Radiant Black #1 Review: A New Superhero Faces Millennial Woes
Some superheroes are timeless by necessity. While Superman may have started out as a champion of the New Deal which defined the era of his creation, his strong concept has let Superman stay relevant for almost a century. Still, a certain amount of specificity can be lost in the decades of being written and rewritten. This is particularly a problem for millennial heroes. There may be a handful of heroes who could reasonably be identified as a millennial, but few of them deal with any of the problems that generation is facing. But ever keen on looking at familiar concepts with new eyes is Image Comics, and their new series Radiant Black is one of the few superhero comics that actually addresses millennial concerns.
The new comic from writer Kyle Higgins and artist Marcelo Costa follows a young man named Nathan who is at the end of his ropes. Though he believes he has an impressive book deal waiting in the winds, he's $40,000 in debt and is in the process of moving back in with his parents. After a drunken night out with his childhood friend Marshall though, Nathan discovers a strange void that, when touched, gives Nathan telekinetic powers and a super-suit which seems to respond to Nathan's mental commands. The powers do nothing to help Nathan's debt though, and may just bring him more trouble as a mysterious figure dressed in a red suit almost identical to Nathan's is out robbing banks.
What immediately makes the comic stand out is its portrayal of Nathan. As a superhero, he is certainly starting out from a unique place. While heroes like Spider-Man contend with interpersonal drama, even modern heroes rarely struggle with realistic feelings of inadequacy and failure. It is a strong basis for a character and provides many story avenues for Higgins to take Nathan. How will Nathan's powers change his life? Will his powers help his debt or only bury him deeper in it. It's strong potential, which is arguably the most important thing for a first issue to set up.
The art from Marcelo Costa is a nice compliment to Higgins's writing. It is in the art that Radiant Black reveals its inspirations. Nathan's super-suit gives him a litheness that is immediately reminiscent of Steve Ditko's early Spider-Man drawings. It's telling that one of the variant covers is a direct homage to the iconic Secret Wars cover which first depicts Spider-Man in his black suit. These throwback references aren't enough to rob the art of identity though. Costa's artwork is modern in a way that fits Nathan's modern problems.
Though Image Comics might be famous for non-superhero books like The Walking Dead and Saga, their superhero work is nothing to scoff at. They might be very different, but there is more than a little of Invincible's DNA here. Either way, Radiant Black #1 is a strong first issue that will be more than a little relatable to all the people still trying to find their place.