Prime Video's animated adaptation of Robert Kirkman's beloved superhero comic, Invincible, is one of the most popular superhero shows in the universe. In a world dominated by Marvel and DC, it's nice to hear other voices. And while season 2 itself was fantastic, the format in which it was released irked some viewers.
When it comes to animated projects, there's one rule that everyone has to accept: animation takes time. Invincible fans had to wait over two years for the next batch of episodes after season 1 aired. And even when season 2 premiered in November 2023, we only got four episodes before having to wait until March 2024 for the final four episodes of the season. The process of splitting the season up and airing the two parts so far apart was a big source of criticism, one that Kirkman is very aware of.
"I’ve certainly heard from people who didn’t care for it. I understand that when you’re enjoying a thing and it gets taken away and given back to you at a later date — not the best," he told Variety. He went on to explain why the episodes were split up like that:
"But it was a necessity for the production of Season 2. Overall, I think it went well. The response to the last half of Season 2 has very much been, “Wish there hadn’t been a split, love the last half of Season 2.” We’re still hitting number one on the Amazon platform. I don’t think it caused any real, lasting detriment to the show."
There's no doubt that he and the team have learned their lesson. "But, you live and learn so we’ll have to see how things go moving forward."
Looking ahead to season 3, things are only going to get more chaotic. The Viltrumite war is underway, multiverse-hopping villain Angstrom Levy may still be out there in some form, and Earth is always rife with myriad threats. Mark's baby half-brother Oliver is now part of the family, so that's another person who may need saving. Prime Video has not set a release date for season 3 yet, but Kirkman has previously promised that the production is streamlined, meaning no more huge gaps like the one between seasons 1 and 2.
"Making an animated series is kind of like assembling a factory and getting that factory running, and now that we have everything in place, this is going to be the longest gap there will ever be between seasons. From this point on, every gap between seasons will be smaller," he said in 2023.
Season 3 is in production as we speak. While we wait, seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Prime Video. Plus, the comic run is complete, so fans can get ahead of the animated show before new episodes even air!
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