Following what critics would say was a lackluster second season, Robert Kirkman’s “Invincible” season 3 surpassed audiences’ expectations, noting itself for its introspective storytelling and finely crafted characters, as well as some noteworthy action scenes.
“Invincible” is an animated series available on Prime Video that adapts Robert Kirkman’s comic into a multiple part series for viewers to enjoy. The show parades itself as a parody of modern superhero stories while exploring some of the more grim and realistic aspects of being a superhero. “Invincible” is gory, full of twists and surprisingly deep.
Robert Kirkman explained how he prepared the tone of season three and the show at its core. “It’s tough. We definitely want to give you the sense of gravity so that you know anyone could die at any time and that the stakes in the show are real, but it is a bit of a balancing act to make sure that the show doesn’t get unrelentingly dark. I think that there is an overall fun tone to the show,” Kirkman commented.
The story continues with Mark Grayson (voiced by Steven Yeun), or “Invincible,” training after being reminded time and time again that he doesn’t have what it takes to stop the impending Viltrumite invasion. Additionally, season 3 introduces Mark’s half-brother as a character rather than a plot point, the boy being named Oliver (voiced by Christian Convery).
As the season progresses, viewers observe Mark training Oliver just as his father had. Though, instead Mark teaches him to protect humans rather than slaughter them, marking a parallel to his father’s lessons. However, Kirkman chooses to develop Oliver to share similar opinions as their father, questioning the importance of a singular human life.
While dealing with Oliver and a falling-out with Cecil (voiced by Walton Goggins), the Director of the Global Defense Agency (GDA), Mark finds himself overwhelmed, struggling to maintain control and protect those he loves. In “Invincible” season 3, a myriad of villains are reintroduced, each highlighting one of “Invincible’s” few weaknesses.
In the third season, “Invincible” makes several significant changes compared to the prior season. For instance, the new season follows a more traditional release schedule of releasing one episode every week, compared to season two’s block schedule. Many fans claimed the season two schedule detracted from the story and lessened audience engagement.
Additionally, the season’s story flows with a more understandable ease, whereas the previous season felt irrelevant at times, exploring side stories without giving much care to the main plotline.
One complaint, however, was that the show’s animation wasn’t worthy of its lofty budget. Many found the animation in season three lackluster at times, clearly saving its budget for the big fights in the final two episodes.
A show like “Invincible,” a heavy-hitter for Prime and among the most popular animated series today, deserves every bit of budget it can get and shouldn’t have to save itself for the last two episodes. Every episode should be consistent in quality and that wasn’t observed with the animation in season three.
Senior Isaac Neumann, a newly persuaded “Invincible fan,” praises the third season while criticizing the last. “I enjoyed the third season. I felt like this one advanced the main plot a lot more and generally was less episodic. I thought that the action in the last couple of episodes was completely insane as well,” Neumann commented.
Relating to the broader themes of “Invincible” and exploring the creator’s rhetorical purpose, “Invincible” explores the Hero’s Dilemma a lot more in season three. Questions arise of who a super-powered being should save. “Invincible,” however, offers a twist on the Hero’s Dilemma.
For Mark, his father had preached to him in the past two seasons that human lives were of no significance compared to the eternity he faced.. In season three, Mark has to grapple with the fact that he is immortal and is forced to make a decision.
Kirkman also uses the redemption of Omni-Man (voiced by J.K. Simmons), Mark’s father, and Oliver, his half-brother, to establish characters had this worldview. . In a side-plot involving Omni-Man and an alien named Allen (voiced by Seth Rogan), the two work together to break out of a Viltrumite prison with Omni-Man ultimately learning he was misled in his beliefs.
To further convey his rhetorical purpose, Kirkman uses the child-like views of Oliver, bring new to the world in every sense, by comparing his view to Omni-Man’s and recounting them as similar.
By doing this, Omni-Man’s ideology is broken down into inconsistency where his views simply don’t make sense, and through this, he’s redeemed.
All in all, “Invincible’s” new season continues to break down the superhero genre at its core. As plans for a fourth season are already underway, fans prepare for how Mark’s dilemma will be developed and how Omni-Man will finally be counted as a superhero rather than a villain.
