‘Invincible’ and the Self-Contained Superhero Universe
A complete saga in a single series
Invincible draws plenty of inspiration from DC and Marvel, but it pulls off something that the Big Two simply aren’t designed for.
The Image series introduces an already-in-progress superhero universe, though not with any intent of launching a sprawling series of interconnected titles. No, for the most part, Invincible is just one long-running series, which kicked off in 2003 and concluded in 2018. You can start at issue #1 (or volume one of the collected editions) and read straight through to the final issue, #144.
Teenager Mark Grayson is the son of Omni-Man, who is basically the Superman of this world. Mark’s powers finally manifest in the first issue, and he adopts the superhero identity Invincible. However (and SPOILER ALERT for the early issues), Omni-Man is not the benevolent do-gooder he had pretended to be. He’s actually an advance scout for a race of immensely powerful aliens who intend to conquer the Earth, as they have many other planets. Mark must defy his own father—who’s far stronger and more experienced—to protect everyone else he knows and loves.
It’s classic YA coming-of-age stuff, but the book is not for kids. Action scenes depict graphic, bloody violence—not for shock value, but to more accurately reflect how these super-fights might actually play out. This is a superhero universe that never knew the Comics Code Authority.
So far, I’ve read the first compendium, which collects issues #0 through #47. Story-wise, it mostly lines up with the first two seasons of the animated adaptation on Amazon Prime, although the show changed some details and adjusted the pacing for the different medium. I’ll probably get the next compendium around the time the third season airs. (Or perhaps I should say “drops” to use the current terminology. How did we go from airing to dropping? Are streaming shows heavier?)
The comic has a single writer and only two main artists, giving it a consistent look and feel. Robert Kirkman (of The Walking Dead fame) wrote the entire series. Co-creator Corey Walker drew the first seven issues, and Ryan Ottley drew most of the remainder of the series.
As far as I know, there’s no need to keep track of any crossovers or guest appearances. Invincible spawned a handful of spin-off miniseries, and a few short-lived Kirkman titles were folded into its universe, but those books appear to be supplemental (I knew nothing about them, and I was never lost while reading the first 47 issues). Despite its many colorful characters, this superhero universe has an undisputed center of gravity: Mark Grayson. Invincible requires no homework.
All of this makes for a reader-friendly experience, which can be a challenge for superhero series that have been running for decades.
If, for example, someone wanted to start reading Spider-Man comics, where should they start? The original 1960s issues of Amazing Spider-Man were among the best of that decade, but they’re rather dated by today’s standards. So, where else might a newcomer jump in? If we’re sticking with the main Marvel continuity, it would be open to debate. Outside of the main continuity, Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley would be the best bet, as it breaks free of the usual continuity restraints to reboot and modernize Spider-Man for a new audience. Start at the first issue or first volume and read on through to the final issue, #160, with only a couple of changes in artists along the way. In that sense, it’s comparable to Invincible.
Invincible’s self-contained superhero universe opens up storytelling possibilities that are harder to pull off in the traditional shared-universe context. We can assume that the title character will survive for a good long while, but no one else is safe (and I wouldn’t exactly call Mark safe).
This is the one take on the “evil Superman” trope that actually works for me. First of all, Omni-Man is not Superman; he’s just a rough analog with enough clear differences to qualify as his own character. The book isn’t about Omni-Man failing to live up to his superhero image. It’s about Mark trying to live up to the superhero ideal despite the failings and deceit of his father. Mark needs to work through one of the worst betrayals a teen can endure and still aspire to super-heroic greatness himself.
And Omni-Man isn’t purely evil. We get the sense that his time undercover on Earth has affected him—not enough to abandon his mission altogether, but enough for a few scruples to gradually develop. Again, I’ve read only the first third of the series, but I am indeed curious to see where this goes. Omni-Man is most certainly not a one-note villain.
The cast includes a nice mix of superheroes and civilians, which helps round out Mark’s character as well as the world he inhabits.
We get some interesting superheroes with punny names, like Atom Eve and Rex Splode, but they’re primarily supporting characters in this book—they are not the leads of their own ongoing titles. Invincible does not need to coordinate with other titles the same way a typical Marvel or DC book often needs to. Also unlike mainstream Marvel and DC titles, Invincible is creator-owned. It has free rein to do with its characters whatever it pleases. (Let the characters beware.)
The civilian characters keep things grounded just enough, even as storylines take us into outer space or other realities. There’s the obligatory best friend, William, and girlfriend, Amber, both of whom benefit from the additional attention they receive in the animated series. Mark’s mother, Debbie, is every bit as affected by her husband’s betrayal as her son is, if not more. More than anyone else, she gives the series a human frame of reference.
The series constantly builds on itself. Each issue, even if it ends on a cliffhanger, is a satisfying read with enough substance and progression to feel complete. Smaller stories snowball into the overarching narrative as the book heads toward a definitive conclusion.
The never-ending battle suits Superman, but sometimes it’s nice to have a beginning, middle, and end within a single series.
Great read, I really enjoyed the first series on Prime, but am yet to watch the second and start reading the comics
I will defo pick them up though!
While the graphic violence is what makes this series especially striking, it's also notable for exploring some alternative solutions that you don't see in most superhero stories. Later in the series, there's a fascinating focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment, looking at how people can try to work together to make the world/universe a better place instead of engaging in increasingly destructive battles. Plus, it gets larger and larger in scale, leading to some really epic events. I don't love everything that Kirkman has done, but I feel comfortable saying that this is his masterpiece.