Radiant Black, Vol. 3: Rogues' Gallery

Radiant Black

by Kyle Higgins, Laurence Holmes, Marcelo Costa (Artist)

Alien sword guy? Dealt with. Best friend? Saved. Giant space war? A problem for another day. With all the big problems handled, Marshall is looking forward to some good old-fashioned downtime.

But the power of the Radiants won’t stay secret forever - and, as his personal life starts to unravel, Marshall will face a gauntlet of new foes that threaten to put an early end to his superhero career!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Comic Book, Superheroes, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 2022

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps it's been too long since I visited the world of Radiant Black but I had a hard time keeping track of who some of the characters were, particularly the baddies. I miss the clear focus of the first volume when we were just following the life and times of a sad-sack L.A. writer buried in credit card debt who moves back in with his midwestern parents only to obtain bizarre otherworldly powers...instead of a world in which everyone and their aunt Sally seems to have them.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite fun to read as we see Marshall fight against different rogues who wants his power and its interesting seeing this new foes, my only complaint being they seem sort of under-developed and most of their designs look same so can be confusing but still its fun and seeing what's going on with Nathan, that was the best part and finally the origin of Wendell which had a unique art style and some might like it, personally idk it kinda felt confusing maybe we will know more about it in future. So yeah a fun read overall and definitely next volume "Two-in-one"" promises to be even crazier for our boys! The art is pretty fun too and some covers here are just breath-taking! <3!

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Radiant Black's been around for over a year now, so it's time for a supervillain team-up!

As third arcs go, Radiant Black continues to reinvent itself. Even though the villain team-up gets the top billing, there's some interesting developments between the current and previous Radiant Blacks which will once again flip the series on its head as we go on. Plus we get some inventive use of the Radiant powers, and some appearances from villains that we've seen in other books, like that Supermassive one-shot and Radiant Red's mini-series as well.

Also included is the origin issue for Radiant Yellow, which does the whole three-time-periods-at-once thing you can only really do in comics to great effect, giving us a glimpse into the past and the future at the same time.

Radiant Black's definitely one to keep you guessing, and the answers to its questions continue to impress.

[Zedsdead · Rating 4 out of 5]

v3's first half focuses mostly on the heroes' personal lives, as Nathan and Marshall deal with the fact that the Radiant power switched hosts. And that they're still underachievers with debt problems.

The second half is more exciting, as a League of Evil enacts a well-conceived plan to neutralize Radiant Black and take his Radiance for themselves (their power packs all recharge in proximity to a Radiant, for some reason.) But the attack results in Marshall and Nathan swapping the Radiance back and forth....somehow...and thwarting them but good. And a pretty spiffy cliffhanger: when Radiant Yellow--who sees parts of the future--learns that Marshall survived the battle, he is aghast because "....This is wrong. He's going to kill us all."

A decent but not standout volume. Still happy to continue the series.

[Benji Glaab · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series clearly isn't for me. I'm not a fan of the dialogue whatsoever it is so long winded and the characters have such a mundane voice. I also find the pacing to be excruciatingly slow than the action sequence is so fast its hard to tell what's happening.

One positive is the art is fantastic. This book has a unique look and a fantastic colour palette. Really wish I could get into this series.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars. So five of these YouTube villains team up and come up with a plan to take down Radiant Black. If it was just that, this could have scored and even 3 stars. However, that last issue brought the score down some. I have no idea what was going in that final issue plus it had the worst art so far in this Radiant Black universe. Couldn’t even tell what was happening in the action sequences.

[Connor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like I've kinda lost interest in this series as it's gone on. Marshall and Nathan are both conscious at this point, so they end up sharing the Black Radiant power. At the beginning of this book, they have trouble getting along but eventually work things out. A bunch of nobodies try to steal the radiant power to fuel their own machines or something. They are defeated even though they have a robot that's immune to the radiant power. There are some references to crypto that immediately felt dated. The last issue, about Radiant Yellow, was interesting and well-crafted. I might try one of the spinoffs about a different color.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marshall takes on five villains and gets help from an unexpected source. Chapter 18 focuses on the origin of Wendell, the Radiant Yellow, presented in a neat format amidst decades of his life.
The battle against the villains was taut with action and danger in chapter 16.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid volume.

