Book Cover

Stupid evil space empire— I’ve got homework I need to be doing.

# Review

This comic series follows Mark Grayson, a high schooler whose father is the Earth's most powerful superhero Omni-Man. When Mark gains his superpowers, he takes on the persona of Invincible. The comic follows Invincible's adventures protecting Earth as a superhero, as well as Mark's coming-of-age story, dealing with family, friends, and school.

While on the surface the comic may seem to be filled with many superhero tropes, the almost equal focus on Mark's personal life outside of being Invincible helps develop Mark (and other main characters) in a far more heartfelt and comprehensive manner. Of course, the core selling point is still the superhero antics, and while the focus on Mark's personal life adds more colour and depth to the story, it does slow the pacing of the superhero side of the plot. Still, the superhero story is epic and escalates both in violence and scope of the conflicts. I also like how, while there are somewhat distinct story arcs, each arc builds upon and references other arcs, weaving an intricate universe.

It almost feels like Kirkman wrote the story for existing superhero comic fans, such as layering in meta-humour about writing comics.

There are also many spin-offs based on the Invincible universe:

# Tech Jacket

First published in 2002, technically this "spin-off precedes Invincible by a bit. It follows the origin story of the superhero Tech Jacket and features some of the signature Invincible coming-of-age elements. It was later relaunched in 2014. Both spin-offs add some colour to one of the Invincible side characters and are just OK.

# Brit

Like Tech Jacket, Brit follows the side story of another side superhero as well as exploring the shady world of Cecil.

# Capes

This spin-off follows the superhero for hire organization the Capes. While marginal, I liked the humour of superheroes clocking in for work like they're working an office job.

# The Pact

This spin-off is a crossover between Invincible and three other teenage superheroes from other Image Comics works. While the story is insignificant, I like how the creator of each of the four heroes take turns writing from their hero's perspective.

# The Astounding Wolf-Man

Yet another spin-off focused on one side superhero. This is probably one of the most substantial spin-offs as it delves into the full character arc of a werewolf superhero. While the characterization is weaker than the main line comics, it's still an entertaining read.

# Invincible Presents: Atom Eve & Rex Splode

This is a two-part spin-off that explores the backstories of some of the main series most substantial characters. The writing and art were both not as good as the main line comics, but still entertaining to explore the two's backstory (and relationship).

# SuperPatriot: America's Fighting Force

Technically the most loosely associated with the main line comics, the story follows an aging superhero from the Image Comics universe created by Kirkman and Walker in the past. It's a minor spin-off without much consequence.

# Guarding the Globe

This is a more direct tie-in with the main Invincible story, and follows Brit as he tries to assemble a new Guardians of the Globe team. Guarding the Globe introduces many new characters, including one of my favourite, the blindfolded marksman Best Tiger. Many of the newly introduced characters appear in the main Invincible plot later (as minor characters and cameos).

# Invincible Universe

A follow-up of Guarding the Globe, this spin-off continues to follow the new Guardians of the Globe after Dinosaurus' attack, as the heroes try to pick up the fallen pieces in the aftermath. As with Guarding the Globe, this series continues to give some of the minor characters more spotlight. It's entertaining albeit inconsequential.

# Conclusion

A heartfelt but still satisfying superhero comic with rich world-building.

# Overall rating: 8.1

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