You gotta read Worm. It's a superhero webserial written by Wildbow aka John McCrae. It takes the deconstruction of superhero tropes even further and reconstructs several of them. It's also got both some of the most creative superpowers and creative uses of standard superpowers I've seen in the genre
I was surprised that you thought the, "I do actually love my son so I'm going to leave" felt like a plot convenience. I thought it was made pretty clear that he did actually, genuinely care for his son, but when Mark came into his powers, he remembered his duty and the conflict between that and his new life on Earth started to send him off the rails. Debbie even remarks on the change. He leaves because he can't face his son after beating him into a bloody pulp.
It actually says a lot about mark, in several fights mark actually wins not by force, but by convincing the other side he is right (or that they are wrong) I mean in some he does win by force, but he helps show the other side why they are wrong rather then just throw them in prison. (I mean it doesn't happen often even in the comic, but it is good to see when it happens as many villains aren't evil, they are more misguided and forgetful of their humanity)
What impressed me the most about the series is they successfully sold the notion of how insignificant and expendable earth and its inhabitants are on the galactic scale. It makes Omni-man's choice way more meaningful with that brutal perspective.
I like the fact that Robert Kirkman has a chance to tweek his story. when he first introduced this story he was in his 20's and new at writing, now 20 years later he is better at writing and storytelling in general and has a chance to make it even better. I like this idea of creators having a chance to do that through different mediums. An animated show on amazon is the perfect place for revision.
They also cut out a mini story where they fight against a mad bomber in their highschool. It just felt needlessly edgy and poorly written. Kirkman has also said he wants to write more Battle Beast into the story.
They rewrote the entire train sequence for the last episode. It was just a simple crash in the comic, but Mark got the "front row seat" in the show. Great rewrite, imo.
i feel like the entire monologue Nolan gives throughout ep 8 was really him trying to remind himself of the viltrumite code. He wasn't just speaking to Mark in those moments, because he had in fact come to appreciate living on earth. It's also why he seems exhausted after beating on Mark in the mountains. The mental conflict is present throughout that entire scene and gets worse when he has the flashback and Mark's speaks those words to him after. To the point where Nolan just does not want to be there in that moment anymore and Runs. The Boys and Invincible are why i feel so bad for the upcoming Jupiter's Legacy (heck i will even add the watchmen tv show to the mix). All these shows are setup with the "Darkside of Superheroes" in mind, and while they do a good job of coming at it in different ways and have relatively different plotpoints, i'm worried that Jupiter's Legacy and the shows that come after may start to seem a bit meh...
Well. You aren't wrong at all about Jupiter's Legacy. No spoilers but just finished it and I'll be surprised if there's a season two. In all seriousness, I really enjoyed both The Boys and Invincible but I wonder where the superhero genre can go from here? Yes I want more from The Boys and Invincible. The gore, the very graphic violence. I just don't want to become desensitized to the violence with this genre yet. Basically, I hope that this violent genre of heroes continues to grow and not become dull.
All 3 of the ones you mentioned (Invincible, The Boys and Jupiter's legacy) approach violence with supers in a different way so they stay fresh, though Jupiter's Legacy has issues of an entire different kind. The season feels like its only half done by the finale and I think that will leave a bad taste behind.
The difference with The Boys and Jupiter's Legacy is that they also have a general statement on morality, which basically comes down to "Most humans, and virtually all Supers, are bastards." which I find a bit tiresome.
Daniel: There's two Supermen stand in-- Me, a geek: actually I would argue that the Immortal is more like "what if Vandal Savage was good," but please continue.
@@jonjo2598 Sorry, but not really. In the comics he fights with Invicible for spoiler reasons and gets done with pretty quickly. In this situation he had a centuries to prepare for anything and that didn't help him at all.
Thank you! Yes, that's exactly right. He's Vandal Savage, but a good guy, and can fly. I've been trying to pin that down and couldn't find a hero that fit.
I was so glad that they expanded her role from the comics. She's there, and she matters and she has her own sub plots but she feels like she has more agency in the show
Sandra Oh's voice acting was impeccable, too; she hit all the emotional notes perfectly, IMO. Absolutely tugged at my heartstrings when she broke down in the last episode
Invincible has been my favorite comic for years. Seeing Omni-Man’s “Think, Mark” become a meme is something I never thought I’d see, but it makes me so so happy.
