Editor's Sidebar: Where we hear directly from VIZ editors about series they are currently working on.

Wow, it’s only been a month since I last wrote one of these side bar things. There’s so much new shonen manga coming out this year—it’s insane! And speaking of shonen manga and insane things, how about an insanely good shonen manga that’s out now? The series is called Radiant, by Tony Valente and it’s sure to brighten up your shonen manga collection!

Now, you may be wondering, “What makes this manga so good?” Well, the short answer is imagine everything you love about your favorite shonen series—the adventures of One Piece, the magic of Black Clover, the humor of Dragon Ball—in this one series! But here’s the longer answer that I hope gets you interested in picking up volume 1 for yourself (and get ahead of the anime hype, with episode one premiering in October).

Radiant takes place in a world plagued by monsters called Nemeses. Seth has big goals of defeating them, but first he must earn the trust of the very villagers he wants to protect—not an easy task when those who use magic are just as feared as the Nemeses they fight. Even worse, Seth can barely control his powers! He begins his quest to master his powers and use them to defeat the Nemeses and ultimately destroy their nest, Radiant, and stop the scourge forever!

So, now for the major players in this series! First, of course, there’s Seth. Our energetic protagonist ready to prove himself. His mentor, Alma, is a tough older woman who kicks both Nemeses and mean villager butt. Seth is later introduced to Mélie and Doc—two Wizards who work for the Artemis Institute as a Trapper and Research Wizard respectively. Mélie is a pretty girl with a bit of an attitude problem, while Doc tends to be the butt of a lot of the jokes in the series. There’s also the Inquisition, who are like the self-appointed law and order of the world who hunt Wizards. One of the main Inquisitors is a Captain by the name of Dragunov. He’s really cool and calm, and also kind of snarky.

In addition to the colorful cast of characters, the art and writing are pretty amazing! Tony Valente’s art really brings the world of Radiant to life. His character designs are unique and dynamic. The action sequences are lively and have a life of their own. I particularly love the way that he draws the magic in the world. It’s very unique compared to other manga I’ve read that gives the magic, or fantasia, a sense of life and movement. The writing is great too. The jokes are funny and the characters are spot on in terms of their unique personalities and quirks and you can’t help but want to cheer Seth and his friends on.

As mentioned above, the anime for this series is coming out in October, so now’s your chance to get ahead of the hype by picking up volume 1. This series features 8 full-color pages per volume! It’s released bi-monthly and sure to become one of your new favorite shonen series.

-Editor Marlene