Invincible Season 2 Review: A Striking, Brutal, And Emotionally Compelling Return To Form

It's safe to say that the success of superhero movies and TV shows began to fade in the last couple of years (with a few exceptions). First and foremost, this coincided with a significant drop in quality with some of the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC titles that have been received more poorly by both fans and critics. Films like "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," and "The Flash" crumbled critically and commercially — or, at the very least, underdelivered. On the small screen, Marvel's "Secret Invasion" flopped so hard this year that the studio decided to completely change its approach and lean into a more traditional storytelling model of television.

In light of all this, the return of Robert Kirkman's beloved animation superhero spectacle, "Invincible," is even more astounding. Season 2 continues the story of Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) with the uncompromising boldness it started with and takes the series to new heights, expanding its universe without dropping the focus on the razor-sharp character drama.

After Season 1's devastating finale, the plot picks up a month later with Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons) missing in action and Mark trying everything possible to prove to the world (and himself) that he's unlike his dad. However, he's struggling to process the emotional trauma the ruthless battle (and its unfortunate victims) with his father left in him. (But before we get to that, Kirkman pulls a mean narrative trick on us at the start, which I'll leave everyone to discover on their own). He's nailing villains, helping the police, saving innocent citizens — and doing it to a beautifully fitting Radiohead needle drop — to reconcile his conscience after the tragedy that went down. Trying to be the hero people can count on again. Although it takes some convincing, Cecil (Walton Goggins) eventually allows Mark to work for him afresh, only if he's ready to take orders and never disobey.

In the meantime, newcomer scientist Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown's welcome addition to the cast) breaks the Mauler Twins (Kevin Michael Richardson) out of prison with his ability to open portals between dimensions. Admittedly, he's a pacifist, only using his powers for good and to help people. But Levy is faced with a specific problem solely the brothers' scientific knowledge can help him crack, and he's willing to take the risks of working with them. In exchange, he promises to transport them into an alternate universe of their choosing. Naturally, things don't go according to plan, and we witness the birth of a brand new villain with the knowledge of dozens of other universes.

Several plotlines rumble under the engine of Season 2's Part 1 (consisting of four episodes, which were provided for review), but the one that likely will intrigue fans the most is what happened to Omni-Man. Rest assured, he returns, and Robert Kirkman gives us puzzling answers with a slightly twisted yet deeply compelling arc that superhero stories rarely offer. The Shakespearean relationship between Mark and Nolan is undoubtedly the core of "Invincible," a fascinating contemplation on humanity, morality, and the powerful effects we have on one another that can reshape our entire personality and worldview.

In Season 2, Kirkman brings on alternate versions of different realities but always circles back to the human perspective. Besides Omni-Man's absorbing internal evolution, the writing examines the ruins of what his actions left in the people closest to him. While Mark's emotional crutch to lean on is his girlfriend, Amber (Zazie Beetz), and other peers like Eve (Gillian Jacobs) and William (Andrew Rannells), his mother, Debbie (Sandra Oh), struggles to make sense of it all on her own. How do you process that your murderer alien husband nearly killed your son, called you a pet, and secretly planned to enslave or destroy humanity? There's no standard treatment or a 12-step program for this (though, there's a secret support group for spouses of superheroes a friend suggests joining). Unable to cope with the emotional weight (despite her son's support that's, although comforting, not enough) her anger and sadness begin to consume Debbie, and at one point, it all bursts out of her to bring some temporary relief. Kirkman knows that such a personal and unprecedented trauma like this is layered and complex, deserving a nuanced portrayal he tackles painstakingly, step by step.

On a smaller scale, "Invincible" Season 2's approach to exploring trauma is also applied to many secondary characters like the Guardians of the Globe or Cecil's right hand, Donald (Chris Diamantopoulos). It's captivating to watch how each of their personal crises takes shape and gradually unfolds in front of our eyes. Yet that doesn't mean the fast-paced and brutal fight scenes we grew accustomed to take a backseat in the meantime. If anything, Season 2 raises the bar of its depiction of raw and ferocious violence — during which limbs tear, guts burst, and heads explode in a visually arresting animation — that pushes its limits even further than before. The key, however, to make these sequences feel monumental and riveting is to fuse them with the emotions boiling inside each character.

To alleviate the severity of these themes, Robert Kirkman carefully injects much-needed humorous bits sporadically (Seth Rogen's Allen the Alien finally gets the screen time he deserves) that arrive just at the right times when it all starts to feel too overwhelming. This includes some meta-commentary and narrative tricks that reaffirm the inventiveness "Invincible" established with its debut season two years ago.

If there's one thing to pick on, it's the decision to cut the season in half and release its second part next year. Naturally, when the story reaches its most intense middle point in Episode 4, we're forced to wait months to see it unfold. Thus, Season 2 Part 1 feels largely incomplete and incohesive because we don't yet see how all the separate and sprawling storylines come together and become whole in the big picture. But this is merely a criticism of an otherwise tremendous half-season that deepens its characters and widens its world boldly, maintaining a quality that makes it one of the best superhero shows of the year.

"Invincible" Season 2 premieres on Friday, November 3, on Amazon Prime Video.