Invincible #67 – Review

by Robert Kirkman (writer), Cory Walker (pencils & inks), Dave McCaig (colors), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: Nolan and Allen continue their quest to collect weapons for the war against the Viltrumites.

What’s Good: The Nolan/Allen dynamic is still a fun one and it’s just enough to keep this issue alive.  The optimistic Alan works well with the more seasoned Nolan, and though Nolan does most of the narrative heavy lifting this month, the relationship still brings its share of enjoyable moments.  A couple pages depicting Nolan’s difficulties finding sleep in Allen’s apartment are particularly laugh-inducing.  It’s also always fun to see Allen extend his quirks to other characters as well; his offering his favourite food to the Space Racer was another highpoint.

Beyond this, there’s a lot of action this month and all of it continues that wacky, retro sci-fi vibe.  Then again, I guess that goes without saying when a good chunk of the issue is devoted to a battle with red dinosaurs.  There’s also a humorous sight gag where Walker draws a Coalition ship crew that looks remarkably similar to the cast of Star Trek: the Next Generation.  The twist at the end of the book is also one that is sure to pay dividends.  In fact, it’s clear that this issue is planting a lot of seeds for the future.  I’m sure a ton of what we got glimpses of here will be developed and returned to.  In that sense, the book is kind of a “Where’s Waldo” experience and will certainly be fun to come back to later.

What’s Not So Good: Unfortunately, the issue does feel a little lifeless.  The problem is that the entire book is spent with Allen and Nolan jumping from one anti-Viltrumite weapon to the next, and none is any more important than the other.  With so many items of equal importance to be collected in one issue, none of it feels significant or unique.  In fact, the book at times comes to resemble a montage sequence with dialogue.  Nothing feels vital enough and as a result, there’s a rather unpleasant blandness throughout.

It doesn’t help that Allen’s kookiness has been scaled back to give Nolan more time in the spotlight.  Normally this would be all right, but with an issue that’s already a bit on the dry side, every bit of humor or likability helps.  Allen brings that in spades, but remains a much more sparsely tapped resource this month and the result is a weaker issue.

Finally, last month I stated that while he’s not as good an artist as Ottley, Walker’s visuals last month were impressive.  I can’t really say that this month, however.  The quality of Walker’s work, while not reprehensible, has taken a noticeable drop from last month.  The book feels far less detailed.  While this is reflected in the book overall, it becomes especially apparent in the characters’ faces, which become very basic, and at times just strange, in anything more distanced than a close-up.  It’s generally uninspired work with the occasional short-cut.  That said, Dave McCaig’s efforts do help.  The red dinos are pleasing to the eye, chiefly thanks to him.

Conclusion: There’s fun to be had, but overall, a surprisingly mediocre read.

Grade: C

-Alex Evans

 

Invincible #66 – Review

by Robert Kirkman (writer), Cory Walker (pencils & inks), Dave McCaig (colors), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: More details are revealed regarding the Viltrumite Empire, as Nolan and Allen prepare for war.

What’s Good: It really shows what a master of subplots Kirkman is when he can have an entire issue without its namesake, picking up on two characters we’ve not seen in some time, and have it actually be a fairly good read.

Of course, it’s hard to fail when one of those two characters is Allen. The jacked-up Unopan has got to be one of the most lovable characters in all comics today. He lights up any page he’s on with optimism and humour. Whether he’s describing his favourite food with wide-eyed joy as Nolan looks on in disgust, or attempts to stay off his sex-starved girlfriend, he’s just such a great character that legitimately makes you feel happy. If you dislike Allen, or are even impartial to him, I suspect that you aren’t human. Any issue is improved by his presence.

I also enjoyed the book’s final scene. Seeing Nolan’s pulp novels come to life actually leads to the book itself taking on a pulp sci-fi tone. A guy named the “Space Racer” who wields a magic ray-gun? That’s a lot of fun and the cheesy, retro tone of the scene promises much more fun yet to come.

This issue also marks the return of Cory Walker. Some of the visuals here are impressive. The giant splashes of what the Viltrumites do with their dead are particularly flabbergasting, as Walker manages to portray the enormity and scale of it all, making it really hit home with the reader.  Overall though, the art is solid and in fact feels stronger than his earlier work on Invincible.

What’s Not So Good: By and large, this issue’s obvious purpose is simply to provide info and nail down things we’d already assumed. It’s necessary groundwork as a prelude for things to come. That of course, doesn’t make it the most exciting book. Prepare to be smacked with expository text and some fairly meaty captions and bubbles. More than anything, Kirkman is just setting up the backdrop and getting the ball rolling, but all of this is done through pure exposition and in not the most subtle fashion. It’s basically one character opening his mouth and saying “here’s what’s going on.”

What’s worse, none of these revelations are particularly reveling. Much of it has been hinted at or mentioned indirectly in past issues of Invincible, so readers will probably feel like they already knew most of what’s being told. It’s necessary, but ultimately Kirkman is just nailing down those hints and assumption, fully realizing them, rounding off the edges, and providing the details. Essentially, we’d already read the back of the book, but now Kirkman’s actually reading the pages to us.

Finally,although he may be the co-creator, Cory Walker is sadly no Ryan Ottley. And even though I love him, Dave McCaig is no FCO Plascencia. Walker simply doesn’t put out the level of detail or vitality that Ottley does. McCaig’s colors are also much more subdued than Plascencia’s glossy, high-budget feel. As a result, the art just feels simpler and more laid-back than we’re used to. 

Conclusion: This book was obviously needed to move things along, but that doesn’t make it thrilling to read. Allen the Alien rules though, and is a definite selling point.

Grade: C+

-Alex Evans