Invincible Season 3 finale — Unyielding Conflict

The first six episodes of Invincible’s third season started strong, but the final two episodes were in a whole different league. The themes of doom, gloom, and uncertainty are present at all moments, I was at the edge of my seat practically my entire viewing. Even though I knew the majority of the story beats from the comics, that didn’t lessen any of the impactful moments one bit.  Seeing these familiar events, albeit remixed, unfold in animation compared to the static comic pages was refreshing and felt like an adaptation worthy of the source material.

Alliances are tested, enemies are made. Mark Grayson (Invincible) and Cecil, the ominous government agent, must put their differences aside to prevent impending doom. Mark needs all the help he can get, and that includes his fellow heroes and alien half brother Oliver. The older and younger brother dynamic was a highlight, Oliver’s quips offered some much needed comedic relief to some otherwise grim scenarios. The brothers make a great team, I hope to see more of the two of them in action in the future. 

The animation was the best that it’s ever looked, it’s clear a chunk of the season’s budget went to the finale. The backgrounds behind the action were dynamic and extremely detailed, the characters were animated fluidly and the colors were oh so vibrant. The character designs and costumes were top notch as well, there has never been such visual variety to this caliber. I prefer Mark’s new black and blue costume to his original yellow one, even if it’s unapologetically reminiscent of DC’s Nightwing. The new colors indicate a clear shift to an even darker tone, as well as make Mark appear more intimidating and capable. 

There is no lack of talented voice work, Steven Yeun gives an especially powerful vocal performance as Invincible. His cadence is commanding when it needs to be, and is accompanied nicely with young talent Christain Convery’s more whimsical Oliver. The supporting cast was stellar again as always; including some exciting newcomers like Doug Bradley, best known for portraying Hellraiser’s Pinhead. The villains this time around sounded truly menacing and sinister, their octaves alone were capable enough to instill fear. 

The battles between the heroes and their adversaries were dark and grueling. Both heroes and villains alike gave their all and demonstrated lethal tenacity. No punches were pulled this time around, the aftermath of some of these encounters were not for the faint of heart. There were moments that I nearly had to watch through my hands with how vicious some of the beat downs became. Even fans of Kirkman’s other work such as The Walking Dead may even feel a bit squeamish.

There are some truly epic battles, yes, but the character relationships were the true highlight. The importance of looking at matters through others perspectives, even if you deem them as a foe, is an important theme throughout the finale. Mark can’t face all his antagonists alone, he would be a fool to continue to burn bridges at times like these. Invincible may be Earth’s strongest hero, but he is nothing without his allies. The dialogue between Mark and Eve was genuine and pure amidst a plethora of insults and jabs from the various perpetrators and evil doers the heroes had to face.