Regardless of the genre, Robert Kirkman always has something of value to say. In addition to penning the Walking Dead comic, he is also the mind behind superhero franchise Invincible.
In the wake of superhero fatigue consuming the nation, Kirkman joins the likes of Garth Ennis’ The Boys to note the logistical and emotional difficulties of living in a world with superheroes. Not everyone can be Superman or Captain America. Many times, absolute power corrupts absolutely. So Mark Grayson learns after seeing who his father truly is. Nolan Grayson — or Omni-Man to the common people — is an alien from the planet Viltrum who demonstrates Kryptonian-level powers. But unlike Clark Kent, Nolan is only interested in world domination. Vultrumintes pride themselves on colonizing planets, and Mark was just another step in that process. He very quickly understands that his father is the villain of this story ⏤ and he has the scars to prove it.
As Mark learns to develop his power and take on the alter-ego Invincible, he understands where his father went wrong and what he has to do to defeat him. The story was adapted for Amazon Prime, with Steven Yeun and J.K. Simmons cast as Mark and Nolan, respectively, and it’s garnered great success, which has increased the desire for seasons to be released promptly. There was a significant gap between seasons 1 and 2 – though to be fair, there was also a pandemic sandwiched between them. Creatives promise that season 3 will come out at a faster pace than season 2, but until then, fans can satisfy themselves by picking up the many volumes of Kirkman’s series.
The many volumes of Invincible
Invincible was initially published for Image Comics in 2003 and after 144 issues, concluded in 2018. Unlike a certain popular fantasy series that shall remain nameless, Kirkman’s series was finalized before the adaptation process began. For fans wanting to know how everything turns out before the rest of the show airs, this should be beneficial.
The issues have been combined into trade paperbacks, totaling 25 volumes. Most volumes get their names from family sitcoms, a clever wink at this gut-punching, cliff-throwing family. For those interested in an even more concise collection, readers can collect the Invincible Compendiums, which gather the main story into three large volumes.
Other volumes outside the collection have also required their own books. Invincible Universe Vol. 1 collects Atom Eve and Rex Splode stories and Guarding the Globe. Invincible Presents: Atom Eve & Rex Splode contains stories exclusively about the two heroes. All this to say, there is more than enough content to satisfy readers before the premiere of season 3.
