Written by Robert Kirkman
Pencilled by Ryan Ottley & Cory Walker
Inked by Cliff Rathburn & Cory Walker
Colored by John Rauch
Lettered by Ross Wooton
The Flaxan invasion comes to a close. The critical hour passes and our heroes survive. Everything shook out more or less how I had anticipated, though at the beginning of this arc I had expected it to give way to, “The Death of Everyone,” but that’s not going to happen. I am not really disappointed by that because this arc gave me something about Invincible I’ve been looking to see: it gave me Avengers.
What I mean to say is, that battle sequence when the Guardians of the Globe pulled together after the initial beat down from the Flaxans to turn the tide? That had Marvel’s The Avengers painted all over it for me, and it was great. Something I treasure about Invincible is that it really has evolved as a book, it used to be about a teen super hero coming-of-age story but now it’s a universe with a full cast and multiple plot points.
What I am about to say might come off as heresy to some readers but I am casting my bets now and I’ll let the dice roll: this book will eclipse The Walking Dead. Sure I can allude to, “slow and steady wins the race,” and remark how some rumors signal the decline of the popular black and white blockbuster but I don’t need any of that to prove the point. All I’d need is this single issue and the very last page.
In one thought bubble, Kirkman changed the tone of this entire arc. I was immediately compelled to re-read every dialogue and every interaction for the last several issues because of that one last bubble. In that moment, Kirkman pulled out a color pallet most would have assumed he reserved only for The Walking Dead and again used it masterfully. Combining the dynamic cast and narrative of this book with the grim overcast of The Walking Dead makes this book Kirkman’s real sleeper hit.
The Verdict
Buy it, read all of it now before 100 lands on us.
