TV Review: Invincible
Rote superheroics with a shocking twist
Amazon’s new animated series goes through familiar superhero motions, but its well-crafted and jaw-dropping twist will keep you engaged. Based on The Walking Dead scribe Robert Kirkman’s comic book of the same name, Invincible captures its source material’s tone and charm; its clean animation, talented voice cast, and big moments do a lot of heavy lifting, even if some of its storytelling and tropes feel dated. Three episodes watched for review. Minor spoilers ahead…
In 2003, renowned comics scribe Robert Kirkman launched two original titles that would catapult him into superstardom. One of those books, The Walking Dead, would eventually go on to be adapted into a “Peak TV” sensation - a hit series currently in its tenth season. The other - the long-running, superhero epic Invincible, would accrue a dedicatedly fervent fanbase and run for over 15 years and over 140 issues. An adaptation of Invincible was rumored for years, but nothing ever came of its development hell other than a half-realized - and poorly-received - motion comic in 2009. Fast-forward to 2021, and Invincible is finally getting the animated series treatment from Amazon, with the adaptation being developed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and showrun by screenwriter Simon Racioppa. With its hard-hitting animation and star-studded cast, Invincible is birds of a feather with the ultra-violent The Boys, and is shaping up to be another notch in Amazon’s superhero belt.
Centered around teenager Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun, continuing his banner year), Invincible goes through some familiar motions when it comes to its comic book plot, but its seemingly traditional coming-of-age story is given a hefty spin. Mark is your typical goody-two-shoes 17 year-old, but with a superhero-sized caveat: his father (J.K. Simmons) is the world’s most powerful caped crusader, Omni-Man. At its center, Invincible functions as a family drama, and when Mark suddenly develops powers of his own, it throws the relationship he has with his father for a gigantic loop. A life spent juggling school, work, and the dynamics of a superhero dad suddenly becomes fraught with tension, danger, and the weight of legacy. Living in the shadow of the world’s greatest hero isn’t easy, especially when you’re trying to carve out your own super-powered identity.
“Invincible takes many of its cues from its 2003 source material, and it most definitely feels beholden to it, for better or worse.”
We’re now over a decade removed from the inception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which turned superheroes into massive, mainstream success machines, and the DC Extended Universe is almost just as old. Invincible takes many of its cues from its 2003 source material, and it most definitely feels beholden to it, for better or worse. Vacillating in a space between its dated tropes and a charming vintage, the series’ adherence to Robert Kirkman’s graphic novels is at once its greatest asset and its biggest weakness. After so many years in a zeitgeist dominated by superheroics and complex continuities, its refreshing to see a back-to-basics approach to comic book storytelling, but at the same time, there are things here that just don’t feel quite as shiny as they used to.
Invincible’s foundation is a solid one: Its family narrative is some of its strongest material, grounded by fantastic voice performances from Yeun, Simmons, and especially Sandra Oh as Mark’s blunt-but-loving mother. And its superhero world-building has a fresh earnestness to it that carries over from the graphic novels; it’s hard not to form a smile on your face when you’re introduced to the corny-on-purpose Guardians of the Globe, with monikers like Red Rush, War Woman, Rex-Plode, and Dupli-Kate. However, there are also things that don’t work quite as well - much of the series’ throwaway villains are pretty much holdovers from a dusty era. And while there are some cute twists to Invincible’s disposable baddies of mad scientists and invading aliens, they’re only present to serve as a distraction from the show’s brutal, earthshaking twist. But trust me, it’s a good one - pulled straight from the pages of Kirkman’s comics almost two decades ago, Invincible’s shocking swerve remains one of the best of all time.
“…pulled straight from the pages of the Kirkman’s comics almost two decades ago, Invincible’s shocking swerve remains one of the best of all time.”
Of the three episodes screened for critics, Invincible’s premiere is probably the weakest, and perhaps by design. The entire episode is centered around pulling the wool over your eyes, secreting away its final post-credits scene gut-punch with wholesome - but mostly unimpressive - exposition. Even some of the animation feels choppy, disjointed, and cheap, but once the smoke lifts, Invincible reveals its true, confident self. The pilot episode is a shoddy magic trick hiding an incredible surprise - you just have to sit through some unremarkable setup to reach the show’s gruesome secret. Be patient with Invincible, and it will reward you with a jaw-dropping action sequence that serves as a high-watermark for Western animation and the gnarliest twist this side of Game of Thrones’ “Baelor.”
Those looking for family-friendly superheroics will almost assuredly be turned off by Invincible’s shocking surprise, but there’s a deftness to the show that juggles its conflicting tones without giving its audience too much whiplash. If you can look past its obvious rug-pull premiere and its seen-it-before tropes, Invincible just might surprise you with its potent mix of action, intrigue, and heart.
