Welcome to an all new edition of Parlay Points, the ODPH podcast comic book review blog!

For this entry, the Massiveverse is poised for a monster 2023! With events like “No/One” and “Supermassive 2” on the horizon, all eyes in the comic world are on the Radiant Black-led line. Each book in this universe stands on their own and gets to showcase many interesting characters in their own unique stories. Their first book of 2023 is set to hit shelves after a fun debut issue. Radiant Pink #2 by MEGHAN CAMARENA, MELISSA FLORES, EMMA KUBERT, REBECCA NALTY, & BECCA CAREY follows the youngest Radiant as she navigates thru an unknown environment trying to solve what happened last issue. Let's not delay any longer and check this latest chapter out, shall we?

RADIANT PINK #2 - On Sale January 4th, 2023
Creative: MEGHAN CAMARENA, MELISSA FLORES, EMMA KUBERT, REBECCA NALTY, & BECCA CAREY
Credit: Image Comics

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

Eva aka the streamer known as “Evaplayss” is also the teleporting Radiant Pink. The young hero has been keeping busy with her powered alter-ego to the worry of her best friend. After making a charity appearance to raise money for children’s cancer research, an explosion happens during he event. Eva starts teleporting people to safety but now finds herself transported away with Kelly, an EMT who isn’t all that she seems. Together, they need to find a way back home before it’s game over for everyone.

This issue kicks off Eva and Kelly trying to figure out where they are and what happened. After some banter back and forth (with Kelly staying on her side mission), Eva realizes something isn’t right with the portal they’re looking to jump into. Needless to say, a bad direction is better than no direction. The pair jumps thru and winds up in a “Mad Max”-esque world. Not staying too long, they jump again. This time, they through a pink water world to one that seems like normal, but is far from it. Kelly continues to pull her charade on Eva and gets her to reveal her face!

Readers see the pair grow closer and Eva shares her insecurities about getting them back home. Before she has time to fully react, a visitor makes their way towards them. Meanwhile Maddie is holding down the fort back home trying to cover for Eva. With another portal jump, the pair winds up making another jump. What do they find on this world? Is Eva ready for what she discovers on this planet? Will they find their way back? Readers will get some answers but more importantly, they’ll get a final parting moment that sets the course for the pair’s next adventure.

A fun read from start to finish. Eva and Kelly’s dynamic was entertaining as seeing how they are reacting thru the traveling landscapes they crash into. The worlds they visited worked in showcasing their growing friendship. Seeing Eva have a moment of self-doubt when fearing she couldn’t return home was a well-timed moment from the writing team to break up fun times and ground the story back. It’s a brief moment but ties into Eva’s escape into being a hero and what happens when things don’t always work out. The final moments of the book throw a great curve into the story being told in this issue. Now with the change in status quo, Eva’s solo tale just picked up the drama in a hurry from a light-heartened tale.

Kuburt’s art greatly captures the energetic story being told with Eva. Readers witness how Eva and Kelly play off each other with their reactions to the banter. Whenever comic characters visit alien worlds, those landscapes shouldn’t feel like Earth. The “Pink Water world” and the last planet made for great backdrops to what was unfolding. Speaking of that planet, there are some fun visuals with a ship they find along the way. no spoilers here for it but it plays into the energy of this issue. Strong set-up for the final moments with what transpires there. Readers will be locked in to see what unfolds now and how the emotions are processed.

FINAL POINT: The Massive-verse starts off 2023 with a fun trip to multiple worlds without losing its’ energetic lead and the challanges she’s facing as an emerging hero. Camarena, Flores, Kubert and the team take readers on a ride with slid writing and art to balance out the dramatics factoring into this lively issue. Check it out on new comic book day.

Hit me up on ODPH social media and let me know what you thought of Radiant Pink #2. Thanks for reading.

RADIANT PINK #2 (IMAGE COMICS)

Ken M