The series is in full swing by the beginning of this volume, with Invincible in place as one of Guardians of the Globe and lots of threads being woven into the story. Invincible’s mom is having some trouble; there’s a dimension hopper working on a crazy project; Robot’s got a secret; there’s trouble on Mars; Allen the Alien gets some loving…and a beating; and the Immortal is still an ass.
The thing that continues to impress me about this comic is its balance between old school Silver Age fun and excitement, and a more modern sense of grim danger and complex character interactions. As Mark, our hero is a typical awkward teenager heading off to college. As Invincible, he’s a godlike figure trying very hard to do what’s right. But sometimes things go very wrong. Sure, there are comic misadventures like being betrothed to the fishy queen of the ocean and protecting astronauts from some shape-changers on Mars. But there’s also the looming thread of his father’s people, a whole race of Superman-like beings, bent on total domination. And there’s that A-hole science major trying to make his Reanimen, killing machines using the parts of local student bodies.
The artwork is colorful and fresh, giving it the feeling of a light entertainment, which makes some of the horrible violence just that much more shocking when it happens. I really love the look of the outer space and other planet parts. I can’t wait to see more of that, and there’s clearly more coming as problems outside of the Earth’s sphere are starting to heat up. I’ve got a feeling some pretty big cosmic events are in the works.
Knowing that this series is still ongoing, and that just to catch up with where it’s at now, I’ve got five more of these weighty volumes, is kind of exciting. I know I have lots of time with these characters and stories. Well, maybe not with the characters, as Kirkman likes to kill people off left and right. But with the stories, anyway. If you’re any kind of fan of Superhero comics, you should check out Invincible.
Invincible: Ultimate Collection Volume 2
Author: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Ryan Ottley
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-58240-594-0
-Matt
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