Kyle Higgins's upcoming superhero series Radiant Black from Image Comics is getting a Goñi Montes variant cover that pays homage to the Power Rangers. This limited edition cover showcases the costumed superhero nature of the series. It will be one of several incentive covers for the first issue in addition to regular variants.
The Power Rangers connection is very near and dear to the heart of Radiant Black creator and writer Kyle Higgins, who wrote the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers reboot comic book. He is joined by Marcelo Costa, who is the interior artist for the series. Costa previously worked as a colorist on the comic book adaptation of Firefly. The cover artist for the Power Rangers-inspired variant cover will be Goñi Montes, who has worked on Power Rangers cover art as well.
The official Image Comics press release showcased the Radiant Black variant cover, which pays tribute to the Power Rangers helmet variants. This will be Radiant Black #1 Cover F, which has a 50 copy incentive, and it is one of six covers being offered for the first issue. When commenting on the cover, Higgins said, “I’ve told this to Goñi over the years, and it’s absolutely true—his very first helmet covers directly inspired my take on how to reimagine Power Rangers for a contemporary, ongoing comic book.” He also added: “His covers are so iconic, and in my opinion, one of the biggest reasons our series found an audience. I’m so honored for Goñi to join us on Radiant Black.” There will be two other limited covers as well, including a 10 copy incentive Marcelo Costa cover and a 25 copy incentive cover by Finch Reyes and Costa.
The Radiant Black series is about the 30-year-old Nathan Burnett, whose life is a bit of a mess right now. Between working two jobs and drowning in credit card debt, Nathan is about to do the unthinkable and move back in with his parents. When he finds and unlocks the cosmic Radiant, which grants him amazing powers, he finds himself up against cosmic beings who want their powers back. The series even received its very own trailer, which featured the original song “Radiant” by Crisis Couture. This trailer was also the brainchild of Higgins, who previously directed the extremely well-received live-action trailer promoting his Power Rangers: Shattered Grid comic book event.
Higgins has certainly become well-known for bringing nostalgic properties back into the spotlight. Between Power Rangers and his upcoming Ultraman series, Radiant Black looks like it could tug on those nostalgic heartstrings as well as offer a more modern-day twist. The series has already received heaps of praise prior to release from industry veterans like Scott Snyder, Kurt Busiek, and James Tynion IV. Robert Kirkman, the creator of Invincible, even said that Radiant Black is “the perfect superhero comic for anyone missing Invincible.” The Montes variant cover paying tribute to Power Rangers, as well as the other cover options for the first issue, will be released in comic book stores on February 10, 2021.
Source: Image Comics