Radiant Black #8 is written by Kyle Higgins, illustrated by Marcelo Costa, colored by Natalia Marques, and lettered by Becca Carey. It is published by Image Comics. “<001>” picks up where Radiant Black #7 left off, as Marshall and Radiant Pink/Eva find themselves teleported to the middle of Moscow. Meanwhile, Radiant Yellow/Wendell and Satomi interrogate the cloaked stranger-aka, the titular 001- about why he is trying to kill them. In the process, more of the Radiants’ abilities are revealed as well as the magnitude of the conflict they’re involved in.
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The issue is split into two story threads, with one following Marshall and Eva as they attempt to stay inconspicuous and the revelations that 001 delivers. Higgins uses the former thread to build up to the latter, and the result is an intense battle that leads to some bloodshed and some new powers being unlocked. <001> is a ruthless enemy with powers that counter the Radiants, but they still overpower him—and Marshall has a literal trick up his sleeve that turns the tide. In pairing off Marshall with Eva and Wendell with Satomi, Higgins also shows that despite coming from different walks of life, some of these characters share a bit in common—Marshall and Eva seem to be around the same age and even talk about how their lives have been flipped upside down since the Radiants found them. However, the last page raises a few questions that I feel are piling onto an already stacked narrative—I’m hoping it all ties together.
As always, Costa is up to the challenge of bringing life to Higgins’ script. He switches between the snowy mountains of Aokigahara and the Red Square in Moscow with ease, with the former containing most of the issue’s action. <001> is shown to be even deadlier than the previous issue, utilizing new abilities to keep the Radiants on their toes. Wendell also shows flashes of his own power, which seems to be the strongest of all the Radiants. Marques uses a darker palette for her color art, with the Radiants and <001> standing out due to their glowing auras. <001> continues to flicker in and out like a stray afterimage, with even his word balloons taking on a glitchy affect—the result, coupled with his verbal threats, is rather unsettling.
The issue also contains the final part of “The Unleashed Echoes of Sorrow,” written by Melissa Flores, illustrated by Eleonora Carlini, colored by Mattia Iacono, and lettered by DC Hopkins. It caps off the quest that Phee and her friends have been on and promises even more adventures in the Unleashed universe. I highly suggest checking out The Unleashed RPG on YouTube, especially if you are a superhero or RPG fan; it’s a creative take on the genre, and it’ll provide more backstory for the events that happened in “The Unleashed Echoes of Sorrow.”
Radiant Black #8 raises even more questions about the ongoing narrative while forging a dynamic between its superpowered characters. With all of the Radiants aware of each other and an incoming war, I have no idea where the series is heading next—but I’m more than prepared to stay on this ride.
Radiant Black #8 is available now wherever comics are sold.
Radiant Black #8
TL;DR
Radiant Black #8 raises even more questions about the ongoing narrative while forging a dynamic between its superpowered characters. With all of the Radiants aware of each other and an incoming war, I have no idea where the series is heading next—but I’m more than prepared to stay on this ride.
