Superhero fatigue has been talked about for years, but this is the first time I am experiencing it myself. Sure, there are some excellent adaptations out there such as The Boys, Doom Patrol and Umbrella Academy to a degree, but it’s hard to muster enough excitement about a show like, say, Stargirl unless you are already a fan of the character. Invincible is one of those shows which seems to have a premise that feels well-worn by this point. But it’s the way it’s executed that makes it so engaging. It takes a familiar environment and modifies it in subtle ways.
Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) is a teenager whose dad Nolan (J.K. Simmons) is Omni-man, the world’s most popular (and strongest) superhero. At seventeen, he discovers powers and follows his dad’s steps in starting out as a superhero. As he adjusts to his new responsibilities and balances his personal life with his superhero life, something sinister happens behind the scenes. Nolan, it appears, has an agenda of his own, one that may bring him in direct conflict with Mark and the rest of Earth’s superheroes.
The first thing that makes you excited about Invincible is the star voiceover cast.
From Steven Yeun and J.K. Simmons to the likes of Sandra Oh, Gillian Jacobs and Walter Goggins, there’s no shortage of experienced actors who bring these characters to life. J.K. Simmons in particular is memorable as Omni-man.
The next thing that you’ll probably notice about the show is how gory it is.
It goes a step further than The Boys. One running gag in the show is that the title card gets bloodier and bloodier every episode, and that’s definitely accompanied by Mark getting even more punishment.
In the first episode, it’s hard to get invested as it seems like just another superhero show. The last twenty minutes or so, however, brutally subvert those expectations and open the show up for crazy, relentless action.
There’re plenty of interesting characters in the show, such as Damien Darkblood, Cecil (the Nick Fury figure for this show) and Robot, and the lore is also interesting, such as two cloned brothers always arguing over who’s the original. The focus on the main characters pays off, as each of them get an arc that furthers their development.
Most of the show is built around Omni-man’s complicated motives, which leads to eventually his wife, Debbie (Sandra Oh) finding out about a sinister secret and asking him to leave their house. This culminates in two tense episodes as Nolan clashes with multiple people and becomes increasingly ruthless. The finale, in particular, is shocking, including a memorable scene involving Mark and an underground train that will stay in viewers’ memories for a while.
As good as Invincible is, it also has flaws. Amber (Zazie Beetz), Mark’s love interest, has drawn much criticism over the way she handles Mark’s absences due to his double life. The animation also isn’t as smooth in earlier episodes, but it grows on you over time.
Invincible has already been renewed for both seasons two and three. That makes sense, given the source material comes from a comic book penned by Robert Kirkman, who also wrote The Walking Dead. The comic of the same name has a considerable amount of material to cover and things get even better and crazier throughout its length. Let’s hope the show can continue it’s good track record of adapting the content.