089 The Radiant Anniversary
Radiant Black celebrates five years! Audiobook pre-sales now open! Massive-Verse Live TONIGHT!
Hey everyone! Happy February!
That happened fast, didn’t it?
This will be a fairly brief newsletter today, as I’m working around the clock to finish RADIANT BLACK: THE AUDIOBOOK: VOLUME ONE ahead of next week’s release.
The good news? It sounds incredible.
And with February 10 just eight days away, you’re going to start seeing clips and videos all over social as we work to get the word out on what I think is a truly one of a kind thing that we’ve built here.
Will and Rider absolutely crushed it, as did Anne Yatco, Kaiji Tang, Kim Rhodes, Loren Lester, Todd Stashwick, Melissa Navia, Phil Morris, Damion Poitier, Kevin Porter and many, many other immensely talented performers.
In total, the cast includes 27 actors, with the possibility of one or two more joining the ranks this week for some spot lines as we put the finishing touches on everything.
I really can’t wait for everyone to experience this for themselves. And actually, on that note, I wanted to make a special call out today about the best way to do just that.
RADIANT BLACK: THE AUDIOBOOK
Now, as previously mentioned, the standard edition of RADIANT BLACK: THE AUDIOBOOK: VOLUME ONE will be available on the major audiobook platforms like Audible, iBooks, Google Play, etc. However, speaking totally frankly here, we the creators make an absolutely minuscule amount from those platforms. We’re super excited to be available in such large ecosystems, but it definitely comes at a cost for us. In the case of Audible, for example, Amazon takes 75% (!)
So, for this reason— and some other much cooler reasons, which I’ll get to in a second— I’m excited to announce that we’re also offering RADIANT BLACK: THE AUDIOBOOK: VOLUME ONE ourselves, through our own newly redesigned storefront. And, it’s available for pre-order— DRM free— RIGHT NOW!
But before I give you a link— let me explain what those other cooler reasons for doing this are.
So, in addition to being DRM-free— which, for anyone who doesn’t know, means that you own the files forever without being locked into any one platform— we are are actually offering two different versions of the audiobook.
The Standard Edition will be the exact same as the version available on the large platforms like Audible.
But that brings me to the Deluxe Version, which is only going to be available from us. And, as someone who grew up on and still adores behind the scenes and special features, we’ve tried to go all out on what the Deluxe Edition includes.
THE DELUXE EDITION
The Deluxe Edition is the definitive version of RADIANT BLACK: THE AUDIOBOOK: VOLUME ONE.
Designed as a collector’s edition, this release goes beyond the audiobook itself to offer rare behind-the-scenes access, deep creative insight, and exclusive bonus content unavailable on retail audiobook platforms.
This edition is only available from Black Market Narrative.
INCLUDES
DRM-free, high-quality M4B and AAC editions of the audiobook
Audio commentary track with Kyle Higgins and editor Michael Busuttil
Roundtable discussion with Will Friedle, Rider Strong, Kyle Higgins, and Michael Busuttil
Scoring Radiant Black — an interview with composer Sam Ewing
In the Booth — A 25 minute look inside one of Kyle Higgins and Will Friedle’s recording sessions (video)
The complete audiobook script (PDF)
Behind-the-scenes collector’s booklet featuring enhanced liner notes, photography and other surprises (PDF)
FORMAT & COMPATIBILITY
Chaptered M4B audiobook file (ideal for Apple Books and audiobook apps)
AAC audio edition for universal playback
Works on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and most modern audiobook players
DRM-free ownership — no proprietary apps required
And for a little sneak peek of what some of that BTS content looks like, check out this little clip from In the Booth, featuring Will and myself.
Now, just to clarify: absolutely no worries if you prefer getting your audiobooks through one dedicated platform. Trust me, I totally get it. But, if you prefer to own your files, wanna go behind the scenes of what has been an incredible journey bringing this to life, or are just looking to support the creators in the best way possible, then picking up either the standard edition or the Deluxe Edition directly from Black Market Narrative is totally the way to go.
And, if you pre-order now, you will be emailed the files the minute they go live and we’ll be happy to troubleshoot if for any reason you have any technical problems.
Now, here are those links!
MASSIVE-VERSE LIVE
All right, let’s talk Massive-Verse Live, because this is something we’ve been quietly building toward for a bit—and now it’s officially rolling.
As you probably know, we’ve been doing weekly Monday night livestreams for a few months now, digging into the books, the process, the behind-the-scenes chaos, and answering your questions in real time. Those streams aren’t going anywhere— in fact, we have one in a few hours tonight!
But starting last week, every episode will now also live on with an audio edition, dropping the next day (Tuesdays), hosted right here through this newsletter and available on all your favorite podcast apps. Commutes, workouts, dog walks—we’ve got you covered!
To keep things clean (and not turn your inbox into a firehose), I’ve created a dedicated Massive-Verse Live section within the newsletter. Each episode gets its own proper post over there, complete with:
the audio edition
show notes
and the YouTube video replay
Here’s the key thing, though—and this is important:
We are not spamming your inbox with a new email for every episode.
Instead, each standard newsletter (like this one!) will have a dedicated section highlighting the prior week’s Massive-Verse Live episode, with a direct link to that episode’s page. Easy, tidy, respectful of your inbox sanity.
BUT!
If you do want every Massive-Verse Live episode post delivered straight to your inbox the moment it drops, you can absolutely opt into that. Just subscribe directly to the section here:
https://newsletter.blackmarket.la/account
Totally optional. Zero pressure. Choose-your-own-adventure energy only.
And one more thing I’m really excited about: we’re rolling out some new dedicated segments for Massive-Verse Live, and a big part of those are going to come directly from you.
We’ll be spotlighting recurring bits like Hot Takes from the Void, Cover of the Week, and a few other segments that are… let’s say still evolving in real time. And a number of these will be sourced straight from our Discord community.
If you want to get involved, head into our Discord and click on the #live-segments channel. That’s where you can drop your hot takes, nominate covers, pitch discussion topics, and generally stir the pot in the most constructive Massive-Verse way possible.
We’ll be pulling directly from that channel for upcoming episodes—so if you’ve ever yelled at a cover reveal, had a strong opinion about a character choice, or just wanted to throw your hat into the conversation… this is your lane!
More voices, more perspectives, more community energy! That’s the goal.
LATEST EPISODE:
TONIGHT’S STREAM:
6PM PST on YouTube
ON SALE
Inferno Girl Red Book Two #3 (of 3) - February 4
Inferno Girl Red gone, Team IGR fractured, and The Twins embracing horrifying new forms. Is this the end for Apex City? As IGR’s ultimate enemy finally steps into view, a fateful decision will change the destiny of Team IGR forever! Don’t miss the stunning conclusion of INFERNO GIRL RED: BOOK TWO! 45 story pages!
Preview:
FINAL ORDER CUTOFF
Radiant Black #40 - February 9
Preview:
COMMUNITY & CONVENTIONS
Radiant Black x Revenge Of - 5 Year Anniversary Party
February 21, 2026
Los Angeles, CA
Details coming soon
Megacon
March 19-22
Orlando, FL
C2E2
March 27-29
Chicago, IL
Okay, that’s going to do it for this me this week!
See you tonight on Massive-Verse Live!
Kyle
Los Angeles
It's so crazy how close we are to not only the 5-year anniversary of Radiant Black (and the Massive-Verse as we know it) but also the release of both the audiobook and the Radiant Black and White edition. Time flies when you're having fun! And when you're trying to get these books out on time, one of the two.
In the last newsletter, you said that the Revenge Of party was on the 21st but this one says the 10th. Is the 10th the official day?