Invincible S1 (2021) Review

 

Invincible S1 (2021)

Invincible Season 1 follows Mark Grayson, the son of the all-powerful Viltramite, Omni-Man, as he learns to adjust to the life and responsibilities that comes with having super powers. 

So going into Invincible, from the brief bits I had already seen, I expected something along the lines of The Boys, violence wise (Amazon Prime certainly has a type). I was surprised then to see that it’s actually quite different and has a stark identity of it’s own, being a violent bloodbath of optimism in the face of heroism. In all respects, it’s a light show that is surrounded by darkness and brutality, trying to balance the hardships of humanity and legacy. Mark attempting to juggle relationships and school, while learning to cope with his newfound powers feels fresh while he is invincible (eh, not really), that doesn’t mean he’s unstoppable, with the show going to great lengths to beat the everliving fuck out of him (I’m not kidding). The emotional context and ramifications of Nolan’s turn is the core of the show because it affects everything—his family, the world, his world, and the fate of superheroes in general. Kicking the show off with his barbaric revelation and murder of the Guardians sets the tone early and poses a question that he himself can’t even answer, which is what makes that and further ferocious scenes so polarizing. 

For an 8 episode first season, I was a little surprised at the slower format, often getting off track to blatantly introduce threads for Season 2, instead of naturally producing them as part of the story. And just a personal gripe, but I was also a little put off by the basic Young Justice style of animation (just not a fan). Sometimes it looks great but more often than not felt like a cheap and quick way around anything stylistic. 

The show sports a fantastic vocal cast, starring Zazie Beetz, Mark Hamill, Sandra Oh, Walter Goggins, Gillian Jacobs, Jason Mantzoukas, Zachary Quinto, Clancy Brown, J.K. Simmons, and Steven Yeun. Simmons simply does not miss here, as he brings so much steadfast tenacity that never feels out of anger, more like annoyed disappointment. Yeun also adds a nice touch of optimism and hope to a character that continuously goes through more and more shit. 

Invincible, from Robert Kirkman, is an emotionally charged and thrilling series that shines in it’s depiction of the divide of understanding between a super powered father and his son, but misses a step in trying to force further storylines for possible follow-up seasons. 

8.4/10