‘Invincible’ Season 3 looks quite ‘vincible’

David Abe / THE GATEPOST

By Owen Glancy Arts & Features Editor It’s no secret to anyone who’s been tuned into the cultural zeitgeist that superhero media has been overstaying its welcome as of late. Whether it be due to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s steady decrease in quality, or some other factor, people have begun to grow tired of costumed heroes. Despite all of this steadily growing disinterest, according to box-office numbers, in superhero media, the animated Amazon Prime show “Invincible” has quickly become one of the most popular shows in the world, with season 3 being the most anticipated yet. Season 3 picks up right where season 2 left off, dealing with the aftermath of Mark Grayson - aka Invincible - taking his first life in defense of his family, as well as the growing threat of the Viltrum Empire. Mark’s murder of Angstrom Levy weighs just as heavy as it should, with Mark fully dedicating himself to training under Cecil and the GDA both in order to save the world and to distract himself from his own heinous actions. This emotional dilemma Mark faces is the trademark of “Invincible,” and season 3 continues the show’s exploration of the psyche of these superheroes and villains beautifully. The writing is at an all-time high with this season. Season 3 doesn’t forget about the side characters though, as many of them receive some much-needed attention and development. From Cecil’s backstory, to Rex and Rae’s budding relationship, to Eve’s romantic pursuit of Mark after he broke up with Amber last season, nearly every character is expanded on in a meaningful and important way. The character with the most changes, however, is Oliver, who now has his powers and is attempting to work with his brother Mark. Oliver takes the typical sidekick stereotype and flips it on its head. With his advanced Thraxan aging, he begins to develop a bleak outlook on the value of life that directly challenges and clashes with Mark’s. This contrast in views takes the brothers’ relationship to the next level, making both of them feel not just more real, but more human as well. This humanity is also extended to the villains, with antagonists like Powerplex bringing new perspectives to old events from seasons 1 and 2. However, a show’s writing is only one piece of the very complex puzzle needed to make an animated show. The animation is arguably just as important and sadly, this is where “Invincible” has always been weak. Seasons 1 and 2 had occasional bursts of visual excellence that were surrounded by mediocre, but passable, animation. However, season 3’s animation is by far the worst of the three seasons. Characters move in awkward ways, action scenes are lazily shot and choreographed, and emotional moments are ruined by generic poses that look like they’re ripped straight from promotional materials. The last two episodes improve the animation slightly, but only in brief spurts and about 45 minutes of good animation does not make up for the over 7 hours of poor animation that came before. The poor animation quality is directly tied to the rushing of season 3. Fans were unhappy with the three-year gap between seasons 1 and 2, resulting in Amazon rushing production. While we got season 3 earlier than anticipated, the show’s visuals paid the price. With season 4 already having started production before season 3 was even finished, it seems like this trend of poor animation will continue into the show’s future. The last episode also presents another minor flaw. While it serves the plot well, it undermines the intelligence of one of “Invincible’s” smartest characters. Luckily, this one poor character writing moment is nowhere near the level of injustice that the show’s horrible visuals have reached. “Invincible” season 3 is the perfect example of the phrase, “two steps forward, one step back.” The show’s writing only continues to get better and the plethora of new characters bring with them more depth to the show’s universe, but the animation and some minor moments of poor character writing continue to hold it back from true greatness. Rating: B+ Falls just short of expectations