Mere months after releasing season four of their flagship superhero series “The Boys,” Amazon Prime released the third season of

and it was just about everything I could have hoped for, and more. Thanks to this show, Amazon Prime and Image Comics have secured their place as the new leaders in the superhero genre.

Season three of “Invincible” continues the story of Mark Grayson AKA Invincible (Steven Yeun), the superhuman son of the hero-turned-villain Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons). When we left Mark in season two, he had seemingly killed his arch nemesis, Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown), in a rage after Levy attacked his family. Wracked with guilt over losing control and killing someone, Mark swears to never lose control again.

In the new season, Mark must deal with his own growing power and responsibility as Earth’s most powerful hero, his growing conflict with Global Defense Agency director Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins), his new relationship with fellow hero Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs) and training his new half-brother, Oliver (Christian Convery). 

Of all the characters in this season, Oliver has immediately become a standout favorite of mine. I always like when a show has a character that effectively says what the audience is thinking, and Oliver Grayson does just that. The main lesson that Mark is repeatedly taught in this season is that if he continues to hold back during fights, innocents will be hurt. Sometimes it is necessary for him to kill a villain, and Oliver continually points this out to him. This worries Mark, who fears becoming more like his murderous father.

Speaking of his father, Omni-Man’s redemption arc continues through this season. Although only present in this season for a few episodes, J.K. Simmons does a masterful job portraying a remorseful man whose time on Earth has changed him more than he’s willing to admit.

The only drawback that I had with the show is one I’ve always had a small problem with and that is the animation. The animation is not the cleanest in the world but it is leagues better than it was in the show’s first season when the animators had a shoestring budget and some scenes were not even finished. 

But the show could still look better.

I think the majority of the budget is going towards paying Hollywood A-Listers though, because this cast is phenomenal. 

There’s no other animated show where you can find the likes of Simmons, Yeun, Goggins, Sandra Oh, Simu Liu, Jefferey Dean Morgan and Mahershala Ali. The cast also includes just about every big name in the voice-acting world, like Mark Hamill, Clancy Brown, Grey DeLisle, Khary Payton, John DiMaggio and Kevin Michael Richardson. 

The cast is stacked and the actor’s performances are clear focuses of the series and they really do stand out as some of the highlights of the season. 

This season also excels where I felt season two fell short at times and that is ramping up the intensity to 11 when necessary. This show’s ability to get absolutely insane on a dime is what made the first season so beloved by fans and season three is a true return to form in this regard.  

New fans may be put off by the violence in this show, but if you give it a chance, you will find yourself rooting for Mark Grayson all the same. 

This show will keep you on the edge of your seat for hours on end and is sure to delight any fans of the superhero genre who are sick and tired of the Marvel formula and want something different. 

Official Score: 9/10

Categories: Arts & Entertainment