RIOTUS

Our boy Mark Grayson is back on our screens. The adventures of Invincible continue after the events of last season, where Mark faced down his first Viltrumite opponent outside of his alternate selves or his father. After Eve’s almost death and dealing with the multiversal threat of Angstrom Levy pushing Mark to the edge, this season opens with Mark dedicated to dealing with threats in a more permanent way to make sure people are safe. The weight of being a hero is starting to overwhelm Mark in more ways than one. Eve has her own issues with her powers not working correctly, and Oliver has teen issues that feel reminiscent of Mark’s from earlier in the season. The rest of the family and the Guardians of the Globe also have a lot to deal with this season.

It’s funny to me that in the current online US comics discourse, there is so much talk about why and how the US comic market, especially the superhero genre, is doing so poorly when compared to the Japanese Manga market globally and here in the US. One of the reasons people like to bring up is how anime usually adapts the series over there closely, allowing people to get into the series and then transition to the comic if they want. Early on, I said Invincible was the closest we had to that, and after four seasons in, I think it’s safe to say it’s the only US comic to do this and pull it off at such a high level.

I feel some of the issues people have had with the animation in earlier episodes should be completely gone from people’s minds after watching this season. The movement is fluid, and action is just as dynamic as it’s ever been. The episodes are paced perfectly, taking the story from the comic and translating it to a series that I feel, at times, is better than the original comic. Being that Robert Kirkman is adapting his own work with Simon Racioppa, he has the benefit of hindsight. Even the ultra-violence and gore of the comic that turned me off from it feels more earned and has great repercussions in the show than in the comic in the 2000s.

All the voice performers from Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, Gillian Jacobs, and J.K. Simmons carry most of the show’s dramatic heft in their performances this season. Their voice work anchors what we see in the animation very well and keeps your attention through all the crazy events happening. Seth Rogan as Allen the Alien, Jonathan Banks as Brit, and Zoey Deutch as Tech Jacket bring some great comedic timing and levity to the series in different ways that cut the tension and give some good breathing moments.

With much of the conflict being focused on the Viltrumite War, the story balances the stresses and troubles of Mark along with Nolan’s redemption within the larger cosmos. Coming to a head with Nolan’s return to Earth, paying off a lot of the emotional threads from the season finale of the first season. It’s handled very well and is believable for the characters and the world. I feel Invincible season 4 takes the show to a higher level in terms of consistency and execution. It’s a series that stands out and is setting the bar for superhero comic adaptations. I’m really excited about season 5, and it can’t get here fast enough.