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Invincible #24-25
Invincible: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 12
THE END OF ALL THINGS--the final INVINCIBLE story--is collected in one volume. This mega-story touches every corner of the Invincible Universe, and when it's over... MARK GRAYSON'S STORY IS OVER. Every single story for the past 13 years has been leading up to this!
Collects INVINCIBLE #133-144.
Collects INVINCIBLE #133-144.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published June 26, 2018
4 people are currently reading
384 people want to read
About the author
Robert Kirkman
2,752 books6,955 followersRobert Kirkman is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead, Invincible for Image Comics, as well as Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt. He is one of the five partners of Image Comics, and the only one of the five who was not one of the original co-founders of that publisher.
Robert Kirkman's first comic books were self-published under his own Funk-o-Tron label. Along with childhood friend Tony Moore, Kirkman created Battle Pope which was published in late 2001. Battle Pope ran for over 2 years along with other Funk-o-Tron published books such as InkPunks and Double Take.
In July of 2002, Robert's first work for another company began, with a 4-part SuperPatriot series for Image, along with Battle Pope backup story artist Cory Walker. Robert's creator-owned projects followed shortly thereafter, including Tech Jacket, Invincible and Walking Dead.
Robert Kirkman's first comic books were self-published under his own Funk-o-Tron label. Along with childhood friend Tony Moore, Kirkman created Battle Pope which was published in late 2001. Battle Pope ran for over 2 years along with other Funk-o-Tron published books such as InkPunks and Double Take.
In July of 2002, Robert's first work for another company began, with a 4-part SuperPatriot series for Image, along with Battle Pope backup story artist Cory Walker. Robert's creator-owned projects followed shortly thereafter, including Tech Jacket, Invincible and Walking Dead.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
August 26, 2019
A satisfying end to the series: Some of it is predictable, some of it isn't. It ends with enough closure you can walk away and feel that everything was answered and addressed.
While not perfect, the series broke a lot of rules and tropes for a superhero book and I think that was what is most refreshing about it. It's a long haul but well worth it.
While not perfect, the series broke a lot of rules and tropes for a superhero book and I think that was what is most refreshing about it. It's a long haul but well worth it.
June 8, 2024
What a ride.
This series had a lot of twists and turns, action mixed with emotion, memorable heroes and villains ending with a nice fitting conclusion.
I can see why this is a highly regarded series and would definitely recommend it.
This series had a lot of twists and turns, action mixed with emotion, memorable heroes and villains ending with a nice fitting conclusion.
I can see why this is a highly regarded series and would definitely recommend it.
August 13, 2019
One of the very best superhero series ever. I remember way back when, i read the first volume and was bored stiff. I was done with the whole thing. no reason to continue. A few months later something made me try again. That same first volume. Still dull but some small spark there told me to go on. I did and the rest, as they say, is history.
January 3, 2019
3.5
I'm impressed that I stuck through this series for the entire conclusion, it was a long run. Robert Kirkman was having fun and you can tell from some of his choices with the characters, it was hard to say goodbye. I have mixed feelings with the conclusion and on some levels enjoyed the envitable showdown, but the series has always been so open ended and this is another promising volume that doesn't impress or disappoint, it lands right in the middle.
I liked the series at the beginning, but I think the length of the series didn't service the arc. Robert Kirkman can write banter and characters very well, but storylines feel exhausted here. We are at it again and unlike Batman for example, he has the luxury of being reinvented with new writers. The fight for the characters survivial is here and it is quite a cliche beat by beat conclusion. Personally I would have left both villain and hero in the same fiery situation, but that is just my opinion. Some of the characters meet their deaths, but like every good story they are resurrected and this has been the nature of the series from the beginning. All the blood and gore can't hide the story lags and pitfalls.
Why the 3.5?
