Prime’s Invincible was a massive hit for the streaming service and warranted a much-deserved second season. The ultra-violent animated series created by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, and Cory Walker looked at the superhero genre differently. They gave it that DC/Marvel flare but added a realistic storyline and character development. What was a successful and critically acclaimed show compared to Prime’s The Boys has morphed into something on its own. It now takes a heartbreaking look at what it is to be a superhero in season two – plus, there are a lot of jokes and violence.
Season two of Invincible deals with the effect of the Omni-Man/Nolan Grayson (J.K. Simmons) destruction across Chicago. His son, Invincible/Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun), tried his best to stop the carnage caused by his father before Poppa Grayson left his once-called home. In season two, Mark and his mother, Debbie Grayson (Sandra Oh), must deal with the fallout and try to pick up the pieces of their former life.
From the show’s top, I noticed the animation has improved. The style of the first season was already pleasing to see that matched the story’s energy. Consequently, that design has gotten better in the second season of Invincible. The animation has a better sense of fluidity in the characters’ movements. The frames used in last season were at a slower rate, giving it that stilted work at times. That wasn’t the case during the action pack scenes in the first season; however, it was noticeable throughout other parts of the show.
The second season’s improved animation during the even more action-less scene only leaves more room to look exceptional when the s**t really hits the fan. Invincible and other characters are thrown into these situations where they heavily rely on their powers, which look incredible. For example (no spoilers here), Invincible must battle a giant monster threatening many lives. The superhero does a spinning super punch, giving off that anime-style fighting that looks great. It’s a few seconds shot, but the show is littered with more of that in season two.
Another critical item to take note of is the story this time around. This is when Invincible, season two, takes off. The writing showcases the life of a superhero’s alternate identity and the trials and tribulations that come with that.
Samantha Eve Wilkins/Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs) has set this path of being a full-time hero, but some consequences come with it. She goes on her journey with her parents and realizes that the life of a superhero doesn’t mean she gets to run away from the reality of her home life. The writing uses characters to showcase the degrees of isolation and losing touch with those around them. It’s a great way to get deeper into the character’s minds and make them more relatable than I watched it.
However, Mark’s story hit me the most.
Mark and his mother must come to turns that Nolan is not who he says he is and how he views Earth and its inhabitants. He realizes that his life has been a lie since childhood. He considered his father as this big Earth-saving hero and felt the joy of that view. Mark even went to the lengths of being that great hero. The cold-related truth has taken a toll on Mark, and the second of Invincible takes time to explore that in brilliant and engaging writing.
For instance, there is a confrontation between Invincible and another character. The emotional scene tapped into my inner thoughts about myself and a significant, impactful moment in my life. I can’t speak for anyone reading this, but the show allows a level of connection that should be considered. Invincible season two illustrates how good the show was gotten this time and only elevates its mass appeal.
Although not huge, my only gripe with the show is a particular group’s lack of presence. A clear example of this is the Guardians of the Globe. The team rarely makes a dent this time, and it’s noticeable. Members of the Guardians were given more to do last season, and their arcs come off as an afterthought this time. It’s pretty bad because it can cause a hiccup in the show.
Invincible season two proves that a show can improve during its sophomore run. The action is more with excellent animation, and the story propels the overarching plot. I’m already salivating at the idea of season three, and the show will likely get greenlit. As someone who’s read the entire comic book series, it’s great to know that the phenomenal writing has translated well into the series. Hopefully, the showrunners can keep it up.