Easily one of Amazon Prime’s best shows but they’re with American Gods and The Boys. I think what I like the most about this show is while it is subverts some accepts, but still keeps that’s Superhero tone and these characters felt so unnaturally charming
SPOILERS FOR SEASON 1!!!!!!!!! I actually really liked that Omniman could not kill his son. For me it made total sense. From the very beginning I saw him actually caring about his family in his own fucked up way. As focused on his purpose and calm as Omniman was he had conflicting emotions. That was shown from the very first episode. He tried to keep this family bubble for as long as he can, even though he knew that this family is just a short bus stop for him before the bubble pops.
Also, he spends the whole fight telling Mark how weak and pathetic humans are, telling him he should be above it all because he’s a Viltrumite, but seeing him pulverised by his own hand shows him how human his son really is, even by his own logic. That’s why it makes sense to me that he has a flashback to a human moment then and here. Then there’s so much to think about that I really can’t blame the character for wanting to just leave and think things over
@@PolyChromium I think that was the moment Nolan actually connected to humanity and woke up from the viltrimite indoctrination. When mark got his powers Nolan supressed his humanity to do what he thought he had to do even if he really didn't want to do it.
She wasn't pissed at him for leaving, she was pissed at him for lying about it to her face constantly. He was told if he was serious about her he should tell her, but if he wasn't serious about the relationship then he couldn't. She waited for him to take the relationship seriously and tell her the truth instead of lying. That's why he had no comeback when Eve said he had been leading her on for 5 months. Instead he groaned because he realized she was right.
@@m.f.lawless2617 The issue is that even if that's legitimate, (and I'd argue that the narrative shows something else) she never addresses that he has good reason to keep his identity secret, and they never have an actual conversation about it. She's justifiably mad that he's leaving her hanging, then it becomes unjustified because she supposedly knew, but doesn't think that gives his decision any weight, despite the fact that he has been beaten into the hospital by villains several times, any of whom would be able to use his family or loved ones against him.
@@003mohamud I'm glad her character has been given more depth than the comics seem to (from what I've heard), so it's weird that they'd both make her more unlikable in that situation and have them get back together anyway.
Spoilers for the end of season 1: Omni-Man leaving at the end is not convenient at all, it's a huge deal for a viltrumite to leave their post at all, when he couldn't kill his son and left the planet he renounced to thousands of years of serving the Viltrum empire.
Yeah, I don't think it was convenient either. Mark couldn't possibly beat him physically - if he had it wouldn't have been believable. So Mark appealed to his emotions hoping there was something left of his dad. When he was like "I'll still have you" I got chills and then we got the flashback which showed us that despite all his pre-conditioning, Omni-man loved his son. He realised just how much he'd screwed up - he'd sacrificed an eternity with his son who loves him for the Viltrumite empire that only loves power. And there was something so ominous about him leaving. Omni-man may be done with earth but I doubt Viltrum is. This show is so awesome!
I think the point was that it was a little convenient/too easy for Mark. Yes there are still going to be major story repercussions, but from the way things were developing, it seemed more likely that Nolan would just kill his own son... And there's no way Mark could have out fought him. It's convenient cuz the only reason Mark survives is because his dad suddenly does remember "oh yeah I like you" when... He really could've done one more punch, and Mark would be dead. Our protagonist isnt omniman- it is Mark, so it seems a little bit too easy for him to get out of that intense battle not by using his intellect or discovering a new power or inner strength just... reminding his dad that he loves him. Which could have been good if we had a few more moments in previous episodes where we see Nolan questioning things and remembering how much she loves Mark, but the fact that we didn't get any of those moments until the very last second... Eh it was a little easy. The guy just went on a big speech about how a few years on Earth are practically seconds to him and how no life here matters and to prove it pummeled his son to the very edge of his life. They should have had some sort of gift or father-son bonding moment flashback earlier, perhaps with a physical object like a gift from his dad or an old baseball, that Mark could then pull out of his super suit in that last episode to show like "hey. I still love you. The only reason I can fight at all is because I have this little piece of you next to me all the time," so omniman's change of heart is a bit more believable.
I strongly suspect that Nolan is just going back to Viltrum to tell them that Earth is ready for conquering. And is going to take a vacation while it happens.
