I was originally going to review Invincible #18 and #19 together, but there's so much cool stuff in #19 that I wanted to cover it separately. So my #18 review is "Mars trip cool and fun, interesting subplots." My #19 review is a little more detailed, as Kirkman and company continue the subplot of Mark's secret identity troubles, his mother's difficulty in coping with the truth of her husband's nature and throw in a big old-fashioned superhero/supervillain throwdown with a satisfying twist at the end. Kirkman's world here is pretty expansive, sometimes a bit too big, and I worry that he might wind up going the Savage Dragon route, where the status quo is constantly changing to such an extent that I really don't have a core character or story to care about. This particular issue, however, is pure superhero fun, just like the best issues of Invincible.
I should begin this review by saying how much I continue to love Ryan Ottley's artwork. I don't know exactly how to describe the style, but it's got this exaggerated cartoonish flair alongside a totally realistic look that is just fantastic. He really gets to cut loose this issue with designs for some new supervillains (Battle Beast is especially cool, although I like the simple, almost Silver Age looks of Magnattack and Kursk as well) and a great superhero brawl. The standard for super fights in Invincible was set in the battle between Mark and Dad, which is a mixture of Silver Age style big action and a little more realism in terms of blood, broken bones and property damage, and that style works well here as well. I should also mention, since I have sometimes been critical of his coloring style, that I can't imagine anyone else but Bill Crabtree coloring this book. His colors perfectly complement Ottley's pencils and give the book it's sleek and modern yet slightly Silver Age look.
The heart of Invincible #19 is the big fight. It's been brewing for a couple issues, as Invincible teams up with supercrook Titan to take down a super crimeboss and finds him waiting with a number of minions. Kirkman clearly had a lot of fun coming up with these characters, and there's no denying the fun to be found in the big fight scene. At the same time, however, he moves the plot forward in some surprising ways, with a nice reveal on the last page.
There's certainly more than the fight scene going on here, though. The payoff to the final splash of Invincible #18 plays out across the first few pages, and I'm looking forward to seeing where that story goes. Kirkman has a pretty good gift for playing out stories across a longer time, and some of the subplots he's working on now have been brewing nicely. Mark's mom's developing alcoholism, and Mark's inability to really do anything about it, has the makings of real tragedy, and perhaps more importantly, brings the book down a little bit to reality, just the way the family stuff between Mark and his dad used to. And I really love the difficulties both Mark and Atom Eve are facing in their love lives. One of the things Invincible really has going for it is that it feels like anything could happen, it's not bound to a status quo as a result of movie deals or licensing tie-ins or anything like that.
The downside of this approach, and it's one that's not as visible in this issue, is that there can at times seem to be too much going on. It's difficult to get attached to a character or particular story when it could take a 90 degree turn at any moment, and Kirkman has shown a willingness to upset even the most basic status quo. It's a tricky balancing act, to keep the book as fun and entertaining as it always was even when the familiarity with the story can be upset with the latest twist, but so far he generally seems to be managing it, and this particular issue was one of the best in recent months. 8/10