One thing I like about this series is the two friends act and talk like friends. They have realistic emotions and dialogue and they don't just get crazy mad or whatever and walk out every scene. They feel like legit friends and this helps build the story.

This one has the "villains" or bad guys finally react and attack together. Almost a sinister six, but sinister 5 in this. It might take more than one person to help win this battle. The last issue is a odd one, and while the ending can lead to some great stuff, the immense change in art and such made it hard to follow.

Not as strong as volume 1-2 but still good. A 3.5 out of 5.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems to have lost some steam and I guess they have spun off some series from this one....hmmm

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stellar volume. Vol 3 is a much more personal arc, focusing on the relationship between the dual-protagonists. Their personal lives and relationship with the Radiant are different and fun. The rogues are fine, just fine. But Radiant Yellow steals the show with his own dedicated issue. Each volume has had 1 issue focus on a different hero and they are always so incredibly well done. But Radiant Yellow is probably the single best issue in the entire series right now.

[As You Wish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was confused at where the story was going, but by the end I couldn't wait to start the next one. Didn't realize yellow could bend time???

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose now that Marshall and Nathan are both established characters, Radiant Black can move on to establishing some villains (thus, the volume's title). The villains in Rogues' Gallery are adequate (except for the crypto bro), but seemingly arisen from nowhere. Their suits are powered by the Radiant's black hole energy, so I guess that's why they're always after him. But the semi-superpowered villains are otherwise exceedingly generic.

At least the artwork in Radiant Black continues to be superb, making the villains and their battles with Radiant Black awesome enough to overcome storytelling weaknesses. Also strong: the natural dialogue between Marshall and Nathan. There are a lot of "heroes are just regular people" moments in Rogues' Gallery, which is a fun transition away from the cosmic nonsense of the second volume. But please, let there be less of the "just doin' it for the 'gram!" vibes going forward.

Radiant Black isn't going to replace Marvel or DC anytime soon, but its expanding universe does intrigue me. This third volume brought me back on board a bit, so I'll keep exploring (when my library picks up new material).

[Mohan Vemulapalli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deeply and profoundly disappointing but better and more coherent than the last volume in spite of what seems to have been a deliberate effort on the part of the writer.

I was drawn to the Massive-verse due to it's promise of a new and cleaner super hero universe in which it would be possible to follow the action without knowing the back story of dozens of characters. However, the three volumes of the Radiant Black series are progressively more confusing concisely for the reason that multiple characters are introduced from elsewhere without clear origins or explanations. Presumably, these characters were introduced in other Massive-verse books, but there is no indication in these volumes as to what those books would be. In any case the series has become turgid and confusing while losing focus on the themes and characters that made it interesting early on.

In closing, I would like to point out that Kyle Higgins is clearly talented and that a great deal of potential still exists within the Massive-verse. However, the "Radiant Black" series has spun out of control so quickly and so extremely that I feel compelled to stop reading it .

[Viktor Logi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still trying to get invested.

Still just... okay.

This issue is called: Rogues' Gallery
And to be honest the rogues' gallery felt quite lacking in both style and personality.

I'm fine with all the radiants looking like color swaps. I think they look cool.

But when every villain looks the exact same, with just a metal mask and slight color variation, I think that kind of sucks.

I would put up with lackluster character design if they were interesting, personality-wise but none of them are, and I can't remember a single name of theirs or even if they had names.

This definitely works better for me as a binge-read.
If I had to wait months for new installments I would probably drop off quickly.

I have volume 4 and 5 and I will probably read them but after that I'm probably done unless something crazy happens.

