The biggest improvement in the second season of “Invincible” is the animation. While fantastically written, season one suffered from limited animation and poorly executed 3D models. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case. While not the best-looking animated show on TV, “Invincible” season 2 looks vastly better. It has a sharper and more consistent art style, and fluid and clearly storyboarded fight scenes that complement the show’s color palette.
Unlike most modern superhero movies and shows, “Invincible” is not a muted world devoid of color. Quite the opposite, in fact. This is one of the brightest and most colorful superhero stories around, animated or otherwise. It is one of the ways “Invincible” captures the feeling of classic superhero comics, by reminding us that superheroes can be fun and cheerful — while also covered in blood and guts.
This season expands the scope of the story by going into outer space. Omni-Man’s attack on Earth and his fight with Invincible created a shockwave that spread throughout the galaxy. There’s a bigger focus on the threat of the fascistic Viltrumites and the resistance organized by the Coalition of Planets. The season is clearly setting up the entire Viltrumite Empire as the big villain, expanding its scope to enter a cosmic era — which is thrilling to watch.
Because the villains are vastly stronger than the ones we’d seen before, the action scenes step it up, too. There are two fights against Viltrumites, which are spectacular and capture the sheer power of these super-beings. The animation is not only fluid, but there’s great attention to capturing the weight of the fights, the cracks on the ground, the sound barrier breaking, and well, all the blood.