Pulp #617

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to yet another edition of Pulp! You’d think I’d have run out of things to say by now, but you’d be wrong! As it happens, by pure accident we’ve got ourselves something of an Image Comics/Kirkman double-whammy; after last issue’s discussion of The Walking Dead, a copy of Robert Kirkman’s love letter to superhero comics – volume 1 of Invincible, ‘Family Matters’ – has found its way into my collection. Honestly, I can’t think of a better description than ‘love letter’; Kirkman clearly loves his capes and cowls, and Invincible certainly lives up to the spandex-clad greats.
Invincible kind of comes across like an alternate take on Spider-man; the protagonist, Mark Grayson, is an American teenager, doing all the teenage-y things: juggling school, a part-time job and a fascination with girls (despite not really understanding them). The one thing that’s different about him? His dad is the world’s greatest superhero: Nolan Grayson, aka Omni-Man. Mark’s whole life is made even more complicated as he grows older – not only does he have to wrestle with puberty and responsibilities, he also has to contend with his own emerging superpowers! Taking inspiration from his ultra-famous father, Mark decides to become a hero in his own right, and takes the name Invincible. Because, well, reasons. Making friends with a Teen Titans analogue, Mark sets himself up as a new hero and begins his mission to protect the world.
If this is all sounding kind of familiar, you’re right – Invincible seems to take its cues from a number of popular heroes, primarily taking inspiration from DC and Marvel powerhouses Superman and the aforementioned Spider-man. While it might come across as a repeat of what we’ve already seen, Invincible still manages to cover new ground. While there are undoubtedly homages to other, more famous heroes – Superman being the most obvious – Invincible sets up its own, individual universe that is worlds apart from the main Marvel and DC universes. To be honest, it’s still rather unusual to be reading an Image-published cape-and-cowl story; after all, this is a comics publisher that hit the jackpot with artistic, creator-owned stories that stood apart from the mainstream publishers. That said, Kirkman is Image’s COO, so I guess he can do what he likes.
It’s really enjoyable to see the larger-than-life superheroes blend in seamlessly to familiar, domestic life; for example, dinner conversation trending towards recapping their latest, ridiculous exploits rather than talking about school or work. Part of that appeal is due to Mark’s mother, Debbie; despite being faced with rather ridiculous situations, she takes everything in her stride and carries on conversations as per normal. It’s deadpan humour at its best, and seeing the superhero realm collide with domestic bliss is a big part of the appeal to me. Artist Cory Walker has done an excellent job, too; the character design is fantastic, and the titular character’s costume – despite its slightly garish colour scheme – is particularly appealing and fresh.
When it comes down to it, Invincible is just a really solid series. It still treads some familiar ground, but to be fair, it’s almost impossible to come up with a non-clichéd or completely original superhero origin. It takes the relatability of Spider-man, the everyman/adaptability of Superman and adds in some great storytelling to boot. If you’re a fan of capes and cowls – and let’s face it, if you’re reading this you probably are – then this is definitely a comic you should be reading.
Written by Alastair McGibbon