Season four of “Invincible” continues to raise the bar when it comes to the superhero genre, while remaining an engaging adaptation of its source material.
The series’ latest season maintains its reputation for mixing high-stakes action with grounded, character-driven storytelling.
Based on the comic series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, the latest season premiered on March 18 on Amazon Prime Video and has just wrapped, with the last episode airing on April 22.
This season raises the stakes as it follows Mark Grayson, as Invincible, along with his father Nolan and brother Oliver, joining the Coalition of Planets to take the fight to the Viltrum Empire.
Viltrum’s bloody conquest of the galaxy has loomed over the series from the start, and it comes to a head here as Mark and his family face their strongest opponents yet.
The show’s main cast has always been held to a high standard, and this season proves no different.
Steven Yeun continues to do an excellent job when it comes to playing the show’s protagonist. This season sees Mark struggling to come to terms with the series’ past events and grapple with the fact that some things will always be beyond his control. Yeun’s performance makes his internal struggles feel immensely convincing.
Season four introduces the character of Viltrum’s Grand Regent Thragg, who is voiced by Lee Pace. With one of my favorite performances in the series, Pace brings a cold calculation to his line delivery, further selling Thragg as an intimidating antagonist.
I’d be remiss if I did not mention Sandra Oh and J.K. Simmons as Debbie and Nolan Grayson, respectively. One of season four’s plot points focuses on Nolan’s personal development and his desire to atone for his actions during season one. The scenes they share carry such emotional weight and are among the best the series has to offer, in my opinion.
While season four raises the bar for “Invincible,” that doesn’t mean it’s without its fair share of problems.
The season begins and ends strongly, but I do have some issues with the middle stretch. Episodes three and four in particular take time away from the threat of the Viltrumites to set up their own subplots. While I think these episodes are good in a vacuum, they still hurt the season’s overall pacing.
When I reviewed season three last year, I brought up the show’s inconsistent animation, and I feel the need to reiterate the point here. A good amount of time and effort by the animators went into the more high-intensity action sequences in the second half of the season. This, however, makes other moments look noticeably low-quality by comparison.
This nitpicking isn’t new to this season, as the animation has been the most contentious aspect of the series since its first episode.
I personally wouldn’t mind waiting longer between seasons if it meant the show’s animation would be more consistent overall. While season four delivers some high highs, it unfortunately showcases some low lows at the same time.
That being said, the voice acting and writing still make these new episodes a compelling watch. The animation was never a make-or-break for me, and its inconsistencies can be overlooked for the most part.
Overall, “Invincible” season four maintains the story momentum and remains a phenomenal adaptation of the original comic. The show knows what it wants to be at this point. It’s nuanced, more emotionally resonant and builds off of the previously set-up plot threads that tie back all the way to season one.
The entire season is out as of writing and can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.