Invincible season 2, part 1 review: A slow, compelling burn

Of course, the show’s crux lies in Mark’s increasingly fractured bond with his father. Mark spent all of season one hoping he would turn into a hero just like Nolan—and now that’s his biggest fear. What if he turns out to be an evil conqueror like the rest of the Viltrumites? The question leads him to make hasty choices, but Invincible reminds us often that he’s just a teen who suffered a major gut punch. His coming-of-age identity crisis fuels the season as he struggles with it, especially once Omni-Man finds his way back into Mark’s life.

The complex Grayson family dynamics shape Invincible and make it grounded, but we’re still talking about all-out animated superhero fare here. So the visuals remain colorfully vivid, as does the action. Mark faces antagonists in the form of the Mauler Twins (Kevin Michael Richardson), but season two also introduces a new Big Bad in Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown). He’s got the power to open portals to different worlds—and thus the multiverse beckons. And Invincible’s writers smartly switch up some of the comics’ stories, so readers can be equally surprised.

The first half of Invincible’s second season hones in on Mark and Debbie as opposed to the rest of the characters. There’s barely any Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins), and that’s never a good thing, is it? Other heroes get scattered narratives, like Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs), who suffers her own unique form of identity crisis when she’s uncertain of how to use her powers for good. That storyline feels lackluster after Atom Eve got her own pretty great special earlier this year. Don’t expect to see much of Teen Team or the new Guardians of the Globe in these episodes, either.

Instead, the show introduces several new voice actors, including Tatiana Maslany, Ben Schwartz, and Rhea Seehorn. They sadly don’t get the space to evolve their performance or personalities here—but there are just enough nuggets to set up meatier storylines in season two’s back half. That said, look out for a beautifully executed Allen the Alien (Seth Rogen) subplot in episode three.

But the thrills are still there. Invincible, as always, makes fantastic use of its animation. Take, for example, that big fight scene in episode four that feels like pages of a comic book coming spectacularly to life, with spikes of pink and purple hues. And while these episodes feel noticeably unhurried, it’s nevertheless impressively meditative, preparing us for the next giant step in Invincible’s future.

Invincible season 2 premieres November 3 on Prime Video