I'm just happy this series is done and dusted. I enjoyed the carnage and the fun times, but ultimately this won't be one of the series I push towards a friend or family. I think they could turn this into a six film series, that doesn't require all the slow melodramatic storylines. If you mirror this with The Walking Dead, you can see storylines recycling and that is why I couldn't love this conclusion. Robert Kirkman obviously knew the end was near when he announced the ending was coming. The series had a great run and a loyal fanbase. I think he could have condensed and left around volume 10, but I'm not in control. The lack of sacrifice annoyed me for the smackdown conclusion, so if you don't want to have a spoiler, stop reading right now.
okay now that other people have clicked away. I would have left both characters to burn in the sun. What an ending. The fight was very cinematic and dare I say epic. This was what I was waiting for and It robbed us of the heroic conclusion. The ending feels too wrapped up and happy for all the death over the years. I hate to dream of what could have been, but come on. The hero has children and family, this would have made perfect sense for the audience. I know fans think Kirkman is unpredictable and to certain levels, I agree with them, but not in this volume. Like a good bottle of whisky, it does come to an end and sadly so does Invincible. For good or bad, it's over.
I'm impressed that I stuck through this series for the entire conclusion, it was a long run. Robert Kirkman was having fun and you can tell from some of his choices with the characters, it was hard to say goodbye. I have mixed feelings with the conclusion and on some levels enjoyed the envitable showdown, but the series has always been so open ended and this is another promising volume that doesn't impress or disappoint, it lands right in the middle.
I liked the series at the beginning, but I think the length of the series didn't service the arc. Robert Kirkman can write banter and characters very well, but storylines feel exhausted here. We are at it again and unlike Batman for example, he has the luxury of being reinvented with new writers. The fight for the characters survivial is here and it is quite a cliche beat by beat conclusion. Personally I would have left both villain and hero in the same fiery situation, but that is just my opinion. Some of the characters meet their deaths, but like every good story they are resurrected and this has been the nature of the series from the beginning. All the blood and gore can't hide the story lags and pitfalls.
Why the 3.5?
I'm just happy this series is done and dusted. I enjoyed the carnage and the fun times, but ultimately this won't be one of the series I push towards a friend or family. I think they could turn this into a six film series, that doesn't require all the slow melodramatic storylines. If you mirror this with The Walking Dead, you can see storylines recycling and that is why I couldn't love this conclusion. Robert Kirkman obviously knew the end was near when he announced the ending was coming. The series had a great run and a loyal fanbase. I think he could have condensed and left around volume 10, but I'm not in control. The lack of sacrifice annoyed me for the smackdown conclusion, so if you don't want to have a spoiler, stop reading right now.
okay now that other people have clicked away. I would have left both characters to burn in the sun. What an ending. The fight was very cinematic and dare I say epic. This was what I was waiting for and It robbed us of the heroic conclusion. The ending feels too wrapped up and happy for all the death over the years. I hate to dream of what could have been, but come on. The hero has children and family, this would have made perfect sense for the audience. I know fans think Kirkman is unpredictable and to certain levels, I agree with them, but not in this volume. Like a good bottle of whisky, it does come to an end and sadly so does Invincible. For good or bad, it's over.
June 10, 2025
Invincible is arguably the best superhero run of all time, but it’s not without its flaws. Still, no other comic book has come as close to reconstructing the genre after Watchmen did its thing. What a ride!
August 12, 2020
What a ride, damn.
December 29, 2022
Wow. Just wow. What a fantastic series! And what a fantastic ending. It wrapped up all of those different branches of the story so nicely and it was so nice seeing the good that was being done in the universe with the right emperor!! I’m sad it’s over but glad I read through the entire series. 10/10 would recommend!
November 10, 2025
absolutny peak
November 27, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ Honestly a great ending I’m still in awe of the art
September 10, 2021
This is it! There are some spoilers in this review, but frankly, if you have read this far, then you are familiar with the Invincible series and can properly geek out with me over the reveals in this concluding volume.
We open with Oliver's funeral...I am still salty about this. We've had some hard deaths in the past, especially Rex Splode, but this death hurt. We find out Allen had him spying on Thragg and pretending to betray Mark because I didn't believe for a minute Oliver would have gone to the dark side. But that left me hating on Allen, who used the philosophy of sacrificing the one for the many. Mark even understood this, but still. (Aside: The Viltrumite genes are supposed to be so strong that any child will look humanoid despite the alien species they are mating with. But it was a big stretch that insectoid Thraxan mothers would not pass down any of their characteristics to their children- like Oliver and then all of Thragg's offspring. I could even accept that, but when Oliver has children with a lobster-looking alien, his twin children still look like him!)
