Invincible (comics)

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Invincible
Invincible Issue 75.jpeg
Variant cover of Invincible 75 (November 2010), art by Ryan Ottley
Publication information
Publisher Skybound Entertainment
(Image Comics)
ScheduleMonthly
FormatOngoing series
Genre
Publication dateJanuary 2003 – February 2018
No. of issues144 (25 volumes)
Main character(s)
Creative team
Created by Robert Kirkman
Written by Robert Kirkman
Artist(s) Cory Walker
Ryan Ottley
Letterer(s) Russ Wooton
Colorist(s) Bill Crabtree
Editor(s)Robert Kirkman

Invincible is an American comic book series written by Robert Kirkman, illustrated by Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, and published by Image Comics. Set in the Image Universe, [1] Invincible follows the coming of age of superhero Mark Grayson / Invincible, a Viltrumite and first-born son of Omni-Man, the most powerful superhero on Earth. The series began publication on January 22, 2003, before coming to a close on February 14, 2018, with 144 issues. Several spin-off series were released over its run: Brit , The Pact , Atom Eve & Rex Splode , and Guarding the Globe . An animated television adaptation began streaming on Amazon Prime Video on March 25, 2021, [2] while an additional spin-off interquel, Battle Beast , will begin publication in 2025.

Contents

Plot synopsis

Mark Grayson is a normal high school freshman whose father, Nolan Grayson, is an extraterrestrial of the planet Viltrum known as Omni-Man, the most powerful superhero on the planet. At age seventeen, Mark begins to display super powers as a result of his Viltrumite ancestry, and adopts the superhero name Invincible with his father acting as his mentor. Early in his hero career Mark meets heroine Atom Eve, and they eventually enter a relationship.

Mark begins as a small-time hero solving problems and fighting low-level crime around his school. However, the scope of his adventures quickly progresses to national, global, intergalactic, and multidimensional. Large portions of the narrative focus on conflict with the fascistic multiplanetary Viltrum Empire, which Mark participates in a rebellion against.

Multiple points of view, and the power struggles therein, factor heavily into the comic. Characters often have motives that do not align, and commonly swap between conventional "hero" and "villain" roles as a result. Most notably, Mark's father Omni-Man begins the series as an antagonist and is eventually reformed through Mark's efforts, which Mark continues to attempt on other enemies. Mark himself vacillates between working for and against the United States government, and often breaks from the consensus of his friends and allies to pursue what he sees as the optimal and/or pragmatic choice.

Publication history

Ryan Ottley, Robert Kirkman, and Cory Walker at Lucca Comics & Games 2018. Ryan Ottley, Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker - Lucca Comics & Games 2018.jpg
Ryan Ottley, Robert Kirkman, and Cory Walker at Lucca Comics & Games 2018.

Robert Kirkman is the sole writer of the series. Cory Walker co-created the book, designed several characters, and provided art from #1 to #7. Ryan Ottley assumed art duties with issue #8 and drew most future issues, with Walker returning for a select few. Kirkman has provided back-up space for a few aspiring comic creators, most notably Benito Cereno and Nate Bellegarde. The series is known for its extreme graphic violence despite its colorful nature and visuals. [3]

The series ended on February 8, 2018 with issue #144, with Walker returning as artist. [4] The double-sized final issue was released on February 14, 2018. [5] In April 2022, it was announced that a Battle Beast story would be published in Skybound X #25, with Kirkman and Ottley reuniting for the story; it was published on July 20, 2022. [6] In October 2022, it was announced that, in celebration of the series's 20th anniversary in 2023, its first issue would be getting a reprinted facsimile edition reprint and a deluxe edition reprint, compendiums 1-3 would be getting comic shop exclusive hardcover versions, and there would be a reprint of the series in a new 6"x9" graphic novel format with new covers from Cory Walker and Dave McCaig, an Invincible Universe compendium, and a secret announcement in January 2023 (which was later revealed to be a teaser for season two of the animated show). [7]

In December 2024, it was announced that Kirkman and Ottley were developing a prequel spin-off series entitled Invincible Universe: Battle Beast. The series, set between issues 19 and 55 of the original Invincible series, follows Battle Beast as he embarks on a quest to find an opponent strong enough to kill him. The first issue of the series is set to debut April 2025. [8]

Several of Kirkman's superheroes. Cover art by Ryan Ottley KirkmanCreations.jpg
Several of Kirkman's superheroes. Cover art by Ryan Ottley

In 2003 and 2004, Image and Robert Kirkman published several other superhero series: Tech Jacket pencilled in a manga style by E. J. Su (cancelled at #6), the 3-issue Capes Inc. series drawn by Mark Englert and three oneshots starring Brit, the first two with artwork from Tony Moore and the third with artwork by Cliff Rathburn.

