Not Even A Year Old, ‘Radiant Black’ Wants to Be the Irreverent Voice of a Generation So Bad

Seriously, y’all…we should really be paying attention to Radiant Black. Image Comics has been making the rounds in the past decade or so, rebranding as a mainstream launching pad for indie titles, many of which have gone on to become new classics or get optioned for movie/tv deals. So, it was really only a matter of time before they wanted to stake their claim again in the superhero genre as it has become a cornerstone in modern day Hollywood. We’ve seen superheroes team up, inspire and even break the fourth wall a la Bugs Bunny. And for the most part, it’s been a lucrative venture. But it’s time for heroes to start breaking the molds again and subverting the status quo. The Invincible animated series is a pretty good retelling of Robert Kirkman’s epic comic saga, but certain parts are clearly dated and can’t get around the Walking Dead writer’s storytelling flaws. Watchmen’s resurgence on and off screen has been welcome, but the various retcons and time jumps are a reminder that Alan Moore’s work hasn’t all aged well in terms of race and gender politics. All of this isn’t necessarily to imply that Radiant Black has taken the throne as Invincible’s successor in a mere ten issues, but it’s been long enough since a comic of its ilk came along that it deserves to be watched. In fact, Radiant Black reads more like Invincible’s descendant, breaking Kirkman’s generational curses, improving upon the predecessor through risky narratives. Instead of the “son improving upon the fathe…