Release Date: April 9th, 2014

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Publisher: Image Comics

Written By: Robert Kirkman

Art By: Ryan Ottley

Price: 2.99

Review:

I already read Invincible and love it with a passion but the geek web has been ablaze with stories and headlines in all caps. This is THE must-read comic. I wont bother with a review of the art this time because it’s amazing just like it always is. Ottley is perfect as usual. I had no clue why this issue was garnering so much attention. I never read previews or spoilers, ever, so I basically went in blind. I thought the main event was going to be Mark versus Robot when he finally found him. I was wrong. While that will definitely be the championship bout, this issue knocks your teeth down your throat when its gutsy, in your face, extremely difficult to watch, story unfolds.

Fresh off a breakup with Eve, Invincible flies off to look for a tin can to pry open. He’s intercepted by a female Viltrumite whose name I cant recall right now. It seems she cant procreate with humans which means she cant help rebuild the race. When Mark rejects her advances, she attacks him and beats the crap out of him in midair. Then he beats the crap out of her and they get in a tussle as they plummet to the ground. After the dust settles, she’s straddling him and if it wasn’t before, it becomes clear that she intends to rape Mark.

Rape scenes are nearly nonexistent in super hero, spandex comics today. The more story-driven, smaller press books touch on them. However, this one is difficult to watch with the details and the overly aggressive characters in Invincible. The art review wont be in-depth but Ottley creates a collection of disturbingly haunting panels during this scene. The facial expressions of Mark read like true panic and soul crushing desperation while that of his female attacker look like pure unadulterated rage.

Viltrumites are insane. They all have ridiculously short fuses and they are insanely aggressive. They’re like Superman, the Frat Boy who was raised by douchebag CEOs from a bad 80s movie. That being said, ive never seen this level of frustration except for maybe on Conquest’s face. That guy was terrifying. This is something else tho. The savagery was all-encompassing. And when it was over and he couldn’t finish, she basically said there will be a second chance.

The site of a hero as powerful as Invincible sitting there with his clothes ripped off and crying had me in awe. Mostly because an act that primal, performed by people arguably as strong as Superman, is jarring to say the least. As i said before, i went in this blind so it’s safe to say this is one of he most shocking moments I’ve ever read in a comic book.

While it may be a difficult thing to witness, it is handled professionally by Kirkman and it does fit into the subplot. It wasn’t just in there for shock value. Remember that if you pick this comic up. Those terrifying panels when he was completely emasculated may prove fatal in this coming fight. It will definitely impact the Invincible universe for a long, long time to come. When and if he recovers, and if he decides to go the revenge route, breaking the truce, this could be the first shot in a new Viltrumite war on Earth.