Review: Invincible #85

Since the end of The Viltrumite War arc, Mark has been biding his time on Earth doing quite a bit of soul searching.  The pace of the storyline had slowed a bit – and some fans were beginning to wonder where Kirkman was heading.  With #85 hitting the stands, now we know right where things are heading – toward another major conflict with the Viltrumites – and this time Earth is going to be stuck in the middle.

Whereas the past several issues have focused on Mark, this issue focuses on his extended family.  Oliver and Nolan are in the spotlightl, and the action takes place on Talescria, the Capitol World of the Coalition of Planets.  The new leader of the COP, Allen, has a tough decision to make – one which Oliver and Nolan won’t like.

Kirkman is at his cosmic best with this issue – and that’s a welcome change as things on Earth with Mark and Eve have gotten a bit bogged down.  It’s a refreshing change to leave Earth behind for awhile and focus on what’s happening in the rest of the universe.

Walker relieves Ottley on the artistic front for this and next issue.  He produces some truly outstanding work on this issue, and I can’t wait until next issue to see how he renders the upcoming space battle sequences.  Plascencia’s colors are outstanding as usual, and the cover to this issue produced by Walker and Plascencia is one of the best since the end of The Viltrumite War arc.

I have never understood why cosmic fans haven’t bonded with this book.  It truly is one of the best cosmic themed books on the stands.  This is a great jumping on point for any cosmic fan interested in checking out this title – so go ahead and give it a shot.  You’ll be glad you did.