Warning! This review contains minor spoilers for Invincible season 3, episodes 1-3.
Invincibleseason 3 is here, bringing with it the same self-referential humor, moral complexity, and strong character work. Perhaps the most criticized aspect ofInvincibleseason 2’s endingwas just how long it came after its beginning, brought about by the divisive mid-season break. Thankfully,Invincibleseason 3’s storywill not feature such a break, which came as a welcome update for me and the many fans of the Prime Video show.
Invincible
This time around,Invincible’s cast of characters faces the looming threat of the Viltrumites. Despite Omni-Man’s people not playing an active role inInvincibleseason 3’s three-episode premiere, their threat is felt as Mark trains with Cecil and the Global Defense Agency to grow strong enough to defeat them. What spawns from this is an interestingvillain inInvincibleseason 3, who is not much of a villain at all. It is in this morally gray story that season 3 thrives just as much as its predecessors, all while providing the action, violence, humor, and superhero goodness it has become known for.
Invincible Season 3’s Cecil Storyline Provides Compelling Moral Questions
The Series Shines In The Gray Area
Invincibleseason 3 is at its strongest when exploring what levels Mark and his allies should be able to go to protect Earth and remain on the right side of the moral line. Cecil does not have much of a line at all and is willing to reform murderers like Darkwing and D.A. Sinclair so long as it means Earth remains protected. This rubs Mark the wrong way, leading to an incredibly compelling clash of ideologies.
While I admit I would have likedInvincibleseason 3’s first three episodes to focus on this even more, what was shown resonated with me. How it affected Mark’s decisions, delved into Cecil’s backstory to explain why he is the way he is, and howInvincible’s Guardians of the Globe were affected were all satisfying explorations of a single question of morality. Through this story, season 3 remains firmly in the more compelling gray area established by its predecessors than being a less enthralling story of outright good and evil.
Invincible’s Humor & Action Is Not Lost Among The Darkness
The Show Retains Its Other Strong Elements
What perhaps makes the darker questions of morality even more exciting is how they do not overtake other aspects of the show. The jokes still land, delivered well by the various members of the show’s voice cast. Moreover, the jokes continue to be self-referential in a way that separatesInvinciblefrom the comedic romps of the MCU, for example.
Similarly, the action-packed elements ofInvincibleare not second fiddle to the new storylines. Invincible’s teaching of his younger brother Oliver, dubbed Kid Omni-Man, remains exciting as a new superhero is born. What’s more is that Oliver’s story has its own moral complexity, as he learns whether someone as powerful as him should be judge, jury, and executioner or not, with the story linking perfectly and seamlessly to the show’s wider themes.
Invincible’s Overall Story Overcomes Somewhat Lackluster Animation
Beyond the story of Mark, Cecil, and Oliver,Invincibleseason 3’s first three episodes still include some other compelling elements. The storyline of Debbie Grayson and the continued redemption of Rex Splode continue to work as well as hoped despite some lackluster animation. SinceInvincibleseason 1 aired, its animation has been criticized for feeling somewhat stiff or at least less dynamic than other Western animated series.
This was admittedly never as big an issue for me as it seemed for others. Nonetheless, I do acknowledge the difference in animation quality between the main show and the teaser trailers often released featuringInvincible’s characters in a diner. However, this is not enough to ruin my experience watchingInvincible, especially with the show possessing the noticeable strengths it does in season 3’s opening three installments.