Thragg and Mark have their final battle, but at a great cost to Thragg's children. At one time he seems almost loving to his twin daughter Ursaal, but then he reveals his true colors as he admits he has bred his children to be fodder in battle. He views them as inferior and doesn't care they are dying by the thousands for him. Mark's last fight with him was very talky, as Mark is explaining how his cause is better, and thus he has more to fight for. While Omni-Man survives the battle, he takes a hit that proves to be too much for him. He is able to have some last poignant words with Mark, but I was very upset that Debby was a few minutes too late to be with him. As a wife myself, that upset me, because I have really bonded with her character. (Another aside: I have enjoyed getting to know many of the heroes and villains that dip in and out of stories over the course of the twelve volumes. But where did Tech Jacket and Wolf-Man disappear to?)
With Thragg dead, now Mark can finally deal with Rex. Rex has had absolute power, but that power has absolutely corrupted him. He was given a pass for far too long, with Nolan even accepting him, but Mark knows the good can't last. Finally, the two of them have it out, and Mark is able to neutralize Rex but still harness his intellect. The story can now conclude, as Mark steps up to lead the Viltrumites and meets Anissa's son, Markus. We see Markus and Terra age (Terra is such a brat!) with Debby as a loving Grandma. A few threads are left open if the story is ever continued with Mark or with his children, but the series is brought to a close in a neat bow.
Invincible has been an amazing series! It took familiar superhero tropes and twisted them in unusual and bloody ways. Kirkman, Walker and Ottley told a great story from beginning to end and were able to offer fresh commentary on issues going on in our own world but adapted into the Invincible universe. I am amazed that Kirkman was creating and writing about The Walking Dead at the same time, with a dozen-year overlap. In fact, as much as TWD has been heralded, I feel Kirkman's Invincible was the better of the two. And in a graphic novel, the artwork is as important as the writing, if not more, and both Walker and Ottley contributed mightily to the series. Their illustrations defined the books. I'm loving the animated series, and look forward to many years of watching future episodes, and seeing how similar or dissimilar it will be to these graphic novels, so I'm happy that I have more Invincible in my future!
We open with Oliver's funeral...I am still salty about this. We've had some hard deaths in the past, especially Rex Splode, but this death hurt. We find out Allen had him spying on Thragg and pretending to betray Mark because I didn't believe for a minute Oliver would have gone to the dark side. But that left me hating on Allen, who used the philosophy of sacrificing the one for the many. Mark even understood this, but still. (Aside: The Viltrumite genes are supposed to be so strong that any child will look humanoid despite the alien species they are mating with. But it was a big stretch that insectoid Thraxan mothers would not pass down any of their characteristics to their children- like Oliver and then all of Thragg's offspring. I could even accept that, but when Oliver has children with a lobster-looking alien, his twin children still look like him!)
Thragg and Mark have their final battle, but at a great cost to Thragg's children. At one time he seems almost loving to his twin daughter Ursaal, but then he reveals his true colors as he admits he has bred his children to be fodder in battle. He views them as inferior and doesn't care they are dying by the thousands for him. Mark's last fight with him was very talky, as Mark is explaining how his cause is better, and thus he has more to fight for. While Omni-Man survives the battle, he takes a hit that proves to be too much for him. He is able to have some last poignant words with Mark, but I was very upset that Debby was a few minutes too late to be with him. As a wife myself, that upset me, because I have really bonded with her character. (Another aside: I have enjoyed getting to know many of the heroes and villains that dip in and out of stories over the course of the twelve volumes. But where did Tech Jacket and Wolf-Man disappear to?)
With Thragg dead, now Mark can finally deal with Rex. Rex has had absolute power, but that power has absolutely corrupted him. He was given a pass for far too long, with Nolan even accepting him, but Mark knows the good can't last. Finally, the two of them have it out, and Mark is able to neutralize Rex but still harness his intellect. The story can now conclude, as Mark steps up to lead the Viltrumites and meets Anissa's son, Markus. We see Markus and Terra age (Terra is such a brat!) with Debby as a loving Grandma. A few threads are left open if the story is ever continued with Mark or with his children, but the series is brought to a close in a neat bow.
