The hit Amazon Prime series, “Invincible,” is back with a darker and more serious third season. Created by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley and Cory Walker for both the original comic book series and the Amazon Prime show, “Invincible” lifts the exact storyline from the comics, making slight changes as if the creators were updating their work as more experienced selves.
On Thursday, Feb. 6, viewers were treated with not one, not two, but three brand-new episodes to start off season three, “You’re Not Laughing Now,” “A Deal with the Devil” and “You Want a Real Costume, Right?”
The story currently being adapted is referred to as the blue suit era, marking one of the darkest and most intense arcs in the comic book series.
“Going into the third season, it seemed like a good time to bring a new Mark to the forefront after everything he’s been through in season 2,” Kirkman said in an interview with Variety. “He’s in a different headspace and that gets reflected in his costume.”
There are two vital conflicts seen within the new episodes. The first conflict is the rift between Mark Grayson, a.k.a. Invincible, and Cecil Stedman, the Director of the Global Defense Agency (GDA), as both of their questionable morals clash against each other.
While Mark takes pride in viewing the world in black and white, we get to view Cecil’s journey from originally taking the same stance as Mark, to becoming the morally gray director we know him as now.
The second conflict comes in the form of Oliver, Mark’s younger stepbrother, as he starts the season by awakening his powers. Since the duo’s father, the notorious Omni-man, is currently imprisoned in space, Mark is filling in as a role model and mentor for Oliver.
As expected from a younger brother, Oliver refuses to listen to Mark as he teaches him to become a hero, resulting in the death of two villains at Oliver’s hands, without a hint of remorse.
Throughout the three episodes, I have found that the animation is no better in quality than season two, notorious for several questionable scenes due to the animation quality. Seeing how the budget for each season is sinking for each season however, I am surprised and relieved we still have a serviceable quality at all.
On a brighter note, the storytelling in this season is downright incredible, honing in on the web of tension between each of the characters. From Mark and Cecil’s clash of morals to the terrifying reason of why children having incredible power is a nightmare, “Invincible” once again delves into the ideas and viewpoints of a super-powered world that mainstream media tends to avoid, with the main argument being hammered into the story; “We can be the good guys, or we can be the guys that save the world. We can’t be both.”
Despite the extremely fast pace of the story, “Invincible” season three brings incredible storytelling, interesting moral dilemmas and a darker tone that will leave viewers craving more.
Rating: 4/5 stars
