Advance Review — ‘Invincible Universe: Battle Beast’ #9 Takes An Unwelcome Pause In The Action
by Tom Smithyman
It seems like Invincible Universe: Battle Beast’s latest big bad wasn’t all that big or bad.
After defeating half of the monstrous brother-sister combination of Juggernaut and Colossus in the previous issue, Battle Beast (and readers with him) was expecting an extended battle to kick this chapter off. Instead, they got a two-page spread that comes off as a poorly landed joke.
It’s a bit of a bait-and-switch to an audience who has been waiting for this fight to be resolved. The Beast has fought the pair previously, with victory only just out of reach. Now, he gets it in the first few pages and has very little to do for the rest of the issue.
In writer Robert Kirkman’s grand plan, all of this is just window dressing for the upcoming real big bad — the Viltrumite Conquest. Conquest has been hanging around the in the background for the last few chapters and finally introduces himself to Battle Beast near this issue’s conclusion.
Does it promise to be one of the Beast’s coolest fights ever? You bet. Have we heard this one before? Also, you bet. So let’s just say that it’s reasonable to say that readers’ trust could be a bit eroded.
The unexpected breaks gives Kirkman the chance for a little character development — though just a little. Battle Beast is singularly focused on a terrific death at the hands of a worthy foe. But now he acknowledges that he has a friend in Prince Salaka, who has now been elevated to king. It’s a striking moment in a largely forgettable issue.
The most disappointing aspect of this chapter is that we’re deprived of artist Ryan Ottley’s incredible battle scenes. Ottley is great at whatever he draws, and his Beast is detailed and interesting to look at even when at rest. But Ottley excels at action scenes, which are largely missing here.
We expect — even demand — for creators to surprise us. But we readers are a fickle lot. The surprises need to be in the ultimate interest of the story. We’ll soon see if that’s true in this case.
Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #9 — written by Robert Kirkman, illustrated by Ryan Ottley, colored by Annalisa Leoni, and lettered by Rus Wooton — will be available Wednesday in comic book stores and on digital platforms from Image Comics.
Overview
The action wraps up way too quickly, leaving the rest of the issue to deal with transitioning. While we’re excited for the upcoming battle that keeps getting teased, this issue suffers for it.