Invincible

[Hans]

I really liked #50, but I also thought the ending was really abrupt. All of the exchanges between Cecil and Mark were ****ing perfect, though. Easily some of the best scenes in the entire series.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

I do what I can Anubis, I do what I can...

 

[Anubis]

Theres a special place in hell for people like you. I'll probably be right there next to you.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Word Although just to let you know I am driving there. I already arranged it and everything

 

[Anubis]

Okay, but when you hit that highway to hell, remember not to pick up any hitchikers. Unless you wanna be raped by Judas, or Hitler or John Wayne.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

What about Charlton Heston? I can pick him up right?

 

[Anubis]

Whatever you do....DO NOT PICK UP HESTON!

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

 

[Anubis]

I mean, sure he tells great stories, and will offer you cool guns....but is that worth the anal trauma? No. I think not.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Well I don't know how cool his stories would be, plus he would probably sign me up for a lifetime membership with the NRA. Not cool at all.

 

[The_Mystery]

Can someone tell me exactly what happens in Invincible #50? I would appreciate it, thanks.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Look at the cover and bam. There you go. That's pretty much what happens. No real surprises.

 

[JackBauer]

Well, it was pretty much what everyone expected, save for a couple of things, like [blackout]some of the other heroes following Mark, and Mark and Eve finally getting on[/blackout].

It didn't have the same shock factor as the Nolan thing did (then again, almost nothing ever does), but it did leave me wanting more as much as that issue did.

Now all we need is Nolan teaming up with Allen to kick some Viltrumite a$$.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Well, it was pretty much what everyone expected, save for a couple of things, like [blackout]some of the other heroes following Mark, and Mark and Eve finally getting on[/blackout].

It didn't have the same shock factor as the Nolan thing did (then again, almost nothing ever does), but it did leave me wanting more as much as that issue did.

Now all we need is Nolan teaming up with Allen to kick some Viltrumite a$$.

Word

 

[Dread]

Reposting my review:

INVINCIBLE #50: After long delays and a horribly delayed schedule (this issue was once solicted for Jan. 2008), Kirkman's Image franchise reaches the half-century mark. We get a double sized issue for $4.99 that naturally resolves some questions and leaves things in a new status quo. I will admit, it isn't nearly as earth-shattering as taggers would have you believe. Part of that is probably due to delays, and the fact that this development was a natural progression from revelations made over the past 5-6 issues. You expected this to happen, and it did. No surprises here, really. Frankly, no shocker in this series will ever top the Omni-Man reveal, but I like that Kirkman tries. Note there is a difference between a "shocker" and a "story". There are stories in Invincible I've enjoyed more than the reveal after that first year, but MAN, that was a nice status-quo breaker.

This one feels more like another stage in maturation. By that I mean

Spoiler

Mark no longer taking Cecil at face value upon discovering the man has some deep skeletons in his closet to protect the world. Another quibble is that a lot of the drama depends on you being shocked, SHOCKED, that a government run agency tasked with defending the world would do shady things with shady people to do so. This has been a comic book staple for about 40+ years, and especially within the past eight (and extra especially after CIVIL WAR). Heck, you'd probably have a harder time finding a major franchise storyline in which a government agency proved to NOT be corrupt or borderline wicked. Granted, this is a classic fictional staple precisely because these things go hand in hand. INVINCIBLE has often been an homage to superhero stories as much as it is one itself, and this is probably no exception.

What works is naturally the execution, the lines, and of course, the art of Ryan Ottley.

Faced with a new generation of Reanimen made by a Pentagon-hired D.A. Sinclair (in addition to the murderous Darkwing being on the payroll), Mark demands accountability, deeming it a conflict of morality. Especially since, well, Cecil once ordered Mark to take Darkwing down, as well as the Reanimen. Cecil sees it as putting to use figures that would otherwise rot in prison, especially during an emergency. Mark sees it as an injustice to their victims, living and dead. Mark is hopelessly outnumbered by Reanimen, especially as it turns out that the mic that Cecil implanted into Mark's ear way back in HC #1 actually has a fail-safe that hurts him by basically bombarding his equilibrium, which is more sensitive than a normal man due to him needing to fly. This, actually, felt like a logical sort of weakness (rather than plot convenient stuff like green rocks) and the beating Invincible gets naturally has that Kirkman trademark brutality, even if a bit brief. In attempting to outfly Cecil and his remote control, Mark crashes into the Guardians' base and the team is quickly split over battling Cecil. Cecil, for his part, overreacts and has his Reanimen attack the team even when he could have still tried to reason with them (or at least some of them). Robot saves Mark from the device and the young Viltrumite is officially "fired" from government service. The scene from the cover comes into play when Mark angrilly threatens Cecil to not go near his family, especially his brother, Oliver. On the other hand, the Grayson family will have to survive without Cecil's payroll or connections (like Oliver's teacher), just at a time when Mark decided to drop out of college.

