The future is anything but bright in Radius Volume 1, an independent Brazilian comic book that combines science fiction, dystopian storytelling, and superhero adventure to introduce readers to a world where civilization has collapsed and survival has become humanity’s greatest challenge.
Created by Tiago de Moraes das Chagas and published by Mustache Comics, Radius takes readers more than a thousand years into the future, to the year 3121. The familiar world has disappeared. Nations have fallen, forests have been destroyed, countless species have become extinct, and humanity has been forced to adapt to an increasingly hostile environment.
In this devastated future, the Brazilian city of Marília has evolved into a sprawling metropolitan region known as Marília Metropolitana, also called Aruanda. It is a place where fear dominates everyday life, oppression has become a way of life, and the strongest impose their will upon the weak.
Entire generations have grown up without knowing what the world was like before civilization’s collapse. They have inherited a society shaped by violence, environmental destruction, and the constant struggle to survive.
This is the world of Radius.
While American superheroes have traditionally dominated the international comic book marketplace, Radius offers readers something different: a superhero universe firmly rooted in Brazilian culture, geography, and creative imagination.
Rather than setting his story in a fictional American metropolis, creator Tiago de Moraes das Chagas draws inspiration from his hometown of Marília, São Paulo, transforming the Brazilian community into the backdrop for an ambitious science fiction saga.
The setting provides a distinctive foundation for the series, allowing its creators to explore familiar superhero themes through a different cultural perspective.
The environmental devastation and social collapse that define the world of Radius are more than background elements. They establish a society in which hope is increasingly difficult to find and the idea of heroism takes on particular significance.
Against this bleak landscape, the emergence of heroes promises the possibility of resistance, change, and perhaps a better future.
The origins of Radius stretch back to 1996, when Tiago de Moraes das Chagas first conceived the project.
For years, the idea remained a personal creative ambition. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, Chagas returned to the concept, rewriting and developing the story into a fully realized comic book universe.
The project eventually led to the creation of Mustache Comics, providing a publishing home for Radius and other stories.
Chagas, who was born in Marília on September 17, 1981, studied business administration at Univem and serves as a director at Mustache Marketing. His background in business and marketing has helped him develop Radius as more than a single comic book.
What began as an idea for a superhero story has evolved into a growing independent entertainment property.
Radius Volume 1 brings together a team of Brazilian creators responsible for introducing this futuristic world to readers.
Creative credits:
- Creator and Story Concept: Tiago de Moraes das Chagas
- Writer: Ramon Barbosa Franco
- Artist: Tony Pessanha
- Colors and Lettering: Bruno Araújo
- Proofreading: Mariana de Almeida Lourenço
- General Direction: Nosso Quintal
- Publisher: Mustache Comics
The first volume contains 36 full-color pages, presented in a 17 x 26 cm format, approximately the size of a traditional American comic book.
Combining science fiction with adventure, the comic establishes the foundation for a much larger narrative that continues beyond its opening chapter.
Radius Volume 1 is only the beginning.
The main storyline has expanded into three volumes, establishing the first major story arc of the Radius universe.
Beyond the central series, Chagas has developed additional characters and related projects, including Pituco, a superhero inspired by his own dog.
Pituco represents a particularly personal element of the franchise, celebrating the relationship between people and animals while emphasizing courage, love, and loyalty.
The character has helped extend the Radius universe into additional comic books, literary projects, and initiatives connected to animal welfare.
This combination of traditional superhero storytelling and personal inspiration gives the franchise an identity that extends beyond its post-apocalyptic setting.
The continued development of new stories, characters, and related publications demonstrates Chagas’ ambition to establish Radius as a recognizable Brazilian entertainment property.
The development of Radius also reflects the growing visibility of independent comic book creators outside the traditional American publishing industry.
Brazil has a long history of comic book production, with creators working across a wide range of genres and artistic styles. Projects such as Radius demonstrate how independent publishers can establish original superhero universes while embracing their own cultural identities.
The series also shows that superhero stories do not need to take place in New York City or another familiar American setting to explore universal questions about justice, sacrifice, responsibility, and hope.
In the devastated world of 3121, those questions become especially important.
With its Brazilian setting, dystopian atmosphere, and expanding cast
About Author
