Today, Drew and Patrick are discussing Invincible 101, originally released April 24th, 2013.
Drew: Big reveals can be a lot of fun, but they often have the effect of retroactively making everything leading up to them seem patently absurd. The very notion of “spoilers” bears this out — sure, knowing Bruce Willis was dead all along removes the impact of the reveal, but the more lasting effect of knowing is that it draws your attention to how hard the movie works to never explicitly show that he’s alive, ruining what would have otherwise seemed totally innocuous. Once you know he’s dead, he can’t credibly be seen as not dead, which makes the whole movie kind of dumb. As a newcomer to Invincible, the big reveal in issue 102 feels a lot like that spoiler, shifting our perspective on a character so drastically that I find it hard to believe we could have ever thought anything else.
The issue opens with Thragg attacking Omni-Man, explaining that Omni-Man is the rightful heir to Viltrum. Thragg was tasked with finding the heir, but after a long, fruitless search, he kind of got used to being in charge. Thragg doesn’t want anyone to find out, so he hopes to kill Omni-Man (and Invincible) on the DL, but his lackeys — ever loyal to the TRUE leader of Viltrum — step in and stop him. Omni-Man (now known as “Emperor Nolan”) opts for mercy, and takes steps to lead the Viltrumites in a more peaceful direction. Mark is a little uncertain that this wasn’t the plan all along, but there’s no time for conspiracy theorizing — he and Eve have just proposed to each other!
That ending struck me in a really odd way. This issue really isn’t about Mark or Eve, and what little we do see of them is in relation to Nolan’s ascent to the throne, so it’s a bizarre change of gears to switch into personal relationship mode at the very end here. I felt the same way about the “I’m pregnant” business at the end of issue 100, which just couldn’t match the amount of destruction that plays out in the rest of that arc. I know this kind of “life creeps up on you” storytelling is part of Robert Kirkman’s aesthetic, but to me, it works to minimize the drama of what is playing out in the rest of the story. Like, these moments of reality don’t make the world more realistic — they really just draw our attention to how unrealistic everything else is.
That’s not to say I didn’t like the issue, but man did it feel silly. Thragg delivers a lifetime’s worth of exposition in two pages, all couched within one of the most absurdly extreme fist fights of all time. I mean, Nolan has his eye punched out of his head during this fight.
But the most ridiculous thought here is that we could have gone 101 issues without anyone knowing this. The scale is too big for me to take it seriously. Like, “it was all a dream” can work at the end of a single episode (at least, it sure is used a lot), but if you turn to that as the end of a series, you get the Newhart finale. This is by no means the end of anything, but the thought of such an Earth-shattering reveal happening this late in the game sure feels more like a send-up than anything.
That suspicion is really what’s holding me back from fully embracing this series — I’m not sure I get it. Are these absurdities meant to be seen as jokes, or what? Is the staggering amount of exposition (that still never really explains what is going on) supposed to be a comment on continuity in superhero comics, or is it just that dense? Patrick, we both started this series at the same time, but I’m wondering if you have a better sense of just how straight Kirkman is playing it here? Am I in on the joke, or what?
Patrick: If you’re seeing a joke here, I think you might be meeting Kirkman more than halfway. If the melodrama of Nolan’s sudden ascention to power is supposed to be played for laughs, why is there a regal two-page splash showing his new subjects’ loyalty?
But then, I guess I can’t think of a bigger comic book / action movie cliche than a character learning something new about themselves from a villain as they’re fighting them. Plus, there’s no logical reason Thragg would tell Nolan any of this information. Like, if he just learned to keep his mouth shut, he would have been able to pummel Nolan’s eyes out and call it a day. Ultimately, I run into the same roadblock you do, Drew – I don’t know enough about these characters or this world to pick up on the irony, if there is any. Gonna have to appeal to regular readers for perspective on this: guys?
Another thing that seemed particularly tricky for a newbie like me to invest in this issue is that it’s mostly a fist-fight between two dudes that I can’t tell apart by looking at them. Nolan is older, and has the shock of white hair. But both guys are roughly the same build, their costumes have the same color palette and they both have mustaches. MUSTACHES. I don’t think there was a single punch that I understood at first glace – a problem that is exacerbated by the fact that it’s two flying characters fighting on the non-descript surface of the moon. There’s never any real opportunity to latch on to the space they’re occupying, so when Ryan Ottley goes out of his way to stage an uppercut into space, followed by a slam back down to the moon, it’s plays as generic “action.” Which is a shame because it should be an impressive display of strength on Thragg’s part.
What’s ultimately disappointing is how resolution to this fight comes about through no action of Nolan’s. He’s just there, getting the shit kicked out of him, then the Viltrum guard show up and solve his problem for him. Is Nolan’s show of mercy supposed to illuminate something about his character?
I mean, it’s probably our fault for not being up-to-speed on this world. Invincible is an impossible plot machine, and this issue realigned characters, both in terms of their morality and their social standing. Without being fluent in the language of Invincible, and without being aware of any status quo, this new order isn’t particularly compelling. I have faith that there are real characters buried down beneath the blood and fists and popped-eyeballs, but I’m just not there yet.
