Invincible #85

Next up, one of the two Image comic books I buy. Um... That's really all of an introduction I can think up, so let's get to the review!

Invincible #85:

What Happened: After a long flight to the Coalition planets headquarters, Nolan and Deborah arrive and Nolan tells Allen about the deal that Nolan and Invincible made with the Viltrumites back on Earth. Allen is very unhappy about this, and coldly tells Nolan to leave so he could consider everything. From there we get some bonding scenes with Oliver and Nolan and Deborah, before we head back to Nolan, who meets with Allen the following day. Allen informs Nolan that the other members of the Coalition thought leaving the Viltrumites alone of Earth was a disastrous decision and as such Allen was going to head to Earth personally to introduce the Scourge Virus, which would kill all of the Viltrumites on Earth, as well as possibly kill all of the humans there as well. Needless to say, Nolan isn't about to let that happen, and this issue ends with Nolan and Allen preparing to square off.

The Good: Well, the ending was better than good, it was phenomenal! The way this comic built from the first page to the last was pretty impressive. Seeing Oliver again, alive and well, after what happened to him during the Viltrumite War was great. No Invincible in this comic was, believe it or not, a good thing... I think a few issues away from him while we focus on the supporting cast will help when we get back to Earth and Invincible's own story.

The Bad: You know, even after he fought for the Coalition against his own people, it still bothers me to see that Deborah has so readily forgiven Nolan... I mean he basically called her a pet on national TV when he was trying to murder Invincible, the fact that the two were going at it like a couple of rabbits bugged me.

The Verdict: Now THIS is more like it! This series, while solid, has been faltering a bit lately(to me at least). This issue reminded me of what got me so hooked on this series in the first place. The storytelling was great, the art was great, the twist at the end was great, it was all great. And like I said above, I think this series can benefit by getting away from Invincible for a few issues, because for the past few issues I've found myself getting more and more annoyed by Invincible's antics. After how good the cliffhanger here was, I can honestly say that the next issue is almost a shoe-in for the Pick of the Litter whenever it comes out.

Score: 9 out of 10.It's good to see Oliver around again.