INVINCIBLE:
SEASON 3
Conquest vs Invincible is the greatest fight ever brought to the superhero genre
SPOILERS
But before we get to that intense final episode, there's a lot to discuss. Much like its predecessors, season three will take us across space, time, and different dimensions, whilst continuing to spend time in the everyday relationships and develop the coming-of-age narrative that defines Invincible's journey as Earth’s protector. This show has been a big success, both for Amazon and the genre, bringing in a fresh perspective and much needed realism alongside all the classic superhero spectacle you'd expect and want to see.
I've still yet to give Invincible a really strong rating across any of its seasons, and this latest one scores lowest so far, but I can't deny there is something unique and refreshing about this show that keeps me invested in the story, and satisfied when it delivers its moments of brilliance. Ultimately it can be extremely hit or miss, whether that's with the writing, animation or dialogue - and I’ll get into all that - but, when the show does get things right, it’s simply outstanding, stepping into territory you've never experienced before with a superhero show, landing exhilarating TV that I'm eager to experience again across future seasons.
Steven Yeun gets the first major props here, as he's the standout performance and once doing a phenomenal job with Mark and the emotional range this character needs. He naturally plays the awkward teen, but can fly into fits of rage or pits of despair with authenticity and ease. He's the best-acted character in the show, and that's saying something given the lineup. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's sadistic role as Conquest was also awesome, Seth Rogen as Allen still works surprisingly well, and Cecil, Debbie and Rex are great too. Even side characters are given meaningful agency through the shows commitment to voice performances, making them much more memorable as a result. Donald, Rae and Machine Head all come to mind.
The voice acting and dialogue does have the potential to be one of the show’s strengths when done right. We’re not talking groundbreaking scripts or Oscar-winning performances here, but there is a naturalistic style that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but essential in delivering the self-aware and unfiltered tone required to pull off its underlying commentary. There are many sarcastic character interactions, or raw monologues, that can be even more entertaining than the action.
The realistic slant to the storytelling is definitely welcomed. Without it the show would risk feeling quite generic, and unfortunately does cross tha line a fair bit in Season three. Powerplex was exhausting and felt very generic in terms of performance and script. Angstrom Levy, too, became increasingly cartoonish, suffering from tropey diatribes on revenge that felt unearned. The natural tone is also undermined somewhat by the actors recording their lines in isolation. You can tell they are not in the same physical space, so conversations can feel awkward and delayed. The sound mixing might be in part to blame.
Powerplex and his story is an example I'll use for the broader issue I have with Season Three and the writing quality. Firstly, there were too many stupid moments and character behaviors. Why did he use his newborn baby as bait to confrontation (that was obviously going to be destructive) against a foe he believes has no remorse for killing? Awful plan. Why did the GDA not remove the tech that gave Powerplex his powers (that they knew he stole) when apprehending him? These feel like individual nitpicks, but instances like this stacked up throughout the season and ruined immersion.
Mostly, the writing issue however, was with with pacing. The story felt clunky, slow and lacking focus. Invincible's parallel subplots can often provide cool and left-field ways to shake things up, but that's beginning to come now at the cost of narrative momentum. After three seasons I'm ready for the main arc to move forward, and want less distraction with time travel plots, tedious side fights, or Amber’s new relationships. I'm just not that interested in those things, especially to the degree which they are being represented in the screenplay.
This isn't to say there are not awesome secondary stories that elevate the overall story. Cecil's backstory in episode two was great, and the development of Oliver is being handled very well. There is also some class and emotion to be found in the home settings and relationships with of Marc, Eve and Debbie, but this focus ccan feel disproportionate when compared to the more meaningful main plot, which to be honest was in desperate need of a proper overarching threat, not more teen romance drama.
So does the action step up in moments of narrative struggle? Just about. As the opening for this review suggests, I was blown away by the Conquest fight. So, so good. I've not read to this point in the comics, so had no idea what to expect, but found the fight to be brutal, fantastically animated and the most high-stakes battle I've ever seen created in a superhero setting. You’re never going to find this level of high stakes emotion when watching Avengers or Superman fight, where consequence is never shown and characters never truly threatened. Even the most violent battles, like in Logan (2017), only really sacrifice faceless grunts and never make you doubt who’s gonna win when all is said and done.