In 2007, Brit was launched as an ongoing full-color series written by Bruce Brown, with artwork by Cliff Rathburn. The series was overseen and edited by Robert Kirkman. In late 2007, a two issue mini-series starring Atom Eve was released.

Tech Jacket was first collected as a digest-sized, black and white graphic novel and later reissued in regular sized, full color and a cover scheme similar to Kirkman's other trade paper backs. Capes was collected as a trade paperback in summer 2007, and the three Brit one-shots were colored by Val Staples and published as a collection in 2007, as well.

At first shown to barely coexist in the same universe, the characters have since been integrated into Invincible's book. Tech Jacket was an ongoing series that tied into Invincible #27, and the character has been seen in the background of various battles during the series. The characters from Capes have also been supporting characters seen mainly in large superhero battles Invincible participates in, and the series ran as a back-up in the Invincible book starting with #27. Brit has had an even less substantial role, appearing a couple of times in the aforementioned brawls (understandable considering that after the last book Brit was somewhat-retired). Brit later went on to become the leader of the Guardians of the Globe and was featured heavily in comic spin-offs Guarding the Globe and Invincible Universe. In The Astounding Wolf-Man , Art, Invincible's tailor, appeared, designing the title character's costume. Wolf-man has also appeared in Invincible #48 & 49.

Characters

Grayson family

Superheroes

Allies

Enemies

Collected editions

Trade paperbacks

With the exception of volumes 14, 18, 22, 24, and 25, every volume of the Invincible trade paperbacks is named after a television sitcom:

VolumeTitleISBNRelease DateCollected Material
Invincible
1Invincible – Family Matters ISBN   1-58240-320-1 2003-11-02Invincible #1–4
2Invincible – Eight Is Enough ISBN   1-58240-347-3 2004-04-28Invincible #5–8
3Invincible – Perfect Strangers ISBN   1-58240-391-0 2004-12-01Invincible #9–13
4Invincible – Head of the Class ISBN   1-58240-440-2 2005-04-20Invincible #14–19; Image Comics Summer Special
5Invincible – The Facts of Life ISBN   1-58240-554-9 2005-11-16Invincible #0, 20–24, 25 (origin stories from the back only).
6Invincible – A Different World ISBN   1-58240-579-4 2006-06-05Invincible #25–30
7Invincible – Three's Company ISBN   1-58240-656-1 2006-12-20Invincible #31–35; The Pact #4
8Invincible – My Favorite Martian ISBN   1-58240-683-9 2007-07-19Invincible #36–41
9Invincible – Out of This World ISBN   1-58240-827-0 2008-06-18Invincible #42–47
10Invincible – Who's the Boss? ISBN   1-60706-013-2 2009-05-20Invincible #48–53
11Invincible – Happy Days ISBN   1-60706-062-0 2009-08-24Invincible #54–59; The Astounding Wolf-Man #11
12Invincible – Still Standing ISBN   1-60706-166-X 2010-05-26Invincible #60–65
13Invincible – Growing Pains ISBN   1-60706-251-8 2010-08-25Invincible #66–70; Invincible Returns #1
14Invincible – The Viltrumite War ISBN   1-60706-367-0 2011-04-25Invincible #71–78
15Invincible – Get Smart ISBN   1-60706-498-7 2012-01-11Invincible #79–84
16Invincible – Family Ties ISBN   1-60706-579-7 2012-07-05Invincible #85–90
17Invincible – What's Happening? ISBN   1-60706-662-9 2013-01-23Invincible #91–96
18Invincible – The Death of Everyone ISBN   1-60706-762-5 2013-08-13Invincible #97–102
19Invincible – The War at Home ISBN   1-60706-856-7 2014-03-11Invincible #103–108
20Invincible – Friends ISBN   1-63215-043-3 2014-11-12Invincible #109–114
21Invincible – Modern Family ISBN   1-63215-318-1 2015-06-24Invincible #115–120
22Invincible – Reboot? ISBN   1-63215-626-1 2016-02-25Invincible #121–126
23Invincible – Full House ISBN   1-63215-888-4 2017-04-04Invincible #127–132
24Invincible – The End of All Things, Part 1 ISBN   1-53430-322-7 2017-09-26Invincible #133–138
25Invincible – The End of All Things, Part 2 ISBN   1-53430-503-3 2018-03-27Invincible #139–144
Spin-offs
1Invincible Compendium ISBN   1-60706-411-1 2011-08-17Collects #1–47, #0, Invincible story from the Image Comics Summer Special, The Pact #4.
2 ISBN   1-60706-772-2 2013-08-27Collects #48–96, Invincible Returns #1, The Astounding Wolf-Man #11.
3 ISBN   1-5343-0686-2 2018-07-24Collects #97–144
1Invincible Universe Compendium ISBN   1-5343-9996-8 2023-06-13Collects Invincible Presents: Atom Eve #1–2; Invincible Presents: Atom Eve & Rex Splode #1–3, Guarding the Globe (Vol. 1) #1-6, Guarding the Globe (Vol. 2) #1-6, and Invincible Universe #1-12.
1Invincible Presents: Atom Eve & Rex Splode ISBN   1-60706-255-0 2010-06-14Invincible Presents: Atom Eve #1–2; Invincible Presents: Atom Eve & Rex Splode #1–3