Invincible has been an amazing series! It took familiar superhero tropes and twisted them in unusual and bloody ways. Kirkman, Walker and Ottley told a great story from beginning to end and were able to offer fresh commentary on issues going on in our own world but adapted into the Invincible universe. I am amazed that Kirkman was creating and writing about The Walking Dead at the same time, with a dozen-year overlap. In fact, as much as TWD has been heralded, I feel Kirkman's Invincible was the better of the two. And in a graphic novel, the artwork is as important as the writing, if not more, and both Walker and Ottley contributed mightily to the series. Their illustrations defined the books. I'm loving the animated series, and look forward to many years of watching future episodes, and seeing how similar or dissimilar it will be to these graphic novels, so I'm happy that I have more Invincible in my future!
May 5, 2022
Mimo że mieliśmy chwile słabości i może lepiej było skrócić całość o kilkanaście zeszytów, nie żałuję czasu spędzonego z tymi dwunastoma tomami. Trochę smutno, że już koniec, tyle fantastycznych superbohaterskich światów poza universum Marvela czy DC nie zdarza się często. "Invincible" to świetna alternatywa dla wspomnianych, choć równie dobrze można go potraktować jako swoisty hołd oddany konwencji. Nie mam wątpliwości, że Kirkman stworzył serię, która będzie wyznacznikiem dla wielu kolejnych twórców
October 10, 2021
SCORE: 85| A-
TRIGGERS: graphic violence, rape
REVIEW: What a journey this series has been. Perhaps one of the best runs I've ever had the pleasure to read, Invincible had it all. Admittedly, I saw the ending coming, but that doesn't make it any less satisfactory. Mark is what he deserves after everything the poor guy has been through in the series. Not only does this volume conclude arcs for the core characters, it also sets up the beginning for some of the newer additions, leaving the story open for a possible continuation and/or allowing the readers to stay in the world of Invincible through their own imagination. Thank you Invincible for putting me through such an emotional rollercoaster.
TRIGGERS: graphic violence, rape
REVIEW: What a journey this series has been. Perhaps one of the best runs I've ever had the pleasure to read, Invincible had it all. Admittedly, I saw the ending coming, but that doesn't make it any less satisfactory. Mark is what he deserves after everything the poor guy has been through in the series. Not only does this volume conclude arcs for the core characters, it also sets up the beginning for some of the newer additions, leaving the story open for a possible continuation and/or allowing the readers to stay in the world of Invincible through their own imagination. Thank you Invincible for putting me through such an emotional rollercoaster.
December 1, 2023
Ended with a little bit of a bumpy landing. The final page was wonderful, but the overall final 12 issues had a pacing that felt felt a odd, as if the writer was TOLD he had to wrap up all the story lines, as opposed to allowing them to close naturally. Nonetheless, the emotional through line of the series was wrapped up effectively. Hope the Emperor of the Viltrumite Empire, Mark Grayson, lives happily ever after. Sure seems like he has the opportunity to do so. And when so many comic series live perpetually in angst, it's refreshing to see a happy ending.
June 20, 2019
I wrote a review of Invincible - Ultimate Collection Volume 12, but it is more like my send off of the series. Click here if you want to read it:
http://www.balancingactbooks.com/2019...
http://www.balancingactbooks.com/2019...
May 4, 2020
4.25
April 24, 2022
What an amazing end to this series.
October 14, 2024
Enjoyed the series,
May 13, 2025
Mark Grayson, tu es l’homme accompli que tu penses être
July 8, 2018
The end. This series read like 'the best of superhero tropes' but still succeeded in remaining something completely unique with top notch artwork for 140 issues. Respect !
April 13, 2025
What a finale. What a story.
May 31, 2018
The only problem with this series is that I wanted more.
