Invincible #144 review: Truly the end of all things
By Alex Widen
A final issue of Invincible that lives up to its name! Yet how does this iconic series end?
Invincible #144
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artists: Ryan Ottley & Cory Walker
Inker: Mark Morales
Colorist: Nathan Fairbairn
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Among the many worn out cliches of the comic book medium is a “double sized final issue.” So many comic books feature franchises that have endured so long, you could make a list of how many first and “last” issues they had. Yet Invincible managed to eke out a place for itself within the 21st century which was very unique. It offered many of the trappings of superhero universes without the limitations of franchise obligations or an editorial team which played things too safe.
Image by Image Comics
Spun out of 2002’s Tech-Jacket mini-series, Invincible has been trucking since 2003. During that time, it may have struggled to ship more than 9-10 issues a year, yet it also had relatively few artistic changes. It eventually spawned its own short-term spin-offs such as Guarding The Globe or mini-series based on supporting characters like Atom Eve & Rex Splode and Brit. Even other short lived Kirkman series like Capes, Astounding Wolf-Man, and the aforementioned Tech-Jacket became part of one big Invincible universe!
Image by Image Comics
What’s in Store for the Final Story?
Now, after fifteen years and with The Walking Dead occupying more of his life, Robert Kirkman has decided to bring things to an end. This final arc, bluntly titled “The End of All Things” has been tying up the loose ends since last year. In it, we saw final showdowns with longtime villains such as Robot, who’d conquered the Earth, and Thragg, ruler of the Viltrumite Empire. Yet all of that action was handled in previous issues. Instead, this double-sized finale is all about bringing things full circle to that first arc of Invincible from ’03.
Image by Image Comics
Much like Nolan (or Omni-Man) did at the start of Invincible #1, Mark Grayson tells his son about his origins. He recaps the highs and lows of the alien Viltrumites and their harsh warrior culture. Only this time, there are no lies and embellishments. Mark stresses to his son Marky that their people came from a brutish and violent past. Yet thanks to the efforts of the late Nolan, and ultimately Grayson himself, their people are making strides to evolve into a better culture.
Image by Image Comics
And much like Grayson did himself, Marky is thrilled to learn that he’s the son of a superhero. Yet as much as Grayson would like to stick around, he has duties in space. He, alongside his wife Atom Eve and daughter Terra, have what is left of the Viltrumite Empire to lead. Fortunately, Mark’s mom Debra is willing to stay on Earth and watch over Marky as only a grandma can. And Marky has a human father (who raised him from birth) as well as a sister, so he’s hardly alone.
Image by Image Comics
A Family That Spans the Cosmos!
To beings as long lived as Viltrumites (who can live for centuries, if not thousands of years), time can move both slowly and at record speed. In no time at all, Marky has reached puberty and Debra surprises him by getting him his first superhero costume via Art the Taylor. Suddenly, there’s a new Invincible (or “Kid Invincible”) in town helping the Guardians take on yet another super villain who is on the attack. Much like Mark himself did with the “Teen Team,” Marky immediately makes an impression.
Image by Image Comics
Yet despite his new superhero friends and extended family, Marky feels alone. He talks over the grave of Nolan, while longing for the birth father who is often literally a universe away. Part of that could be the uneasiness between Grayson and his son, since Marky was the result of being raped. Another reason could be that Grayson wanted his son to experience a life on Earth as closely as he had. Yet the end result is a deep wedge which begins to grow between father and son. Will history repeat?
Image by Image Comics
In fairness, the original Invincible has a full plate in space. Over the years, outer space became more of a home to Mark than Earth had, and as an adult he fully embraces this role. His daughter Terra is growing like a weed, and he’d promised to never abandon his wife Eve to adventure again. Instead, his family adventures with him, or at least as part of an overall goal. As difficult as it was to fight Thragg or no end of monsters, it may be worse having to deal with Terra during puberty!
Image by Image Comics
Don’t Expect Your Typical Tropes!
Mark has a daunting task ahead of him — making the Viltrumite Empire known for something throughout the universe besides conquest. Indeed, one of the old empire’s greatest warriors was literally named “Conquest!” He sets out to accomplish this not only by changing the colors of the Viltrumite uniforms to match his “Invincible” costume, but by engaging in proactive heroism across space.
