Another comic book receives a streaming adaptation in Amazon’s Invincible. The show arrives courtesy of The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman. Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley base the show on Skybound/Image comic of the same name. Invincible is an adult animated superhero show that revolves around seventeen-year-old Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun). He is just like every other guy his age — except that his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons).
I had a chance to preview the first three Invincible episodes, and so far, I am impressed with the show. The strength in the show for me was the setup of Mark’s character. Episode 1 bears the title “It’s About Time” and cleverly sets up an introduction to Mark and correlates superhero powers with puberty. While I will not spoil it, I advise viewers to stay through the credits of Episode 1. A great stinger sets up where the course of the show may ultimately go.
Episodes 2 and 3 also highlight Mark’s training and his inexperience as a hero. The writers also find time to set romances for Mark in Amber (Zazie Beetz) and fellow teen hero Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs). Kudos to the writer for their realistic handling of the so-called love triangle, as it avoids typical clichés. While the show is animated, I want to point out that it is extremely violent. Regarding the voice work, the cast brings their A-Game, and while I knew who was portraying certain characters, all of the actors disappear into the voice work.
With an animation style that harks back to the nineties, Invincible’s first three episodes are worth the view. A successful mix of action, teen angst, and comedy will please fans and non-fans of the source material.
Final Grade: B +
Invincible’s first three episodes will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on March 26, 2021. The rest will follow weekly
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