Terra is awesome. XD
Terra is awesome. XD
April 13, 2025
damn, what a ride. i've finally finished invincible, and wow. the comic, def had its ups and downs, its dumb moments, its peak moments, and i cant lie and say i wasn't shocked by the kirkman plot twists. the conversation between thragg and mark was done beautifully for the final battle, and i hope that remains the same for the show. i will say this; i hate how semi-rushed the ending felt. i understand there was budget constraints, but i would have liked to have gotten closure on the characters we all know and love from the beginning of the comic. william? rick? amber? marks fricking mom? donald?the rest of the guardians? these are all people important to mark and it seems like we got nothing from them in the end. wish we also saw a bit more of invincibles children, olivers kids, and the viltrum society as a whole. the open plot holes were silly and i believe were attempts to continue to elongate the story: angstroms kid who inhereted his dad's powers? really? battle beast's genderbent counterpart? alright... like idk those things should've never been included. allan and mark ending on a rough note sucks too, he was probably my favorite character in the series up until he assumed control of the coalition. reflecting back on the comics, i feel like we got nothing from eve at the end of the day--like she really started and ended as the token girlfriend, manic pixie dream girl, marks piece. like yeah, she had a handful of moments as a solo character, but those things were never taken a step further. would have liked to see her explore her powers way more, fight actual interesting villains, just something. her africa arc was super interesting, her exploring herself outside of being a mother could have had so much potential; like this girl can fricking reorganize atoms in a snap. anyways.... theres alot of things left unsaid, a lot of things done beautifully too. part of me hopes kirkman goes a different route for the next upcoming seasons, just so we can potentially get new storylines for these characters-- not that the comics were bad or anything, but a newer story can always make the show better. all in all, the entire series, including all of the side comics, (minus techjacket cause i dont really care), rounds to about a solid 7.5/10. not bad, and its a great superhero story with a mix of classic and modern elements for anyone to enjoy.
May 17, 2025
To moja opinia o całej serii Invincible. Tak do połowy uważałem ją za solidną superbohaterszczyznę, gdzie poruszane są bardzo ciekawe wątki, ale brakowało mi czegoś, co by wyniosło to na poziom rewelacyjny lub wybitny. I dostałem to, zwłaszcza od 8 tomu. W sumie całe Invincible to dylemat wagonika. Ile jesteś w stanie poświęcić dla większego dobra? Czy jesteś w stanie poświęcić swoich bliskich, żeby uratować miliony? Przed tymi dylematami staje nie tylko tytułowy bohater, ale też inni, a każdy osądza sytuację ze swojego punktu widzenia, przez co nie ma tu postaci wyłącznie złych lub wyłącznie dobrych. Są takie, których początkowo nienawidziłem, żeby na końcu polubić i odwrotnie - postaci, które zacząłem nienawidzić mimo początkowej sympatii. To jest największa siła tej serii, tu nie ma zestawu dobrych odpowiedzi. Przytoczę tutaj cytat z Immortala: "The world isn't logical, Mark."
Pojawiają się też inne ciekawe wątki, np. gwałtu na mężczyźnie, który jest tutaj poprowadzony naprawdę dojrzale.
Oczywiście komiks ten ma też wady, np. kończy się więcej razy niż Powrót Króla, a przede wszystkim niektóre postaci umierają tu po kilka razy, a i tak wracają. Bardzo mnie to irytowało, jak mam łzy w oczach na scenie czyjejś śmierci, a na następnej stronie ta sama postać jest już cała i zdrowa, bo "fizyka czarnej dziury albo czary". Ile można?
Generalnie polecam, bo to rzadki przypadek serii, która z każdym z kolejnym odcinkiem nie robi się coraz gorsza, a wprost przeciwnie. Tylko trzeba przejść przez pierwsze tomy, które są solidne, ale bez szału. Można też zamiast tego obejrzeć serial, ponieważ jest bardzo wierny, często nawet słowo w słowo. Już nie mogę się doczekać kolejnych sezonów, bo teraz właśnie zacznie się robić naprawdę ciekawie.
Pojawiają się też inne ciekawe wątki, np. gwałtu na mężczyźnie, który jest tutaj poprowadzony naprawdę dojrzale.
Oczywiście komiks ten ma też wady, np. kończy się więcej razy niż Powrót Króla, a przede wszystkim niektóre postaci umierają tu po kilka razy, a i tak wracają. Bardzo mnie to irytowało, jak mam łzy w oczach na scenie czyjejś śmierci, a na następnej stronie ta sama postać jest już cała i zdrowa, bo "fizyka czarnej dziury albo czary". Ile można?
Generalnie polecam, bo to rzadki przypadek serii, która z każdym z kolejnym odcinkiem nie robi się coraz gorsza, a wprost przeciwnie. Tylko trzeba przejść przez pierwsze tomy, które są solidne, ale bez szału. Można też zamiast tego obejrzeć serial, ponieważ jest bardzo wierny, często nawet słowo w słowo. Już nie mogę się doczekać kolejnych sezonów, bo teraz właśnie zacznie się robić naprawdę ciekawie.
