‘Invincible’ Season 2 Episode 4 Non-Spoiler Review – “It’s Been A While”

Following the previous episode of Invincible Season 2, the latest episode marks a turning point for the series’ protagonist and his loved ones. The narrative foreshadows greater challenges for the character moving forward… and the show has only gotten started.

The second season’s mid-season finale is titled, “It’s Been A While”. It is written by co-executive producer Helen Leigh and directed by storyboard artist Jason Zurek.

In this review, I will discuss Invincible Season 2 Episode 4. As the title of this article suggests, there will be no spoilers present here. References to previous series episodes and the graphic novel source material may be made!

Invincible Season 2 Episode 4 Logline

According to Amazon Studios Press, here is the logline for Invincible Season 2 Episode 4—“It’s Been A While”.

Mark answers the call to save an alien species, but the mission has unexpected personal consequences.

Amazon Studios Press

Discussion

While the prior three episodes of the season opened on a rather tame tone, the pacing of this past weekend’s episode picks up with action-packed fight sequences and few narrative beats to fill in the gaps of the overall story presented. Screenwriter Helen Leigh and the rest of the writers’ room leave the storytelling up to director/ storyboard artist Jason Zurek, the rest of the animation team, and music supervisor Gabe Hilfer. Hilfer guides viewers through the more emotional beats of the episode, with tracks by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Blondshell, Zoë Boekbinder, and, to keep matters upbeat, Run The Jewels.

The audio and visual components are truly what holds the episode up, hitting fans and viewers with unexpected notes and some dark shading schemes. The background design team does a captivating job at providing different angles of the Thraxan landscape, whether it is a contra-zoom/ dolly zoom shot of Markus Sebastian “Mark” Grayson/ Invincible’s (voiced by Steven Yeun) reaction to the return of his father, Nolan Grayson/ Omni-Man (voiced by J.K. Simmons); a shot of them above the planet as they fly up into the atmosphere; and the violet exteriority of the planets’ caverns with orange sandy bottoms.

With the aid of the storyboard team’s frame-by-frame layout of the Viltrumite fighting—and of course, Atom Eve’s (voiced by Gillian Jacobs) confrontation with Killcannon (voiced by Fred Tatasciore)—, the character designers continue to bring excellence to the series through punches, kicks, or shooting balls of light.

Adapting Thraxa and Wrapping Up Season 2 Part I

Cramming elements of Invincible Issues 26 to 29 is no easy work for the writers and animators. What I appreciate about this episode is how they were able to get to this point. Upon starting the season, I had assumed this “chapter” of the protagonist’s story would be the season finale. However, I am glad to be proven wrong. Without giving too much away, “It’s Been A While” introduces a plot device that is going to be a vital part of Mark Grayson’s growth as a human, a Viltrumite, and a superhero.

One thing I can say is how admirable Thraxan culture can be. On one hand, there is the fact that these alien species age quickly, and so their lifespans are shorter than that of humans. Fortunately, one aspect I like about this group is their individual right to choose their name at the opportune time. Politically speaking, there is something about their sense of individuality that you cannot not love.

Adapting the panels of the Viltrumite fight is an incredible feat. The fates of a certain couple of characters are brutal, but they look bloody great when crafted by the character artists. Watching the montage portion is especially perfect as it is almost akin to the comic book coming to life.

The Crew Behind Invincible

Invincible is based on the comic book of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, & Ryan Ottley. Kirkman also serves as a co-showrunner alongside executive producer Simon Racioppa (Mr. Meaty). Walker serves as a co-executive producer.

Dan Duncan is the supervising director of the series.

Luke Asa Guidici is the supervising editor. Lea Carosella and Liam Johnson are the assistant editors.

John Paesano scores the music. Gabe Hilfer (Venom, Birds of Prey, Ozark, Halloween Ends, The White Lotus, Renfield, White Men Can’t Jump) does the music supervision. Brad Meyer is the supervising sound editor. Meyer, Katie Jackson, Natalia Saavedra Brychcy (Knock at the Cabin), Rich Danhakl, and Mia Perfetti are the sound FX editors.

Meredith Layne (Castlevania, A Tale Dark & Grimm) is the voice director. Linda Lamontagne (BoJack Horseman, The Boys Presents: Diabolical, Close Enough) is the voice casting director.

Animation Team

Shaun O’Neil serves as the art director. Kofi Fiagome serves as the animation/ storyboard supervisor. Invincible comic book artist Ryan Ottley serves as the creative consultant.

Luke Ashworth, Nate Bellegarde, Nick Lombardo, Tim Nicklas, Johnathan N. Reyes, Charles Tan, and Alex Wilson are the character designers.

