Kyle Higgins and the Awesomeness of Radiant Black

From the mind of Kyle Higgins comes a new and awesome, creator owned book that will help scratch that nerdy itch you have had ever since you started looking for your next comic to get hooked on. Published by Image, Radiant Black comes out swinging. The art is fantastic, and the lettering is great (thanks to Marcelo Costa and Becca Carey, respectively). As I’m typing this, I have only read the first two issues, but I can already tell I will be in this one for the long haul. Keep reading to see why but be aware that there may be a few minor SPOILERS ahead.

Radiant Black explores the life of Nathan Burnett as he stumbles through a difficult part of his life that has been riddled with hardships. We get to see a glimpse of Nathan’s hometown, which he has been forced to return to due to some financial trouble. Nathan is now living with his parents and struggling to find his place in this world. He is reunited with one of his old high school friends, and their relationship seems to be setting us up for some enjoyable buddy-cop hijinks.

Not far into the first issue, Nathan encounters a bizarre power that he doesn’t understand. This power grants him a flipping sweet looking suit (looks like if Wall-E turned into a Power Ranger) and some insane abilities, the extent of which we do not know. As Nathan discovers this new power, he begins to think he may have found something special that can help get him out of his funk, but he quickly discovers that he may not be the only one who has inherited such seemingly unique power.

That’s the short version. You’ll have to read it yourself if you want to know more.

Now for what I think is the biggest reason you should pick up Radiant Black: the writer, Kyle Higgins. Yes, Kyle has a great track record as a writer with his work on Power Rangers, Batman, C.O.W.L, and more, but Radiant Black is different. This book feels very personal. It feels like we are getting a piece of Kyle. I would encourage you to read Higgins’ letter at the back of issue 1. It confirms just how personal this project is for him, and it helped me see this book in a different light. That letter might have been my favorite part of the book. It made me feel like I know the guy.

WAIT!!! There’s more.

For those of you who are familiar with Bandcamp, Sam Ewing is releasing music for each issue of Radiant Black to enhance your reading experience. Personally, I love this. I feel like it really helps prep the reader for the story and the emotions that go into it. Download the Bandcamp app or use bandcamp.com to listen to these songs as you read. If you are not familiar with Bandcamp, I suggest you get familiar now. It is an awesome app for indie music creators and their fans.

Radiant Black is on my personal pull list, and I recommend you add it to yours as well. Call your local comic shop today and get started on this thing!