By Robert Kirkman (writer), Ryan Ottley (pencils), CliffRathburn (inks), FCO Plascencia (colors)
The Story: Mark’s ex-girlfriend calls him with some tragic news that pushes him to the limits of his anger management skills. His little brother, Kid Omni-Man, goes on his first solo adventure and meets with mixed success as he tries to defuse a complicated situation. Interspersed with these two stories is the continuous growth and endearment in Mark’s and Eve’s relationship. The issue concludes with Mark uncovering the fact that he and his family are being spied on, although he has yet to discover that his arch enemy, Angston Levy is behind it.
What’s Good: All three stories in this issue are interesting and well-done. The dialogue between Mark and Amber, his ex-girlfriend, is especially memorable. Although this issue is essentially self-contained, bordering on a one-shot, it still furthers many plot lines such as Mark’s barely controllable temper, Kid-Omni Man’s stubborn sense of independence, and of course, the coming confrontation with Angston Levy.
Ottley and Rathburn turn out beautiful art. Ottley proves time and again that he is an exceptional storyteller, filling his panels with detail and finesse. Also, FCO’s coloring is great, especially during the roof-top scene where the sky mirrors Mark’s wrath.
What’s Not So Good: The Kid-Omni Man story is left unresolved. I would have enjoyed seeing how things conclude after Mark takes over the situation and learned more about the character the brothers battle. Also, as I said above, this is a self-contained story and after all that happened last issue, this installment feels like a bit of a let down.
Conclusion: Another great installment of Invincible. This issue only seems weak when compared to other perfect issues of this series, but this issue is still much better than almost every other superhero book put out this week.
Grade: A-
- Rob G.
Filed under: Image Comics, Reviews Tagged: | CliffRathburn, Fco Plascencia, Image Comics, INVINCIBLE, Invincible #56, Invincible #56 - Review, Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley
