Interested in Reading Invincible? An Offer For You!

[Hero]

I jumped onto this series very recently when comiXology ran their big bundle where you could get all 110 issues at once for less than .99 per issue. I think that sale was in mid-April. Since then I've read 1 through issue 78 (including crossovers and Science Dog issues), the end of the Viltrumite War. I plan to catch all the way up and don't have much more to go, relatively. Just taking a break to catch up on my other pull list stuff.

I must say, when I started Invincible at #1 last month I was not very excited to do it and did not think I'd finish the series. I'm currently way out of interest in superhero comics. Nevertheless, I couldn't pass up on the sale on such a well regarded series.

My conclusion thus far up to issue 78: Invincible is the best superhero comic series I've ever read.

Updating myself, I just finished 102 yesterday, which concludes vol. 18. What a great series!

[capuga]

Let's bump this thread. Anyone want to try out the best superhero comic around?

[Groo Odyssey]

Mods should just sticky this thread. Can't see a reason the mods are so against 1 or 2 sticky threads in the forum. Hard for new forum users to see threads like this when we got CBR NEWS pumping out 10-20 previews and review threads so frequently.

[havenless2814]

I genuinely would like someone to tell me why this series is so great. Please sell me on it. I heard so many people say it was great but never what was great about it. Obviously there must be something if it has run for this long. I got the trade from my local library and started to read it but was so bored I stopped. Got through the first 3 issues. What am I missing?

[Dorktron]

I genuinely would like someone to tell me why this series is so great. Please sell me on it. I heard so many people say it was great but never what was great about it. Obviously there must be something if it has run for this long. I got the trade from my local library and started to read it but was so bored I stopped. Got through the first 3 issues. What am I missing?

For me, the series really ramped up around issue 10 and then became awesome around issue 20 or 25. I obviously won't spoil those specific events but that's what drew me in.

From there, the characters were what I felt really kept me coming back. The father/son relationship between Invincible and Omni-man really is great, as is the whole Viltrumite struggle. I love the format for this comic, too. During most issues, 10-20 characters get 2-3 pages of the issue until there is a large event that takes place. I think that Kirkman juggles a lot of characters very well. Something else I like is that there is a lot to pay attention to because something that takes place in issue 40 will have implications in issue 80.

Plus, some of the fights are just crazy extreme and the consistent art really helps keep me in the world Kirkman has created. I know I've thrown a bunch of reasons at you, but it is really easy for me to gush over Invincible. Personally, the characters are the main draw though.

[Hero]

It's the only superhero book I'm willing to read anymore. It's exactly what I want a superhero book to be.

[capuga]

I genuinely would like someone to tell me why this series is so great. Please sell me on it. I heard so many people say it was great but never what was great about it. Obviously there must be something if it has run for this long. I got the trade from my local library and started to read it but was so bored I stopped. Got through the first 3 issues. What am I missing?

Not to say you should read a book you're not enjoying, but I think to make a real decision on this series you have to give it to issue 11 when big things happen to see if it will interest you.

Why I love it:

Kirkman tries to show real consequences of what would happen if superpowered individuals fought.

The relationships between the characters feel genuine and moving.

Multiple plot threads are seeded early that come to bear later in the series and have real lasting impact.

Kirkman can take all the things he loves about superhero stories and put it into one series with no corporate interference.

The art is the best around. Ottley hits his stride around issue 25-30 and the series just looks fantastic from that point on.

[Curt Baboon]

As much as I love Ottley's art throughout the whole thing, I think my favorite issues art-wise are the ones with Nolan and Allen broing out in space while looking for weapons against the Viltrumites. It's insane how much he improved after he left the title initially, and his new style might be my favorite of the entire series.

As far as the overall writing in the series goes, I love it and hate it. There are times when everything just clicks and the dialogue feels organic and heartfelt, but a lot of the time it's just Kirkman stuffing word balloons with as many words as possible just to get meaningless exposition out of the way. Kirkman's dialogue is atrocious in the sense that I just don't feel like an actual person would talk like this. He meanders and makes his characters either spew out plot information nonstop or he has them go on long-winded speeches that mean nothing. In short, I really think he needs a better editor.

But again, when it's good; it's DAMN good. I love pretty much every storyline where Nolan's involved (who, in my opinion; is easily the best character he's ever written), and the way he stages big events and battles is truly amazing. The battle with Conquest is a goddamn thing of beauty.

So yeah, it's an enjoyable if flawed comic with moments of true brilliance. I don't like Kirkman as a writer in general, but sometimes he just absolutely nails it; and those moments have kept me reading this far so he must be doing something right.

