Indie Comics Review: Radiant Black #5

Review: Radiant Black #5

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Publisher: Image Comics

Written By: Kyle Higgins

Art By: Eduardo Ferigato & Marcelo Costa

Colors By:  Natalia Marques

Letters By: Becca Carey

Review By: Kendra Hale 

Summary

“Aftermath” is the most adequate follow up title after everything that went down in Radiant Black #4, which was heavy, to say the absolute least.  Radiant Black #5 brings us right back to the gut wrenching finale and Marshall is most certainly NOT okay. 

After The Fall 

Marshall is not handling sh*t well at all as he watches paramedics arrive to try to help Nathan. The paramedics are successful in getting shallow breathing and a weak pulse, but poor Nathan isn’t out of the woods yet.  Marshall is unable to handle the entity and the grief that is overpowering Nathan’s family. 

Marshall doesn’t want to hear anything that the entity tells him, he straight up wants revenge against Radiant Red and will not settle for less. A powerful fight ensues with Marshall telling Red that their life is forfeit, that this fight is for keeps. But Red reveals their true identity and then company shows up in droves adding to the chaos… 

Positives 

The artwork in Radiant Black #5 is absolutely stellar, you would honestly never know there were new artists without reading the credits. Both Eduardo Ferigato and Natalia Marques do an amazing job of staying true to the level of art readers have come to expect from this series. 

The content in this issue is literally jam packed, there is a lot of information that is given to the readers. we have Nathan’s situation, the reveal of Radiant Red, and of course the massive reveal of two separate parties at the end of the issue.  Kyle Higgins has packed a helluva punch into this issue and it shows. 

Negatives

There are moments that feel very disjointed. The introduction of a random Godmother. The fact that it feels like three separate issues jammed together into one issue feels rushed. This issue has the familiarity of the artwork standard, but one thing I have loved about the previous 4 issues is that readers could easily follow along with the depth of the characters and the story that was portrayed. This issue pulls away from this dynamic a bit and it becomes harder to know where your focus is supposed to be, even upon reread.  

Verdict

Radiant Black #5 is the ending of this arc. It finishes on a note that leaves the readers wanting more in some cases and less in others. I look forward to seeing where the story goes and what these new additions have as parts to play in the overall. 

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