Comic book adaptations have experienced quite a resurgence lately. Between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended and Animated Universes, there are many adaptations of classic stories out there. But with so many options, some might say that the comic adaptation world is verging on oversaturation, which can make it exceptionally hard for projects to stand out. When a project does make an impact, however, it really makes a large one, especially if it’s newer. That’s what brings us to the world of Invincible.
Released in March 2021 through Amazon Video, the Invincible series is an animated adaption of the comic book series by the same name. The original comic book series was written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Corey Walter and Ryan Ottley. These three original creators played a large role in adapting Invincible to the small screen as producers and showrunners for the project. Amazon demonstrated great confidence in this team and project when they ordered the series without a pilot episode.
The plot for the video series is as follows: Mark Grayson, the half-human, half-alien son of Omni Man, who is the strongest superhero on the planet, has recently discovered that he has superpowers of his own. He immediately wants to follow in his father’s footsteps by becoming a hero. He will call himself Invincible and attempt to save the world. But he will soon learn that powers alone don’t make you a hero – being a hero requires much more. The Invincible series may initially seem like it will follow the standard superhero story arc, but after the first episode, it becomes apparent that the show will subvert these expectations.
One of the core strengths of the Invincible show, and the original comic, is that it showcases a side of comic book heroes that isn’t often explored. Invincible doesn’t shy away from depicting the losses Mark experiences, the strain that being a hero puts on his everyday life, the civilian lives lost due to conflict, and other negative effects that people with superpowers have on the everyday world. These themes are not common in comics produced by competitors, but Invincible doesn’t shy away from them. This series also does a very good job of establishing an overarching story full of twists and turns throughout its brief eight-episode season. The show departs from the standard “villain of the week” format to tell a larger, more complex story during the season.
Invincible may be an animated show, but it is definitely not for children. Much like its comic counterpart, the vibrant and colorful visuals only serve to make the brutal and gruesome imagery more striking.
The show has a solid presentation with high-quality animation. At times, you can notice a dip in quality in the background of certain shots or where characters’ flight is concerned. The voice work is top-notch, featuring such names as Mark Hamill and Kevin Michael Richardson. But the true stars of this are J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, and Steven Yeun as Nolan, Debbie, and Mark Grayson respectively. These voice actors bring the main characters alive with their great performances.
The soundtrack is a nice supplement to the series’ nuanced storytelling and mostly doesn’t come across as intrusive. The same goes for the modern pop and rock songs features throughout the show, which stand out in comparison to the original score but are welcome additions.
As with any adaptation, some changes are bound to happen. There were some notable differences between the Invincible comic series and screen adaptation, a few of which I will discuss here. Some changes are very surface level, such as slightly changing the appearance of main characters Mark and Debbie Grayson to be more in line with their voice actors. Other changes made a larger impact on the overall story. The opening set piece of the first episode was not present in the comic book version of the story, but it was added to establish some of the key characters earlier in the series. The climactic scene in the first episode happens much earlier than it does in the comic’s timeline. In my opinion, most of these changes are positive and help to maintain the show’s strong pacing in this new medium. Invincible’s show runners were the creators of the original comic, so I view these as creator-approved changes made in the interest of telling a better story.
As someone who was very fatigued by superhero stories, I was apprehensive about Invincible, but this show shattered all of my expectations. Invincible appeals not only to comic book fans, but to anyone who enjoys complex characters, well-connected and nuanced storytelling, and adrenaline-pumping action. And Invincible must have made quite an impression on other viewers too – it was not only renewed immediately for a second season, but a third as well. Invincible isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so you might want to check out what this Amazon Original has to offer.