August 31, 2021
Cada una de las páginas de este libro, cada una de sus viñetas (menos las últimas, que no las dibuja Ottley pero a esas alturas te da igual) es una pequeñísima obra de arte.
A estas alturas todo el mundo conoce invencible, no como hace ya siete/ocho años, cuando lo compré y lo leí por primera vez. Cuando gastarme 35 euros en un cómic era algo impensable.
Lejos de hacer comentarios estúpidos, me alegra que todo el mundo sepa de qué hablo ahora. Me alegra que todos sepan quién es omniman y quién es Dinosaurus. Y, si no lo sabéis, esperad un poco más.
Invencible es sin dudad el mejor cómic de superhéroes del universo, y quizá también el mejor cómic.
La piscina de referencias en las que se hunde es inmensa, y hace tiempo que dejó de utilizar referencias externas para hacer brillar las propias. No imagino un indicador de grandeza tan grande como ese. Las portadas, las splash page legendarias que hay aquí dentro o incluso la utilización de la rotulación para las onomatopeyas y las transiciones son algo a lo que siempre, toda mi vida, haré mención cuando hable de un cómic.
Conocía a Kirkman por sus muertos vivientes, tebeo que leía sin descanso a mis dieciocho años cuando me estaba sacando el carnet. Pero fue a los 20 cuando conocí esta barbaridad de serie.
Quisiera hacer gala de todo lo que he visto y hablarlos de las cosas que hay dentro. Leedlo y venid a hablar conmigo, por favor. Y lo citaremos palabra por palabra.
¿Y a vosotros? ¿Qué os quedará dentro de 500 años?
A estas alturas todo el mundo conoce invencible, no como hace ya siete/ocho años, cuando lo compré y lo leí por primera vez. Cuando gastarme 35 euros en un cómic era algo impensable.
Lejos de hacer comentarios estúpidos, me alegra que todo el mundo sepa de qué hablo ahora. Me alegra que todos sepan quién es omniman y quién es Dinosaurus. Y, si no lo sabéis, esperad un poco más.
Invencible es sin dudad el mejor cómic de superhéroes del universo, y quizá también el mejor cómic.
La piscina de referencias en las que se hunde es inmensa, y hace tiempo que dejó de utilizar referencias externas para hacer brillar las propias. No imagino un indicador de grandeza tan grande como ese. Las portadas, las splash page legendarias que hay aquí dentro o incluso la utilización de la rotulación para las onomatopeyas y las transiciones son algo a lo que siempre, toda mi vida, haré mención cuando hable de un cómic.
Conocía a Kirkman por sus muertos vivientes, tebeo que leía sin descanso a mis dieciocho años cuando me estaba sacando el carnet. Pero fue a los 20 cuando conocí esta barbaridad de serie.
Quisiera hacer gala de todo lo que he visto y hablarlos de las cosas que hay dentro. Leedlo y venid a hablar conmigo, por favor. Y lo citaremos palabra por palabra.
¿Y a vosotros? ¿Qué os quedará dentro de 500 años?
November 8, 2025
SPOILERS!!
I could write a novel about this finale and still not capture the storm inside my chest. So I’ll try to keep it short.
This ending is a goddamn masterpiece.
Mark finally says “heroism is bullshit” and means it. You feel the weight of every scar when he walks away from the cape and becomes something bigger. Seeing him age wrecked me; I wasn’t ready to let the kid go.
The orbital deathmatch with Thragg delivered every drop of adrenaline I’d been saving since issue one. Nolan’s last stand? I was terrified to turn the page. And when it happened… yeah, it hurt exactly as much as I was afraid of.
Mark’s final monologue to Thragg, screamed into the void while the comms died, is the most beautiful “fuck you” ever written. (I still pray Thragg heard it somehow.)
Emperor Mark Grayson.
He honored his father’s dying wish, turned the Viltrumite Empire into a force of mercy, and brought peace to a universe that never deserved him. Reading those last pages felt like watching a god earn his rest.
Time claims everyone: Debbie’s gray hair, Terra grown, Eve on that deathbed… my heart shattered. Then the next page hit and I screamed like a kid on Christmas morning, because Eve is basically immortal. Kirkman, you magnificent bastard.
I closed the book and the silence was deafening.
Invincible didn’t just end.
