Book of the Week: Invincible #29
It says it right there on the cover to the book: “Probably the Best Superhero Comic Book in the Universe.” Honestly, I can’t think of another comic that could reasonably challenge that. Invincibles’ got everything: Action, drama, humor, romance, depth, subtlety. And when it’s called for, it has some of the biggest and best fights this side of Infinite Crisis.
Take this issue, the end of the current arc. In one of the series’ earlier arcs, Invincible learns that Omni-Man, his superhero dad, is actually part of a race of world-conquering aliens called the Viltrumites who had sent Invincible’s dad to Earth to prepare it for conquest. Omni-Man nearly kills his son in the brutal fight that ensues, and flees Earth. Months down the road, Invincible receives a distress call from an alien planet and goes to help. There he finds Omni-Man ruling over a race of bug-people, along with his new stepmom (a bug-person) and half-brother (not), and learns why he was called there. The Viltrumites are coming to take over the planet, and Omni-Man wants Invincible’s help in saving the world that he’s come to love. This issue is the final fight between Omni-Man, Invincible and three Viltrumites. So essentially, it’s Superman and Superboy vs. Superman, Superman and Superman. And it’s brutal.
Yes, it’s bloody, and it’s certainly not appropriate for kids (although most of the rest of the series has been), but this is how a fight between Supermen would look. Sure, these guys are nearly invulnerable, but when you’re up against guys who are equally invulnerable, this is what would happen. It wouldn’t end in a stalemate like when ceratin Supermen fought recently. It would continue on and on and on until everyone was so bloody and battered that they simply couldn’t continue beating each other senseless.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t commend Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, Bill Crabtree and Rus Wooton for putting together such a fantastic comic. I’d say they can drop the “Probably” now.
Man, the ending was sweet, too, with mark’s new repsonsibility and shit–the 100 year time limit i mean. SWEET
[…] The worst part of it all is that the book was really late. Normally I don’t mind, because if the issue’s late it’s probably because everyone’s working hard to make the issue as awesome as possible. But when a stinker like this comes along after so much anticipation, it really leaves a bad taste in your mouth. […]
[…] Y’know, I really didn’t want to like Squadron Supreme this week. It’s running so late I was hoping I’d hate it so I could drop it. No such luck. Hyperion and Redstone had a amazingly brutal fight that put Superman vs. Earth-2 Superman to shame and may have even trumped the Viltrumite fight from Invincible. […]