‘Invincible’ Season 2 Part 1 Is a Masterclass in Storytelling

The following Invincible Season 2 review was made possible by advance screeners of episodes 1-4, provided to Agents of Fandom by Prime Video for review purposes.

This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

From the onset of the first episode to the final seconds, Invincible Season 2 Part 1 provides shocking twists that are impossible to predict. Carrying on the tradition from Season 1, the second installment is captivating, rewarding, and bloody.

It’s simply masterful how the story utilizes common superhero tropes while completely flipping them on their heads. Although at first glance Invincible appears to be your run-of-the-mill comic book story, the realistic take on the violence and perspective of super-powered beings is unique and hard-hitting.

Creator Robert Kirkman continues to adapt the comics in unique ways while staying true to the source material. Led by Steven Yeun as Mark Grayson, aka Invincible, the entire voice cast brings their characters to life with heartfelt performances that add incredible depth. Invincible Season 2 is nothing short of astounding through the first four episodes.

While the first season waits until the final moments of episode one before unveiling their now infamous shocking twists, Invincible Season 2 wastes no time throwing the audience for a loop. Immediately once the season begins, viewers are in for an exciting re-introduction to the series.

With Mark Grayson and his partner Amber Bennett (Zazie Beetz) set to graduate high school, Invincible Season 2 Part 1 takes place in a time of transition. Mark is balancing his superpowers while beginning college. Starting at a new college is daunting enough for any young adult, but the added trauma of his father being a sociopathic, superpowered murderer doesn’t make things any easier.

While the grounded, Spider-Man-style story of taking on college life and fighting crime would be enough to carry the story, Invincible Season 2 raises the stakes to a whole new level. The introduction of riveting new characters like Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown) allows for brand-new stories to be explored that have yet to be seen in this universe. Levy’s presence is felt throughout Invincible Season 2 Part 1 without garnering much screen time.

Although the series focuses on Invincible and introduces many new exciting characters, Invincible Season 2 also does an incredible job expanding on the characters viewers grew to care for throughout the first season. Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs) got a head start with her special months prior and continues to be an intriguing mainstay throughout the new episodes. Debbie (Sandra Oh), the Guardians of the Globe, and all the previously introduced characters from Earth have their meaningful arcs without taking away from the primary story.

Season 1 is arguably the best comic-book adaptation in the history of animation and Invincible Season 2 Part 1 picks right back where its predecessor left off. Viewers will be on the edge of their seats from the opening credits. The shock value from the first season is dialed up even more while the action is somehow even more violent than before.

The series has assembled a legendary voice cast. Steven Yeun, Gillian Jacobs, Zazie Beets, and the entire group of returnees continue their prowess, while newcomer Sterling K. Brown gives a phenomenal performance. He has a magnificent manner of bouncing back and forth between caring and menacing, similar to J.K. Simmons in the first season as Omni-Man.

All four episodes are well-paced and will leave viewers begging for the rest of the season. While it’s unknown how many seasons Invincible will last, the entire team behind the project continues to deliver something special. The unique blend of relatability and realism is a welcome addition to the world of superheroes. The source material from the comics has always been a wonderful story. Still, the way Robert Kirkman and company have adapted important plot points in new and refreshing ways is simply sublime.

Follow the Agents of Fandom socials for weekly recaps of each episode in Invincible Season 2, Part 1.