For those of you who haven’t read Invincible #79, be forewarned: this review contains heavy duty spoilers and is less a review about the book ingeneral and more about the serious nature of a revelation contained in the story.
Written by Robert Kirkman with art by Ryan Ottley, Invincible #79 is the first issue after the multi-issue event, “The Viltrumite War”, in which Invincible has been off planet for about ten months. Just before this event started, we learned that Invincible’s girlfriend, Atom Eve, was pregnant. Eve decided not to tell Mark (Invincible) about the pregnancy before he left and, until last issue, we haven’t seen or heard anything from her since.
In Invincible #78, we saw the reunion between Mark and Eve, but the issue had absolutely zero mention of Eve’s pregnancy. The only thing that seemed different to Mark was the fact that she packed on quite a few pounds while he was off in space. For the reader, it really seemed like there was an elephant in the room that, not only was nobody talking about, but that Mark was completely ignorant to.
The majority of Invincible #79 ignores that elephant in the room until the very end. For the most part, it’s a fairly upbeat issue. Mark finally gets back in his original, fingerless-gloved version of his uniform, which really makes him feel like himself again. We’re treated to an amazing, double page splash of Invincible back on Earth, in his original uniform, beating up bad guys, masterfully crafted by Ottley. I don’t even want to know how much money that original art is going for.
The rest of the issue focuses on Mark and Eve joining Dupli-Kate and Immortal at their home for dinner. We finally learn once and for all that Immortal was, in fact, Abraham Lincoln. At the end of the book, Eve (after helping Kate wash her baby twins) runs crying from the room and walks outside. Mark catches up with her and, after asking what’s wrong, she finally comes clean by telling him…
Now, my good buddy, Ken, had said (prior to ready this issue) that his theory as the the baby’s ultimate fate was abortion. I thought it was a possibility, but still kept myself open to other possibilities. But, reading this issue, seeing the tears streaming down Eve’s face…I was really shocked when I actually read it.
Love it or hate it, abortion is one of the hottest of hot button issues in America today. To my knowledge, it’s a subject that no other superhero comic has ever tackled before. Kirkman bravely deals with this subject, not in a big event or a controversial debate, but in a very poignant, personal moment between to characters in love. You really see the pain in Eve’s eyes and the shame in Mark’s at having left her alone to deal with this, thanks to some really astonishing art from Ottley. Again, regardless of your personal feelings on the subject of abortion, you have to give credit to Kirkman and Ottley for dealing with such a controversial issue.
Invincible is a book that rarely disappoints. It’s a superhero book that is so different and better than any other hero book on the shelves today, and Invincible #79 is a testament to just how great it’s capable of being.
Ian Candish
Ian@ComicImpact.com