Review: INVINCIBLE #105

INVINCIBLE #105
Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn
Published by Image Comics
Release Date: September 4, 2013

invincible105_coverOne hundred and five issues into Kirkman’s second epic creator owned series, the creative team gives readers a nice jump on point to get acclimated to the world of Invincible and what this creative battery is capable of.

Kirkman crafts a very easy-to-dive-into story in #105, laying out the situation nicely while not ignoring the past plot lines of the title in any way. His dialogue throughout the issue is solid and he paints a nice picture of who these characters are, what their relationships are to each other, and where they currently sit in the grand scheme of things very well. This issue very much gave the feeling that the title is moving into a new phase, like a chapter of the story has ended and a new one is beginning, and therefore felt very fresh and light. Kirkman does a great job of keeping the information overload to a minimum, focusing on what is coming at these characters, not so much what has been in the past. Beyond all the new-reader-friendliness, the comic is simply written very well. While not the most action packed superhero book on shelves, Kirkman’s pacing is very solid and the book moves along at a brisk pace without feeling rushed. Each character is fleshed out nicely for the purposes of this story, with some decent humour & heart thrown in for good measure. What struck me about this issue was how strongly it drove home the central theme of the importance of family. For a superhero book known for some pretty intense violence in the past, family was at the forefront of this issue and handled very well. I commend Kirkman for this, as it shows a great depth to the scope of what he can explore in this title.

As solid as the writing is, the art is what sells the dialogue. Kirkman has been working with Ryan Ottley for a very long time on this book and visually, this is simply Ottley’s world. These characters do not look right unless they are drawn by his hand and issue 105 is a great example of well Ottley can balance action and low key character moments. The faces of these characters exude emotion and convey their thoughts very well throughout the comic and really make Kirkman’s script and dialogue hit home. The style is crisp and clean which gives a great superhero feel, and I love seeing Invincible in action. Ottley pencils an action sequence with the best of ’em, and while #105 was a little light on big fight scenes he does a great job with layouts and some minor action to keep the issue easy on the eyes. Rauch’s colour work is strong from start to finish and there is no doubt these creators are in sync on this title.

Invincible #105 is a fantastic jump on point for any readers looking to dive into the Invincible Universe but also a solid story for long time readers. Kirkman and Ottley no doubt have big things planned for the next phase of Invincible and based on this issue, I can’t wait to see them.

Verdict: 8.5/10

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