Supermassive #1
- Writer:
- Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrott, Melissa Flores, Mat Groom
- Artist:
- Daniele Di Nicuolo
- Letterer:
- Becca Carey
- Cover Artist:
- Daniele Di Nicuolo
- Publisher:
- Image Comics
- Price:
- $5.99
- Release Date:
- 2023-05-24
- Colorist:
- Walter Baiamonte
Radiant Black, Rogue Sun, and The Dead Lucky embark on a quest for the Holy Grail in Image Comics' 50-page one-shot crossover event, Supermassive 2023. Last year's Supermassive kicked off the shared superhero universe, the Massive-Verse. Since then, the budding universe has bloomed into multiple titles, including Rogue Sun and The Dead Lucky. This one-shot brings some of those corners of the shared universe together for an explosive adventure. Supermassive 2023, written by Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrott, Melissa Flores, and Mat Groom, with art by Daniele Di Nicuolo, colors by Walter Baiamonte, and letters by Becca Carey, balances humor, action, and heart in a wickedly fun team-up.
Rogue Sun is on a hunt for the Holy Grail and enlists Radiant Black to help him. Upon arriving at their destination, Radiant Black and Rogue Sun are greeted by The Dead Lucky, who hopes to join them, and the team-up begins in earnest. It's a blast seeing these characters interact with each other. For fans of each individual series, these interactions have an enormous weight behind them. That said, this book does an exceptional job of remaining accessible to new readers, concisely explaining everything pertinent to the story at hand with fun, sharp dialogue.
The general premise for this issue is super simple, a couple of heroes team up to find the Holy Grail. That simplicity gives the issue laser focus. It's a masterclass in character work and punchy, earnest dialogue. Each character is questing for the Grail for their own reasons, and what this adventure teaches them feels pivotal to the future of the Massive-Verse. The world continues to grow, with new and intriguing concepts being constantly added.
Daniele Di Nicuolo and Walter Baiamonte deserve praise from the rooftops for their work on this book. It's 50 pages of jaw-dropping, action-packed, emotionally-charged art. From medieval times to the modern day, hordes of monsters, and a variety of powers, this book has it all. Page layouts are crisp and varied to create a distinct, compelling pace.
The action is bombastic and feels larger than life. Radiant Black, Rogue Sun, and The Dead Lucky all have such visually dynamic power sets, and the way they're rendered on the page is mesmerizing. Every shade and hue gets its time in the sun, from electric blues to blistering, burning oranges. Baiamonte delivers high-intensity saturation during the action and more subtle, nuanced shades for quiet moments.
Carey delivers clean, consistent lettering across all 50 pages. This is a team-up book with a ton of dialogue, and it's all conveyed clearly and keeps a brisk pace. Sound effects also give an extra layer of personality that fits the lighthearted tone of the universe. This issue knows exactly what it's going for and crushes it. It takes familiar tropes and approaches them in fresh, engaging new ways within the sandbox of the Massive-Verse. With Supermassive 2023, the entire creative team delivers a classic, high-octane team-up book.