Radiant Black Massive Edition Book One

Radiant Black (Single Issues) #1-12

by Kyle Higgins, Eduardo Ferigato (illustrator)

Power Rangers meets INVINCIBLE in this new superhero universe with contemporary sensibilities, now collected for the first time in a deluxe hardcover! Nathan Burnett has just turned thirty, and things aren't; he's working (and failing) at two jobs, his credit card debt is piling up, and his only move...is moving back home with his parents. But when Nathan discovers and unlocks the ethereal, cosmic RADIANT, he's given the power to radically change his fortunes. There's just one the powers don't belong to him. And the COSMIC BEINGS who created them want them back...by any means necessary. Collects issues #1-12 of the ongoing RADIANT BLACK series—including a newly remastered issue #11, as well as a complete cover gallery and more than 30 pages of brand-new exclusive backmatter.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels

460 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2024

Reviews

[akacya ❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025 reads: 122/300

nathan has just turned thirty, and things aren’t looking too good for him. with no good job prospects and mounting credit card debt, he takes the only option left: moving back in with his parents. he discovers that his luck just might change when he finds the cosmic radiant, which grants him powers. these powers don’t belong to him, though, and the cosmic beings who created them will get them back by any means necessary.

power rangers meets invincible sounded so up my alley, i had no choice but to give this a try. while i can see similarities between those two (especially power rangers) and radiant black, this story was its own thing entirely. the way the powers worked was so cool, and the art for the fight and cosmic scenes was incredible. i was interested in these characters both as normal people and as heroes, and i can’t wait to see where the next volumes take them.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a start to this series!

I had a really good time reading this, enjoyed getting thrown into this world. This mainly follows Nathan and Marshal and I liked both of them, they both have their struggles as young people who find the power of a radiant to become radiant black. It’s got a good mix of fun action packed fighting as well as down to earth struggles.

Overall I’m looking forward to not only more of radiant black but also the other series set in this universe.

[Matt Quann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This arrived this morning, I had an unexpected day off, and I ripped through it. The art is fun and there’s a playful style to the storytelling that harkens back to good old fun superheroics. I totally get the Invincible vibe updated for the modern era.

I’ll definitely be picking up the second volume when it lands.

[3.5 Stars]

[Highland G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Its obviously got heavy influences from power rangers to invincible and a LOT of self referential stuff. It feels like this book is in some ways a story about its creators struggles as a writer as much as it is a fantastical story.

The one downside for me is real world referencing, it dates the book and takes away from the immersion.
Use social media sure, but create your own to fit this world rather than dropping a brand name. You guys created a whole language and musically backing for this book but you couldn’t rename instagram?

Anyway, I feel like we are only just scratching the surface of the hero’s journey and I was very impressed with the artwork over despite it taking me a little bit to get used to at first.

Is it perfect, no. Should they do better world building for brands and stop making real world references, yes. But I still think it’s a fun read.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

What did I just read?

The story jumped around, there are a lot of characters introduced very quickly, machines, robots, a bad guy, and yet - not much happens.

I was entertained, but unless things start making some sense in the second book - I'm out.

[Chris Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t hate it and will definitely try to keep up with the series. But it just didn’t quite do it for me. If I compare it to something like invincible then I think 3 stars is fair. Artwork is beautiful and some creative and interesting page designs.

[DayDay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I agree with the Power Rangers meets Invincible concept. Except it’s not as violent as invincible. Kyle Higgins crafted a dope story about characters who finds this black hole that gives them superpowers while also giving them relatable stories especially with this character named NATHAN, who’s a struggling writer who’s in credit card debt.

I can’t tell you how much I love this story and find how accurate it is to real life issues. Looking forward to volume 2. And the artwork is amazing by Marcelo Costa. I really enjoyed this. Some of favorite universes in comics right now.

[MrGlassWontBreak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will be my review of the first six volumes of this book, covering the “Catalyst War.”

Radiant Black is an action-packed and emotionally gripping superhero story that delves deep into themes of millennial struggle, self-reinvention, family/friendship, and hope vs. cynicism.

A young failing writer moves back to his home town to live with his parents due to financial issues, after reconnecting with his long time best friend there, they stumble upon a glowing, floating black hole like entity that grants gravity based powers among others to its wielder and the writer becomes the superhero Radiant black. After finding out that there are other individuals with similar abilities, and that the alien race responsible for the creation of the black hole-like entities wants them back at all costs, they are thrown into all kinds of dangerous situations—from your average alien tech-enhanced criminals, to actual aliens, Giant Robots, and cosmic-level threats.

This is the freshest, most modern take on the superhero genre I’ve seen in a while. The writing is captivating, and the characters feel like real people with real-world problems and flaws (Marshall is literally me if I got superpowers). We see how the consequences of Radiant Black’s actions change and affect the world.

The entire book has an experimental vibe—we don’t even know which of the leads will eventually keep the powers and become Radiant Black permanently. It features a unique, plot-driven story that sometimes feels a bit all over the place, with lots of twists and epic reveals, but it all comes together very nicely later on to make a superhero story that feels like you haven’t read anything quite like it before.

The art and paneling are flawless and refreshingly unique. They fit perfectly with the experimental vibe mentioned earlier. The art style changes seamlessly between the real world and Existence (a digital world that seems to be another dimension), showcasing a masterclass in coloring and beautifully edgy artwork.

The story takes place in a shared superhero universe called the Massive-Verse, which also includes other equally interesting titles like Rogue Sun. If you enjoy superhero narratives, do yourself a favor and read this; the same applies to those who typically don’t.
Strongly recommend!

[Daniel Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Radiant black is a Power Rangers-esque superhero comic with the somewhat unique approach to characters that I am becoming used to with Massive-Verse.

That being said, I was much less enthralled with this than Rogue Sun. Ironically the elements that shined to me were outsude of the superhero stuff.

All of the Radiants' powers are sort of glossed over and not really utilised much beyond the fight with 001. Furthermore the fights are sometimea tricky to follow, particularly euth the glitch effect and non-traditional panelling - that might just be ADHD talking though.

Going back, the out-of-superhero stuff is quite engaging. I particularly liked Nathan's writing arc, the Pink issue, Red's backstory, and the one with Marshall's day to day life.

The art was beautiful, especially the colouring - I liked how the bonus content highlighted the impirtance of a colourist who can draw. On that note, the book itself was well made, and I like the inclusion of every (?) alternate cover.

Okay - 6/10

[C. Chambers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspired concept, good art and pacing at points, but ultimately pretty non-impactful overall. Takes great ideas and almost finds a suitable home for them. I will continue reading but I hope things start feeding into a sensible lore and give the audience some much-needed answers soon.

3/5

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

A memorable start to an ambitious series that I'll be rooting for and trying to catch up on now. The designs and intrigue have me more invested than any particular character, though Marshall is definitely my favorite.

[Julio Valentin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lot of hype surrounding this comic. I don't get it. Is fine, just fine. Nothing much happens.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Read

Great Read Enjoyed Every minute of it. Roller coaster of a ride. Definitely has rereading factors. 10 out of 10

[Mateo V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot better than what I expected this to be. Cool characters and lore that I can't wait to learn more of. Consider me fully onboard the Massive-Verse hype train! 😎😎

[Jacob Burdick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love the twist at the start it sets it apart immediately.