Invincible!
About two years ago I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker at my local comic shop. This was the first time I’d had a chance to meet any famous creators since I met Alex Ross (and if I stick around long enough, I might just tell you all the story about how that one meeting led me to feel contempt for the man), and it was great. I got my books signed, I got my trades signed, Kirkman drew Omni-Man into the credits page of my volume one hardcover, and Walker drew Invincible right next to him. Kirkman even got to rag on the buddy I brought with me for calling Walker a “draw-er”. A wonderful experience that left me as a lifetime fan of his.
Walking Dead. Brit. Battle Pope. Marvel Team Up. Ant Man. Ultimate X-Men. I’ve read them all, I’ve enjoyed most of them (stupid Ultimate X-Men).
I cheered the man when he made Image partner.
But, to me Robert Kirkman will always be synonymous with a single thing.
Mark Grayson.
Invincible.
I was asked to write a guest review so that the big men upstairs could see how I did. So what better book to write my first review for then the book that reminds me so often why I love comics?
For those of you who don’t know, Invincible is the story about Mark Grayson, your average high school student who’s dad happens to be Omni-Man, more or less the Superman of this world. Mark is half human, and half Viltrumite. When his powers manifested he started going out to fight crime with his dad as well as the Teen Team. One of the early twists for the book is that Omni-Man is actually evil, and was on Earth to take over. He beat his son close to death before leaving the planet permanently, tears in his eyes. Mark joined up with Cecil Stedman, head of the Global Defense Agency, and began picking up the slack.
Mark still tries to be your average guy, but it’s not always that easy. Ever try being a college student with a device in your ear barking orders on where you’re needed to save the world? I mean, I’ve done the college thing, and exams are hard enough without needing to run out of class to fight giant monsters and space aliens.
But this isn’t a column where I sum up the life and times, this is a sum up of the last five issues
The cast:
Before I get into the actual review, I think it might help to establish just who these people are.
Atom Eve – Samantha Eve Wilkins. One of the first people Mark met in the super hero community, and she also was one of his classmates. The two have been romantically tense around each other as far back as her first appearance. It’s been obvious that one day the two would be together. That they belonged together. Her powers give her the ability to manipulate matter at the sub-atomic level. She doesn’t like her dinner? She makes it into something else. Someone shoots at her? The bullets can turn into whatever she wants.
The Guardians of the Globe – Originally a JLA analogue, they’re the worlds greatest heroes.
Viltrum – Imagine a Krypton that didn’t blow up, and instead is populated by a very Saiyan (a DBZ reference that pains me to make) like race that goes around conquering worlds. They’re very long lived, and the men all have mustaches. One Viltrumite can take out a planet, three is Armageddon.
Omni-Man – Nolan Grayson, Mark’s father. He infiltrated Earth and pretended to be a hero so he could get the world ready for conquering, though along the way he found that he loved the world and his family too much, so he chose to fly away never to return rather then conquer the world.
Cecil Stedman – Head of the Global Defense Agency, with a very noticeable scar on his face. His priorities center around saving the world, and he’s willing to make deals with the devil to insure that he can do his job.
DA Sinclair – A genius that Mark went to college with who was turning corpses into incredibly strong reanimated, armored zombies named Reanimen.
Oliver Grayson – Mark’s half brother from a different planet, he ages far quicker then an Earthling would (as on his home world an entire lifetime is only nine months), but his aging seems to have slowed down thanks to his Viltrumite blood. Despite being under a year old, he appears to be somewhere between eight and ten, and has already developed powers.
Titan – A former thug capable of encasing his body in super strong, near invulnerable rock. Convinced Mark to help him take down his former boss, but secretly took over his organization afterwards.
Allen the Alien – A Champion Evaluation Officer who works for the Coalition of Planets, it’s his job to fly to planets and make sure that they’re top hero is strong enough to make a difference for the planet. He befriend Mark after the two chose to talk instead of fight in an early issue.
Debbie Grayson – Mark’s all too understanding human mother.
And now, a sum up of 47-50
One of the best things about Invincible is that even when the books seem to be all over the place, everything ties together. At the start of 47 we’re treated to an opening scene setting up a future team up with Omni-Man and Allen the Alien against the Viltrumite empire, before transitioning into more of the slow build for Titan’s rise to power in the Order (something Mark inadvertently caused, not realizing the depth of the evil he thought he knew). An incredibly touching scene with Robot and Monster Girl (two members of the Guardians), that’s easily cuter then it has any right to be as these two are arguably two of the oldest characters in the book and yet neither looks older then a preteen makes for this reviewers highlight of the issue.
The fight of the issue is Invincible taking on Tether Tyrant and Magmaniac (two recurring villains on par with most Spider-Man bad guys), with Oliver watching and wanting to join in. The hero worship he has for his older brother growing clearer and clearer, and setting up the new status quo that came into place with the most recent issue. Oliver has developed from Mark’s quick aging, and occasionally annoying, little brother into very much the same character as Mark. They love their father, they want to do right by him, and they want to help people. But the true point of this issue comes at the end, as it sets up for the next three. DA Sinclair is making his Reanimen for Cecil. Each with an American flag on their shoulder.
The next two issues feature virtually every Image hero fighting and being captured by Doc Seismic; from the Savage Dragon, to Brit, to Dynamo 5, to Capes, to the Astounding Wolf Man, to the Guardians of the Globe. Kirkman does a remarkable job tying the universe together to give the shared universe feel that you expect from Marvel or DC.
It turns into my personal favorite team up, Invincible and Atom Eve, trying to save everybody. Of course, the two go down pretty quickly to set up for issue 49’s big moment of Darkwing leading the Reanimen in to save the day. An action that, understandably, pisses Mark off. DA Sinclair was supposed to have been incarcerated after Mark captured him, having turned one of his friends into a Reanimen. Likewise, Darkwing was someone that Mark captured as well for being a crime fighter that was killing more people then he was saving, one driven completely mad by Midnight City (think Gotham City, but without daylight due to magic).
Mark is surprised to find that Cecil suppressed the news about both incidents in order to keep both working for him, and confronting Cecil leads to the big issue of #50. Mark versus the government. Cecil sics the Reanimen on him, and reveals that he’s always figured Mark would turn on them, and proceeds to activate a small device secretly implanted into Mark’s ear that would knock off his equilibrium.
By the end of the big brawl of the issue, the Guardians are seemingly disbanded as the majority of the team leaves in protest to what Cecil did and goes to form their own team (Immortal, Dupli-Kate, Black Samson, and Shape Smith choosing to remain with Cecil), and Mark finally admitting and accepting his feelings for Eve, putting together the couple that fans of the book have been clamoring for since the beginning.
Bout time
Where does this leave the book as it goes into #51?
It’s new status quo time as the former Guardians move back into the old Teen Team headquarters and Eve returns home from Africa to be with Mark. But there’s more beyond that. Mark finally changes his costume (which leads to him being called ‘Invinciboy’ on the news), and takes on Oliver as his side kick (Kid Omni-Man!).
It’s the start of something new, just as Kirkman has been great about since the beginning. The book is constantly changing in ways to both satisfy long time readers, as well as make things simple enough for any random person to buy an issue and not feel like they’re being bogged down by continuity.
Sharp and witty writing by someone who obviously has a grand master plan, and never wastes a panel. Beautiful art by Ryan Ottley (with the occasional work by Cory Walker which never hurts the book). Those who read it can understand why the cover proudly proclaims “Probably the Best Superhero comic in the universe”, and those who don’t….pick up an issue and you’ll understand the magic that is Invincible.
The Gold Standard