Jon Christopher Finch, Kelly Mai, James T. Robb, and Yoshi Vu are the background designers.

Sinae Ellyse Jung, Stephan Park, Wynton Redmond, Mari Yang, and Jason Zurek are the storyboard artists. Karon Clerk, Yujin Lee, Chris Pimentel, Kaitrin Snodgrass (Ben 10, Little Demon), Suzi Whifler, and Chole W. are the storyboard revisionists.

Lindsey Meyers serves as the episode’s animatic editor and associate editor. Samantha Schnauder is the visual effects editor.

The Voice Cast Behind Invincible

Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead, Sorry to Bother You, Minari, Nope) voices the series’ protagonist and titular character, Markus Sebastian “Mark” Grayson, also known as Invincible. Sandra Oh (Big Fat Liar, The Chair, Umma, Quiz Lady) voices Deborah “Debbie” Grayson, Mark’s mother.

J.K. Simmons (the Spider-Man film franchise, Whiplash, Palm Springs) is credited as the voice of Nolan Grayson—Mark’s father and Debbie’s husband—, also known as Omni-Man.

Supporting Voice Actors

Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2, Atlanta) voices Amber, Mark’s girlfriend. Gillian Jacobs (Community, Minx, The Bear) voices Samantha Eve Wilkins, also known as Atom Eve; as well as a college girl. Andrew Rannells (Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake) voices William Clockwell, Mark’s best friend.

Grey DeLisle (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai) and Phil LaMarr voice Thula and Lucan, two Viltrumites hunting Nolan, respectively.

Mark Hamill voices Arthur “Art” Rosenbaum, a costumer and tailor for superheroes.

Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley, The Boys Presents: Diabolical, Made for Love Season 2) voices Donald Ferguson, Vidor—a Viltrumite hunting Nolan—, and a Thraxan crew. Walton Goggins voices Cecil Stedman.

Kevin Michael Richardson (Family Guy, Young Justice, M.O.D.O.K.) voices a Mauler twin and a King Mauler.

Additional voice performances come from Nyima Funk, Robert Kesselman, Dan Navarro (The Cleveland Show, The Boys Presents: Diabolical), and Ami Shukla.

Guest Voice Actors

Clancy Brown (SpongeBob SquarePants, Thor: Ragnarok, John Wick: Chapter 4) voices General Kregg, a leader of a pack of Viltrumites hunting Nolan.

Fred Tatasciore voices Killcannon—Atom Eve’s nemesis—, a captain, and a paramedic.

Voice Performances and Character Developments

Yeun’s voice acting during his character’s scenes before the encounter with the Viltrumites is a good highlight. His line deliveries towards Simmons’s Nolan Grayson are filled with anger, sorrow, and pain insofar as you cannot help but empathize with him. Mark’s fight with the Viltrumites and his interactions with the Thraxans are an interesting liminal phase for his development as a character. They supplement this idea that a strong character cannot meet triumph without pushing through adversity. This teases his eventual fight with the season’s antagonist Angstrom Levy in the coming episodes.

Speaking of strength, Debbie Grayson (voiced by Sandra Oh) has some intriguing development as well. The lessons that she tries to learn in this former half of the season are a difficult task. She is at an odd position in her life where she deals with the fact that she might be strong solely because she is a mother… or if she can be someone beyond such a role. Similarly, Simmons’s Nolan learns humanity through empathy in a manner that took troubling steps and a dozen episodes.

DeLisle and Diamantopoulos’ Thula and Vidor are frightening voice acting. Yet, they present a couple of performances that I adore nonetheless. Their characters are wickedly skilled as Viltrumites and, paired with the character designing, make outstanding adaptations of their comic book counterparts.

Final Thoughts on Invincible Season 2 Episode 4

Part I of Invincible Season 2 wraps up on a thrilling note. The action sequences, animation, emotion, and music make this worth the watch. While not as large as other developments, the scenes involving Samantha Wilkins (Jacobs) and Donald Ferguson (voiced by Chris Diamantopoulos) are just as severe. With one character, there is a life-threatening mistake, and with another, there is the question of the truth behind their own flesh. This cliffhanger for the next batch of four episodes is a good one for those willing to wait. If you have read the comic book source material, then you know what is to come!

Invincible Season 2 is now streaming via Prime Video!

Have you seen the series yet? If so, then what are your thoughts on it so far? Let us know! For more action, adaptation, adventure, animation, comic book, drama, fantasy, and science-fiction, and thriller-related news and reviews, do not forget to follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!