The season 3 premiere of Invincible is here and it's fantastic. The three episodes feature a lot of action, character development, and some moments that this writer didn’t see coming. It's another example of how brilliant the creative team is; they change just enough to make you understand things you may not have thought about.
For example, in the third episode, viewers see the other side of villainy. In this case, The story of Magmaniac and Tether Tyrant was heartbreaking. Sure, the things some of the criminals do are deplorable, but they still have feelings and lives.
Since this is a three-part premiere, rather than one long review, the episodes will be broken down into sections. It’ll be easier to follow along and explain what made the premiere amazing.
"You're Not Laughing Now"
The challenge with upgrading Mark’s strength and speed is that he’d truly become what his codename is: Invincible. Bringing in Doc Seismic and having him explain why his creatures are so strong was the right first fight for him here. Seismic’s creatures knocking out Eve was the perfect distraction, as it kept Mark looking powerful and established the villain as being worth the trouble.
Plus the arrival of D.A. Sinclair’s ReAnimen and Darkwing 2 segued into Mark vs Cecil.
"A Deal with the Devil"
"You can be the good guy or the guy who saves the world. You can't be both."
Invincible season 3 episode 2 earns extra points for showing why Cecil Stedman is the way he is. Like Nick Fury and Amanda Waller, Cecil took something close to him and turned it into a booming career as someone in charge of protecting the world. Also, like them, he could be considered a villain but is okay with that if it means Earth keeps spinning. This is why rehabilitating D.A. Sinclair and Darkwing 2 and having a contingency plan for Invincible makes sense to Cecil. It’s a lesson he learned from his predecessor.
I’ve read Invincible more than a few times from start to finish, but seeing this part of the story in action hits differently. You saw that the Mark Grayson of the past is gone. He learned a harsh lesson that he can’t trust everyone and it broke him. And seeing Oliver’s first moment of not caring about humanity was harsher when you’re hearing the words coming from a child’s voice.
The best part may have been the Guardians of the Globe breaking up. Each of the characters’ personalities were on display in a big way. Rex stood up for Mark as only he could, the Immortal remained a sanctimonious jerk, and Black Sampson showed that he understood both sides. All of that ensured that the second installment was the greatest episode of the three-part premiere. Maybe the of the series.
"You Want A Real Costume, Right?"
Episode 3 showed us all that the creative team knows how to balance what happened in the source material and what needs to change to adapt to the platform. The high-octane scenes were toned down to give the characters more development, but "You Want a Real Costume, Right?" is still an amazing episode and everything that happens will affect the rest of the series.
This is where people can make their final decision on whether or not they’ll continue to watch the season weekly, binge it, or stop altogether. In this writer’s opinion, it’s worth the weekly watch. And without the break in between, you won't lose interest or forget what happened two months prior.
What did you think of the season 3 premiere of Invincible? Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow and our social media sites Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter for more news of Prime Video's Invincible as it comes out.