Invincible

[Spike_x1]

It was the letter asking about Tech Jacket's role in the Kirkman Universe.

 

[Anubis]

Hey, did anybody check this s**t out?

http://www.invincibleseries.com/

 

[Jakk]

The ironic part is that that's the sole reason I'm here. I saw it on TV, went "Invincible, sweet!" then "What the f*** is this s***?"

Honestly, it's horrible. It's just a still picture of the panels with speech bubbles and bad VOs with the occasional "animation" (And by that, I man the panel shaking about.)

 

[Dread]

Hey, did anybody check this s**t out?

http://www.invincibleseries.com/

That is pretty cool. I'm not one for "motion comics", usually I just like comics or animation. But I must say, the voice acting is pretty good.

 

[Anubis]

Comics for lazy bastards too lazy to actually read. Genius!! I think I got my brother to watch it.

 

[P.F. Geraci]

Issue #51 was sweeet. But yes, the "animated" Invincible is horse-****. I got all excited thinking we were actually going to get a cartoon and it's just sound effects, voice-over and oh yeah, a shaking panel when there's action. I don't need people to read a comic book for me, I can do that in my head myself.

 

[AlteredEgo]

i, too, think that the invincible "motion comic" thing is total **** and a cop-out.

 

[Anubis]

better than nothing I say.

 

[Dread]

I like that INVINCIBLE is getting more exposure no matter what. I mean, hey, even KING OF THE HILL homaged it in an episode this season. Still, I do agree with the sentiment that I would love to see a full motion animated series of INVINCIBLE. Keep the violent action, sell it to the Adult Swim crowd, it could really work.

Still, like I said, the voice acting is pretty good for the "web-comics".

 

[HR-PUFF&STUFF]

Any one think that Angstrom Levy looks little like brainiac? with the round disks in his head.

 

[Anubis]

He looks like a guy who got his head smashed in and has to use machines to keep his head from collapsing in upon itself.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Hey, did anybody check this s**t out?

http://www.invincibleseries.com/

Pretty cool

 

[Anubis]

So, Issue 52. I'm likeing the new colorist. He draws blood and gore quite well, and with this latest issue, well, there was plenty to go around. Wow. Oliver, just......wow. And that ending! Say it ain't so Vince. Say it ain't so.

 

[HR-PUFF&STUFF]

awesome comic this ish. kirkman knows how to tell a story.

 

[Anubis]

Yeah, not quite as much of a "Holy S**T!!" issue as number 7, but man, it's certainly up there.

 

[Dread]

Repost of my review, with spoilers:

INVINCIBLE #52: Still hands down my favorite superhero book around, although quite a few Marvel books tie it, INVINCIBLE has also seen it's share of delays. Not as bad as ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN, but enough to feel noticed, and make the book feel a bit rare, shipping at a bimonthly pace most times. The cover implies a fight but don't be fooled; the conflict between Mark and his speed-growing half-brother Oliver is more in ideals and philosophy than fisticuffs.

Spoiler

The Mauler Twins are back and have plowed through the same missle silo that the Lizard League tried conquering a few issues ago. They have some Maguffin gun that allowed them to beat the Global Guardians and set off to use a nuke to fry the world's satellites (while arguing that "controlling" the world isn't the same as "taking it over". Feh, even bad guys argue over semantics). Invincible still isn't recognized in his new costume and is being thought to be a new hero called "Invinciboy" based on his TV gaffe; without Cecil's intel, Mark is reduced to waiting until his mom spots something on CNN to leap into action, which is a change but in a way grounds Mark a bit for me. "Kid Omni-Man" insists on tagging along and while Mark tends to the nuke, Oliver tends to the Maulers...

And slays them.

Everyone was expecting a quirky kid sidekick here, but in this issue Kirkman reveals a darker side to the boy, reminding us that while Mark may be half-human and raised with their sentiments, Oliver isn't, and hasn't. He's half Viltrumite, half Mantis. He lived most of his childhood with Nolan. The way the Mantis people's physiology was (they would be born, absorb a lot of data, reproduce, and die in a very short time span), Oliver as a baby was likely absorbing months or years worth of memories and input. Oliver hasn't experienced Nolan's "dark side" like Mark did, and views Earth as an outsider (even with tutoring). Maybe having Oliver NOT be lock step with Mark is predictable in itself, but I think it flows well with the tone of the last story. Mark is growing up a bit and has learned by example that people he trusts can have alterior motives that he doesn't agree with, and can outright lie or manipulate him. Cecil was an ally and even mentor at times, and he was stashing Mark's enemies behind his back. In some ways, Oliver is more of a realist, while Mark's idealism is being tested now. While Mark at least tries to repress his "Viltrumite temper", Oliver doesn't. Mark also is being forced into a mentor role with a kid a lot sooner than he expected, and seeing him go from rookie hero to someone trying to teach another like himself is refreshing for a fan of some comics that seem to never advance or progress. INVINCIBLE isn't one of those.

