Invincible is a book that, more than just weathering change well, seems to thrive on it. The family dynamic and high school setting have given way to a broken family struggling not to fall apart and a college setting, and all the while the same sense of fun and of coming of age and learning continues. This particular issue introduces one notable change and a whole lot of little ones, as Kirkman goes for broke with an issue that feels packed (and yet, paradoxically, semi-plotless) with character moments and subplot forward momentum. It's going to read great as part of a trade, but what's more surprising is that it's a very satisfying single issue for those who have been following the book up to this point, solving a big dilemma that's been hanging over our hero's head for sometime while checking in with any number of other characters in the many subplots that Kirkman is spinning.
The big development in this issue is not the one foreshadowed on the cover, or at least, not really. Like most of Ottley's covers, they capture the thematic importance of the issue without giving away the story, and so capture the best of modern "iconic" covers and the best of the eye-grabbing comics of the Silver Age. No, the big event this issue is that events do come to a head between Mark and Amber, but it's done in a way that is unconventional for the superhero genre and yet so much more realistic than the soap operatic hand-wringing that often accompanies secret identity plots. Kirkman is walking a pretty good line between Bendis's psychotic inability to stop revealing Peter Parker's identity and so many other writers' inability to see where the convention stretches credibility. At any rate, the resolution of the long-running subplot between Amber and Mark is satisfying, funny and even sweet.
Actually, while this story is probably the strongest element of the issue for me, and the closest the issue comes to a self-contained plot, it's also a part of a shift that I really liked, which was seeing how Amber, Mark and William (not to mention Mark's mom) are adjusting to college life. New friends, new freedom, new places, Kirkman really captures the shift that takes place when you move from high school to college, which is something considering that the context for this shift is against much bigger ones like finding out your dad is a supervillain or flying to Mars under your own power.
Amidst these stories of transition, we get a ton of little vignettes examining the lives of supporting cast members. Some are puzzling and borderline nonsensical without further context, like Cecil's check-in with the guy monitoring the Mauler Twins, while most maintain a sense of mystery and hint at future developments. Seeing Atom Eve happy and using her powers in such an overt way in Africa was quite a fun contrast to the usual Peace Corps stint, the Angstrom Levy/Mauler Twin story seems like it's getting ready to boil over soon and I'm really curious to find out what's going on with Robot and what he's hiding from Monster Girl. Kirkman definitely keeps the action moving in Invincible, and while it might not have the most conventional plot structure, certainly there's stuff happening at a pretty rapid pace.
This issue, Kirkman gives a shout out to his new letterer (I'm a bigger coloring geek, myself, but Wooton does do a really nice job this issue) and mentions that he set out to do a really dense page with lots of panels and lots of dialogue. That's a challenge to everyone, from writer on down, and everyone rises to the task. Once again, I have to single out Ryan Ottley for special praise, as it his distinctive art style, light and fun without being overly goofy, that continues to impress me on every issue of Invincible. This is indeed a dense issue, packed with panels, and yet Ottley keeps it feeling open and fun rather than claustrophobic or (as is the danger of talking-heads issues) boring. Also, as much as I like Ottley's design for costumed criminals and heroes, I also have to mention how cool his designs are for the plain clothes new supporting cast that escort Amber to her dorm, a veritable parade of diversity and a set of believable characters all at the same time. 8/10
