Invincible
Comic Book: Invincible
Author: Robert Kirkman
Issues: 144
Hard Core Scale: 3/4
Normal Scale: 8/10
Publish Date: 2003
About: Invincible is the son of Omni-man the strongest hero on earth. He waits patiently
for his powers to develop, but someone has killed the guardians of the globe.
Now danger increases into the world and Mark must find great strength and responsibility
facing temptations, horrors, and forgiveness.
Review:
A long haul build up. The strengths are wonderful as Mark (Invincible) develops
and grows as a hero through his trials. Its ultimate themes on forgiveness,
want, and ultimate good strongly used. Its concept of ultimate peace on the
other hand seemingly always turning back towards violence. That did not set well
with me. It is a very violent book. The arguments of what one does in a super
hero comic book world with mortal heroes in immortal bodies and villains is a critique
on the genre that I’m not sure where it sits with me. The genre is often
critiqued in the escalation of violence in heroics. However, what do we lose. That
line between the immortal tale and inspiring heroics, noble bright characters
to embolden us, or ones that debate our mortal lives. Quiet a debate. The world needs heroes to look up to. What is
worth looking up to and healthy help in the imagination of the media consumed. What
is more believable? What is more feelable? That the hero suffers like we all do
or does not? Maybe finishing this after Morrison’s Animal Man might have been a
bad idea. The book is violent. Its character’s
wobble in morality constantly. They fight and squabble and blame each other and
do not listen often. The themes are there, but as expressed by character never
reaches a permanent stability. Spoilers: Despite its violence very few characters’
die. Its hard to feel conflict if there is no long-term consequences. I mean
this again a long-term debate of the genre.
The side cast often randomly
interrupts and does not available much besides a select few. A long-haul comic
and we don’t get a lot of those side characters expressed. Some come from other
Kirkman projects though. There is a few crossovers with other image character’s
which is fun, but per Image’s cannon rules its just for fun show. Still, the
fast over look of the case makes it difficult to care if one should perish. A
lot of it could have been cut and there are some minor plot points that don’t
seem to go anywhere and thus are wasted. The character’s fighting and bitching
also gets old fast. Micro plots do excel over Plot Majorus here. Its where the
comic excels, in the small daily drama. The larger threats of major plot lead
to escalating that drama, but stepping back major plot holes in the weird round
about excuse of certain villain activities. Escalation
propels this comic, which is never healthy for a story. It does take the
correct natural steps to get there though. Some aspects of the epilogue felt a
little rushed as well, but it ends on a good note of author’s promise.
Ultimately a long, but fun
journey with some depth.