[AviChaim Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series continues to bring the fun and action in a world where the comic industry is floundering. Higgins's storytelling with this unique hero is a blast and even got me to watch the accompanying animated short the volume discusses. My issue with the series is that there is so much being introduced, there is little explanation of what is occurring in the overarching plot; however, there has been more of an explanation to some of the villains being introduced and they were a lot of fun. The entire book is fun and worth a read. I can't wait to continue the series. Recommend! Grade: B+

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice back-to-basics volume of RB. By focusing on Marshall and Nathan we get the strong characterization that has been one of RB's highlights. But we also get some terrific big-picture storytelling and some great twists. Good to see this story still going strong.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The spark is kind of gone for me. I thought this was long and slow... I wanted more story in the realm of the robot.

[Safa ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Original review written on Oct 1st ‘25)

More accurate rating: 4.8

Marshall being a psycho >>>>. Okay but seriously, I love how #13 is literally him attempting murder. And then the issue right after that? Arson. All in two days. We’ve already seen how Marshall gets when pissed off, but I think these two issues did a good job on showing off his dark side, and how he’s not a hero like Nathan was/is. Like yeah, Marshall on occasion believes in second chances, but he also would not hesitant to kill somebody.

I think reading #13 in particular for the second time hit way different because then I knew the backstory on Marshall and how he was always this violent even as a teenager, and it also shows us how much rage Marshall feels and his destructive way of expressing it. When he smashed that glass bottle over his classmate, it was an act out of pure anger and even though he was shocked at what he did, he didn’t necessarily regret it.

And now as an adult, he once again expresses his anger in a violent, gorey way but doesn’t show or feel any remorse. Did Marshall save people? Yes. But does he do so in a way that’s traditionally heroic? No way lol. It’s kinda fun rereading this, as Marshall has grown a lot from being a murderous fuck haha.

As much as I wish I could defend Marshall to the ends of the earth however (he does have valid reasons!), I can totally see why Nathan thinks Marshall’s being a dick. And speaking of Nathan!

I missed him. A lot. You don’t know what you have until it’s gone 💔 I honestly love how he isn’t just immediately 100% supportive of Marshall being rb. Being Radiant Black made Nathan feel powerful in a time where he felt (and still feels) powerless. It was his escape of sorts, so while he should be better at supporting Marshall, he has a right to feel kinda meh about it.

Also Nathan hooking up with his ex just for her to go back to Cali with his ex roommate?? NASTY WORK! I guess they weren’t together-together again so it’s fine but him and JJ still slept together like damn. (Idk I’ve never been in a relationship maybe I just don’t get it lol).

But anyways, both Nathan and Marshall being Radiant Black was so exciting like yessss make them both be the hero. It kinda makes me sad that they didn’t have any fun moments where they switch places or pretend to be one another with Radiant Black. Maybe it’s because I’m a Scream fan, but I think the concept of two people pretending to be the same persona and confuse everyone is really cool (and I may or may not have made a fic about that but shhh).

This is getting long enough so all I’m gonna note is that both mc’s looked especially hot in the volume, mask off and mask on.

[Yoshiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

POPKULTUROWY KOCIOŁEK: Radiant Black tom 3 kontynuuje dynamiczną serię. Marshall, obecny Radiant Black, po uratowaniu Nathana, pragnie chwili spokoju. Jego superbohaterskie życie staje się rutyną pełną reklam i ratowania pieszych. Niestety, moc Radiantów nie może pozostać tajemnicą na zawsze. Życie osobiste Marshalla zaczyna się rozpadać pod wpływem sekretów i kłamstw. Pojawiają się nowi, zorganizowani wrogowie, którzy chcą jego mocy. Marshall staje przed wyzwaniem, które może szybko zakończyć jego karierę bohatera.

Trzecia odsłona serii zawierająca materiał z oryginalnych zeszytów 13-18, sprawnie łączy akcję z obyczajowością. Narracja skupia się tu zarówno na Marshallu, jak i Nathanie, co nadaje historii głębi. Duet tych bohaterów pokazuje, jak pewne decyzje wpływają na życie prywatne i zawodowe. Pokazane są tutaj dalekosiężne konsekwencje niektórych podjętych działań. Sprawia to, że tytuł staje się bardziej dojrzały i głębszy. Marshall zderza się tu z rozpadem relacji i zaufania bliskich. Bycie zamaskowanym herosem okazuje się bowiem źródłem wielu nieszczęść. Takie podejście do tematyki superbohaterskiej jest naprawdę ciekawe. Autor ponadto umiejętnie komentuje dzisiejszy cyfrowy świat. Wątki influencerów, kryptowalut czy pogoni za sławą są bardzo aktualne.

