One would expect Radiant Black #33 to feature plenty of battles against the monstrous half-vampire/half-werewolf Clyde Bludmoon – after all, it’s the second half of the crossover that started with Rogue Sun #26. But while those events are touched upon, they take a backseat to a major development in Marshall’s life: his mother believes that Radiant Black is essentially the Antichrist due to a series of online conspiracy theories.
On the one hand, this sounds utterly ridiculous; on the other, it makes total sense. Whenever something cataclysmic happens, people turn to something for comfort, and that includes religion. Kyle Higgins and Joe Clark’s script takes things one step further, as Marshall’s mom – and countless other people – believe that the Catalyst War was some sort of divine intervention. It’s something I’ve rarely seen tackled before in superhero fiction, especially when characters like Thor and Wonder Woman are literal gods, but it’s a genuinely interesting development.
This also provides the springboard for Higgins and Clark to write their half of the Rogue Sun/Radiant Black crossover, which leads to some action-packed and hilarious moments. (The best is Clyde chomping down on Marshall, who immediately looks up a cure…and gets a recipe for gumbo; followed very closely by Eva, aka Radiant Pink, having to help out Marshall while trying to carry on her own dating life – and providing fans with an answer about how he got to New Orleans.) But the best part is a scene we’ve already seen before between Marshall and Dylan, given more emotional weight now that we know what Marshall is going through.
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Radiant Black #33 wouldn’t hit as hard as it does in certain moments if Eduardo Ferigato wasn’t involved. I love Ferigato’s action work, but it’s his facial expressions that are the best part of this issue, especially when it comes to Marshall. Whether it’s genuine surprise when his mother drops the big bombshell, or quiet contemplation as he wonders if he’s really a good person, Ferigato lets Marshall’s face do the talking for him. That’s especially true when Marshall is in Radiant mode, as his eyes express plenty of emotion. And once again, it’s pretty damn cool that he’s drawing a massive werewolf with wings fighting a gravity powered superhero.
The contrast between colors also sets the scene perfectly. Rod Fernandes uses warm, inviting colors when Marshall is talking with his mom; it serves as a direct contrast to the tone of their conversation. Fernandes chooses to utilize darker hues for Marshall and Cylde’s battle, with only the faint glow of the moonlight and the blazing pink of Radiant Pink’s portals providing illumination. New Orleans is shrouded in a reddish-orange glow, matching Rogue Sun’s flames.
Radiant Black #33 may not feature many crossover elements, but it definitely delivers in the emotional department. Marshall is at a low point, and the final page promises that it’s about to get worse for everyone’s favorite cosmic champion.
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