The buildup to the Viltrumite war continues as Allen the Alien and Omni-Man scour the universe for the tools of destruction that will bring down the remainder of the Viltrumite empire. But will the ultimate solution be the only answer?
Invincible #67
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Art: Cory Walker
Colorist: Dave McCaig
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Editor: Aubry Sitterson
This issue is pretty cut and dried. Allen and Omni-Man do everything from unfreezing a bunch of beasties that devour Viltrumites alive, to finding allies int he very people Omni-Man once considered his sworn enemy. With each success and failure, the Coalition of Planets grows stronger, and by issues end, Thadeus, the leader of the coalition and a Viltrumite who has turned his back on the empire, thinks the time is right to retrieve Mark and his brother to take the fight to the home world.
It’s not that exciting of an issue as readers are only given a glimpse of the action that takes place on each planet, yet there is plenty of opportunity for Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker to bring humor to the issue. Whether it is the supposed Picard-esque Star Trek reference to the hilarious moments when Allen and his girlfriend are engaging in a romantic interlude while Omni-Man “sleeps†on the couch, it’s these little moments that keep the issue moving along. For those who are really into universe building, all the weapons of war that are introduced serve to not only flesh out the Invincible universe, but provide some much needed insight into how frail the Viltrumites can be.
The most disturbing aspect of the issue is when Thadeus reveals that he has continued to work on the Scourge virus and has now qualms about using it should all the other weapons fail. The ultimate solution should be pretty terrifying as it would not only mean the death of the Viltrumite empire, but quite possibly Omni-Man, Mark, Oliver, and Thadeus as well. With Invincible being one of the biggest sellers for Image, it’s highly unlikely we’ll see the death of the title character – especially since he’s only half Viltrumite – but other strong supporters might die before the conflict is finally settled.
If all the Viltrumites are indeed wiped out in this series, it will seriously change the way future stories will unfold. With no threat from above, Mark would become the only threat to world domination. Considering we’ve seen Mark lose his temper a time or two, readers may get to experience this path before issue #100 arrives.
It’s a welcome site to see Cory Walker back in the title he helped start, and his artwork continues to shine. I like how the “action†panels are presented vertically, while the resting moments of the issue make use of a more horizontal layout.
I guess the most disappointing issue with this installment is how everything is glossed over. It would be nice to see a five or six issue arc covering the events, and many big moments lose their impact because Kirkman is rushing to get to the big battle. In other comics I wouldn’t really mind skipping over all the boring bits, but this issue is packed with bits that could have used a little more exploring.
Rarely does Invincible fail to entertain me, but this one came very close. While I love the Invincible series, this issue only earns 2.5 out of 5 Stars.
