The creators behind Image Comics' latest superhero universe, the Massive-Verse, are giving fans new ways to engage with the world and its hero, Radiant Black. As the cosmic-powered star of the creator-owned series from Kyle Higgins, Marcelo Costa, and Becca Carey, Radiant Black is at the center of the emerging Massive-Verse. The team behind the series is helping give fans fun ways to connect with the series online.
Debuting in 2021, Radiant Black tells the story of Nathan Burnett, a struggling writer who comes into contact with the cosmic power Radiant, transforming him into the masked hero, Radiant Black. The series presents a hero for today's generation, as Radiant Black is millennial superhero who comes face to face with crypto-bro villains and has Twitch streaming allies. While the series is big and exciting, it anchors on the very relatable struggles of a young man trying to find his place in the ever-expanding cosmic world.
Fans are given even more ways than usual to engage with the series online through Twitter, with Radiant Black and other characters having their own Twitter accounts in real life (@radiantblk and @CircleGuyNews being the most active). While they double as hype for the series, the Radiant Black handle tweets as the "real" hero, promoting both real and fake events and advertisements from the series. A reader who sees something in the comic, like Radiant Black promoting his favorite pizza joint in issue #13 or flying a couple’s car home in issue #3, can then visit Twitter and see the ads or tweets about the events from real accounts appearing throughout the comic. Additionally, with the team’s effort to bring Nathan’s (and writer Higgins') hometown of Lockport, Illinois to life by using authentic locations, the series is trying to give readers an immersive comic book experience that feels like it extends beyond the page.
Since the first issue, the creators have continued to push Radiant Black to challenge common comic conventions by creating new experiences for fans, making the series feel like a comic for a new era. For example, Radiant Black #15 focuses on a YouTube fan film being made about Blaze from C.O.W.L. (another Higgins Image series) fighting Radiant Black, similar to popular channels like Death Battle! The final page reveals a QR code that will take readers to an animated version of the fight they just saw getting made in the comic, directed by Higgins (who was also behind the camera on a C.OW.L. short film). The surprise creates a fun way for readers to connect not only with the series but also with the growing community of fellow fans.
Giving fans new ways to experience comics isn’t new, and you only have to look for events like the Dark Nights: Death Metal soundtrack releasing alongside the DC Comic’s Death Metal crossover to prove it. But ever since Nathan Burnett contacted the power Radiant, the series has continued to surprise and delight readers with an engaging online presence, animated short films, and even tie-in orchestral tracks. While this helps to create more buzz for the series, it also helps ground the character’s story in a world that feels more real than the dark alleys of Gotham or glittering high-rises of Metropolis. With each issue, each post, and each surprise, the team behind Radiant Black continues to make a case that the Image Comics series might truly be a superhero comic for a new generation.
Source: Radiant Black, Circle News Guy