Despite the quibbles, this is a major shift. Cecil has been Mark's mentor and "boss" since Omni-Man turned traitor, and seeing the old man's darker sides naturally is another mountain to overcome. It means that Mark will have to stand on his own and not rely on the fed to bail him out. With Anyssa waiting on the sidelines for Mark to lose his faith in humanity, that Viltrumite War could not be coming at a worse time for him.

The Guardians are split, with Robot seeking to reorganize the old Teen Team, but the issue ends on a positive note as Mark & Eve FINALLY get it on. The final panel is classic Kirkman and very funny.

The back up stories include an origin for Cecil, and it proved to be a good one as ironically, Cecil was a "by the books" moralist like Mark until the rigors of reality set in.

Cory Walker returns to pen the first installment of a Science Dog strip, and it was quirky fun, and I hope there is more of it, a la' CAPES.

INVINCIBLE is still my favorite superhero book overall, but hopefully the schedule improves. It also is a shame that Crabtree the colorist is officially leaving the franchise. Godspeed.

 

[HR-PUFF&STUFF]

i loved 50, to bad i had to wait to get it tho.

 

[Dread]

I hope the gap between issues can shorten somewhat.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

I doubt it.

 

[drastic_quench]

I'm back. From outer space....

So now that issue 50 has hit the stands,
The Complete Invincible Library Volume 2

can't be far behind. Right? RIGHT? Man, I love those collections.

 

[P.F. Geraci]

The new colorist has got to go.

 

[echostation]

new issue is quite good although slow... more like filler stuff, i love the ending though

 

[Dread]

Reposting my review, with spoilers.

INVINCIBLE #51: My favorite superhero comic, it has also become plagued by massive delays. This issue was solicted last year, and is maybe 3-6 months behind schedule. Granted, Ottley takes a few weeks to draw every issue, but Kirkman often assumes blame for lateness, too. After all, he also writes about 5-6 more comics in addition to this. Hopefully things can get more on track since Kirkman is no longer on ULTIMATE X-MEN, although he is working on a DESTROYER Max Mini. Still, while Kirkman is a nice guy and all, it does get grating after a while to get a new issue about 3 months instead of monthly, which it should be. The fact that Kirkman will be taking on more duties at Image may contribute to this problem.

The climatic issue #50 is over and the resolution to that break-up of the Global Guardians over Cecil's gray morality.

Spoiler

Rex, Robot, Monster Girl, Bulletproof, and Eve move back into their old digs, but debate on a name. But most of the issue focuses on Mark and his little brother Oliver "training" together, especially with flying. It reminded me of earlier issues where Mark is training with his father or even learning from him. Even when they were fighting the Viltrumites on Mantis World, Nolan did try to teach Mark how to use his powers. This allows Mark to pass on his knowledge to Oliver and without saddling him with a marriage (yet), it allows a sense of legacy to enter the equation. There are the hints of tensions to mount, moreso than just Oliver's eagerness. Unlike Mark, Oliver never saw the "dark side" of Nolan and wants to honor him to more of a blatant degree than Mark does. This could lead to a conflict when Nolan inevitably returns to their lives. Oliver's half-Mantis DNA also allows him to improve at a faster rate than Mark did at comparable age and I wonder if Oliver could surpass Mark before long. The kid gets an Art-designed costume (even if the codename is still up for debate). No longer able to rely on Cecil for Intel, Mark basically is reduced to his mother calling him about breaking news stories, which has to feel like a drag.

Titan sets out to fulfill the request of his fellow "Order" mobsters by freeing Multi-Paul from prison with some goons, who Oliver and Invincible (in his new blue/black costume) thwart, but not before Oliver's overeagerness almost gets him killed. Meanwhile, the Mauler twins make their return, Mrs. Grayson's new boyfriend learns about Mark's superhero identity, and the final page reveals a seemingly dead villain who is very much alive.

This is FCO Plascencia's first issue on coloring after Crabtree's exit and he works well enough with Ottley's pencils, although it does take some getting used to. The Jim Lee cover seemed like a bit of a stunt, but it good for a book like INVINCIBLE to get some sort of big league attention. Mark's new costume takes a bit getting used to, considering he is using the same color scheme as Blue Beetle now (another teen hero book I read), and while Art's defense of it sounded like Kirkman trying to convince the audience, I'm not completely sold. Still, it works fine. The action isn't a major deal as Invincible's just fighting some mooks he can clearly overpower now, and that kind of growth and development in the character is one of many things that keep the book awesome. Plus, I do like the little moments, and this issue has a few with Eve. This is a set-up issue, but it is an entertaining one.

Now if only this book could come out more than 8-9 times a year...

 

[Spike_x1]

Heh, my letter was printed in the new issue. t:

 

[Dread]

Heh, my letter was printed in the new issue. t:

Really? That's cool.

I'd send a letter, but I really would have nothing worthwhile or notable to ask or say.

 

[AlteredEgo]

Heh, my letter was printed in the new issue. t:

whatd you say and what was his response?