‘Radiant Black’ To Be Adapted As Image Comics’ First Ever Audiobook

The massively popular Radiant Black series will be the first Image Comics title to be adapted for an audiobook. Radiant Black: The Audiobook, Volume One will feature a full voice cast headlined by Rider Strong (Boy Meets World, Cabin Fever) and Will Friedle (Boy Meets World, Batman Beyond) playing leads Nathan Burnett and Marshall Ward, respectively. The audiobook is written, directed, and narrated by Radiant Black co-creator and Massive-Verse architect, Kyle Higgins.

Radiant Black: The Audiobook, Volume One will be the first in a planned series of audiobook adaptations from Black Market Narrative and Image Comics, adding another level of immersion to the critically and commercially acclaimed Massive-Verse. It is the first ever audiobook adaptation of an Image Comics title and is slated to release later this year.

On Saturday, during c2e2 in Chicago, the Massive-verse team took to the stage during their Massive-verse panel to announce the upcoming venture to a packed audience. The news was scooped exclusively by ComicBook.com, which paired their coverage with a video teaser posted across social media.

This video teaser comes to fans in the midst of a huge multi-timeline publishing event called The Catalyst War, which has left the fate of the Radiant Black mantle up to readers to decide—thanks to a shocking surprise vote at the end of last year’s issue #24.

Radiant Black: The Audiobook, Volume One will adapt the first volume of the Eisner award-nominated series created by Kyle Higgins and Marcelo Costa, with subsequent audio volumes planned and more star-studded voice casting yet to be revealed in the coming months.

Friedle first became involved in the Massive-verse when he voiced Radiant Black’s Marshall Ward in a secret, in-universe animated short film easter egg called Versus. The short film was co-written by Higgins and Alec Siegel and directed by Higgins, made in collaboration with Tiger Animation, and featured the return of actors Rick Cramer and Reginald James to reprise their roles as The Grey Raven and Blaze from Higgins’ and Siegel’s 2007 film The League, the original inspiration for their 2014 Massive-Verse series, C.O.W.L. The short film was accessible through a surprise QR code in Radiant Black #15. Friedle also appears in the issue as himself.

“One of the things I love about Radiant Black is the way it constantly looks to push the boundaries on what a comic book—much less a superhero comic book—can be,” said Friedle. “Whether it’s huge twists or blacklight issues or secret animated films or dual timelines under variant covers, Kyle and the team put everything they have into this universe and I could not be more thrilled to come back and voice the obviously-much-better Radiant Black, Marshall Ward. Sorry, Rider!”

“Reuniting with my old friend and co-worker, Will Friedle, is an absolute nightmare,” said Strong. “But when Kyle pitched us the audio book, the arc of two best friends and his bold, immersive approach, it was an easy ‘yes.’ I can’t wait for everyone to meet Nathan…the real Radiant Black!”

Higgins added: “We love finding new ways to connect with readers and audiences, especially in mediums that can help us bring a new level of immersion to Radiant Black and The Massive-Verse. As a director, a former sound editor and an all-around huge audio nerd, the idea of building Radiant Black with a full voice cast and taking advantage of all the possibilities that an audio book affords has made this one of the most exciting projects that I’ve ever been a part of. And just wait until you see the rest of this cast!”

Radiant Black, and its Massive-verse of related titles, has cultivated a reputation for bleeding edge, immersive storytelling stunts that fans can’t stop talking about. This exciting audiobook adaptation continues that tradition of surprising expansions to the medium.

Last year the Massive-verse team made a similarly jaw-dropping announcement when they revealed that the comic book series NO/ONE—by Higgins, Brian Buccellato, and Geraldo Borges—would also have its very own in-universe scripted podcast series starring voice acting from the likes of Rachael Leigh Cook, Patton Oswalt, Todd Stashwick, Yuri Lowenthal, Loren Lester, and others. NO/ONE also incorporates an Augmented Reality Game (ARG) featuring in-universe websites, newspaper articles, data drops, and unreal engine videos.

At its core, Radiant Black is a story of two best friends, disillusioned millennials trying to navigate failed dreams and existential super powers thanks to the ethereal, cosmic Radiant.

Radiant Black began with Nathan Burnett, a down-on-his luck 30-something still trying to find his way in the world. When Nathan discovers the ethereal, cosmic RADIANT, his whole world is turned upside down—and when his best friend Marshall gets involved, things become even more complicated. Now an alien army—vaster than the stars—descends upon Earth and together the two must make the biggest decision of their lives: which of them will be Radiant Black? Two timelines will be tested in the trials of THE CATALYST WAR—and neither will escape unchanged!