Guess who’s finally getting a Series?
Introduction
Invincible is the 2021 hit Amazon television series based on comics of the same name. Published by Image Comics and written by Robert Kirkman, best known for creating the Walking Dead graphic novels. While the beloved superhero comic does have a relatively decent fanbase and has been running for almost two decades, there haven’t been any other adaptations of the long-running series. That said, many have jumped for the opportunity to make one, including Seth Rogen, who pitched the idea of a live-action movie, but in the end, was beaten when Amazon took the reins with its exceptionally gory and emotionally heartfelt animation.
Plot and Setting
The series follows a young Mark Greyson, a high schooler who also happens to be the son of the world’s most powerful superhero, Omniman. He and his Father are Vitrumites, a powerful alien race known for their immense strength and advanced technology. Despite being half-Vitrumite, Mark only starts to display his powers during his mid-teenage years. Following his father, Mark dons the mantle of Invincible and uses his newly acquired powers to fight crime.
Unlike many other superhero universes, the world of Invincible feels already built, complete with its lore and characters. The world from the get-go has a fully functional super-team called the Guardians of the Globe, different alien races and a secret organisation that monitors everyone’s activity. Mark’s villains in this series are not even tied with him personally, as with other Superhero rogue galleries, like Spider-man’s, for example.
Invincible has eight episodes, and they are quite a wild ride. While there are one or two weaker episodes, they stay consistent in terms of quality throughout the series. The strongest episodes are regularly the ones revolving around the relationship between Mark and his father, Nolan. Whether it is their family bonding or something more sinister being played from behind the scenes, it is always enjoyable watching these episodes.
Most of the time, these moments revolve around Nolan teaching Mark how to use his powers more efficiently, but then there are the times when Omniman steps into the ring to save his son and fights like a nuke on steroids.
Despite the show’s visuals looking strikingly similar to the more child-friendly animations of DC and Marvel with its bright colours and superheroes, Invincible’s fights can get incredibly violent, with guts and all sorts of unsavoury bodily fluids flying everywhere during its brutal battles. The series is so bloody that even the title card gets in on the action, as with every new episode, more splashes of blood begin to stain it.
Invincible lays its most prominent narrative twist bare fairly early into the series with its first episode, which breaks the overall tone considerably, transforming the show into an entirely different beast from then onwards. This black and white world is quickly given a tint of grey within its themes, giving the series a bit of an edge. The series does try to outdo itself in the shock value department with every episode, keeping the viewer on their seat to see what happens next.
Invincible ends its first season with a powerful finale that feels like a rollercoaster surfing through the emotional spectrum. While I can’t say anything without spitting out any spoilers, let us say it is one hell of a fantastic ride and sets up everything for the coming season.
Characters and Performances
For an animated television series, Invincible is blessed to have such a star-studded cast of voice actors. Even industry super-stars like Seth Rogen(Pineapple Express, Green Hornet) and Mark Hamill(Batman: The Animated Series, Star Wars: A New Hope) make a brief appearance, as well. Each performer adds something new to the table, making character interactions all the more enjoyable to watch. Yet, it is Steven Yeun and J.K Simmons who shoulder most of the weight. The touching father/son moments between the two characters add some levity to the show.
Mark is very generic as a character, coming off as the standard superpowered boy scout. However, it is the way the writers incorporate his ideals and values into the narrative which makes him so brilliant to watch. He does go through many vicious battles, surviving by the skin of his teeth for the most part, yet he still has that heroic optimism and romanticism that comes with being a hero. For as many times as he falls, you want him to get back up and continue fighting, and throughout the first season, Steven Yeun manages to capture that enthusiasm that comes with the character.
Another character who impressed me was Debbie Greyson, portrayed by Sandra Oh, best known for her role in Grey’s Anatomy. While the series itself does give her a more impactful role within the narrative than her comic-book incarnation, it is Sandra Oh’s strong performance of the incredibly analytical and bold wife that truly sells the character. Her subplot has some of the most intense moments in the show.
While many of Invincible’s cast managed to strike the right chords, Mark’s main love interest, Amber(Zazie Beetz), left a bad taste in my mouth. At first, she comes across as attention-seeking or too harsh on her superpowered boyfriend, but then you realise she did not sign up for this kind of relationship. It is a different perspective for this relationship dynamic, and one not many people (myself included) were not too ready to get into.
Animation and Presentation
Invincible incorporates the use of 3D rendered backgrounds behind its drawn animations. It does it mainly for large groups of people or cityscape views. For the former, these CGI characters looked extremely clunky and did break the immersion, and for the latter, the cities felt reminiscent of Marvel’s 90s animations. That said, these backgrounds made the animations feel dynamic and fluid, which is needed for a show with such high-intensity action.
Conclusion
Invincible is a different breed of adult animation compared to shows like Rick and Morty, or even Family Guy, which embrace the nihilistic part of adulthood. It is a series that manages to keep the heart pounding with excitement yet giving us a more optimistic message than other shows, similar to something akin to Final Space. If you are a fan of series like Young Justice, but you would like something with a bit more of a kick to it, then do yourself a favour and give this show a try.
