Invincible Ultimate Collection Vol. 2 Review
Unlike the first Volume where there was a lot of build up, a shocking event happened, and then it ended this one was the fall out of that traumatic occurrence and a lot of set up for the future. I won't deny that most of the book is pretty slow but despite that fact it's some of the best writing I've experienced. That's something that Robert Kirkman has always been known for because he's so damn good at it. As good as the writing is though the book wouldn't be what it is without Ryan Ottley on art and Bill Crabtree coloring. The colors usually aren't one of the best things about a comic but it is in this book. Ottley's art captures a range of emotions in his art but most of all I remember the beauty and brutality drawn in this series. Even though this title may be the epitome of the superhero genre it has some of the most realistic and emotional moments I've ever read in comics.
Long story short at the end of Volume 1 the main characters' father, Omni-Man, revealed himself as a traitor, beat the shit out of his son, Mark Grayson aka Invincible, and then disappeared. Marks dad is of an alien race of super warriors whose sole purpose is to find planets to conquer kind of like the Saiyans. Marks mother is the most distraught after hearing her husband confess to this and loving her only as a ruse. Mark tries to fill the void that his father left as the premiere protector of the earth, goes to college, and has to deal with relationship problems on top of it all. His mom gets empty nest syndrome as most mothers do when there kids leave the roost. I couldn't help but think of my mom and how she feels when we don't visit her every week. That's what I mean by the realistic and emotional aspect of this book. There's also this very comedic side of the book too. At one point they have a part about Allen the alien. He's this reddish, pink, one-eyed alien that had a tussle with Invincible but now they're cool. Anyways it was very different, funny, interesting, and moved other parts of the story along, the otherworldly part. Something Kirkman has always been the best at is getting you to really like or love a character before something really horrible happens to them and he does not fail to deliver in that aspect in this book at all. Towards the end of this book they also feature some of the side characters by showing you their secret origin stories. Some were, dark, sad, funny, and uplifting.
I feel weird reviewing this book because nothing big really happened in it but at the same time that's one of the things that makes it so great. It's the early Peter Parker/Spider-Man aspect where the best and most interesting stuff is actually about the characters real life and how being a superhero complicates life rather than the other way around. I can't wait to pick up and read Volume 3 because the anticipation of seeing Invincible's first official arch-nemesis as well as all the other plot threads will come to fruition. You can't build a good house unless you have a strong foundation and that exactly what this book is all about. This book isn't without its heroic and epic moments but that's not the main focus of the book. All I know is that the wait will be more than worth it. Kirkman writes a book that you wish you came up with but never could do it as good since he is hands down one of the greatest comic book writers of all time. Ottley and Crabtree bring the visuals to a level that is rarely seen in the superhero genre with both quality and graphic images that you will never forget. If you like superhero comics and you're not reading this you're a fool because you will for sure fall in love with it especially considering all the homages and references to superhero comics and classic comic book tropes.
Verdict: STRONG BUY
You can pick up these comics at Age Of Comics, Kaboom Test Labs, or
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