Book · 2003
Invincible
by Robert Kirkman
A teenager gets superpowers, moonlights as a hero named after himself, and lands at #11 on a 77-point Reddit best-of list.
What does Reddit think of Invincible?
All 454 recognized references sit inside a single subreddit, r/graphicnovels, which makes this one of the more concentrated entries in the dataset rather than a fleet-wide favorite. What's displayed skews toward blunt verdicts: 'Invincible is a better comic by a mile' (↑37), plain and unqualified. The comparison that keeps surfacing is to Ennis's series, where one commenter (↑22) credits the TV adaptation specifically with fleshing out characterization 'that Ennis' series initially lacked' — a point about the show, not just the source material. It also shows up further down a ranked list, #11 with 77 points (↑21), described there as a simple teen-superhero premise that gets more interesting than it first looks. Not every mention is glowing: one reader (↑64) calls it annoying how much of the first compendium overlaps with the show, a complaint that comes from genuine familiarity rather than distance.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · TV adaptation deepening the source material's reputation
- · Direct rivalry with Ennis's series
- · Ranked placement among genre-best lists
- · A single-community favorite: all of it lives in r/graphicnovels
Common praise
- + The Ennis comparison (↑22) argues the show 'fleshed out a ton of characterization that Ennis' series initially lacked,' putting it ahead of the obvious point of comparison.
- + One-line verdicts keep showing up bare: 'Invincible is a better comic by a mile' (↑37), 'a much better comic' (↑22) — unhedged.
- + It lands at #11 in a ranked list with 77 points (↑21), the kind of placement that puts it in the genre's actual upper tier rather than a token mention.
Common criticism
- − All 454 recognized references sit inside one subreddit, r/graphicnovels, so this sample can't say whether the enthusiasm holds outside that specific readership.
- − The ↑64 excerpt is more a comment about the reader's own attention span and overlap with the show than an argument for or against the comic specifically.
- − None of the displayed excerpts get into the story's later arcs or ending, so the top-voted sample skews toward casual endorsement over close reading.
Who it's for
Burnt out on decade-long capes runs with hundreds of issues to catch up on? One commenter here says exactly that (↑64), then makes an exception for this one anyway. Coming to it after watching the show, r/graphicnovels' comparison to Ennis's series suggests the TV version actually deepened characters the comic introduced more thinly first. If ranking systems matter to you, it sits at #11 with 77 points in one r/graphicnovels list (↑21) — real company, not filler.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for Invincible?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“Big fan of the boys here, read invincible
“With a single(ish) creative team? Invincible With multiple teams? Daredevil
“I’ll have to say invincible by kirkman
“Unpopular opinion…I avoid basically any super hero/Marvel/DC (exceptions: DC Sandman and I like invincible but it is annoying that so much of the first compendium is in the show). Also my attention span is trash so when I see how many i.e., Hulk books there are, I know I’ll never make it through so…
“Invincible Omnibus Vol 1-3 Not because I don’t like the story. I just realized I really don’t like reading from those giant-ass books. It’s impossible to read them in bed and I definitely prefer reading from standard 6-issue volumes. Still haven’t finished it for that reason, and books 2 and 3 have …
“Invincible is a better comic by a mile.
“Invincible is a much better comic. TV series fleshed out a ton of characterization that Ennis’ series initially lacked.
“**11. Invincible** by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley (77 points) Robert Kirkman’s epic brings to life the story of Mark Grayson, a likeable teenager who learns that he’s developing superpowers and begins to moonlight as a superhero called Invincible. Behind this rather simple premise,…
“Make sure you continue with Invincible, one of the best runs in comics ever, hands down. The Dark Knight Returns, The Long Halloween, Scott Snyder's new 52 Batman run... You have some great books to choose from. If you dig The Killing Joke, definitely chase down some more of Alan Moore's work, Sw…
“Read the Invincible compendium’s. They’re relatively cheap for compendiums and are so so good
“Invincible is not a great comic.
“I do not have enough praise for what I think is probably the greatest non-Marvel/DC superhero comic I've read - and that's coming from a guy who loves Invincible. But Invincible is Dragon Ball Z: it's cool, violent, fun, and dumb. Wonderfully written but it's not exactly smart. Astro-City evoked m…
“I just started reading graphic novels this year so my list might be sorta basic 1.) Watchmen by Alan Moore 2.) Invincible compendiums 1-3 by Robert Kirkman 3.) V for Vendetta by Alan Moore 4.) Scott Pilgrim vol. 1-6 by Bryan Lee O’Malley 5.) Crisis on Infinite Earths by Marv Wolfman 6.) Th…
“it's not super modern but invincible by Robert kirkman is a great superhero story (there's an Amazon prime animated show coming out every Friday too)
“I just finished Joe Hill's Locke & Key today. I mean... HOLY. S***. Some other of my most favorite immersive, portal to another dimension all time great graphic novel reads: Robert Kirkman's Invincible Brian K Vaughan's Saga Bill Willingham's Fables Locke & Key is definitely going up there with…
Convinced? Pick up Invincible
What else does r/graphicnovels read?
Other books mentioned in the same sub, ranked. Shared-sub overlap with this title breaks ties.
Guides featuring Invincible
Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
Invincible — frequently asked
Is the Invincible comic redundant if I've already watched the show?+
Not entirely settled here. The clearest displayed take (↑64) calls it 'annoying' how much of the first compendium overlaps with the show, a complaint about redundancy rather than quality. Other commenters (↑37, ↑20) still rank the comic itself extremely highly on its own terms.
Does Reddit think Invincible is better than Ennis's series?+
Yes, in the two most direct comparisons here. One comment (↑37) just says 'Invincible is a better comic by a mile'; another (↑22) credits the TV adaptation with fleshing out characterization 'that Ennis' series initially lacked.' Both come from r/graphicnovels specifically.
How does Invincible rank against other graphic novels on Reddit?+
High. One r/graphicnovels ranked list (↑21) places it at #11 with 77 points, describing Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley's run on a teenager discovering his powers as more layered than 'this rather simple premise' first suggests.
Is Invincible worth reading for someone who avoids long superhero runs?+
One commenter (↑64) explicitly says their attention span usually rules out long runs like this, then reads it anyway alongside DC's Sandman as an exception. That's one data point, not a general rule, but it's a real one.