There’s a GIANT robot in Sao Paulo. What good will one Radiant do? Well, how do you feel about FOUR? Your Major Spoilers review of Radiant Black #20 from Image Comics awaits!

RADIANT BLACK #20

Writer: Kyle Higgins
Artist: Marcelo Costa
Colorist: Rod Fernandes
Letterer: Becca Carey
Editor: Michael Busuttil
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 14, 2022

Previously in Radiant Black: As the alien artifact activates and reveals its true purpose to the world, Nathan and Marshall will have to work together to stop it – even if it means making a decision neither of them is ready to make.

THIS SEEMS BAD…

Eva (Radiant Pink) and Marshall (Radiant Black II) have deployed to Brazil, where a strange obelisk appeared last time around. Their presence seems to trigger the thing, and it transforms into a giant robot, attacking the duo. Radiant Black manages to play it smart, Radiant Pink plays it creatively, and while they can’t stop the automaton’s rampage, they can teleport it away into the ocean. Pink gets them home just in time for Nathan (Radiant Black I) to arrive for the debrief, only to find that the “ocean” was in fact just Lake Superior, and the robot is coming straight for them. In order to face the thing, Marshall and Nathan work together (with a scary moment involving their Radiant), while Eva fetches Satomi (Radiant Red) from prison, where she’s serving a sentence for her burglaries.

Of course, this begs the question of where Radiant Yellow has gone… and why he keeps seeing visions of a coming war.

THE FIRST SPARKS OF A REAL TEAM

The slow-burn on this comic has been extremely effective, which makes this issue’s almost-complete assembly of the Radiants both enticing and frustrating (in the best way). The fact that the heroes have been obsessed with their own little lives for so long is starting to become a problem, and not only from the giant robot front. Marshall and Nathan’s discussion of their guardian robot confuses Eva, who hasn’t had any encounters, and it’s clear from the battle that Radiant Red is MUCH more skilled and powerful than anyone else. At least they’re starting to ask questions, and the art maintains its beauty in these pages. The depiction of Eva’s teleportals is wonderful, especially during the full-on battle sequence, and the terrifying sight of Wendell’s living room conspiracy board, with all the pins pointing to the end of it all, is impressive in its quiet mundanity. As for the final panel, it’s both beautiful and terrible.

BOTTOM LINE: THINGS ARE NEVER WHAT THEY SEEM

In short, Radiant Black #20 is a nicely done comic story, carefully building on what has gone before, hinting about what’s waiting in the wings, and delivering the exciting fighty-fighty in style, earning a better-than-average 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. I’ve been fooled too many times by Parrott and company’s storytelling to guess where it’s leading, but I have a suspicion that #25 may herald an all-new, dare I say Super Sentai direction for this book. Even if I’m wrong, it’s clear that it’ll be an exciting ride.

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RADIANT BLACK #20

73%

73%

The Build-Up

For the first time, the Radiants seem to be coalescing as a sort-of team, and ominous portents are everywhere we look. Good stuff!

• Writing

  7
• Art

  8
• Coloring

  7
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