It carved itself into my bones and left a Mark-shaped hole I’ll carry forever.
Thank you, Robert Kirkman.
Thank you for everything.
I could write a novel about this finale and still not capture the storm inside my chest. So I’ll try to keep it short.
This ending is a goddamn masterpiece.
Mark finally says “heroism is bullshit” and means it. You feel the weight of every scar when he walks away from the cape and becomes something bigger. Seeing him age wrecked me; I wasn’t ready to let the kid go.
The orbital deathmatch with Thragg delivered every drop of adrenaline I’d been saving since issue one. Nolan’s last stand? I was terrified to turn the page. And when it happened… yeah, it hurt exactly as much as I was afraid of.
Mark’s final monologue to Thragg, screamed into the void while the comms died, is the most beautiful “fuck you” ever written. (I still pray Thragg heard it somehow.)
Emperor Mark Grayson.
He honored his father’s dying wish, turned the Viltrumite Empire into a force of mercy, and brought peace to a universe that never deserved him. Reading those last pages felt like watching a god earn his rest.
Time claims everyone: Debbie’s gray hair, Terra grown, Eve on that deathbed… my heart shattered. Then the next page hit and I screamed like a kid on Christmas morning, because Eve is basically immortal. Kirkman, you magnificent bastard.
I closed the book and the silence was deafening.
Invincible didn’t just end.
It carved itself into my bones and left a Mark-shaped hole I’ll carry forever.
Thank you, Robert Kirkman.
Thank you for everything.
November 19, 2018
An appropriate conclusion to one of the longest running comics out there! Robert Kirkman wraps up most plotlines while leaving the potential for further stories to be told in the Invincible universe. While I found some aspects of the narrative to be a bit rushed it was great to follow up with most of the primary characters especially those like Atom Eve, Robot and Mark (Invincible)'s dad who have developed significantly since the start of the series. It was also great to see Mark kick ass. Ryan Ottley continues his impressive run of detailed (and often bloody) artwork which has helped to define the series. Co-creator Cory Walker also returns to contribute.
Invincible really stood out as a series that demonstrated the value and effectiveness of long term comic storytelling. It is rare in the 21st century to see any series run for more than 20 issues, 144 is a major milestone. The fact that Kirkman was able to retain a high level of consistency is even more impressive. Cannot recommend this enough. The commentary by Kirkman and Ottley at the end of the volume is enjoyable and humorous as always! It is going to be a lot of fun going back to issue #1 and re-reading the entire run.
Invincible really stood out as a series that demonstrated the value and effectiveness of long term comic storytelling. It is rare in the 21st century to see any series run for more than 20 issues, 144 is a major milestone. The fact that Kirkman was able to retain a high level of consistency is even more impressive. Cannot recommend this enough. The commentary by Kirkman and Ottley at the end of the volume is enjoyable and humorous as always! It is going to be a lot of fun going back to issue #1 and re-reading the entire run.
January 9, 2020
While I don't know that I can give Robert Kirkman and co. their self-proclaimed standing as the creators of the "best superhero comic ever," but this was another excellently executed volume that gives us something we almost never experience with a long-running, multiple narrative comic like this one in mainstream comics--an ending!
Kirkman delivers several big conflicts that provide endings for the couple major villains left standing coming into this volume, and then in the last few issues resolves the story all the surviving long-running characters, providing an expansive, extensive climax to the final arc, followed by a not quite so extensive but even more expansive denouement projects the whole world he's created hear long, long into the future. We get a hints of what the next generation will bring, and of what the survivors will set about doing once the conflicts that have been the focus of this series are resolved. Kirkman also plants some nice hooks that keep the world open-ended while providing a solid sense of closure for the characters. An exceptionally well-executed final volume.
Kirkman delivers several big conflicts that provide endings for the couple major villains left standing coming into this volume, and then in the last few issues resolves the story all the surviving long-running characters, providing an expansive, extensive climax to the final arc, followed by a not quite so extensive but even more expansive denouement projects the whole world he's created hear long, long into the future. We get a hints of what the next generation will bring, and of what the survivors will set about doing once the conflicts that have been the focus of this series are resolved. Kirkman also plants some nice hooks that keep the world open-ended while providing a solid sense of closure for the characters. An exceptionally well-executed final volume.
