Greetings one and all! This is a piece I have been meaning to get to for some time and here we are. I have written an article on the first season of Invincible, detailing what I thought of that season and on the background of the show’s creation. Feel free to check it out if you’re interested in seeing it. However, we have a new season to dissect. So, let us not wait any longer before diving in. This is Season 2 of Invincible!
Recap & Change in Production
For those new here, Invincible is an adult animated adaptation of the comic book series of the same name. Both series were created by the team of Robert Kirkman, Corey Walker and Ryan Ottley. Amazon wanted the creators of the property to be involved in the adaptation, so that it would remain faithful to the heart and spirit of the comics they were adapting. The show launched in 2021 to tremendous success from both casual viewers and series fans. It left so strong an impression that the show was immediately renewed not only for a second season, but an additional third as well.
However, Season 2 would not be released in the following year of 2022 due to extended production. The second season was instead released in late 2023 and finished airing in April of 2024 as the season was released in two halves. Production of the show remained consistent going from Season 1 into Season 2. Invincible wasn’t totally absent in this production window as the team released the bonus episode revolving around Samantha Eve Wilkins (or Atom Eve), which was an adaptation of her backstory from the comic series.
Synopsis & Writing
Audiences of Invincible had the option of watching the Season 1 recap, which served to remind said audiences of the events of the first season. But to summarize; Mark Grayson’s (son of one of Earth’s greatest heroes Omni Man) life is upended when he obtains superpowers of his own and must struggle to find the balance between his everyday life and all that comes with being a superhero. These are rather ordinary topics that many comic-based media have showcased. However, all is not as it seems since Mark’s father is in fact no hero and was sent to conquer the planet for the Viltrumite Empire. And when Mark receives his own powers Omni Man views this as the perfect time to begin that conquest. The finale of Season 1 saw an emotionally charged encounter between father and son, which in turn saw Nolan leave the planet, not because Mark bested him in battle but because Nolan would rather exile himself than kill his own son for the Empire.
The events of Season 2 take place one month after the earth shattering events of the previous season, as everyone adjusts to a world in which Omni Man is ousted as a planet conquering tyrant. This revelation is especially traumatizing for the wife and child he left behind, both of whom are trying to find their new normal in different ways. For his part, Mark has thrown himself entirely into his superhero work insistent on making amends for what his father did and to desperately try and prove to others and himself that he isn’t like his father. It is this mentality and emotional through line that will form the backbone of this season for Mark as a character and will follow him throughout his conflicts on Earth, Thraxa, and beyond.
Something important to keep in mind about the previous season is how it altered the order of the early comic material in order to tell a more streamlined story. For example, the end of the first episode saw Nolan kill the Guardians of the Globe in a twist of the episode despite this event not taking place until Issue 7 of the comics. Similarly, the writers implemented some events that took place after Nolan left Earth before said event in order to further flesh out the Universe and foreshadow some events for the future. Mark’s exploits on Mars with the Sequids and his first encounter with Battle Beast are a but a couple of these story threads. Given that the showrunners are the writers of the original comic I felt these changes were in service of the story, to better represent the material and better tell the story
The second season follows a similar trend, adapting a great amount of material across the eight-episode season, many of which you can find in the Volume I Compendium of the Invincible comics. Full disclosure: Upon finishing the first season I purchased said compendium and proceeded to binge read said material. And that is the highest compliment an adaptation can get, that it is encouraging people to experience the original medium.
And it’s because I read said medium that I have so much appreciation for what the show has done. Many times it feels as if I’m watching the comics come alive when a scene plays out. That being said, there are a variety of things this adaptation does differently. Mark’s exploits in Atlantis are much more straightforward in the comics as they specifically subvert your expectations in the show by it instead being a trap with the long-term goal of setting up a future plot line. Naturally, as a comic reader going into this I had a heads up on several plot threads presented in this season, but not everything. But my comic knowledge had me feeling very fearful whenever Anissa is on screen.
This season also has a lot of moving pieces, more so than the first season. In that sense we have a lot of setups for the future with the finale of the season dedicated to a character that audiences had largely forgotten who played little role in the season overall. In comparison to the conflict between Mark and Nolan in the finale of the season, one the stakes of this conflict seem far lesser when looking at them side by side. However, this encounter serves to reinforce the themes of the season and the arc Mark has gone through as a character and what makes him similar to his father and different.
Presentation & Score
The score was once again composed by John Paesano as he also did the score for the first season and his work continues to improve with a variety of motifs and leitmotifs. We are also treated to a number of insert songs, which serve to further reinforce the variety of the show’s score. Paesano has worked on a number of projects outside of Invincible, across television, film, and video games. He was behind the music for the Maze Runner Trilogy, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, as well as Spider Man: Miles Morales, and Spider Man 2 (2023).
The first season gave us some truly spectacular performances and the new season continues to uphold that degree of quality. The voice behind Mark (Steven Yeun) took a much more light-hearted approach in the prior season until the end of that season. But this season he does a great job of showing how versatile he is as a performer because Mark’s scenes would not land the emotional marks they land without his work. J.K. Simmons is once again a major highlight despite his reduced screentime in comparison to last season. And I will never say anything against that man for as long as I live. Kirkman and team did an excellent job of casting for the show as when I read the comics now it is all too easy for me to imagine the actors from the show saying the lines.
The first season had mixed production values when it came to the animation itself. During the fights themselves the animation was mostly stellar, but looking at it critically there was plenty of shots with animation that was *highly suspect,* particularly in the background of certain shots. This season sees an improvement across the board whilst also having in a couple of jokes written in lamp shading and making fun of previous animation problems. The show tackles mature subject matter, which most definitely means young children shouldn’t be watching. And I personally found that this season was rather tame on the gore in comparison to last season. However, that is to be expected as Battle Beast isn’t in this season.
Conclusion
Given that people had to wait up to two years for this season, expectations were pretty high. I found that this season gave me everything I loved about the first season and built upon it in all the right ways. We were previously introduced to this world and the characters within, and the second season serves to bring change and conflict to those characters. The success of material such as Invincible, and The Boys shows that so called comic book fatigue isn’t actually a thing. People are tired of contrived and predictable storytelling. The genre needs something fresh and new and Invincible is that. The show has also been renewed for a fourth season with promises from the showrunners that we won’t be waiting as long for Season 3. Invincible Season 2 delivers more of what put this series on the map and I can’t recommend it enough!
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