For as much ridicule and scrutiny as the media places on the millennial generation, this all-too-easy segment of the population to scorn does not have it easy. From one relentless crisis after another on a national and global scale, a sluggish economy and the general anxiety of discontent, the generation needs a hero in more ways than one. This, of course, makes it all fertile creative ground for comic book creators Kyle Higgins and Marcelo Costa in their latest Image Comics title Radiant Black, which provides a timely twist on the superhero genre without getting bogged down by ennui and insecurity facing the main characters' millennial milieu.

Protagonist Nathan Burnett finds himself at a personal low point after his attempt to become a successful screenwriter in Los Angeles has him accruing a mountain of credit card debt, fruitless career ambitions and the humiliation of moving back into his parents' home in suburban Illinois, where he's greeted with skepticism over his life choices by the familiar faces he grew up with. However, as Nathan contemplates all the curveballs and crossroads life and his career ambitions have thrown his way, he stumbles across a strange, cosmic power known as the Radiant that will seismically change his entire life and the world around him forever.

RELATED: Nocterra: Scott Snyder Drives Through the Darkness In the New Image Series

While Higgins has certainly crafted plenty of creator-owned comics before (C.O.W.L., The Dead Hand), Radiant Black feels like one of his personal yet, though also one of his most self-aware and entertainingly accessible from the outset. Nathan is a character that draws heavily from Higgins' own background, with his professional occupation and personal links to the Prairie State, but this isn't a story that runs as emotionally raw as Higgins' past work on Hadrian's Wall. After years of writing superhero titles like Nightwing and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Higgins knows how to set the stage while simultaneously engaging the reader in a fun and inviting way. And while Higgins is delivering a fair bit of exposition -- to be expected in any debut issue -- all of the dialogue here feels particularly earned; nothing comes off as extraneous or forced save for maybe a character wearing a "Crisis Culture" t-shirt which admittedly feels a bit too on-the-nose.

Joining Higgins is artist and co-creator Marcelo Costa whose clean linework and vibrant color palette elevate the welcoming tone of the series. Costa brings an animated quality even to the title's more dialogue-driven sequences, with particularly expressive character work that helps keep the narrative moving through its own exposition. And when the cosmic superhero elements do appear, Costa's artwork truly makes these developments seem like they are out of this world, with visual sensibilities that serve as a stark contrast to the grounded environment and characters around them that are only poised to go bigger as the series progresses.

RELATED: Afterlift: Chip Zdarsky & Jason Loo Break Down the Afterlife Rideshare Epic

Radiant Black is instantly relatable, but it's also a lot of fun -- Image had billed the series as a cross between Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Invincible and both of those influences are evident right from this opening issue. Higgins and Costa make a fine collaborative duo and are able to keep sight of their emotional core even as cosmic elements bleed into their story, with the action and scope only looking to expand as the debut issue's cliffhanger ending makes it clear that this story goes beyond that of one young man gaining superhero powers. Accessible and entertaining, Radiant Black proves there's plenty of life and new directions in a well-worn genre.

KEEP READING: Valiant Entertainment Editor David Wohl Looks Towards a 'Groundbreaking' Year