'Invincible' Review: Star-Studded Cast Take the Series to the Moon

Invincible is as equally entertaining as it is bloody—a promising addition to a growing library of content for Amazon Prime Video.

TV-MA - Animation, Action, Adventure

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dir. Jeff Allen

“An adult animated superhero show that revolves around seventeen-year-old Mark Grayson, who’s just like every other guy his age — except that his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man. But as Mark develops powers of his own, he discovers that his father’s legacy may not be as heroic as it seems.”

— Official Synopsis

Disclaimer: this review was initially covering the first 3 episodes but has since been updated to reflect the entire series.

At this point, even I must admit that I’m far less enthusiastic about the idea of more superhero projects. Just glancing at Marvel’s insane release calendar for 2021 is anxiety inducing. However, that’s not to say that we shouldn’t give new properties a chance to etch their own style into the genre. Given the marketing material leading up to the release of Invincible, I was cautiously optimistic about the series’ chance to distinguish itself from other comic adaptations. Online, the series had garnered a lot of attention for its ultra-violent trailer. And, I can officially confirm that it is as equally entertaining as it is bloody—a promising addition to a growing library of content.

Amazon Prime Video’s modern adaptation of the 2003 comic of the same name from creator Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) serves as the perfect pallet cleanser from more family-friendly super-shows (like Disney+’s WandaVision). Episode 1 starts with your typical superhero fare: Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun), the teenage son of mega-hero Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons), learning to control his powers—despite still being just a kid in high school. As such, Invincible begins its journey down a narrow path of trite genre tropes. By the time you reach Episode 5, though, the maturity and nuance of the underlying themes seep through the cracks of the pavement.

The narrative becomes much more interesting through its ability to explore how idolization can lead to disappointment; something akin to Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi. Mark will need to grow up much faster if he is ever going to match the image of his father, or be a successful hero. Every expectation he has for his future is bound to be shattered by reality, much like the initial reaction I had to the show. Simmons and Yeun are truly a perfect pairing here, with the writers elegantly teasing an underlying toxicity waiting to be unleashed. It’s not exactly clear how the show will progress by only seeing the first several episodes but it does certainly guarantee to take the audience on an uncompromising quest full of deadly twists.

Additionally, Invincible is littered with superheroes from across the globe; some of whom are, indeed, teenagers. Hearing the heroes actually talk about the dynamic between the different groups (both in age and super-team) was a subtle touch to enhance the universe. Each of the voice actors, many of whom widely recognizable (Lauren Cohan, Jason Mantzoukas, Gillian Jacobs, Sonequa Martin-Green, etc.), provide some uniqueness to the more stagnant characters and their [mostly] generic superpowers. Personally, my favorite character is tied between either Damian Darkblood (Clancy Brown), a demon detective, or Monster Girl (Grey Griffin)—who has a hilarious bit in the third episode revolving around perception. It’s the more basic human characters that are left a little undercooked in the first few episodes with the notable exception of Debbie Grayson, graciously played by Sandra Oh, and Mark Hamill’s Art, a local suitor who crafts costumes for Omni-Man and his son.

The episodes run a little over 40 minutes, approximately, giving the creators an abundance of room to expand the lore and thoroughly track the characters over the course of their evolution. Invincible’s animation, reminiscent of 90s television, welcomes even the biggest superhero cynics to have a little fun while basking in nostalgia; it just so happens to have a few “fucks” thrown in for good measure. It does seem like the writers are sometimes confusing cringe for edginess by force feeding the viewer random swear words in places that don’t necessarily make sense; fortunately, it doesn’t happen too frequently. As far as the action, fans will be pleased to know that the fight sequences are sizable both in scope and duration. Invincible’s pacing takes a minute to adjust to, but each episode never lingers excessively on any particular beat, leaving plenty of time for violent conflict. This is true to the very end: with the events leading to a shocking, and satisfying conclusion that segway seamlessly into future seasons (if there are any). So, yes, it’s still a perfectly bingeable series.

The first three episodes of season one premiered on Friday, March 26, with new episodes available each Friday following, culminating in an action-packed season finale on April 30, 2021.