There’s a lot to love about Radiant Pink. It’s absolutely chaotic in the best ways, while also packing a surprisingly emotional punch. Not to mention the fact that it continues the Massiveverse’s white-hot streak of marrying superheroics with the current state of the world. But I want to circle back to the concept of “love”, because it’s what fuels the series’ penultimate issue.
SPOILERS AHEAD for Radiant Pink #4!
A brief recap so far: Streamer Eva gained the powers of teleportation and the mantle of Radiant Pink when she encountered a mysterious event horizon. Unlike her fellow Radiants, she’s mostly used her powers to boost her online career…until a bombing at a hospital landed her and EMT Kelly in a dimension that’s not their own. Two things happen over the course of their journey: Eva starts falling for Kelly, and then she learns that Kelly is outfitted with tech that saps Radiant powers and was intending to steal it from her.
It’s this conundrum that drives the narrative, and I have to give props to writers Meghan Camarena and Melissa Flores for making this feel like an actual relationship. Anyone who’s either been in love or had their heart broken will relate to the whirlwind of emotions that Eva is going through. Kelly is complicit in a number of crimes, but she also seems to genuinely care for Eva. This eventually leads her to making a literal life-changing decision toward the end of the issue that sets the stage for a heck of a finale. Not to mention the oodles and oodles of sexual tension that leads to the duo making love.
I say “making love” because Camarena and Flores treat the buildup to that with genuine care. So does Emma Kubert, who infuses the scene with both sensuality and tenderness. In a cascading sequence of panels, lips meet…clothes are discarded…and two people lose themselves in each other. Even the hardest of hearts will melt while reading this sequence; it’s honestly one of the more romantic moments that’ve been put in a modern comic.
Also there’s giant alien cats! Yes, in keeping with Radiant Pink‘s wild and weird tone, Eva and Kelly are on a planet full of giant alien cats. These extraterrestial felines are massive, boasting three sets of eyes and vibrant technicolor fur courtesy of colorist Rebecca Nalty. Keeping in line with the series’ title, there are also various shades of pink throughout their world. Becca Carey’s word balloons for the giant cats hover between menacing and adorable…especially when you read the words contained with them. Only giant alien cats would consider “enslaving humans because they have opposable thumbs” a good strategy.
If there’s one issue with the book, I wish that it had managed to focus more on Eva’s friend as she searches for her. That would have been a great way to tie into the theme of love, especially the platonic love between friends. As it stands, we get a brief cameo from Marshall/Radiant Black and a reminder that things are going to hit the fan in Catalyst War…which kind of takes away from the main story. The beauty of most of the Massiveverse titles is that they manage to be standalone affairs.
Radiant Pink #4 manages to be sexy, sad and superheroic all at the same time – an impressive feat for a book racing to its conclusion. I can’t wait to see how this weird, wild love story ends and what’s next for Eva in the Massiveverse.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
