There's a lot going on in this issue of Invincible, as Kirkman introduces a potential dark future, a new set of potential adversaries, an alien invasion, a status quo change for some of the heroes and another new character. Truthfully, it feels like there's a little too much going on at times, and it was this issue that made me realize that I really do miss the father-son dynamic, and that I'm not entirely convinced what we got in return for ditching that was worth it. Fortunately, that's still a fair amount of fun, and there are indications in this issue that Kirkman is setting up some intriguing future situations, as well as hints that Omni-Man might still be lurking around the fringes of the book. Wherever the story is going, the artwork continues to impress, as Ottley pulls out all the stops on an apocalyptic alternate world and crowd scene alien invasion that really shows off what he's capable of.
Kirkman throws a lot of stuff at the reader this issue, following up on previous stories and setting up new ones. Most of what he has to offer here is pretty intriguing, but I am starting to realize that the ever-shifting status quo is one of the defining aspects of Invincible, just as it is with Savage Dragon (one of Kirkman's big influences), and it's a little too much constant change for me. It doesn't help that some of the stories he starts, like the Watchmen-esque investigator story, end up as little more than goofy gags extended across too many issues to really be funny.
However, for every non-starter story thread, Kirkman has two or three really intriguing ones. The tension between Robot and the Immortal comes to a head nicely in this issue, and plays off of the alien invasion, which in itself hints that maybe Omni-Man is still around doing a variation on what he was doing before. The whole alien invasion sequence is one of the strongest aspects of the issue, as it lets Ottley and Crabtree really show off their skills, and it also lets Kirkman play around with something you rarely see in superhero comics, the concept that maybe they don't always know they're going to win. I also continue to really enjoy the interplay between Atom Eve and Invincible, and I'm glad that their relationship remains on a friendly level, with each of them dating someone normal instead.
My favorite story in this issue, though, is ironically also what made me realize that I'm not digging the current status quo as much as I'd like. The notion of Mark joining his father in a well-intentioned (but brutal) takeover of Earth is a more interesting and unusual status quo than the one that has seen Mark's father essentially disappear, and though it would have made this a very different book, I was actually kind of sorry to see that the opening sequence was basically just an alternate timeline. However, this does allow Kirkman to introduce an interesting new character, one whose unusual abilities and encounters with Mark and his father may lead to some interesting complications down the road.
It is Kirkman's writing which really drew me into this book, but I think my favorite aspect of this particular issue was the artwork. Ottley and Crabtree are on the top of their game, especially with the big splash pages, and their take on superhero violence has both old school touches and a little bit of more brutal, real violence as well, and the blend works better than you'd expect. In addition, there are some really nice art-related bonuses in this issue, including some fun pinups by the Luna Brother and the undeniably fun "Invincipals" by Nate.
