Invincible, a Prime original adaptation of the comic of the same name, the show follows the growth of Mark Grayson as he unearths the reality of superherodom all the while slowly unearthing the secrets of his father.
Created and directed by writer Robert Kirkman (the mind behind The Walking Dead) as well as artists Ryan Ottley (of Amazing Spider-Man acclaim) and Cory Walker, the show leans both into the spirit of superhero media while digging into that gritty, dark, mature side of the “super” trope.
“The pessimist looks down and hits his head. The optimist looks up and loses his footing. The realist looks forward and adjusts his path accordingly,” Kirkman said when quoting King Ezekiel.
Post watching the first season and finishing the release episodes of season two I can firmly say that I believe this quote is something that rings quite true to the overall tone of Invincible. The series firmly plants itself into subverting the super genre by not solely looking at the real, brutal realities but the hope and optimistic psyche of a super and has been since its initial comic release in january of ‘03.
The initial season was a gripping part coming of age, part dramatic irony. Nothing beats the surprise post-credit ending of the first episode, being the expectation of how gruesome the show could become. The first season is most certainly an exhilarating ride deserving of a full analysis of its own, but for the review of the newest season (season two) a recap should suffice.
Now, if the prior description of the show strikes as interesting, I highly recommend watching and experiencing it for the first time. It truly is a captivating watch and at 8 episodes, each ranging about 40 mins to an hour, the show is an easy binge. With that out of the way, the rest of this review will contain spoilers of season one and two.
The ending of the first season saw the departure of Nolan Grayson, Omniman, voiced by J.K. Simmons as he flies away from earth in emotional turmoil from his conflicting feelings in beating his son to the brink of life as well as his loyalty to his home planet of Viltrum. The conflict and cost in civilian lives leaves Mark Grayson, Invincible, voiced by Steven Yeun and his mother Debbie Grayson, voiced by Sandra Oh in shock, grief and many questions.
The second season beautifully and abruptly shifts focus narrative at the beginning of the first episode to an alternate universe in which Mark teams up with Nolan, revealing what could’ve been. The episode then moves back to the perspective of our Mark as he spends the episode still in grief a month after the tragedy, still blaming himself for being used as a weapon against civilians despite being a victim himself. Debbie, though more collected, also suffers despair and confusion after the loss of her happy life and marriage and her now broken family.
The first and second episodes does a lovely job of illustrating Mark mentally recovering and trying to ease himself back into his role as Invincible while seamlessly incorporating and branching the plotlines of important secondary characters. The spirit though dampened holds this light of hope which grows stronger as the episodes continue.
It’s episode three where things truly pick up. The episode takes a detour from Mark to explore Allen the Alien, voiced by Seth Rogan, a character who we briefly meet in season one. The episode introduces outerworld climates and politics while exploring the terrors of Viltrum. It’s a perfect way to introduce information which will be later important in an entertaining way, even though it ends quite bleak. The later half of the episode sees Mark reunited with his father in a shocking turn of events, leaving the viewers in confusion and thrilled to see the next episode.
It’s the fourth, and last, episode to be aired which takes a wild twist in plot. While tastefully illustrating the turmoil Mark faces as he sees his role model turn villain father the series also dances on where Nolan has been in the time. Nolan, seemingly lost after his destruction on earth travels through the universe and tries to emotionally figure out what he wants to do, as he is no longer able to return to Viltrum after he left his post on earth. The episode also gruesomely introduces 3 new Viltrumites, showcasing the ferocity and coldness they live by as Nolan and Mark are forced to team together and defeat them. Though they almost were successful, they take a brutal loss and the episode ends with Viltrum leaving Mark to take his fathers place as conqueror of earth. The climactic ending only leaves fans to wonder, what’s to happen from here?