@@funkle2645 The show feels a bit dated with all the flags and tropes but the execution was done so well that I got attached to the characters nevertheless. Looking forward to season two!
How the hell are you able to post so often, going from reviews to full on short films/skits while at the same time write a book?!? This is honestly impressive
*Spoiler Alert* Honestly, I felt like they did a great job at showing how omni-man's terrible personality he got from being who he was for such a long time clashed with who he almost became on earth for a time (before Mark got his powers). That was one of my favorite parts after watching it all of the way through for a second time.
@@planetzdr you’re braver than I am. For some reason it just made me delusional (no hallucinations or visuals) and I thought I was creating my reality 😬 I thought the monologue was just me making him say what I thought he would and it went on too long.
Personally I think Omniman was amazing, he seemed to genuinely want to help him, genuinely wanted what was best for his son from his point of view but he has other responsibilities that take priority. That whole fight he was trying to convince Mark of what was right. He never took that approach with anyone else and it's something he wouldn't have done unless he felt some real compassion for him. Once he realizes that his son won't change he is forced to confront that. He tries to abandon his son and do what he has been taught as right but just can't. Definitely worked for me
I never liked American super hero comics because I grew up with manga. Invincible was the first super hero comic that I picked up and IMMEDIATELY bought all the trades. It’s such a good series from beginning to end. First season is just scraping the surface of its universe.
I went into the show not knowing anything and thought it was PG typical superhero cartoon. And then the end of episode 1 happened. And I was like "what the f-"
I’m so happy this show is getting attention now. I was worried when I was watching while it released, because it seemed like RU-vid and Instagram hadn’t caught on.
If you're interested in fresh takes on the superhero genre, you should really read the webseries "Worm" by Wildbow. It has a few pacing issues, (much like Charles Dickens' work; serialized fiction tends to have that problem) but it has some of the most amazing high-concept ideas, escalating tension, character work, and creative use of powers that I've ever seen in the genre.
@@brawler5785 Then I commend Mr. Kirkman. Writing something for 144 issues--let alone maintaining a consistent level of quality over the period of time it would take to write something for. 144 issues--is really difficult. Good for him.
The Boys was made by a writer who despises most super-hero tropes. Invincible is a love-letter to the genre from the real world. The first episode twist came as a shock, because the series is made in the style of a saturday-morning cartoon so our brain is in a nostalgia mode. I bet SW: Empire Strikes Back twist also came as a surprise to our parents, because at the time scifi was mostly seen as "for kids". Game of Thrones also had similar "this is not how a Lord of the Rings clone is supposed to go", but 10 years ago that was less of a kids-genre
When watching the first episode I was wondering why this had an R-Rating. Then the last 5 minutes hit and I was instantly in love. What a great season. From what I've heard another good comic like this to look into is Irredeemable.
Actually hurts how poorly my children Count Zero and Night of Knives did in the poll, still hopefully it means Daniel can finally get around to Red Country
Daniel, you hit the nail on the head with the setting up plots for later seasons. Invincible (comicbook) is notorious for this, in part because of it being about superhero comics in general, how completely unrelated threats will exist separate from other threats in a comicbook universe, but instead of existing in their own bubbles, it has the luxury of being completely coherent. Likewise, it really loves to set up plot threads for future stories, which feels a little filler-y but ends up being organic once it eventually gets picked up. Anyway, you should check out the source material.
When I read the comics, i thought, " if they adapt this I hope they keep it animated. It would have been terrible as alive action. " Glad they got my thought message.
I binged this comic when the ads for the show first came out, upon the recommendation of my brother. It. Is. Fantastic. And yes, there are many plot threads that are set up for much further down and you do NOT see it coming until it actually happens. And it really does an awesome job at examining superhero tropes. It really is an amazing series!
In reference to your comment about Eve's pacifist route and hoping those ideas will continue! I had the same reaction when reading the comics of being surprised at the direction she took and it felt so refreshing in a comic. The cool thing about invincible is that the end is done and has been for a few years, so the writers know where the story is going (unlike another show in the not so distance past). Because of this there are lines that are sprinkled through out the show that actually carry more weight and meaning than people realize! I say all this to mention in a spoiler-less way a line that Debbie says back in the Mars episode. She tells mark that people are going to tell him him how to use his powers, but he will need to decide for himself how to do that... and I can't help myself, so I'll say this: there are other people in the room, when she says this, who tell mark how to use his powers (one of which who does by the very end of the season!)
