radiant Black teaming up with new heroes in a thrilling one-shot propelled by electric art.
When writer Kyle Higgins and artist Marcelo Costa launched Radiant Black at Image Comics last year, the series’ fresh perspective on familiar superhero setups quickly set it apart. To kick off year two, Higgins has teamed up with fellow BOOM! Studios Power Rangers alum Ryan Parrott and his Trials of Ultraman co-writer Mat Groom. Together, the team has crafted Supermassive, a team-up book but also a pilot of sorts for two new titles, Inferno Girl Red and Rogue Sun. The resulting Supermassive #1 is a crossover story that ensures Radiant Black is here to stay.
Headlined by slacker-turned-hero Radiant Black, Supermassive #1 is an irreverent homage to the western superhero and Japanese tokusatsu series that inspired its creators. The issue is propelled by electric art from each of the series’ main artists, Marcelo Costa, Erica D’Urso, and Abel along with Simone Ragazzoni and Francesco Manna. Igor Monti’s vibrant colors and Becca Carey’s letters pull together the different styles to make this oversized one-shot a visual stunner. Supermassive #1 is pure fun and a breathless and bombastic statement that sets the tone for these new books.
Supermassive #1 begins with young heroine Inferno Girl Red crashing into Radiant Black’s dimension on the trail of an evil creature from her world. This incursion catches the attention of another hero, Rogue Sun, whose introduction makes clear that these kinds of interdimensional monsters are just the kind of thing he is dedicated to preventing. Rogue Sun and Inferno Girl Red clash, but when Radiant Black appears, he acts as a mediator between the two. The heroes are attacked by the monster, who siphons off each of their powers. The three must work together to stop the creature without their abilities and prove they are more than their costumes.
In this issue, Marshall has had time to get used to the superhero gig and confront some of the pain around his friend Nathan’s near-death experience. His journey as Radiant Black moves into a new phase, where he is both more comfortable with his powers and honest with his shortcomings. He acts as the reader’s guide, a grounded everyman amid the interdimensional mayhem. While Inferno Girl Red and Rogue Sun are both making their first appearance, readers get a sense of their history and origins. The writing team allows the characters’ conversations and reactions to fill in the backstory in a natural way. Rogue Sun’s frustration with both Radiant Black’s laid-back attitude and Inferno Girl Red’s youthful zeal helps to differentiate him and illustrate his experience. After spending the last six months following Marshall’s origins, Supermassive #1 gives Radiant Black a chance to show more of his potential and flesh out his motivations. Supermassive #1 is also quite funny. A highlight is the trio’s forced cross-country road trip that gives them a chance to breathe and play off one another.
Each of the series’ artists contribute to the issue for individual segments that tease the stories to come. However, the bulk of the art is provided by Francesco Manna, Melania Palladino, and Simone Ragazzoni. These artists fit right in with the established visuals featured throughout Radiant Black, with their uncluttered line work and precision layouts. Manna’s work in particular gives the action an epic scope, relying on wide horizontal panels and staging. Igor Monti’s colors bring the different artists together with his futuristic neon tones leaning into Radiant Black’s established sci-fi world. Becca Carey’s letters are subtle but never take away from the action. She features sound effects that blend in with the imagery and word balloons that flow across the page and keep dialogue-heavy scenes clear. In a book with multiple artists, having one colorist and one letterer ties the whole package together.
Launching a book like Supermassive #1 is the kind of creative gamble Image Comics is known for making. A team-up book with only one established hero is not at all a sure thing, but this one succeeds in making readers care about each of these heroes and their possibilities. Supermassive #1 is everything superhero readers want from this kind of big event comic and will be sure to draw in new fans looking for fresh stories and characters. Amplified by its stunning visuals, this book is the best kind of escapism superhero comics can offer.
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