Invincible

Another title by Robert Kirkman? Indeed. After reading The Walking Dead, I decided to try Kirkman's other Image title, Invincible. I had to pick up the first three trades to catch up but the stories have been great. Kirkman really has a talent for writing character-driven comic books. Invincible is almost on the opposite end of the spectrum when compared the Kirkman's zombie-filled drama.

Invincible is about the trials and tribulations of Mark Grayson. Mark is the son of Omni Man, Earth's greatest superhero. As the son of a superhero, Mark inherits his father's Superman-like powers and he is introduced to the world of superheroes and villains.

Mark learns to use his super powers and makes rookie mistakes but he has his father there to help guide and mentor him. That is, until his father is revealed to be a member of an alien race of conquerors. Mark's father was assigned to Earth so he could prepare it for it's eventual assimilation. This makes Omni Man Earth's number one enemy and Mark makes the faithful decision to confront his father.

There's more after that but I don't want to ruin too much of the story for you. Kirkman writes Invincible like a teen superhero soap opera. There's lots of sleeping around, betrayal, breakdowns, broken hearts and the occasional superhero/super-villain fight. A contrast from mainstream superhero books where the hero knows his mission and protects Earth from evil, Kirkman portrays Mark as a naive young superhero who makes many mistakes and pays for them dearly. Although Mark is near invulnerable, he has been beaten up severely several times already in the series.

It's these little weaknesses that Kirkman writes into his characters that make his comic books so appealing. I enjoy reading about flawed characters and how they deal with their own weaknesses. I guess it also helps that Kirkman doesn't have 30 years of history behind his characters. So he is able to be as creative as he wants to be with no editorial interference.

The series was first illustrated by Cory Walker but Ryan Ottley took over the drawing chores starting with issue #9. Both artists have similar styles so the transition wasn't too noticeable. The art is clean and I think it fits the series very well. Also, unlike The Walking Dead, Invincible is in full colour. This makes a big difference as the colours used are vibrant and really add to the superhero feeling of the book.

Image Comics was founded by the best artists in the world. I'm amazed at how it has really transformed itself from a company producing eye candy to a serious independent comic book publisher. I really enjoy reading superhero series set in a new universe. With DC and Marvel, there's two much history to really tamper with the status quo. When Superman dies, you KNOW he'll come back. In creator owned universes, there isn't that necessary adherence to the status quo. Titles like Savage Dragon and Invincible take this advantage and use it to attract its readers.

The only real issue I have with the title is that it's publishing schedule is nearing bi-monthly. I really don't know how long it takes to produce a comic book, but with Robert Kirkman taking on more titles, I wonder sometimes if he has too much work on his hands now. Let's just hope Kirkman doesn't become like Frank Cho, who abandoned his Liberty Meadows once he got an exclusive with Marvel.

Fans looking for a superhero title that mirrors Superman, New Avengers or something similar, I'd suggest you avoid this book. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes to try something different or enjoys The Walking Dead or any of the other titles Kirkman writes (Ultimate X-Men, Marvel Zombies).

Dragoncrypt - 2/26/2006