I really appreciate you bringing up the justice league cartoon. As someone who thoroughly enjoyed the boys and this I'm really impressed with how the take of "edgy/dark story about superheroes" can feel so incredibly different that I don't think they even compete for filling the same niche, I feel like you watch these and enjoy them for very different reasons. The boys is much more cynical and is practically a parody of superheroes and is really a critique of the very idea and it also throws in some societal critique to through the lens of superheroes. Invincible on the other hand absolutely does not make it out like superheroes are inherently a bad idea, Invincible appreciates superhero stories and takes them seriously, it just adds gore on top of it. I very much felt similar things about invincible as I did about watching justice league as a kid, it felt like I was watching justice league, if it were willing to explore more mature themes and show the violence and gore that would actually happen in that world, but it still takes the general superhero premise quite seriously. Also personally I liked william, I felt like he was allowed to more openly gay than what I'm used to from characters like these, without that being the only thing that defines him, he gives mark some legitimate input and advice especially regarding Amber, I never felt like he was just the gay guy, I do feel like he seems just as valid as all the other superhero best friends, and he just happens to be gay and is allowed to be gay pretty openly.
If you want an older hardcore version of the Boys I would recommend checking out "Uber" by Kieron Gillen. Which I think can be generally described as "The Boys in WW-2, where German gets the 'bomb' first but they're nigh unstoppable super powered beings and how the f*ck are we going to stop them?"
I felt like the flash back that Nolan had was not just for him but for us to understand, that through the years he spent with his family, he did break down the walls he had made for himself. He allowed himself to be a real husband and father. Throughout the season, you see him be tough in mark but quickly soften up in moments where he see his son truly hurt. I liked that about him. Truly evil, yes, but father and husband, still.
Invincible is a great example of elevating a work by having the original creator be involved in the adaptation process. Robert Kirkman in interviews has said that being able to chop up storylines and refine the overall plot has been wonderful since an eight episode season is much different than one comic issue a month for storytelling and pacing. You can especially tell with the last episode that Kirkman wrote himself that even though it played out different from the source material it fit perfectly into what came before and setting up the future plotlines from the comics. Too often creators are "involved" in a project and have to watch their story burn down around them. Invincible demonstrates why involving the original intent works wonders for the new story.
Some things to notice here, from a person who has read the comic: - The comic was published in 2003 and ended in 2018. It only gets worse for the main protagonist. - Hefty themes you say Daniel? I mean Omni-Man past is explored, and also Anissa happens. The ones who have read to that point, know EXACTLY what I am talking about. Then we also have Thragg - Conquest as well as the rest of the Viltrumite stuff. - Last, but not least, Allen was introduced in Episode 8, do NOT sleep on him. Honestly, Robert Kirkman does things similar to how Jonathan Hickman handles some stuff. They both throw out hints or stuff hidden in plain sight and only after the second readthrough, when the story is complete, do you understand how all of them are connected. Since Invincible is a completed story, I highly suggest people to read it with what I said in mind.
Invincible is my favorite comic series of all time. They are written by thr same guy who wrote the Walking Dead comics and thr artwork is by far my favorite superhero style. I haven't even finished the comics yet either. I was reading the ultimate collection editions.from my library and they only had up to volume 9. I've been waiting FOREVER for an animated show. Even knowing certain things that happen, this show hit home. It was engaging and shocking. Reading the comics beforehand, I knew it would be bloody gruesome but each and everytime , the gore impacted my lungs to a stop. It was beautiful. Please read the comics Daniel. Please please please. Also, shirt choice is perfect for this video lol
So I’ve read the first 12 comics and I love how close to the source material they are while also sprinkling in their own artistic vision and improving on a few areas to make it better. This show was awesome and it made me go out and buy the comics which are also splendid and wonderful.
I was so excited when the immortal came back and went after omni man in an insane rage. I knew he didnt really have a chance, but still got my blood running
antiheroes are in babyyyy Even Falcon & the Winter Soldier tried to achieve a similar effect but didn't really stick the landing (in my opinion). Amazon is willing to go there in a way that Disney isn't, I suppose. Kinda shocked by that
I've read all the comics and Omniman is easily one of my favorite fictional characters ever written. His motivations and actions are so meaningful and deep.
