Radiant Black, Vol. 1 - (Not So) Secret Origin
A review I found in a black hole, so I decided to share it.
As I have gotten back into comics, I have been looking on the lookout for indies that I have missed over the years. A question I see asked pretty consistently in comic book circles is: “Where do I start?”
That is a difficult question to answer with multiple solutions depending on the person, but I think a tried-and-true method is to start with the ‘All-Time Greats.’ If any of those don’t hook you, then it probably isn’t the hobby or medium for you. The classics are wonderful jumping off points and people can spiral out from those works and fill in the missing knowledge gaps based-off of what characters and missing beats grabbed you by the horns the most.
What of indie comics? For granted, there some smaller shared universes or long-running series like “Invincible” and “The Walking Dead” (dang, that Kirkman is prolific), but now the search has been narrowed to specific story arcs or the more-easily stumbled upon series, that might not quite scratch that itch. My recommendation here is twofold: If you are already a half step into comics and are starting to glean—like a diamond from the rough, Aladdin-style—follow the writers and artists that you already like. Odds are they have split-off and done something creator-owned comics over the years and it will match your tastes, because you already dig their style. The second solution is to look at those clickbait-y ‘Top 10’ and ‘End of Year’ best lists. You’ll be able to adequately shrink the field down to specific series or even individual indie comics that you’ll most-likely enjoy.
(By the way, I will be doing some of these types of lists during various holidays throughout the year, so subscribe for that!)
I did more of the second method to find some absolutely stellar indies that I had missed-out on and I have been having a great ride with such series as: “Monstress,” “The Nice House on the Lake,” and The Massive-Verse titles by Kyle Higgins such as “Radiant Black.” I’m fortunate that I haven’t missed-out on too many titles from the Massive-Verse since its initial release in 2021, so I have been readily catching-up and would like to eventually review all of the major story arcs presented in this creator-owned, shared comic book universe.
“Radiant Black, Vol. 1” is written by the architect of The Massive-Verse, Kyle Higgins. It is penciled and colored by Marcelo Costa. Currently, “Radiant Black” serves as the flagship series and newer Massive-Verse titles (meaning those that haven’t been retconned in) have spun-out of the aforementioned series.
The tale of Radiant Black begins with Nathan Burnett, a fledgling writer, moving back to his hometown and in with his parents due to financial struggles. His childhood best friend Marshall comes to visit as he is moving in after being inadvertently tipped-off by Marshall’s parents. That night the two go out for drinks in their sleepy little hometown in Illinois. As they drunkenly begin to stagger home after commiserating, they stumble upon what appears to be a miniaturized black hole floating above some transit tracks just off-of the main road. Nathan reaches-out and touches it and presto-chango he is transformed into Radiant Black!
The rest of the first volume focuses on Nathan and Marshall’s reforming friendship, what it is to be a hero or villain, exploration of Radiant Black’s powers and mysterious origins, and some of the more mundane parts of Nathan and Marshall’s lives that are applicable to some of the heavier questions that they begin asking themselves.
The characters are flawed and relatable because of it. Nathan and Marshall are good people who are unfulfilled; they struggle with where destiny has led them, but with the Radiant Black in their lives, they both begin to question their life trajectory. In order to avoid spoilers, I will purposefully be leaving-out some of the side characters introduced as well as the major twists found within this first volume. Vol. 1 is worth reading, though. It isn’t explosive in your face nonstop action (albeit there is action in the climax of the tale), but the characters are the ones that carry the book.
Characters react to an extraordinary situation in the same way that you or I would, and I think this is what drives the intrigue of the Massive-Verse—ordinary people in extraordinary situations.
The line work of “Radiant Black” is excellent. The artwork straddles the line between realism and a unique stylization, specifically centered around the miniaturized black hole and Radiant Black. It forges its own unique mark that is subtle but distinct, which remains consistent throughout. The only small complaint that I noticed while reading is in the coloration. Some of the shading is a bit off. Oftentimes, lights and shadows will be misplaced upon characters’ faces—light sources won’t match what is being shown in the models. It isn’t distracting and truthfully more of a nitpick, especially when every other part of the book works well with one another, but it is something that I noticed and discussed with my wife who is a comic reader and a painter.
I definitely enjoyed my first foray into the Massive-Verse with “Radiant Black, Vol. 1 - (Not So) Secret Origin.” There was enough there to hook me into reading more, but not so much that I felt overwhelmed. I’m excited to see where the Massive-Verse leads and I think Kyle Higgins and Marcelo Costa have a real winner here with “Radiant Black.” If you are into indie comics and are looking for a comic book that is not from DC or Marvel but has that superhero flair, I would highly recommend “Radiant Black.”
Don’t forget to subscribe—if you would like to—for a biweekly newsletter concerning all things comics! Friday will be a review of the first volume of “The Nice House on the Lake.” I hope everyone has a wonderful week and I hope to see you Friday.
Cheers,
Anthony R. Schultz