The Amazon Prime smash hit Invincible returned for the remaining eight episodes of its second season. And once again, it soared high and swiftly with the usual stratospheric action, gut-wrenching drama and blood splatter.
In its first half, which premiered in November, this season packed as powerful a punch as its predecessor, brutally deconstructing what it means to be a superhero. But the thrills were paused at the 4th episode and fans had to endure an almost three-month break from one of the best modern superhero outputs of our age.
The Return of Mark Grayson
The last time we saw teen superhero, Mark Grayson (the invincibly talented Steven Yeun), he was recovering from a devastating confrontation with the Viltrumites, intergalactic colonialists and the overarching antagonists of the series. His father (JK Simmons), a Viltrumite who turned rogue, was taken by them. That is all on top of Mark, along with fellow heroes, having to deal with threats on Earth, from Mars and even across alternative realities.
The first of the second half, titled “This Must Come As A Shock”, picked up where we left off. Within 45 minutes, showrunner Robert Kirkman (who also wrote the graphic novel the show is adapted from) slowly reintroduces the team of characters and their plights before an implosion of action and thrills in the last ten minutes. If you were frustrated at the cliffhanger before the hiatus, the ending of this episode may leave you screaming for more, as it did me. Once again, Kirkman follows the ‘Always Leave Them Hungry’ method as I find myself begging for the next week to fly at light speed.
Kirkman’s Unique Approach
In an interview with Variety, Kirkman explained the distinct nature of Invincible in the current superhero craze: “We like to make our episodes feel as eventful and impactful as possible. We also try to play with superhero tropes. [W]e always try to do those things that we haven’t seen and stuff that that we enjoy.” He continues “[W]hen it came to adapting it for the show, we just really lucked out that it ended up falling in this episode. It’s a really great way to kick off the back half of the season.”
In the last ten minutes of the episode, Mark and some of Earth’s mighty defenders fend off a Martian warship and its body-snatching crew. But then we have two faceoffs for the price of one. Back on Earth, the remaining supes, including scene-stealer Rex Splode (Jason Mantzoukas), are left to deal with a violent cult dubbed the Lizard League.
Flipping Clichés on Their Heads
Kirkman uses this twosome climax as part of his rejuvenation of the genre. He states “Like [Rex Splode] says in the episode, “Come on, two big things happening at once? That never happens.” And if you read comics as long as I’ve read comics, it gives you this sense of, like, are the villains coordinating? Why is one guy attacking on this day and another attacking on this day? There’s never a time when two guys decide to attack on the same day.
Villains such as these are no strangers to superhero serials. Whether from the Adam West Batman of the 60s to the CW’s The Flash (2014-23), heroes need time off the primary threats to deal with the ‘bum of the month’. Invincible, however, flips that cliché on its head and makes the Lizard League far more destructive a threat, resulting in what could be some long-lasting trauma for the rest of the season (no spoilers here!).
Defying Superhero Tropes
Whereas superhero output has become mostly stale this decade thus far, Invincible has shown its action to be visceral (and gory) and have its heroes suffer and perhaps even lose. Season one’s fifth episode saw Mark take on a group of what looked to be street-level threats, only to be beaten within an inch of his life (have not seen Marvel or DC do that lately). And now Kirkman plays his hand again, making audiences fearful at every minute for the safety of these characters, even with their powers. Rex, amid the carnage, even utters “This isn’t happening!”, Kirkman’s way of telling the next generation of comic-book writers that just because you have powers doesn’t mean you aren’t vulnerable.
Stellar Performances
The following three retain the strengths, thanks to the brilliance of its cast. Steven Yeun is perfection as he embodies teenage Mark’s insecurities and vulnerability with almost contemptuous ease, despite being in his forties. But Emmy nominated Sandra Oh is the pick of the litter, playing Mark’s mother, Debbie, who gives viewers insight into the domestic side of superhero life. Through her, much of the emotional drama unfolds.
Sterling K Brown becomes the main villain this season and for the most part operates as the king in chess; a background player before making dominant moves toward the end. His character introduces the multiverses to Invincible, a concept that other superhero content have already introduced. It is something that has become repetitive but Kirkman and his team once again find a fresh angle around it, simultaneously making K Brown’s villain an ominous yet tragic presence, almost of Shakespearean routes.
Anticipating the Future
Whatever the next set of seasons of Invincible bring, Kirkman leaves us with much promise: There’s so much yet to come. I’m really excited for people to see where we’re going, what we’re doing, and how we’ll leave things in Season 2, knowing that Season 3 is on the horizon.”
Thus, we can expect more bloodshed and trauma for unlucky Mark and his friends in their exploits as superheroes. The series streams on Amazon Prime and stars Steven Yeun (Beef), JK Simmons (Spider-Man), Sandra Oh (Killing Eve), Zazie Bates (Joker), Sterling K Brown (This is Us) and Jason Mantzoukas (Brooklynn 99).
