8 great superhero series that have nothing to do with Marvel or DC

Invincible — Amazon Prime Video

Amazon apparently wants to corner the market on subversive superhero shows. Invincible shares a few things in common with The Boys, namely a dangerous version of Superman who could kill everyone on the planet if he got in the mood. We learn pretty early on that the powerful Omni-Man is a lot less benevolent than he seems, and a lot of the show’s first season plays out like a mystery novel: we don’t need to know what horrible thing Omni-Man did, but rather why he did it. When the answer comes, it’s worth the wait.

So part of the show is a cynical deconstruction of the superhero myth, like The Boys. The other half is much more straightforward. Omni-Man’s son Mark is also a superhero, the titular Invincible. While his father has a grim, disturbing job to do, Mark is full of teenage optimism and excited to use his new powers to help save the world. Of course, he has a rude awakening when he finds out who his dad really is.

Although Mark and his family form the center of Invincible, the show has a healthy supporting cast of miscellaneous other superheroes and villains, each with their own personalities, agendas, and often impressive voice actors. Mark is voiced by Oscar nominee Steven Yuen, his mother Debbie by 12-time Emmy nominee Sandra Oh, and Omni-Man by Oscar winner J.K. Simmons.

Amazon has renewed Invincible for two more seasons. Robert Kirkman’s comic book of the same name provides a lot of source material, so now is a good time to get in on the ground floor.