Tomik nie jest jednak pozbawiony swoich pewnych wad. Fabuła jest tutaj momentami troszkę zbyt chaotyczna. Wynika to głównie z próby wprowadzenia zbyt wielu nowych postaci do historii jednocześnie. Tempo fabuły w paru scenach jest też niepotrzebnie zbyt szybkie, nie pozwalając tym samym należycie wybrzmieć danej chwili.

Marshall i Nathan są sercem tej superbohaterskiej opowieści. Duet ten wciąż odbija się od siebie, a ich decyzje wzajemnie się przenikają. Jest to realistyczne i zmusza do refleksji nad przyjaźnią. Obaj bohaterowie mają coś do stracenia. Różnie rozumieją odpowiedzialność, co jest fascynującym motywem.

Warty uwagi czytelnika jest tu również Żółty Radiant, który wnosi do historii złożoność dzięki równoległym liniom czasowym. Wiele dzieje się także po drugiej stronie. Złoczyńcy w tym uniwersum są zaskakująco dobrze zorganizowani i stanowią oni realne zagrożenie dla bohaterów. To dzięki nim historia o wyborach i moralnych dylematach nabiera głębi i realistyczności....

https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/radia...

[Josh Crouch · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re reading Radiant Black, you HAVE to make it to Volume 3. Trust me on this one.

All those burning questions you’ve had? The ones that have been simmering since the end of the first issue? Volume 3 comes in like a hero on the scene and answers most of them. You finally start to see why the story has been moving in the direction it has, and those “what the heck is happening?” moments? You’ll get the clarity you’ve been craving.

But hold on—don’t think you’re getting all the answers just yet. The biggest mystery? Yeah, that one’s still up in the air. And honestly, that’s part of the fun. Even the characters themselves don’t fully understand what’s going on, which makes it a true joy to be right there in the thick of it with them. You feel like you’re part of the journey, unraveling the secrets alongside them, one mind-blowing moment at a time.

And that’s not all. The beauty of this series continues to shine with its flawless blend of gripping character development and high-octane hero action. It’s the perfect cocktail of emotional depth and pulse-pounding excitement.

So, do yourself a favor and stick around for Volume 3. You’ll be rewarded with a storyline that delivers on every front, taking you deeper into a world that only keeps getting better. And if you make it this far, no chance you are stopping here.

Radiant Black is not just a comic; it’s a journey. And Volume 3 is the map that makes everything make sense. Well.... ALMOST everything.

[Pi]

RADIANT BLACK: Galeria złoczyńców, to komiks zdecydowanie superbohaterski... bez dwóch zdań promiennie superbohaterski i chociaż mój stopień wejścia w historię był nieco trudny i mozolny, ponieważ zaczęłam od TOMU 003, to i tak jestem bardzo zadowolona.
Zastanawiam się, bo bardziej mi przypadło do gustu: fabuła, czy ilustracje i chyba jednak postawię na ilustracje. RADIANT BALCK jest świetnie narysowany. To komiks pełen energii, szybkości, drapieżności i tej ekskluzywnej mocy superbohatera. Prawda jest taka, że ta opowieść się błyszczy od ilustracji, skrzy od kolorów a sceny walki są onieśmielająco szalone. Lubię także styl, który ma w sobie wiele z klasycznych komiksów z tego gatunku.
Fabuła jest zawiła, wątki się łączą tak, że ja, jako osoba, która rozpoczęła przygodę od końca, nie mogłam się momentami połapać kto jest kim. Czytało mi się jednak dobrze, zapewne przez sprawnie napisane dialogi. To bardzo spójny estetycznie i literacko komiks, który przenosi nas w ciekawy świat a pokazane moce wprowadzają coś nowego w uniwersum.
Komiks dostarcza czytelnikowi i zabawę, rozrywkę i przyjemność związaną z oglądaniem rysunków z wysokiej półki. Śmiało mogę napisać, że to dobra rzecz. RADIANT BLACK został także bardzo ładnie wydany, na świetnym papierze - tradycyjny komiks dla nerdów... hihi.

