by Matt Sernaker, Editor-in-Chief

Congratulations! You successfully survived an alien invasion and have assumed the mantle of Radiant Black once again. What are you going to do now? Marshall Ward has a lot on his mind as he starts his next chapter as the titular superhero… The “Rebuild Era” is coming soon with the release of Radiant Black #31, and thanks to our friends at Black Market Narrative and Image Comics, ComicsOnline was given an early look at the first chapter!

Fear not true believers, we’re avoiding spoilers for this one.

Official Synopsis:
RADIANT BLACK RETURNS! In the wake of the CATALYST WAR, MARSHALL WARD is the one and only RADIANT BLACK! But not everyone in Chicago is happy with their new hero—and with old foes returning and new threats rising, will Marshall’s time as Radiant Black be abruptly cut short? A new era of RADIANT BLACK begins in this perfect jumping-on point for new readers!

Creative Team:
Writer: Kyle Higgins & Joe Clark
Artist: Eduardo Ferigato
Colorist: Rod Fernandes
Letterer: Becca Carrey
Production Artist: Wesley Griffith
Editor & Designer: Michael Busuttil

HOLD ONTO YOUR BUTTS! When the creative team of Radiant Black touts a “bold new era” for the book, you better be ready because they probably have a crazy impressive plan in the works.

The Catalyst War was an epic endeavor for the series (from both a narrative and creative perspective), and this post-war story feels like a logical and engaging next step for the Massive-Verse. Marshall has a lot to grapple with as a result of the recent alien invasion, multiversal adventures, and his newly assumed role as the one and only Radiant Black. I will admit, I was Team Nathan, but I think this new status quo with Marshall as the lead and his newfound motivation is going to take us in an interesting and unexpected direction. 

One of my favorite things about this series is how it feels cinematic in nature, and this issue continues to lean in even harder to that tone. There is a gorgeous aerial establishing shot in the opening pages of this book (already teased by the creative team), and you get a feeling of wonder as the character soars toward his destination. Ferigato and Fernandes outdid themselves with this one, and there are a lot of beautiful panels to take in as we get up to speed on recent events. 

Radiant Black’s “Rebuild Era” is about to begin, and BOLD is an understatement. Sure, you could use this as the perfect jump on point, but you also could get Radiant Black: Volumes 1-6 (now available at your local comic store) to get the full reader experience. This next iteration of Radiant Black lives up to the Massive-Verse name, and the unpredictability of this series continues to be an absolute highlight. 

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Radiant Black #31 – 5 out of 5 new eras. 

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