We had to wait more than two years for the second season but thankfully, Invincible Season 3 is not taking that long (and without any mid-season breaks too). The animated series adaptation of Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley’s comics of the same name has been one of the must-watch titles on Prime Video in recent years, providing an almost-anime-like source material accuracy that’s impossible for Marvel or DC to replicate. Does the third season continue that streak? Read on to find out.

A New Era

Invincible Season 3 begins a new era for Mark Grayson AKA Invincible as we start to see him growing into more of his own independent hero, becoming more mature and turning into an adult. There are new conflicts and the addition of new characters such as Oliver Grayson (Mark’s half-brother) adds new challenges for Mark to overcome this season, both physically and emotionally. It’s a testament to how far he has come since the first season, with a brand-new suit (the black and blue costume) to boot.

Most of Invincible Season 3 actually focuses more on the emotional development of Mark and other characters such as Cecil Stedman. While that’s great, it’s clear that this season had to sacrifice certain other elements. Compared to previous seasons, some parts of Season 3 do feel more like filler or not eventful enough to progress the overall plot. Of course, those who have read the comics will know that all of this is leading to something but this season will feel a bit slower and draggy for casual viewers who are expecting bigger and more shocking revelations.

This is likely a problem it inherited from the comics as well. Having read the comics years ago, I fondly remember the early arcs and the concluding arcs but everything in between is more of a blur, so maybe that has translated into Invincible Season 3. Not every arc can be a massive slam dunk or have world-shattering ramifications. The biggest flaw of Invincible Season 3 is that it saves the best for the last two episodes of the season, with one of the best arcs from the comics finally getting adapted.

Don’t get me wrong, there are still some shocking and bloody moments in Invincible Season 3 that that series is known for but it doesn’t seem like anything from this season will come close to being as impactful as the “Think, Mark, Think!” moment from the first season. That being said, the final two episodes (which I haven’t seen because Prime only provided six episodes for review) might change all of that and it certainly feels that way. They really should have spread out Invincible Season 3 a lot more because a lot of this season feels like a long build-up.

Just like in previous seasons, Invincible essentially follows the events of the comics almost beat-by-beat so far. Again, like in previous seasons, Invincible Season 3‘s episodes are almost one hour long each, which is closer to the length of a live-action TV series than it is to other animated shows. It’s hard to say anything about Invincible Season 3 that hasn’t already been said about previous seasons. It’s still just as good in many ways. If you liked the first two seasons, you’ll certainly like the third season as well; it offers more of everything fans want. There’s really no comparable substitute for Invincible out there in animation, despite the first season having been released over a whopping four years ago now, and that shines the spotlight on how unique Invincible is even today in such a saturated superhero market.

Fight, Mark, Fight

Three seasons in, Invincible is still as great as ever, but the slower pacing of Season 3 might prove to be a bit divisive amongst fans who have been waiting for the series to tackle some of the comics’ bigger and more explosive arcs. Invincible Season 3 is a rewarding watch with a great payoff if you get immersed in the series but this season it feels a bit more apparent that they’re trying to make the series stretch out as long as possible.

FINAL SCORE: 80/100

We received an early access screener of Invincible Season 3 (the first six episodes) courtesy of Prime Video Malaysia. Invincible Season 3 will premiere on Prime Video Malaysia on 6 February 2025.