Invincible (2021)

The ending that serves as the finale for Part 1 of Season 2 doesn’t feel like a finale or a midseason finale in any way. In the long run, that is probably for the best, but for now? The back half of this season deserved to be released hand in hand with the amazing opening four episodes.

This turns out to be even better than Season 1, with stronger animation, storytelling risks, dollops of humor and another dynamite soundtrack.

The Mark Grayson we know was one of the few to spurn his idol, and his choice captures the hope that courses through even Invincible’s bleakest moments. While infinite realities will spawn countless empires, the show understands that no tyrant is untouchable and no fate inevitable.

The thrills are still there. Invincible, as always, makes fantastic use of its animation. .... And while these episodes feel noticeably unhurried, it’s nevertheless impressively meditative, preparing us for the next giant step in Invincible’s future.

Whatever answer the show comes to, the ride of seeing it soaring to new heights just as it dives further into the depths of depravity is what makes it shine.

In just two seasons, Invincible has proven that it’s one of the biggest superhero shows to keep an eye on—in a sea of superhero monotony, this series works hard to stand out.

The second season looks like it’ll be more complex than the first, but we’re confident that the second season will be as cohesive as the first.

Aside from the dart-throwing storytelling, the character writing and drama shared between whatever sector, hero or villain, is where the series lives up to its name. To its strength, Season Two seriously considers the previous events emotionally affecting the lives of its ensemble and expands on them thoughtfully.

The show embraces every trope and every weird element of comic books earnestly while adding a ton of violence and gore. In season 2, "Invincible" goes bigger, bolder, and with vastly better animation.

Following a shaky start, Invincible season 2 quickly finds its footing balancing poignant character-centric storytelling with a greater focus on the all-encompassing threat of the intergalactic planetary conquerors, the Viltrumites.

Anchored by leveled-up vocal performances, the returning Invincible maintains a strong throughline for Steven Yeun’s Mark and Sandra Oh’s Debbie as they deal with the fallout of last season’s violent finale. However, despite this compelling emotional core (and the show’s subsequent expansion in scale), season 2 becomes a shaky ensemble drama, owing to a scattered structure that tosses in supporting subplots almost at random, with few of them being granted the necessary time to breathe. It’s a promising foundation for the remainder of the season, even if it mostly establishes the puzzle pieces while fitting few of them together.