Invincible 3: Perfect Strangers

Comic Info

Invincible #11

Reprints Invincible #9-13 (February 2004-May 2004). The truth is out! Mark learns his father is the killer of the Guardians of the Globe and isn’t the man who he has grown up believing he is. Revealed to be a race called the Viltrumites, the Viltrumites are a warring conquering race that moves planet to planet to infiltrate and overpower. Now the strongest man on Earth has only one person who can challenge him, and it is his son. Invincible must face off against his father or join him in his quest.

Written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Ryan Ottley, Invincible Volume 3: Perfect Strangers follows the events of Invincible Volume 2: Eight Is Enough. The series continues to be well received by critics and fans and is also collected in the larger Invincible Ultimate Collection Volume 1 (along with the previous two trade paperbacks).

This collection of Invincible really did it for me. While Mark’s father Omni-Man had been shown the killer of the Guardians of the Globe in the previous collection, the reason was unclear. In most comics, the “bad guy” is obvious from the on-set. Omni-Man’s true motives takes the series in a completely different direction and changes the series.

Invincible #12

Another big theme that starts in this collection is some serious blood and guts killing. The slaughter of the Guardians of the Globe was shocking in Invincible #7, but here, the beating Invincible takes from his father is shocking and bloody. Invincible continues to take beatings and there is plenty of shocking killings from this point on.

With Omni-Man’s actions, Invincible gets new direction. He has to replace his father as Earth’s hero. He gets a new supporting cast with his government liaison Cecil Stedman and his mother Debbie and costume designer Art also begin to take a more prominent role in the series.

If you only read the first few issues of Invincible, you need to try to get to this point in the series. Invincible continues to evolve and change. The series is very soap opera-like with major themes tying the issues together more than major events. With Kirkman stock at its highest with The Walking Dead gaining more and more popularity, check out his first hit comic. Invincible 3: Perfect Strangers is followed by Invincible 4:  Head of the Class.

Preceded By:

Invincible 2:  Eight Is Enough

Followed By:

Invincible 4:  Head of the Class