Great, but not as great as Volume 1
The reason this gets a 4 and not a 5 star rating is because I read Volume 1 right before I read Volume 2. If you read Volume 1, wait a little to read Volume 2. 2 is fantastic, Robert Kirkman is an amazing writer, but it falls short of being as amazing as 1. Volume 2 picks up right where Volume 1 left off, and has Mark learning more about himself and his powers. Now that he has taken on his fathers job for Cecil, he is having some trouble juggling everything all at once, and that's the basic plotline of this one. What you have to remember about this is it is all about setting up the later comics. Each issue stands almost entirely on its own, but when you read later issues, or volumes, if you haven't read this one, they aren't nearly as good, and some just won't make much sense without this one. So read it, buy it, enjoy it, just remember this one is all about laying groundwork for the future of Invincible.
"This stuff is hard. It's not like the movies. Glasses just aren't enough."
STOP reading this, if you haven't yet gone thru Invincible: The Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1 or INVINCIBLE, Vols. 1-3 (FAMILY MATTERS, EIGHT IS ENOUGH, and PERFECT STRANGERS).
As Invincible, teenager Mark Grayson may be one of the most powerful superheroes on the planet, but Robert Kirkman writes him as such a likable, down-to-earth kid that you find yourself easily relating to him. INVINCIBLE is one of the best comics going on out there today. You're really, really missing out if you haven't yet checked out this title. Anyway, about INVINCIBLE ULTIMATE COLLECTION, Vol. 2...
As we found out in the previous volume, Omni-Man (the erstwhile Defender of Democracy) turns out to be a humongous super-villain. Having confessed to his son Invincible (and, unwittingly, to the rest of the world) his true goal of conquering the Earth for his home planet of Viltrium, Omni-Man ends up beating the living snot out of Invincible in a cataclysmic battle and then blasts off into deep space, leaving his son in critical condition. The betrayal leaves Mark and his mom in deep shock, and their coping mechanisms kick in. Mark's mom takes to drinking and passing out on the couch; Mark internalizes everything.
One immediate fallout to Omni-man turning traitor is that Invincible becomes an agent of a top, top, top secret government agency. As such, Mark is directed to various trouble spots around the world where his powers would be put to best use. This frequently keeps him on the move, and soon Mark's girlfriend Amber is getting fed up with the chronic lateness, abrupt departures, and frequent absences (she suspects him of drug-dealing). Yet one more repercussion to Omni-man's betrayal is that Invincible is instantly regarded with suspicion by a few in the superhero community (*cough*theImmortal*cough*).
Averting disasters, saving lives, beating up on the bad guys, picking up the pieces of his life. Then there's school. An alien invasion causes a delay in the graduation of Mark's high school senior class, after which Mark only has two weeks to prepare for his first day in college.
Writer Robert Kirkman keeps it real, or as real as he can get in the world of comic books. From the get-go, this comic book has kept it coming with unexpected twists and stories that are fresh and so enjoyable to read. Kirkman offers up offbeat takes on superhero conventions. He's already taken characters who were clearly based on recognizable DC superheroes and made them (or what happened to them) integral to the story (of course, I'm talking about the Guardians of the Globe). I'd like to think that Kirkman's characters, for the most part, behave just as real people would if put in the same abnormal circumstances. I like that Kirkman doesn't resort to Clark Kent-ism, where a disguise becomes impenetrable by virtue of donning a pair of glasses. Two of the folks who know of Mark's dual identities actually figured it out on their own. Heck, even one villain saw thru the costume and instantly recognized Invincible's civilian identity. Given, that was Mark's evil physics teacher (see ULTIMATE COLLECTION Vol. 1), so he already knew Mark.
With the wild success of the comic book (it's about to hit the issue #50 landmark), Kirkman gets even more diligent about building his Invincible universe. I love numerous sub-plots, love that feeling of stuff always happening, with more stuff waiting just around the corner. Kirkman weaves in boatloads of sub-plots. Lessee, in no particular order, there's that ill-fated expedition to Mars (the endpage of which lets you know more will be heard from this); there's the Titan-turning-over-a-new-leaf arc; the continuing machinations of the dimension-hopping Angstrom Levy; the one with the Reanimen; and there's that issue devoted to Allen the Alien, which gets us closer to the monster Viltrumite arc.
Kirkman invests more time into the supporting cast, fleshing out characters such as Robot (awesome!), Monster Girl, and Allen the cyclopic alien (also awesome). Mark's mom gets more face time and meets a friend with whom she shares a common ground. Even the guy who makes superhero suits is developed further. Also more on Mark's lovelife, more on his best bud William's love life, and even on Atom Eve's lovelife. Because, c'mon, who doesn't dig teen romance in a teen title?
I love the seemingly throwaway touches. What Mark does with his graduation cap (the same cap, which, by the way, turns up in a later issue); his mom packing him lunch on his Mars excursion, and what happens with that. I like the fact that Kirkman isn't shy about involving his characters in heart-to-heart dialogues. #22 and #0 are two of my favorites, two issues which consist mostly of dialogue, stemming from Amber and Mark's heading-downhill relationship. And, in issue #23, Kirkman shows why Allen the Alien is such a popular character.
The art? Ryan Ottley, who took over from Cory Walker back in issue #8, boasts pencils and inks that are visually compelling and elegant in its simplicity. In all this, Ottley retains much of Cory Walker's style. Credit, too, to Bill Crabtree, who with his crisp coloring definitely adds to the clean look of INVINCIBLE.
INVINCIBLE: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION, Vol. 2 collects issues #14-24, #0, and a story from IMAGE COMICS SUMMER SPECIAL #1. Brief origins of Monster Girl, Rex Splode, the Immortal, Dupli-Kate, and Atom Eve are also included. As a bonus, there's a ton of sketches with commentary by Kirkman, as well as the script to issue #23. By the way, if you already own INVINCIBLE, Vol. 4 - HEAD OF THE CLASS and Vol. 5 - THE FACTS OF LIFE, then you basically already have the issues reprinted in this Ultimate Collection Hardcover.
Otherwise, go get this one.
FUN!
I have really grown to love this series. It is Spider man, meets the good parts of Justice league. It is fun, and awesome. I highly recommend it.
Hero in training
In this second hardcover collecting Robert Kirkman's Invincible Volumes 3 & 4 (issues 14 - 24 and Origins) we see Mark Grayson maturing into the world's soon-to-be most powerful superhero. After the climactic and disturbing events in the first collection where Mark discovered the truth about his father our hero is left to figure out things for himself. Without the guidance of his super-parent Invincible sets off for college and starts working for Cecil Steadman and the government, which pits Mark against villains and monsters capable of mocking his superhero monicker by actually hurting and beating him. Relationship troubles with Amber and his Mom who is still dealing with his dad's absence put a strain on Mark's life that not even his superpowers can alleviate (a la Spider-man). I am glad to say that I enjoy this comic because of the fact that Invincible is, strangely enough, NOT invincible. Sure, Mark doesn't have a weakness like Kryptonite, and can't be hurt by conventional weapons, but other supers can with a bit of trying inflict some damage upon him, either by thrashing him physically or going after his loved ones, showing that a secret identity is not as easy to hide as in the Superman universe. Kirkman handles his character much like Alan Moore handled Miracle Man all those years ago, pointing out that even the most invulnerable of beings has limits, and that the world does not always recover when these creatures cut loose. Often violent and bloody, the Invincible comics in this collection also contain moments of tenderness and genuine feeling between characters that make each story addictively readable and leaves you begging for more.
Great shape - Speedy Delivery
The book got here quick, packaged well and in great shape. What more is there to say.
(11 reviews)