Hardcovers

VolumeTitleISBNRelease DateCollected Material
1Invincible Ultimate Collection Hardcover ISBN   1-58240-500-X 2005-08-03Collects #1–13, plus extras.
2 ISBN   1-58240-594-8 2006-06-20Collects #14–24, #0, Free Comic Book Day 2004 story, parts of #25, plus extras.
3 ISBN   1-58240-763-0 2007-11-07Collects #25–35, The Pact #4, plus extras.
4 ISBN   1-58240-989-7 2009-04-29Collects #36–47, plus extras.
5 ISBN   1-60706-116-3 2010-01-13Collects #48–59, The Astounding Wolf-Man #11.
6 ISBN   1-60706-360-3 2011-04-05Collects #60–70, Invincible Returns #1.
7 ISBN   1-60706-509-6 2012-02-15Collects #71–84.
8 ISBN   1-60706-680-7 2013-05-01Collects #85–96.
9 ISBN   1-63215-032-8 2014-08-19Collects #97–108.
10 ISBN   1-63215-494-3 2015-12-10Collects #109–120.
11 ISBN   1-5343-0045-7 2017-05-23Collects #121–132.
12 ISBN   1-5343-0658-7 2018-05-22Collects #133–144.
1The Complete Invincible Library ISBN   1-58240-718-5 2007-03-28Collects #1–24, #0, Free Comic Book Day 2004 story, parts of #25, plus extras.
2 ISBN   1-60706-112-0 2009-11-25Collects #25–47, The Pact #4, plus extras.
3 ISBN   1-60706-421-9 2011-11-30Collects #48–70, The Astounding Wolf-Man #11, Invincible Returns #1, plus extras.
4 ISBN   1-53439-906-2 2023-10-17Collects #71-96, plus extras.
5 ISBN   1-53439-770-1 2024-04-30Collects #97-120, plus extras.
6 ISBN   1-53432-776-2 2024-09-10Collects #121-144, plus extras.

Other collections

In other media

Motion comics

The comic has been turned into a motion comic by Gain Enterprises using the Bomb-xx process, and was broadcast on MTV2 [10] and downloadable to mobile phones, from iTunes, [11] [12] and Amazon. [13]

Cast

Film

Point Grey Pictures and Skybound Entertainment were set to produce a live-action adaptation of Invincible with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg attached as writers and directors and Universal Pictures distributing it. Series creator Robert Kirkman was also set to produce the film, along with Rogen, Goldberg, David Alpert, Bryan Furst, and Sean Furst. [14] In January 2021, Kirkman reaffirmed that the film is still in development despite the release of a streaming television adaptation, and that Rogen and Goldberg are still involved with the project. [15]

Television series

On March 25, 2021, Amazon Studios began airing the first season of an adult animated adaptation of the comic series on Amazon Prime Video, executive produced by comic creator Robert Kirkman. [16] The cast features Steven Yeun as Invincible, Sandra Oh as Debbie Grayson, and J. K. Simmons as Omni-Man. [17] Rogen ending up being involved as a part of the cast, he and Goldberg were not set to direct/write the series, but did serve as executive producers. [18] On April 29, 2021, Kirkman, along with Yeun, confirmed the series was coming back for a second and third season. [19] The first half of the second season was released on November 2, 2023, with the latter half releasing on March 14, 2024. [20] [21] The third season is set to primere on February 6, 2025. [22] In July 2024, it was announced that the series has been renewed for a fourth season. [23]