Image by Image Comics
As a result of these actions, countless worlds begin to see the Viltrumites as a force of good. Consequently, with many of their conflicts and problems resolved, many of these worlds seek to leave the “Coalition of Planets.” The Coalition was originally formed on reaction to Viltrimute conquest, and has been led by Mark’s longtime pal Allen (or “Allen the Alien”). Without a long-term threat, maintaining the Coalition meant maintaining an unacceptable status quo. It, too, has to end!
Image by Image Comics
While Mark sees the Coalition as a mechanism without a purpose, Terra is proud of her membership with them. Thragg’s daughter Ursaal remains loyal to Mark, and all of them get embroiled in a brief war. Yet while Allen and Mark’s friendship may be able to survive a little strife, what of Mark’s earth-based son? Going by Markus now, he doesn’t take kindly to one of his father’s infrequent visits. What will happen when Invincible fights Invincible? A mature understanding, that’s what!
Image by Image Comics
A Series That Had Its Highs and Lows!
As Robert Kirkman lays out in his editorial page, Invincible was often meant as his love letter to superhero comics. Often times, it acted as his soapbox, as he made little secret of using it to shout out against tropes or marketing ploys he hated at Marvel or DC Comics. Much like many creator-owned series, at times the stories suffered from being more focused on an agenda than a plot, or even on its creator seeking to throw ideas against a wall and see what stuck. The “Dinosaurus” arc comes to mind.
Image by Image Comics
Yet as much as Kirkman often had to say about superhero comics, there was also a lot of affection. He worked with artists who took the over-the-top battles to new and often bloodthirsty heights. The final battle between Mark and Thragg was literally a brawl on the sun itself. Yet this final issue does its own shattering of tropes. At nearly every turn it teases readers with the specter of death. Most “final issues” in comics turn into bloodbaths. Instead, it is all about how things change, yet remain the same.
Image by Image Comics
This double-sized issue also features art by the series’ two primary artists. Cory Walker, the series’ co-creator, draws the latter half of the issue that focuses on space. Ryan Ottley, who’s drawn most of the issues since the eighth, handles the Earth based half with Markus. The end result is a double-sized issue which allows both artists to tell their swan songs. Each of them get tons of additional characters to draw, from the Guardians on Earth to the Coalition in deep space!
Image by Image Comics
Wait, No One Dies in This One?
It’s a rare finale to an Invincible arc in which no one dies. Yet that is precisely the point — life is often far more complicated and imaginative than death. Invincible began the series wanting to emulate his father, Omni-Man. Yet he’s finally risen to not only assume Nolan’s role, but surpass him — sometimes despite Nolan’s best actions. Mark took the powers and heritage he inherited from the Viltrumites with what he learned about being human on Earth to build not just a culture, but a family.
Image by Image Comics
Personally, this is a series I didn’t read monthly for years, instead catching up on the first sixty or so issues via hardcover and trade collections. At certain points I believed the series’ tagline, that it was “the best superhero comic in the universe.” Yet at other times I believed it was past its prime. The past few years have seen a renewed vigor and focus, perhaps as everyone involved saw light at end of the tunnel. Unending stories are rarities in fiction, and may be the cause to much malaise in mainstream comics.
Image by Image Comics
See You, Space Cowboy!
While this issue mingles Kirkman’s sense of scope with his sense of humor, there are some moments where it delves a little too far into expression. One moment sees the son of Mark’s old foe Angstrom Levy turn up and make a one-page introduction, yet this goes nowhere. Resolving the disappearance of Darkwing is a cute moment, yet ultimately just a reference to longtime fans. And the fact that this issue seems to cram in a year’s worth of stories in 48 pages perhaps showcases what decompression does.
Image by Image Comics
Next: Check out the Genesis of This Arc in #131!
One-hundred and forty five issues (Invincible #0-144) is a massive run, even without the spin offs. While on the one hand, it is a shame to see one of Image’s few longtime series end, I cannot deny that it feels like the right time. So many plots had been explored, and so many characters had been axed off. There’s only so far some plots can go before they become repetitive or circular, and Invincible had reached that point. Instead, it ends showcasing that superheroes with families are not boring, and comics that end are not bad. In fact, that is often how many runs become immortal…or invincible.