You come to learn that characters are as strong or weak as the story needs them to be, and it takes away from the suspense. Things can feel generic, even cheesy, because of it. There were definitely moments of cool animated combat and genuine terror with Thragg, and the Conquest fight with Mark was crazy in its own right, showing some interesting sequences and had such a graphic ending, but generally speaking it all felt like a step down compared to what we’ve had, and what’s possible.

Thragg was even a little underwhelming too. His pudgy face and soft-spoken tone felt off initially, but did grow on me. Lee Pace is a great actor, and he played Brother Day in Foundation excellently, capturing the character’s narcissistic, arrogant, manicured, and classically regal vibe. I think those characteristics are less suited when attempting to carry the aura of the hardest leader of the most genocidal warrior race in the galaxy. I didn’t really buy it, and would have liked more content showing his background and lived experience to build some believability in how this campy, mustachioed chad became someone that even Conquest bends the knee to.

As a huge fan of animated films and shows, I can be snobby when it comes to judging animation, but I seem to be more forgiving than many in the Invincible community, who, in my opinion, often wrongly claim the output as “trash.” That’s way too harsh, and personally I enjoy the clean, flat, westernized style. Everything is staged like it’s a panel lifted directly from the comic, and it’s very readable, albeit a bit economical and limited. Some scenes definitely feel rudimentary and static, even cheap, but the baseline is solid and the show delivers moments of true dynamism in select action scenes, specializing in delightful instances of force, speed, collision, and violence.

But there it is missing somoe grit and rawness, which are abundant in the comics, and there’s a lack of charm, swagger, and fluidity. These things used to be common in animated works, particularly from Japanese studios, so it’s disappointing that as technology and audiences have grown, we still see animation in 2026 lagging behind stuff produced as far back as the 90s. Watch some of the action in Samurai Champloo, Berserk, Fullmetal Alchemist, or Attack on Titan, and it’s just on a different level. Considering Invincible has a budget that dwarfs many of those shows, I do expect more.

In fairness, creator Robert Kirkman has discussed how they deliberately strive for consistent annual seasons, and that delivering a schedule like is demanding, and a huge achievement for the team, which it undoubtedly is. I appreciate that sustained momentum of the journey and why that leads to a more limited animation choices, but if you asked me to wait an extra year for a more polished experience, I would probably say yes. The Atom Eve special episode, for example, really flexed fluid and creative animation, and if that was the norm, things would truly be special.

I’ve been fairly critical in my review so far, but actually I did enjoy my weekly watch. The dialogue may leave much to be desired, but the voice acting is mostly great and elevates things, and the show’s signature quirky humor still shines. The world and characters are also awesome, particularly when addressing Nolan’s redemption and Mark’s suffering, and the deep dives we got into the world of the Viltrumites were exactly what we wanted to see. The story has grown into its most interesting content, and I even enjoy the continuous exploration of family dynamics and everyday personal struggles of what it means to be human and a hero. I care about Mark, Debbie, Eve, and Earth’s plight.

Finally, that last episode, with Mark’s trauma, the dread in that confrontation with Thragg, and the implications of what’s to come, was also immense. They’ve built up a lot and made you care, so I’m really looking forward to what we’re in store for in Season 5..