[capuga]

As much as I love Ottley's art throughout the whole thing, I think my favorite issues art-wise are the ones with Nolan and Allen broing out in space while looking for weapons against the Viltrumites. It's insane how much he improved after he left the title initially, and his new style might be my favorite of the entire series.

As far as the overall writing in the series goes, I love it and hate it. There are times when everything just clicks and the dialogue feels organic and heartfelt, but a lot of the time it's just Kirkman stuffing word balloons with as many words as possible just to get meaningless exposition out of the way. Kirkman's dialogue is atrocious in the sense that I just don't feel like an actual person would talk like this. He meanders and makes his characters either spew out plot information nonstop or he has them go on long-winded speeches that mean nothing. In short, I really think he needs a better editor.

But again, when it's good; it's DAMN good. I love pretty much every storyline where Nolan's involved (who, in my opinion; is easily the best character he's ever written), and the way he stages big events and battles is truly amazing. The battle with Conquest is a goddamn thing of beauty.

So yeah, it's an enjoyable if flawed comic with moments of true brilliance. I don't like Kirkman as a writer in general, but sometimes he just absolutely nails it; and those moments have kept me reading this far so he must be doing something right.

The Nolan in space issues were drawn by original artist Cory Walker.

And I agree that Kirkman's dialogue is his weak spot as a writer. But it doesn't harm the book enough to bring it down for me.

[Curt Baboon]

The Nolan in space issues were drawn by original artist Cory Walker.

My bad, I forgot to put Cory Walker's name in there for some reason. Hence why I said that his style had significantly improved since he left the series.

And I agree. Kirkman's plotting is what has kept me reading all these years, regardless of how much I dislike his dialogue. Invincible might have some of the most epic battles in comics.

[stormtrance]

I just recently bought both Compendiums of Invincible and I'm HOOKED. I plan on buying ALL the Ultimate Collected Edition Hardcovers next.
I hate buying single issues if I don't start at the beginning so I will only be collecting the trades of this.
But this is by far the best and only Superhero comic anyone ever needs.
Image rules!

[capuga]

I just recently bought both Compendiums of Invincible and I'm HOOKED. I plan on buying ALL the Ultimate Collected Edition Hardcovers next.
I hate buying single issues if I don't start at the beginning so I will only be collecting the trades of this.
But this is by far the best and only Superhero comic anyone ever needs.
Image rules!

Good to hear! Though this is one series that there is no way I'd have the patience to trade wait on. I can barely stand the monthly(ish) wait between singles.

[stormtrance]

Yeah, I hate the wait... I just can't buy single issues that have already started and I can't get the back issues. It's an OCD thing.

[arosenbarger]

Starting this thread again for the new boards. Give the series a try!

So Invincible is my all time favorite comic. I believe if you like super hero comics (or Robert Kirkman's other work) than you will love this book. I would like to see as many people as possible reading this book. One of the worries I've seen from people thinking about getting into the series is wading through 90+ issues of continuity and the money it would take to catch up. So I am going to make an offer to anyone thinking about getting into the series: I will lend you my trades and pay the shipping to send them to you. This is the agreement that I would expect for this:

1. This is just a loan. I would expect you to ship them back to me. I plan on using a USPS flat rate medium priority mail box. That would cost you $11.35 to read up to 15 volumes of trades.

2. You would need to be able to return them to within 3 weeks so that I can send them to the next person on the list. So read quickly.

3. This is for new readers looking to get into the series. I don't want to be sending these out to people that have read most of the series but just haven't gotten around to the last couple of trades, for example. The goal is to hook in people that are not already reading this book.

4. Obviously I would appreciate if the trades were maintained in the condition you receive them.

Of course the goal is that after reading these you will enjoy them, want more, and go out and buy the book from then on out in some form whether it is singles, trades, or hardcovers.

I will also be posting this offer over at a couple of other forums so I will send these out on a first come first serve basis while maintaining a list as to who contacts me the earliest. If you are interested just send me a PM or email me at jaqi16@aol.com with your mailing address.

For anyone interested in this series but not interested in this offer, I have a list of available Invincible collected editions put together with a suggestion on quickly and fairly cheaply catching up on the continuity that I can post if you ask.

Editing the first post so my recent addition doesn't get missed - The offer is now to read the compendium (first 48 issues) and the following 3 trades for free. But that's a lot of comics for just the cost of shipping it back to me (should be about $12.35 for priority flat rate box or $7 for media mail).

That is really nice gesture. Love it when a geek community comes together.

[wwise03]

I feel compelled to try to go back and collect all of the individual issues...this book is so good.

I actually read it in hardcover format, loved it, but sold it for some reason. Now I want to read it again...sigh.