niech moc będzie...
RADIANT BLACK
tom 003
image
nonstopcomics
egzemplarz recenzencki

[Sebastian M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A triumphant return!
While the slew of villains introduced in this arc were a bit underdeveloped, the fantastic character-work that was kind of missing from the last volume is back. The relationship between the two protagonists is explored in a few compelling ways and there's a tag-team fight between the two near the end that's just really fun and creative.
I can't help but commend Higgins' commitment to playing with the conventions of the comic book genre,
which we have two examples of here. First, an in-universe fully-animated, voice-acted, short featuring Radiant Black is accessible in this volume and it's awesome! Second, the final issue collected here features four interconnected, continuous storylines that stretch across the pages into one large image/payoff. Really creative efforts!

[Rahul Nadella · Rating 2 out of 5]

The moment I've been worried about comes and goes without the disaster I expected, but there's always another disaster waiting in the wings. Radiant Black vol 3 resolves the first super villain crossover of the Massive-Verse and sets up a potential looming threat in the form of Marshall. The issue is an excellent showcase for Costas art and Farrells colors to distinguish the various Radiants and the villains, juggling multiple powers and fighting styles. This issue bookends the current arc, and makes for a great place to catch up with Radiant Black as the book seems to be moving toward a character-driven and emotionally charged conflict between the Radiants.

[James De Leon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last volume featured a superhero team up. It’s time for a supervillain version.

We get some folks wanting to get a charge using Radiant Black, some trying to steal his power, and some coming for revenge. Nathan and Marshall end up growing closer together in some special way (due to their connection to the Radiant Black). The volume ends with four simultaneous stories featuring Yellow Radiant through various points in time. That last chapter is a nice way to end the volume - It will keep me from not coming back.

While the book is entertaining at times, it’s also a bit boring and pedantic. I’m hoping that the next volume spikes my interest higher.

[Molly]

wow! i was hoping this would be the thrilling conclusion, but there's still more to come - although i am a bit confused about what was going on with wendell in the final chapter. the friendship between nathan and marshall is absolutely my favorite part of this series, and the bits with the movie short filming were so funny. and this volume has lots of interesting things to say on money + fame + power, with youtube guy and streamers and anja and everyone else who has varied motivations to get involved with the radiant. curious to see where things go next!

[Adam Barnhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the year 2023, the best comics are the ones that don’t try to reinvent the wheel but rather, the ones that embrace the stories that have come before. The Radiant Black series has done just that throughout its three arcs, paying homage to tokusatsu, sci-fi, and coming of age stories all while injecting a fresh update for a new age.

Beyond that, Radiant Black #18 pulls some tricks with its sequential storytelling that dares to push the boundaries of the medium, and it’s a treat to see unfold.

[Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This continues to be fun and interesting at its core - twisty enough with the traditional superhero narratives that it sustains its own life as a story. The art style, as usual, is a little inconsistent in the supplemental material after the main tale, but the two central characters and their supporting cast are played for quick surface traits in this - in aid of keeping the story moving - so there's less depth than in previous outings. Still good stuff, though.

[Paul Allard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sci-fi comic book series - not always clear but still enjoyable.

It's been a while since i read any Radiant Black so I didn't really twig as to what was going on some of the time. A quick synopsis at the start would have bee quite a boon. However the plot was reasonably interesting and the artwork quite clear and detailed. Definitely should be read after the previous volumes to make any sense. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[London Heady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continues to be just incredible. That Yellow back story is fantastic. Really excited to read Radiant Yellow when that comes out. The continuing relationship between Marshall and Nathan is really well structured, and this air of regret that seems to seep out of all the lead characters so effortlessly makes the whole story that much more compelling.