I was truly in shock when I saw Eve's jaw punched off her face and entrails flailing, and part of me really felt Oliver might be torn in half. I also had no idea how Mark would win, so there was hopeless and struggle felt in the close up and personal action sequences. Sprinkle in Conquest's sadism and murderous Viltrimite philosophy and I'll challenge anyone to find a better superhero fight that can deliver this much of a complete emotional journey. To be treated with 20 minutes of it too. Amazing!
If I have one criticism about the fight it’s that I'm not exactly sure how Mark found the strength to win. Why did his hardest hits tickle Conquest in one scene, yet cave in his head in the next? Was it his renewed anger? Did he unlock some innate power at the crucial moment? Is Conquest really as strong as he is made out to be?
I don't think the show knows or has an answer. In Invincible the characters are only as strong as the narrative allows. That means Mark gets his arse kicked by enemies he should breeze past almost every episode (Mauler Twins, Multi-Paul, Angstom), or sees himself reach new power heights - as shown in Episode One's montage - only to be beaten by some generic underground centipede 10 minutes later. Inconsistent power-scaling like this is a deal breaker when your show is anchored around combat and collateral damage. With no jeopardy, there's no tension, and with no tension, the fights can be boring and stop you investing in the outcome.
None of this is helped by the inability for characters to actually die, or their inability to finish enemies off. The stakes are made even lower by the constant fake-out deaths, where enemies always slip away, or if they are horribly killed, can certainly be brought back next episode through some outrageously powerful technology. Should Mark really be crying if Eve dies from her internal organs being punched out? This is surely a minor inconvenience in the world of Invincible. Give her to Cecil for an afternoon, he'll sort it. She might come back a bit mechanical, but ultimately, just fine. How Angstrom and Conquest got repaired back to perfection, given the atrocious state of their cranium, is still to me (pun intended) rather comical.
When they do finally decide to kill a main character, I was surprised at how little emotion they created during the moment and after. Maybe it’s hard as a viewer to feel something when in the back of your mind you really wonder if they are really is going to remain dead. Rex's redemption and transformation into the heart and soul of the Guardians was done nicely, so seeing a very underdeveloped funeral scene, with characters standing in rigid default character poses and rushing through what should be a sad and reflective moment was disappointing. If this scene had been given the same love and attention the Conquest scenes had, it may have capped the episode off as one of the greatest of all time.
The reasonable counter to all these criticisms I've been making on the writing is that they are simply following the source material. This is partly true. The comic is actually quite bare and fast-paced with its storytelling. Scenes that might last five minutes in the show are one small panel on a single page in the comic. The writers are adding a ton of content and connective tissue, and rightly so. They have also changed character designs, removed scenes and restructured the story. Therefore I would like to see them lean into this artistic freedom even more aggressively. Why not remove subplots and battles that don't benefit the focus and pacing, and if rewriting some character arcs presents the opportunity to tighten cohesiveness and add more sophistication to the screenplay then I would be all for it.
For example, I would have loved to see the Invincible War feel less rushed, with more build-up, more time with the evil Marks, and more reflection in the aftermath. Angstrom’s behavior would also have benefited from more refined writing. Make Powerplex less generic or cut it. Change how battles are executed to preserve consistency and believability. I'd even go as far as to say if you want to kill off a character who doesn't die in the comics, then do that too. Kirkman talks about subverting expectations with Invincible, so why not see how far you can push that ethos by using the source material as a foundation for something truly groundbreaking instead.
Final thoughts on the animation. People have had some harsh things to say about it this season, but for whatever reason, I don't find myself being as sensitive to those concerns. I watched a few Season One episodes in prep for this review, and you can clearly see that this season has raised the bar. Yes, it's a bit rudimentary and static at times still, and I think it's a shame it doesn't have the same gritty style seen in the comics, but it does have its own aesthetic, and for the biggest battles, such as the Invincible War and Conquest fight, the animation steps up and produces some of the best the show's given us this far.
VERDICT
Even with its imaginative story and great characters, Invincible feels like it's dragging itself far too slowly toward its most interesting content. When that does come, it has swagger, showcases slick animation and is emotionally intense. It's just a shame that there's so much low-stakes action, generic subplots, and relationship filler up until these points. This show really shouldn't be as boring as it sometimes can feel. With braver and more liberal handling of the source material, Invincible has the potential to be the greatest superhero show ever written, and at times, it is, but it's crying out for a more sophisticated and well-written foundation that can bring more realism and tension to the story.
RATING BREAKDOWN
Story
60
Directing:
65
Visuals:
78
Acting / Dialogue:
79
Music / Sound
67
BONUS
FINAL
MOOD
