Featured Image: (Pacer Graphic / Dylan Sulcer)
Amazon Prime has become one of the most popular go-to destinations for viewers who want something exciting to watch. Their content has seen a considerable increase in viewership over the last five years. This is mainly due to the high quality content they produce for their Amazon Original television shows. One of those shows is the adaptation of a popular comic book series from the early 2000s called “Invincible.”
“Invincible” is a superhero comic book series created by Robert Kirkman for the comic book publishing company Image Comics. It has since been adapted into an adult animated television series for Amazon Prime. After a lengthy stint in development purgatory, the series finally saw its pilot episode released on Mar. 26, 2021. “Invincible” tells the story of Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun), son of famed superhero Nolan Grayson (J.K. Simmons), also known as Omni-Man. It follows Mark through his trials and tribulations as the superhero Invincible, a hero who is always trying to do the right thing even when it doesn’t always feel that way. “Invincible” was always a popular comic book series but once it received its animated adaptation on Amazon Prime, it was launched into the mainstream.
Throughout Mark’s journey, he’s faced with hard choices and even harder realities. These situations call attention to the nature of his character. Despite going through these problems, it never changes who he is as a person. This is the main attraction that fans have to the character of Mark Grayson, an inspiring figure that many can relate to.
Not unlike Superman or Captain America, Invincible inspires fans to be the best version of themselves despite any of the opposition they may see in their daily lives. The courage and determination that Mark shows in the face of defeat really exemplifies what a superhero should be and showcases why Invincible isn’t just a name for him.
The animation style of “Invincible” really brings the pages of the comic to life. However, a reoccurring issue that fans seem to have with the animation is that it can be somewhat simple in some areas and exemplary in others. The general consensus that most viewers have come to is that due to a limited budget, the higher-end animation is reserved for the more important scenes and sequences so that they may get the veneration that they deserve.
The result of this is the lower-end animation being more commonly used for the rest of the show. Although this causes discourse amongst fans, it’s a smart financial decision that keeps the show going while giving its more impactful scenes the respect and attention that an adaptation of them requires.
The cultural significance of “Invincible” is far from where it was before the show began. For a long time, the “Invincible” comic book series was on the back burner. While one of Image Comics’ most popular series, it still paled in comparison to other superhero stories from Marvel and DC. Internally, it couldn’t even compete with Image Comics’ most popular series ever “The Walking Dead,” which was, ironically, also made by Robert Kirkman.
Once it was revealed on June 19, 2018, that “Invincible” would receive an animated television show, excitement for the cult classic series began rising once again. Since season one of the show ended, it’s been talked about nonstop by both old and new fans alike. From memes to fan edits to character deep dives, the online presence of “Invincible” is almost unavoidable. The love and support of its fanbase seemingly increased tenfold once the show began airing and it hasn’t slowed down since.
“Invincible” is currently in the middle of its fourth season, and, with war on the brink, tensions are rising. Without this adaptation, it’s very likely that the comic series would’ve stayed very niche to the audience that it has garnered over the years of its serialization. Therefore, it’s a relief that Amazon Prime picked this show up and treated it with the respect that it deserves. Without Amazon’s dedication to staying true to the source material, “Invincible” would not be as prominent in the mainstream as it is currently. The immersive story, compelling characters and gorgeous animation keep fans coming back every week for more episodes of this series that they love so much. The show is far from over, as there is much more to the story of Mark Grayson than we have seen so far. Fans are in agreement when they say that they can’t wait for more of their favorite yellow and blue clad superhero, INVINCIBLE.