Fco Plascencia's color still take some getting used to, but he uses an added effect to the gore scenes that makes them seem more distinct. It takes some getting used to, and it seems like a bit more effort (I liked how the blood would match the cartoony look of Ottley's pencils, making the gore more jarring), but it seems he wants to try to aim for a look of real blood over what Kirkman usually quipped "ketchup".

Oliver, thinking like an alien who is not quite "native" yet, feels it illogical to leave bad guys alive and doesn't believe all humans are precious lives. Mark admits that he does "sometimes" agree with his father, especially (by implication) now. In the letter page, Kirkman is proud of the next 7 issues or so and things really are heating up on this book after a bit of a while in a "status quo", with the only drawback being the wait between issues. The fact that Kirkman's role at Image has become larger likely won't help that time frame any.

Considering the Mauler Twins are perpetually clonable, I doubt they are dead forever. I also am interested in the LONG overdue return of Titan the Gangster. I mean, that plot point was dropped, literally over two years ago. After all the time in space I am fine with some more down-to-earth stuff like has been happening now.

Invincible also took an exploding nuclear warhead to the body and didn't seem terribly fazed. Either he got far enough way (distance in space is hard to gauge), or he's REALLY gotten tougher. Considering his reaction, probably the latter, which is cool.

As always, a pleasure every 22 pages I get. I just hate that it's become so rare. Of course, so are gems.

 

[Hans]

I like that INVINCIBLE is getting more exposure no matter what. I mean, hey, even KING OF THE HILL homaged it in an episode this season. Still, I do agree with the sentiment that I would love to see a full motion animated series of INVINCIBLE. Keep the violent action, sell it to the Adult Swim crowd, it could really work.

It did? How?

 

[Dread]

It did? How?

In one episode, Bobby was seen reading a comic on his bed. The title on the cover was "UNVINCIBLE" and the hero on the cover looked quite like Invincible, only with a different color scheme.

 

[Hans]

Oh, sweet. I wonder if that was in the script, or just something the animator threw in.

 

[Dread]

I don't know.

December solicts are up and claim that INVINCIBLE and ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN are crossing over, with Invincible out to apprehend Wolfy. It sounds good, if both can actually ship on time that month.

 

[Terraneaux]

Kirkman claims that he will be more on time now that his coronation is over and done with. We will see.

Good god, why do comics that involve little kids tearing people in half make me so happy? The new colorist really knows their stuff.

 

[Dread]

Yeah, the new colorist is fine, and I like his coloring for blood. Not that it was ever an issue, but Kirkman himself used to claim it often looked like "paint" or "ketchup" in letters pages. Now it looks more like actual blood.

And, yeah, Kirkman claims now that he has sworn off outside work (which means his DESTROYER MAX mini from Marvel with Cory Walker may not come out, unless he already submitted his scripts and that is his last for Marvel) and is strictly an Image guy now, which should help. I'll miss him at Marvel but I understand the move. He is to Image what Mike Mignola is to Dark Horse, IMO.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Yeah, they've been hypin us up for issue #50 and everything lately has just been "meh"

In response to a discussion we were having in the Hip Hop thread.

I agree and I think Kirkman is being exposed for the hack he is!

Ok well maybe not hack but his comics (at least Invincible & TWD) certainly have suffered lately. It may be due to one of several factors.

1. He is just doing too much and it is stretching him thin. It's one thing to be writing several different comics but it's another to be doing that and barely able to make the deadlines when all you're doing is writing comics, writing a movie script, becoming a co-owner in Image Comics, in negotiations for merchandising rights (toys, tv shows, etc.) and doing who knows what else with his time.

2. He is a hack and it is starting to show. People may disagree with me on this but hey, the guy has some pretty cool ideas but is he really a great writer? There is a difference between the two and TWD certainly has declined in quality (imho) over the last 8-12 issues. Invincible seems to be suffering as well but there does seem to be something brewing that could lead to a huge story arch that is going to be bad ass. (Allen the Alien and Oliver, Omni boy vs. Invincible, invasion of the Virtumites.)

3. The comics are no longer fresh and new, we've seen them for some time and there is little Kirkman can do to keep them at such high levels. Maybe he started off to good too fast for his own good and can only fall from such a high podium.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Let me read the latest issue and I'll be ready to converse!

 

[Anubis]

I think you're full of s**t and both books are as awesome as they have always been.