June 7, 2021
Wow... what a wild ride this has been...
Invincible Ultimate Collection volume 12, the final volume of the series, was a satisfying conclusion to this incredible series.
We’ve seen these characters we’ve grown to love bring peace to the universe. It’s refreshingly rare to see the full arc of a super hero have a satisfying finish. This creative team continues to up the anti in action as the fight against Thragg comes to an intense conclusion. We also get a glimpse at life after the war in a time-jumping final issue that absolutely worked for me. I loved seeing Terra grow up and the woman that she becomes, as well as Markus, and the few teases of unresolved plot points leaves the door slightly cracked open for potential of reexploration that would feel more welcomed than forced.
This has been an insanely fun series. A comic that feels like Marvel character archetypes and plots thrown into the DC universe, made by the creators of Dragon Ball Z for an adult audience has a lot to live up to, and it completely delivers. It’s a series that I thoroughly enjoyed, and will likely revisit sooner than later.
Invincible Ultimate Collection volume 12, the final volume of the series, was a satisfying conclusion to this incredible series.
We’ve seen these characters we’ve grown to love bring peace to the universe. It’s refreshingly rare to see the full arc of a super hero have a satisfying finish. This creative team continues to up the anti in action as the fight against Thragg comes to an intense conclusion. We also get a glimpse at life after the war in a time-jumping final issue that absolutely worked for me. I loved seeing Terra grow up and the woman that she becomes, as well as Markus, and the few teases of unresolved plot points leaves the door slightly cracked open for potential of reexploration that would feel more welcomed than forced.
This has been an insanely fun series. A comic that feels like Marvel character archetypes and plots thrown into the DC universe, made by the creators of Dragon Ball Z for an adult audience has a lot to live up to, and it completely delivers. It’s a series that I thoroughly enjoyed, and will likely revisit sooner than later.
June 28, 2022
A magnum opus, the creme de la creme of comics, the peak of this medium. That is what this series turned out to be.
Few series I have read have left me with a high to come down from. I can count the series that have left me in a sort of euphoric state on one hand. In fact there have only been three.
Berserk.
Vagabond.
Invincible.
What a beautiful story that really is about family and responsibility with sci-fi, superhero, and comedic trappings.
The twists flowed, they delivered, they paid off. I have never, to date, read a series that had a more satisfying and deserved happy ending.
The best stories show their protagonist change, grown, and greater than they were before (usually) when their saga began. In many respects this is the ultimate superhero coming of age story.
And my life is enriched for having read it. Kirkman, you are a master story teller, and I’m so glad to have read this.
Few series I have read have left me with a high to come down from. I can count the series that have left me in a sort of euphoric state on one hand. In fact there have only been three.
Berserk.
Vagabond.
Invincible.
What a beautiful story that really is about family and responsibility with sci-fi, superhero, and comedic trappings.
The twists flowed, they delivered, they paid off. I have never, to date, read a series that had a more satisfying and deserved happy ending.
The best stories show their protagonist change, grown, and greater than they were before (usually) when their saga began. In many respects this is the ultimate superhero coming of age story.
And my life is enriched for having read it. Kirkman, you are a master story teller, and I’m so glad to have read this.
August 14, 2020
And there it is, the end of the Invincible saga.
It's difficult to review the last volume without thinking back on the entire run. It's been a fun, lighthearted, often bloody, often frustrating affair, and I'm glad I stuck with it all. A lot of the early situations and characters felt derivative or other superhero stories, and some of the characters (especially the women) were written pretty poorly. But ultimately? This was worth the entry price.
This last collected volume puts the perfect bow on it all. The final conflict is epic, the consequences are sweeping, and the final issue is a spectacular epilogue to a superhero story that dared to take chances and go to unexpected places.
It's been a fun ride.
It's difficult to review the last volume without thinking back on the entire run. It's been a fun, lighthearted, often bloody, often frustrating affair, and I'm glad I stuck with it all. A lot of the early situations and characters felt derivative or other superhero stories, and some of the characters (especially the women) were written pretty poorly. But ultimately? This was worth the entry price.
This last collected volume puts the perfect bow on it all. The final conflict is epic, the consequences are sweeping, and the final issue is a spectacular epilogue to a superhero story that dared to take chances and go to unexpected places.
It's been a fun ride.
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