There are few shows that have intense, emotional moments and bloody savage fights within the same episode. “Invincible” is a rare exception. The newly released Season Four features some of the best action in superhero media and masterfully explores themes of regret and forgiveness.
The comic book turned TV show follows Mark Grayson, known as the superhero Invincible on Earth, who quickly realizes that being a superhero comes with making immense sacrifices in a package deal. Soon after getting his powers, his dad, Nolan Grayson, tells Mark he came from the planet Viltrum to take over the Earth. They get into a brutal fight across the world, after which Nolan flew into space. Nolan meets Allen the Alien, who convinces him to join the Coalition of Planets and fight against Planet Viltrum. They eventually come back to Earth, which is where Season Four picks up.
While on Earth, Allen recruits Tech Jacket, a teenage girl who has a power suit of armor. One of the biggest changes from the comics is the gender swap of Tech Jacket. While many disliked this change, the male version of Tech Jacket would have been too similar to Mark, and would have made the team very one-note.
After leaving Earth, the team is attacked by three Viltrumites including Conquest, who Mark previously fought. Mark and Conquest have an intense fight on an unknown planet, with some of the bloodiest action in the show. One of the best production decisions was the removal of all background music and dialogue from the fight, allowing the viewer to hear every grunt, hit and impact while the two have a brawl. These intentional choices helped to emphasize the brutality of the fight. The ending of it is outright disgusting, with several body parts being removed. The relentless fight is one of the best of the entire series. It highlights the savagery of the Viltrumites and makes viewers scared for what is to come.
After the team re-groups, they go to fight the rest of the Viltrumites and Grand Regent Thragg, the most powerful Viltrumite in the universe. Even though Thragg was outnumbered eight to one, it was still the most one-sided fight of the entire series. The fight shows how inhumane he is, depicting several ruthless moments, such as the detachment of one of the Graysons’ arms.. Lee Pace’s standout performance as Thragg, in combination with the battle choreography, makes him an incredibly scary villain.
Despite all the brutal fights, the best part of the newest season was the characterization of Nolan. After leaving the planet at the end of Season One, Nolan goes to the planet Thraxa where he has another kid, Oliver. After so many years of disregarding other life forms under a tyrannical empire, Nolan realises the mistakes in his ways. His reunion with Debbie is heartbreaking as J.K. Simmons and Sandra Oh give a moving performance. It is a real, tear evoking scene that feels raw and earnest. The best part about his redemption is that it does not come immediately, it feels earned and sincere. Nolan’s characterization throughout the show is truly one of a kind.
Simmons and Oh are not the only voice actors that give a standout performance in the show. Steven Yeun, who voices Mark Grayson, or Invincible, gives some of the most emotional and intense voice acting in television. He always is the highlight of any scene, and is especially excellent in the emotional outbursts Mark tends to have. Yeun’s passion can be felt through the screen and is a key reason for the show’s success.
The biggest flaw in “Invincible” is the animation. It weakens the viewing experience of the show and remains to be the biggest critique of the show. It feels like the animation does not match up to the raw emotion the voice actors portray. The often sloppy animation may ruin or push views away from “Invincible,” especially from flying scenes where it looks like a PNG image is being dragged across the screen.
“Invincible” continues to redefine the superhero genre. The show dives deep into the actions and thoughts of the characters, something most other superhero shows avoid. Through deep exploration of characters and themes of regret, it creates characters that viewers actually care about. Every episode is emotional and shocking, and never fails to entertain fans all around the world.