Video games

In July 2023, during San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that Skybound Games and Ubisoft would release a mobile game based on the series, entitled Invincible: Guarding the Globe, with a release date yet to be determined. [24] That same month, it was announced that Skybound Games and Terrible Posture Games were developing a visual novel/turn-based RPG entitled Invincible Presents: Atom Eve which released on Steam and Epic Games Store on November 14, 2023. [25]

Omni-Man is a playable DLC character in Mortal Kombat 1 (2023), voiced by J. K. Simmons, reprising the role, playing several incarnations of Omni-Man from alternate realities, including a blue-suited version. [26] Invincible also cameos in the game.

Invincible, Omni-Man, and Atom Eve appear as purchasable skins in Fortnite . War Woman's Mace and the arm of a Reaniman are available as pickaxes, while The Immortal's head is a wearable Back Bling.

References

  1. "One Fan's Opinion: Issue #14". Comic Book Resources. November 10, 2005. Archived from the original on November 19, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  2. Petski, Denise (January 22, 2021). "Robert Kirkman's Animated Series 'Invincible' Gets Premiere Date On Amazon". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  3. Kabir, Kaisar (June 14, 2021). "A truly 'Invincible' comic book series". The Daily Star . Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  4. Kirkman, Robert (August 17, 2016). "Robert Kirkman Brings Invincible To An End". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  5. "This Week's Comics: Invincible #144 & Slots #5 - Skybound". Skybound. February 13, 2018. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  6. ""Skybound X" #25 to Preview Four New Series". Multiversity Comics. April 20, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  7. "Skybound Announces Massive Plans for Invincible's 20th Anniversary (Exclusive)". Comics. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  8. Schedeen, Jesse (December 10, 2024). "Invincible Returns to Comics With Battle Beast Series By Original Creative Team". IGN. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  9. Ezekwe, Nnamdi (December 11, 2024). "New Invincible Spin-off Announced After Amazon Series Success". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  10. mtv (August 27, 2008). "Episode 1". MTV. Archived from the original on December 14, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  11. George Gene Gustines (July 14, 2008). "A Comic Book Superhero Is Headed to Small Screens – NYTimes.com". NYTimes/com. Archived from the original on July 5, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  12. Archived November 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  13. "Amazon.com: Invincible Season 1". www.amazon.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  14. "Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg to Adapt Robert Kirkman Comic 'Invincible' for Universal (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . April 4, 2017. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  15. "'Invincible' live-action movie will exist separate from Amazon's animated series". EW.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  16. Andreeva, Nellie (June 19, 2018). "Amazon Greenlights 'Invincible' Superhero Animated Series From Robert Kirkman". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  17. "Invincible". IMDb.com . Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  18. "Clip: 'Invincible' Takes Flight on Amazon March 26". January 24, 2021. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  19. Otterson, Joe (April 29, 2021). "'Invincible' Renewed for Seasons 2 and 3 at Amazon". Variety. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  20. Vary, Joe Otterson,Adam B. (July 22, 2023). "'Invincible' Sets Season 2 Premiere Date at Prime Video, Drops New Teaser". Variety. Retrieved December 10, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. Bechara, Diego Ramos (January 22, 2024). "'Invincible': Second Half of Season 2 Sets Premiere Date at Prime Video". Variety. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  22. Petski, Denise (December 8, 2024). "'Invincible' Season 3 Trailer: Mark Gets His Blue Supersuit In Preview For Prime Video Series — Update". Deadline. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  23. Moreau, Jordan (July 26, 2024). "'Invincible' Renewed for Season 4 at Prime Video". Variety. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  24. Cripe, Michael (July 18, 2023). "Invincible: Guarding the Globe Is a Bloody Ubisoft RPG...for Mobile". The Escapist. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  25. "Invincible Presents: Atom Eve launches November 14". Gematsu. October 17, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  26. McWhertor, Michael (July 21, 2023). "Here's a first look at Homelander and Peacemaker in Mortal Kombat 1". Polygon . Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  27. Kirkman, Robert [@RobertKirkman] (August 9, 2009). "Flying out tomorrow to New Mexico…" (Tweet). Retrieved July 25, 2010 via Twitter.
  28. Pehanick, Maggie (November 30, 2015). "If You Blinked, You Missed This Easter Egg From The Walking Dead's Winter Finale". Popsugar . Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2010.

References