Invincible is an adult animated show streaming on Prime Video. The show is based off of a comic book with the same title and premiered in 2021. It focuses on Mark Grayson, a young, new, indestructible superhero and his life and battles on earth and in space. Both the series and comic book are written by Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and stars Steven Yeun (Parasite, The Walking Dead, Tuca and Bertie), J.K Simmons (Whiplash, Spider-Man, Gravity Falls), and Sandra Oh (Killing Eve, Grey's Anatomy, The Princess Diaries). The show currently has 3 seasons with a 4th season releasing in 2026 streaming on Prime Video.
Season three starts a few months after the finale of season two, with Mark (Yeun) protecting the world from crime and caring for his family. Mark is faced with the issue of determining who is good and who is bad.
No show really comes to mind that is as good as this show. Maybe Rick and Morty seasons 1-4, but this is more story driven than episodic like Rick and Morty. I remember the first time I watched the first season in May 2021 and how obssesed I was. I still am. Mark's innocennce and hope for humanity pulls in viewers and makes the audience and everyone around him root for him. Also the world building and story telling is so complex, especially in this season, that it makes the viewer want to continue in order to see how everything ties in together.
The first half of season 3 did scare me for a bit as I thought Mark was becoming more like his dad, Nolan Grayson (also known as Omni-Man, the villan from the first season, played by Simmons), since their thinking over good versus bad started to match. Mark let his pride and ego about innocence and criminal get to him, resulting in going against the GDA (General Defense Agency) and stop working for them. I also hated how they introduced Eve (Gillian Jacobs) and Marks' relationship. It felt kind of forced when I felt like Mark needed some more time to move on from Amber. But maybe that's just me jumping from season 2 to season 3 quickly. However, I think the writers did redeem their relationship as the show went on. One example of this is how Eve stood up for Mark in some bad situations. The second half of the season got really interesting with episode 6 'ALL I CAN SAY IS I'M SORRY' when Mark is forced to realize the damage these fights can cause to civilians. From that episode and forward, the story goes deeper into the conflicts and immoral decisions that Invinicible will have to face to protect him and his family.
I really enjoy the writing of Invincible and how it shows that heroes cause bring more harm than good. The episode 'WHAT HAVE I DONE' really shows this when Invincibles from other universes start to destroy the earth and cause thousunds of casualties. The shot of the cities burning in flames being reflected in each variant's eyes scared me and made me think of how I couldn't be able to live in their universes. The worst part is cleaning up after all the violence and the trauma and grief these people must feel. I would not feel safe at all knowing my house could be collateral damage in these fights. I love when they introduce a new perspective like they did in episodes 4, 5, and 6. The villains in these episodes aren't trying to take over and gain control, they just want to keep themseleves and others safe. They want justice and reform for heroes and the destruction they cause. It brings a more human side to them which can blur the line between good and bad. It makes the viewer realize that looking at the story from Mark's perspective is not the fully story and makes them want to support these characters and hope for the best. However, a hero comes along and reinforces the law and labels them as criminals.
I love that they included Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad, Bojack Horseman) as Scott Duvall, also known as Powerplex. I really enjoy Paul as a voice actor after Bojack Horseman and I've been waiting for him to do another voiceover role. He's really good with Scott and conveying the guilt and vengance the character feels against Invincible. The episode he's introduced in shows Scotts' perspective of how the aftermath of the first season's finale affected him and others who suffered the destruction in Chicago. Viewers can feel empathetic for him but also see the signs of a disturbed man and his family trying to gain justice. Just, the whole episode is heartbreaking but still fantastic to watch.
One thing that I don't like too much is the post credit scenes when the show leaves off at a random character or story that doesn't really get incorporated into the same season later on. A few examples of this are at the end of season 2 with the two archeologists finding the tomb of Ka-Hor (though they did show up in season 3 for 1 minute) and the original leader of The Order and him being brought back to life. It just feels too confusing and then it's sitting in the back of your mind, not even being addressed. Maybe some patience is needed for those stories to come together but it's not very normal in TV shows to do this. If they do include something early on that is out of the main storyline, it'll usually be hinted at during the season and will play out into the main story towards the end. I will say this method is used often in TV shows in the season finale, moving the story along and keeping an open door for viewers to be engaged and ready for the next season. That I am okay with but using it in the middle and never returning to it just frustrates me.
Overall, I always recommend this show and love finding people who watch the show as well. I think Prime Video has solidified itself in breaking the superhero genre with Invincible and The Boys and showing the morality of these beings. Both shows have similar ideas and have well written stories. Also, I love the song FEEL IT by D4VD from season 2.
Rating: 8/10
