It all started with Radiant Black. Written by Kyle Higgins and drawn by Marcelo Costa, Radiant Black is a comic book series published by Image Comics since 2021. Its success would launch a whole universe, known as the Massive-Verse! Today, we are here to write about this Superhero universe inspired by the Power Rangers!
What is the Massive-Verse?
The Massive-Verse is a shared universe of superhero stories that started with Radiant Black. The story introduced us to Nathan Burnett, a struggling writer who, after drinking with a friend, discovers a miniature black hole that gives him powers and a black-and-white costume! Now, Nathan must learn to use his new powers as the superhero Radiant Black while also learning about the mysteries surrounding the object that gave him his powers.
Black Radiant is the main series of the Massive-Verse that has expanded with several spin-off titles: Rogue Sun by Ryan Parrott, The Dead Lucky by Melissa Flores, Inferno Girl Red by Matt Groom, NO/ONE by Kyle Higgins and Brian Buccellato, Radiant Red by Cherish Chen, Radiant Pink by Meghan Camarena and Melissa Flores.
What to read before Radiant Black?
Before Radiant Black, Kyle Higgins & Alec Sigel wrote C.OW.L., about the world’s first Super-Hero Labor Union named the “Chicago Organized Workers League” or C.O.W.L. The series has been retroactively added to the Massive-Verse. This is an optional read but of interest to everyone invested in this superhero universe.
- C.O.W.L. Vol. 1: Principles of Power
Collects C.O.W.L. #1-5. - C.O.W.L. Vol. 2: The Greater Good
Collects C.O.W.L. #7-11.
Massive-Verse/Radiant Black Reading Order in Trade Paperback
As stated on the Massive-Verse official website, “Every book in the Massive-Verse is completely self-contained, telling its own story with its own cast of characters.” So each series can be read separately and you can read as many or as few as you want.
This reading order is inspired by editor Michael Busuttil’s comment on Reddit.
Year One
- Radiant Black Vol. 1: (Not So) Secret Origin
Collects Radiant Black #1–6 - Radiant Black Vol. 2: Team-Up
Collects Radiant Black #7–12 - Inferno Girl Red Book One
Collects Inferno Girl Red #1–3 - Shift #1
One shot focused on the villain of the same name originally published in the Image! Anthology Comic.
Year Two
- Supermassive 2022
One-Shot. Not collected but know it’s square-bound and has a spine. - Radiant Black Vol. 3: Rogues’ Gallery
Collects Radiant Black #13–18- Radiant Red Vol. 1: Crime and Punishment
Collects Radiant Black #6, Radiant Red #1–5.
- Radiant Red Vol. 1: Crime and Punishment
- Radiant Black Vol. 4: Two-In-One
Collects Radiant Black #19–24- Radiant Pink Vol. 1: Across the Universe
Collects Radiant Black #12, Radiant Pink #1-5.
- Radiant Pink Vol. 1: Across the Universe
- Rogue Sun Vol. 1: Cataclysm
Collects Rogue Sun #1–6 - Rogue Sun Vol. 2: Hellbent
Collects Rogue Sun #7-12 - The Dead Lucky Vol. 1: The Good Die Young
Collects The Dead Lucky #1–6
Year Three
- Supermassive 2023
One-Shot - Radiant Black Vol. 5: Crisis
Collects Radiant Black #25 A & B, #26, #26.5, #27, and #27.5
And… Coming soon…
- Rogue Sun Vol. 3: Knight Sun
Collects Rogue Sun #13-18. - The Dead Lucky Vol. 2
Collects The Dead Lucky #7-12.
Also missing from this list right now is the new series No/One and the companion podcast.