By Michael McKee
Correspondent
With the Marvel Universe struggling to find its footing, “The Boys” television show spiraling in quality and DC waiting for their much anticipated Superman movie to release, “Invincible” has stepped up to the plate as the go-to show for people looking for high-quality superhero storytelling.
Based on “Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman’s beloved comic, the “Invincible” television show has captured the public’s imagination with inspired world building, the grand scale of the conflicts, a mature yet loving reimagining of superhero stories and a commitment to character-driven storytelling.
The show focuses on Mark Grayson, also known as Invincible, a teenage superhero who has a human mother named Debbie and an alien father from the planet Viltrum known as Omni-Man. When Mark discovers that the Viltrumite Empire plans to conquer Earth and Omni-Man wants him to join the Empire, it results in a grand fight ending with Omni-Man leaving the planet.
While the Viltrum Empire's looming threat is the show's main plot, various other sub-plots and characters populate the world of the show, making it feel real and lived in. There is Mark’s relationship with heroine Atom Eve, his uneasy partnership with government officials Cecil Steadman and Donald, and the rogues-gallery of villains he has to face regularly. There is also his best friend William Clockwell, his ex-girlfriend Amber, his kid step-brother Oliver, the local crime boss Titan and the Guardians of the Globe who have to protect the Earth from a variety of threats.
“Invincible’s” third season expands on many of the previous plot threads. Grayson’s younger brother Oliver has aged up from a baby and has developed actual powers, Mark’s relationship with Eve sees significant development and Mark’s working relationship with Cecil collapses dramatically.
Season 3 additionally proves why so many people love the show’s characters. Mark Grayson continues to grapple with the simultaneous responsibilities of superheroism and adulthood, as well as having to balance his relationships as a boyfriend and an older brother. It is also interesting to see the conflict between Mark and Cecil at the beginning of the season over whether former villains can be used to help people, which has even led to people in real life debating who was right in the conflict, showing how thought-provoking the writing is.
The show also has interesting villains in the form of characters such as Titan and Powerplex. Titan is a fascinating opponent for Mark due to his ability to outsmart his opponents and how he helps his community as a mob boss, forcing Mark to question whether or not stopping him is the right thing to do. Powerplex, whose sister and niece were killed in the massive battle between Invincible and Omni-Man at the end of Season 1, is motivated to seek misguided revenge against Invincible. Powerplex’s tragic backstory and obvious mental instability are infused with heartbreaking humanity by voice actor Aaron Paul, who does a great job in his role.
All of this begs the question: What does “Invincible’s” critical success mean for the future of the superhero media landscape? The publisher of the “Invincible” book, Image Comics, has a large array of other critically acclaimed properties that could be adapted. These include Todd Mcfarlane’s “Spawn,” Brian K. Vaughn’s “Saga,” Kyle Higgins’ “Radiant Black” and Kirkman’s own “Brit,” “Tech Jacket” and “The Astounding Wolf Man.” If the creators at Image Comics are able to get adaptations of their work, it could represent a significant rival to Marvel and DC’s domination.
“Invincible” Season 3 is well worth watching for anyone interested in superhero stories, action media or just riveting storytelling in general. While it is held back by occasionally clunky animation, the strength of the writing and characterization show that superhero stories can hold the weight and importance of the best prestige dramas.
