Invincible season 2, part 2 review: A bloody good time
Prime Video's animated series remains a great remedy for "superhero fatigue."

At long last, Invincible is back for season two’s second half. After an annoying four-month hiatus, Prime Video’s superhero series flies into gear again on March 14, and unlike part one, there’s no slow building this time around. The four new installments are jam-packed with the gory action Invincible specializes in, feature some big twists (not news for readers of Robert Kirkman’s source material, of course), and rely on Steven Yeun’s poignant performance to anchor it all. Despite an unfocused pace, Invincible is still a smashing affair.
More than anything, the show crushes the “superhero fatigue” that’s (understandably) plaguing pop culture right now. Every studio has a hard-on for making the next Avengers: Endgame-type event. This has led to an influx of projects from Marvel, DC, and various streaming sites, many of them about the goddamn multiverse or acting as a connection to a movie franchise. When did watching something for entertainment turn into homework? Thankfully, Invincible uses these touch points but distinguishes itself, challenging this genre’s lassitude with its story and style.
The animation team brings the comic-book pages to life with great, colorful detail. The fight scenes are ferocious and meticulously designed. (Brace yourself for intense blood spatter in episode eight.) These thrilling sequences are elevated because they’re usually driven by intense emotion. And there’s no greater example of this than the season finale, which finds 18-year-old Mark Grayson battling during a mental breakdown. Yeun’s voice acting transcends the screen as his character’s growing pains become more gruesome. This second part dwells on his troubles right away.
The new batch picks up with a badly injured Mark on the planet Thraxa after the Viltrumite attack. His evil father, Nolan, a.k.a. Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons), has been kidnapped, leaving Mark in charge of his toddler half-brother. They both eventually make it back to Earth only for him to confront the chaos of his months-long absence: failing college grades, a rotating roster of villains, and an angry Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins). Plus, his loved ones, including his mother Debbie (Sandra Oh), girlfriend Amber (Zazie Beetz), and friends William (Andrew Rannells) and Sam, a.k.a. Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs), are lonely in his absence.