A relationship continues to blossom, but not everything is coming up roses for Radiant Pink. Remember: NEVER trust a cat. Your Major Spoilers review of Radiant Pink #4 from Image Comics awaits!
RADIANT PINK #4
Writer: Meghan Camarena and Melissa Flores
Artist: Emma Kubert
Colorist: Rebecca Nalty
Letterer: Becca Carey
Editor: Michael Busuttil
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 5, 2023
Previously in Radiant Pink: Eva and Kelly are closer to home than ever before-but can their blossoming relationship survive the journey? Or are they doomed to crash and burn?
THE FINAL FRONTIER
On Earth, in Eva’s absence, Maddie is working overtime to keep her streaming channel going, her social media feeds updated, and her worried grandmother grounded. It’s a sweet and meaningful sequence that immediately cuts to Eva/Radiant Pink and Kelly/The Villain in space, cuddling and smooching and enjoying their journey and… kinda makes me hate our hero? Just for a second, but still. When they arrive on the planet of the Kitty Kitty Empire, it seems that Eva and Kelly have misjudged their “hosts”, forcing a confrontation. When Radiant Pink’s powers start to wane again, Kelly picks up the slack, brutally attacking the giant kitties, tearing them (literally) limb from limb. Eva panics and teleports them…
into airless space!
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
After last issue’s cliffhanger, it’s a bit odd to jump forward in time, but the creators pull it off with aplomb by reminding us of what has been going on back on Earth in Eva’s absence. There’s even an appearance by Marshall, one of the protagonists of Radiant Black, who is absolutely useless to Maddie. He makes it clear how different the Massive-verse is from more traditional narratives, as the sequence completely deflates the normal shared universe superhero tropes. This issue’s art is quite good as well, especially the discussion that Eva has with her personal robot overlord (which also reinforces the ominous underpinnings of the coming war) that leads to the issue’s unexpected ending. Kelly’s grisly fight with the giant alien cats is also beautiful, while being terrifying, and possibly serving as an omen for things to come.
BOTTOM LINE: ENJOYABLE ISSUE
My primary thought coming out of Radiant Pink #4 is a hope that the foreshadowing I’m picking up isn’t legitimate, which is a telling barometer of how invested I’ve become in Eva’s story so far, combining as it does charming art with well-rendered character work and action, earning 4 out of 5 stars overall. It’s fun to see another book that not only avoids the pitfalls that could have slowed things down, but surprises me with where it DOES go.
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RADIANT PINK #4
One of Radiant Pink's problems is resolved, but there's still a big unanswered question, which makes for a great read.
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Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.