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Retcon Punch 
I didn’t really see this as commentary on anything really, even though this comic is full of that kind of stuff. I may have to read this again, but I just saw it as a status quo shift more than anything else.
Also, LOL @ MUSTACHES. I forget exactly, but they are kind of big deal on Viltrum. I think it stands for their strength or something? Idk, but their mustaches tie into their society in some way.
See now, that bit about the mustaches is fascinating and hilarious – and it’s just the sort of thing I feel like a dummy for not knowing. I know Kirkman’s style to just to keep telling his story, but it seemed like the aftermath of 100 was going to be a fun place to hop on, but all the shifts in status quos (statuses quo?) just kinda feel like exposition. AND I WOULD HAVE LOVED THAT MUSTACHE EXPOSITION.
Thragg: “Even your mustache is weaker than mine! You are a total disgrace!!!”
Omni-Man: “Fuck you Thragg, I bet you don’t even OWN a mustache comb!”
Thragg: “Blah blah blah…(The history of mustaches)…blah blah blah!”
End scene.
“A Brief History of the Significance of the Mustache in Viltrumite Culture: Masculinity and Power Struggles in the Post-War Era”
Haha! I’d probably read that.
I went through a phase where I’d just pitch titles like that for dense books on any subject. My favorite was / will always be: “Side Kicks and Sight Sags: How Aladdin Triggered the Decline in Quality of American Animated Films in the 1990s.”
I like it! Although I’d like to counter that with how adorable the little monkey dude was. His hat was so tiny!
“I forget exactly, but they are kind of big deal on Viltrum. I think it stands for their strength or something?”
So basically, like they do on Earth? #Mustache :-{)
That’s how we all knew Freddie Mercury was Earth’s strongest man.
Hahaha. Yes Drew, exactly like Earth!
I think part of the problem with your reading of this issue is the mindset that 100 was a good jumping on point. There might never be a truly easy jumping on point for this series. There are too many characters with too much history that make regular appearances here. It hasn’t had creative teams change to start over. It doesn’t neatly tie into graphic novel form.
What you’re seeing as dramatic shifts in character are (weirdly) normal to me, and I’ve only been reading since issue 85 (while having read trades back to the 60s). Omni-Man originally was supposed to take over the world for the Viltrumites. I never read the comics about this; It’s before my time. I’ll get to them eventually if they’re on sale again. He became good and helped beat the Viltrumites in the Viltrumite War, so this feels like a natural extension of his character. (Read the wikipedia page on Omni-Man for a better story).
I think it’s one of the hazards of reading a comic like Invincible. There’s so much going on and Kirkman just keeps telling the story and doesn’t refresh our memories. The good news is it’s been great fun going back and reading the old trades (I wouldn’t start at the beginning, I’d just go back one arc and start there, and then the previous arc. It’s like learning the Invincible world if you were in the movie Memento.)
My guess is the frustration is from expectations. “But 100 was supposed to make this easy!” is actually something that Kirkman liked playing with. I wish I could remember which issue that Bulletproof’s origin was revealed (it’s in the 90s). He thumbs his nose at comic conventions (both conventions where nerds hang out and conventions as in traditions).
I can see how these changes are stunning being new to the book. But it’s par for the course and actually makes sense in the story. To me, at least.
It’s a pointless commentary.
Everything that’s cited as critique for not being well-versed in the series, is nonsensical, bebecause you haven’t taken the time to read. This storyline makes sense and is executed well (fist fight and all) if you are familiar with the series… Which you state several times that you are not.
We always try to be upfront about whatever biases we have going into an issue, and believe pretty strongly that we can only write from our own perspectives. In this case, it is the perspective of comic fans that tried to join Invincible late-in-the-game. Is it the definitive word on Invincible 102? Heavens no – but I would be wary of the source that claimed to be.
Ultimately, yeah – it ends up being pointless commentary (to the extend that any of our comic commentary has a point) – which is why we stopped having conversations about this series.
I’d also argue that noting the inaccessibility of a given chapter of a serial narrative is far from “pointless.” For better or worse, the old axiom that each issue is somebody’s first still holds true. This series is as unwelcoming to new readers as any I’ve ever read. Let me be clear: that doesn’t make Invincible a bad series — I’ve loved plenty of narratives that require you to start at the beginning — it simply means that Invincible 102 requires a body to read 101 issues (that is, more comics than I typically read in two months) in order for it to make any sense. I can appreciate that this story works well for someone whose already put in that time, but I think the fact that it’s utterly alienating to anyone who hasn’t is a huge negative for new readers. The “give me two damn months of your time or fuck off” attitude is going to turn anybody off, and this write-up is simply a reflection of that.
Ultimately, this has to do with perspective. I’m sure it’s a “pointless commentary” for somebody who is already familiar with the series, but I think it’s incredibly valuable for anyone who was considering picking up the series with issue 101.