I binged the whole comic series a while ago and was jazzed when I heard that a TV show was on the way. The first season's a really good adaptation of that first story arc, especially since it tightens up the pacing and fleshes out certain little plot points here and there. If the later tv arcs stick to the comic's then we're in for one hell of a ride because trust me... STUFF...happens.
Glad you enjoyed it! I really like the realistic feel of Invincible without it being so overly cynical. They take a very realistic approach to people in generally in it and I appreciate that. Spoilers, all ye who enter here: I personally liked the flashback, mainly because it reinforces that Nolan has changed, and is in a position where he must choose to either go back, or do something else. Probably my favorite part was the monologue he had, and when he said right after: "What will you have after 500 years?" And Marks simple response of: "You dad. I still have you." Is just an emotionally satisfying hit, and you can literally see the wall just crumble and Nolan realize how much of a horrid person he's been, and what a monster he has become. Which is even more reinforced with Mark, unable to see Nolan because of the blood and swollen eyes, says in a small whimper: "Dad?" And Nolan's response is to have a small gasp in horror of what he just did to his own son. The two actors did a fantastic job in that, and I am excited to see them later in Season 2. Also, Allen the Alien, he is one of the coolest characters in the comics and I am looking forward to what they do with him.
I wish you did comics more often, you're great at articulating the nuances between source material and their adaptations and despite how faithful the Invincible show is, there are shifts worth talking about. That and I feel like a lot of comics like this never get any respect until they get adaptations.
So this morning I watched this review up until the spoilers point, then tried the show. I finished the season just now, at 2am. Then I watched the spoilers part. Thanks!
One thing I learnt from this series is no amount of superpowers will stop you from getting your ass handed to you. Mark took nothing but Ls when he fought anyone or anything stronger than Titan. Great show. I'm so amped for season 2
Worst death on the show? . . . Spoilers . . . The way the Red Blur dies in the first episode, right after he explains how he perceives time to his wife, makes it even more brutal. It must have felt like hours to him. Pure agony.
One day Mark is going to be feeding his son/daughter and he's going to go "here comes the choo choo train" then just drop the spoon and have a PTSD flashback
Invincible is my favorite comic book of all time so this show meant A LOT to me. I will definitely say, season 1 is just the beginning. There is SO MUCH to look forward to in the future :D
Fantastic video, thank you, Sir. I got Amazon Prime only for "Invincible" and "The Boys", and i really loved both shows. Two of the best shows i have seen.
Comic people say all the things we think we know will come in the future arcs of the story are tiny back stories so I'm really excited to see how they subvert our expectations & build the story over the next 2 seasons
Even though I knew what the overall plot was gonna be (as in Omni-Man would be an evil Superman-esque character) the way they handled everything still had me on the edge of my seat. Definitely wasn't expecting that episode 1 massacre lol. Hopefully Amazon puts the love and care this show needs to succeed in future seasons
Thing about the comic is that it stays focused on Mark while still building the bigger world in a way you expect. In comics, there are different kind of world building and characterization needed for a solo book, one focusing on a single character like Spider-man, and the kind you do for team books like Justice League and Avengers. Basically, the comic is a solo book that, for a while, was the only book in the verse, so did the difficult thing of doing a solo book with team book worldbuilding.
Cecil had my respect for facing down that threat alone, just to reason out why. He was very well written, and he felt like a significant part of the story.
I’m really happy you like this show as much as I did. There is just so many people out there who won’t watch this simply because it’s animated and that’s just a big fat shame. There are so many people who don’t have nor want to even give TLAirbender a shot just because it’s animated.
I was ready to give up during episode one. I might add I had never heard of it before seeing it in the new section on prime. Then that ending of the first episode just hooked me, great show. Probably the best thing I have watched this year.
The cast of the show also really sold me on amazon's X-Ray feature. You can pause the show at any point, and it will give you credits for everybody on screen, and whatever song is playing in the background. Suuuuuper useful. Also, this show reconfirmed for me that animation would be a viable medium for a Stormlight adaptation.
About the monster... It had Omniman falling unconscious until Mark saved him and still beat them around together. Actually weird Omniman seemed more hurt flying into it vs any other point in the show.
Btw, the first season of Invincible is only the first 12 episodes of the comic. And there are 115 issues in the comic, so I'm interested in seeing how the next few seasons will be structured.
