I have a love/hate relationship with comic book events. The true classics, like Crisis on Infinite Earths or the original Secret Wars, have truly lasting impacts. How often can you say that a comic book storyline would impact an entire run of television shows or lay the groundwork for one of Spider-Man’s greatest foes? On the other hand, they happen with such frequency that there’s no time to take a breath. DC had only just started its new Dawn of DC initiative before the Knight Terrors storyline kicked off this week, and the less said about Marvel’s Civil War II the better. Fortunately, Radiant Black #25 – which kicks off the Catalyst War storyline – shows that it’s still possible to create a comic book event that feels both grand in scale while also building upon a solid foundation.
For starters, writer/co-creator Kyle Higgins – joined here by his Ordinary Gods and Deep Cuts collaborator Joe Clark – delves deep into one of the underlying mysteries that has fueled the series: What exactly are the Radiants, and how did they come into the possession of ordinary human beings? The answers unfurl throughout the issue, revealing a cosmic-based mythology to rival Star Wars or Star Trek while also setting the stage for a cataclysm of epic proportions. Higgins and Clark also explore the bond between Nathan and Marshall, as both friends struggle with picking who should wield the mantle of Radiant Black. Various parts of the issue flashback to their teenage years, as well as the present, highlighting their friendship as well as how they’ve changed (or haven’t changed) over the years. In fact, Higgins and Clark once again underline the major thesis that’s run throughout Radiant Black: Change is a constant, so how do you deal with it – whether it’s debt, marriage, or control over a miniaturized event horizon?
Artwise, co-creator/artist Marcelo Costa turns in some of the finest work of his career. Some of that work includes a high-pitched fight between Nathan and Marshall and an unlikely enemy. But the quieter moments are given just as much weight, specifically the conversations between Marshall and Nathan. Costa lets both of their faces do the talking, as a million regrets as well as unspoken words flash before their eyes. This is what makes the buildup to the mantle decision all the more intriguing; readers have spent 25 issues with these characters and now they get to see them in a whole new light. I can’t help but wonder if that friendship will survive the trials to come. For the flashback sequences, Eduardo Ferigato steps in; even though he’s drawing younger versions of Nathan and Marshall, Ferigato still manages to capture the same emotional heft as Costa, especially in the opening pages.
Topping it all off is some sublime color work from Raul Angulo, who’s joined by Rod Fernandes. Each and every page of this book is dripping with color; whether it’s the trippy lights that pepper Existence or the warm crackling of a fire. It even seeps into Becca Carey’s lettering; the massive robot that talks to Nathan and Marshall, as well as the other Radiants, has bright blue word balloons that sear themselves into the page. Carey also continues to play with the word balloons, especially when they distort and stretch shape to fit a character’s vocals rising in anger or fear.
Radiant Black #25 launches the biggest storyline of the series to date, while pushing it in an entirely new direction. This has been one of my favorite comics ever since it launched two years ago, and it’s clear that the creative team is aiming to truly shake things up when the Catalyst War is done. Simply put: this is one of the few comic book events that might actually live up to the hype.
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