Comics To Read If You Love Invincible

"Invincible," the animated series based on the hit comic book series by "The Walking Dead" co-creator Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley, was a major success for Prime Video. But what to read between seasons if you can't get enough of bombastic teenaged superheroics? Well, there are at least 14 different comic books that should scratch that itch, including both series that influenced "Invincible" as well as stories that have something to say about the world of superheroes — and the one we live in.

Of course, it goes without saying that one of the titles that should be on your reading list is "Invincible" itself. The series wrapped up in 2018, so it's a complete saga — just be aware that you'll be spoiling the rest of the animated series for yourself! That's hardly a problem, though; this is a story that's worth experiencing twice.

In the early years of the 21st century, Marvel debuted its Ultimate line, featuring fresh and streamlined takes on its characters and their decades-long continuity. It was a way for the publisher, which was having a renaissance after filing for bankruptcy in the 1990s, to recreate their top characters in a modern context without rebooting their entire line. We'll discuss the first, and most acclaimed, of the Ultimate comics later. However, for sheer "Invincible"-esque bombast — and discomfort — you can't get much bigger than Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's "The Ultimates," which follows this universe's version of the Avengers. 

This explosive, widescreen comic was popular enough to influence the early Marvel Cinematic Universe movies; it even features the alien villains of the first "Avengers," the Chitauri, although they take on a slightly different form here than they did on screen. The characterizations of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, the Hulk, and the rest are much edgier than they were in the mainstream Marvel books that preceded "The Ultimates," and not always for the better. That said, this series is definitely of its time, with a plot focused on a superpowered version of the war on terror, which cast a shadow over all pop culture in the 2000s.

An extremely popular manga and anime, Kohei Horikoshi's "My Hero Academia" ticks many of the same boxes as "Invincible." Teenage superheroes and villains? Check. World-shattering battles? Check. Drama between super-fathers and their super-sons? Check.

In a world where almost everyone has a "quirk" that gives them a super ability, Izuku Midoriya was born powerless. However, after Midoriya shows off his selflessness in a dangerous situation, the world's greatest hero, All Might, makes Midoriya the inheritor of his quirk, One For All. This sets off a chain of events that leads Midoriya to a confrontation with the villainous Tomura Shigaraki, who now possesses the inverse of All Might's quirk, All For One.

"My Hero Academia" is a love letter to American superhero comics, and is one of the most sincere entries in the genre in the last 20 or so years. Creator Horikoshi even draws All Might like an American superhero from the '90s. Of particular note for "Invincible" fans is the ongoing drama involving the number-two-ranked hero, Endeavor, and his sons, especially Todoroki. Also, there's a girl whose powers mimic the abilities of a frog. How can you not dig that?

If you enjoy the generational saga of "Invincible," Hirohiko Araki's "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" should scratch the same itch. Beginning in 1987, the long-running series has detailed the conflicts between the Joestar and Brando families over eight different story arcs. Each one focuses on a new iteration of one of those two families, with some plotlines unfolding in another universe entirely. 

The story moves away from its focus on mystical martial arts during the third arc, "Stardust Crusaders," which introduces superpowered avatars called Stands. The series has only grown in popularity worldwide over the years. It keeps evolving with each arc; so does Araki's art. In fact, Araki's work has even been featured in official Gucci advertisements and the Louvre!

Six arcs of "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" have been published in the USA. Those same six have also been adapted into an anime, and the fourth arc, "Diamond Is Unbreakable," was made into a live-action movie by director Takashi Miike. Meanwhile, the ninth arc, "JOJOLANDS," is on its way in Japan. It's an epic series, and fans of "Invincible" will appreciate the wide scope of the adventures, battles, and strange abilities on display.

What happens when a team of teenage superheroes are forced to finally grow up? That's the question posed by 2013's "Young Avengers," written by Kieron Gillen and drawn by Jamie McKelvie, the team behind the cult indie comic "Phonogram." Super kids take on their super parents in this run, which echoes "Invincible," but that only scratches the surface of the book. Maturity, honesty with oneself, LGBTQ+ relationships, and more mundane-yet-pertinent ideas sit are at the heart of this acclaimed series. There's also a teenager who can kick open portals to other dimensions, just in case you're looking for that sense of super-powered wonder.

While the Young Avengers have had a devoted following since Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung introduced the team in 2005, Gillen and McKelvie's 15-issue run received rave reviews, and was a best-seller as well. The team was able to parlay the success of "Young Avengers" into what many consider their magnum opus, "The Wicked + The Divine," which was published by Image Comics. Gillen and McKelvie's "Young Avengers" also won the 2014 GLAAD Media Award for outstanding comic book, topping the likes of DC's "Batwoman" and Archie Comics' "Life with Archie," which features the company's LGBTQ icon, Kevin Keller. It was the second time the series had done so; Heinberg and Cheung's run also won the award in 2006.

The "Judas Contract" storyline from "New Teen Titans," which was written by Marv Wolfman and illustrated by George Perez in 1984, is considered one of the highest peaks of the teenage superhero genre. This one has everything. The Titans are infiltrated and nearly destroyed by one of their greatest adversaries. Dick Grayson finally abandons the Robin costume on his way to becoming Nightwing. Another hero leaves the Titans altogether. It was a seismic storyline, and a very influential one. "Invincible" viewers know the pain of being betrayed by a trusted comrade very well; in that regard, this story was groundbreaking.

As in "Young Avengers," the members of the Titans must grow up in a major way. The story won the "favorite comic book story" award from the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards in 1984, and the characters proved so popular they received a second monthly comic from Wolfman and Perez later in the year. The storyline has been adapted twice into other media: once as a storyline on the 2003 "Teen Titans" animated series, and again in 2017 as one of DC's animated feature films.

The deconstruction of superheroes in popular media began in earnest with the publication of Frank Miller's "Batman: The Dark Knight" and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' "Watchmen." "Brat Pack" is a companion to these seminal titles, self-published by writer-artist Rick Veitch following his controversial departure from DC's "Swamp Thing." Veitch's comic casts a critical eye on the entire notion of the teen superhero, specifically the disposable teen sidekick. It was published following a telephone poll conducted by DC to determine whether Robin lived or died in a then-current "Batman" storyline. The series' tagline was even "Live fast, love hard, die with your mask on." You can read that ethos into "Invincible," too, although that's not necessarily a good thing. 

Like "Marshal Law," "Brat Back" can be a tough read, as it doesn't shy away from transgressive content — the edginess of "Invincible," coupled with the subject matter, makes it one of this book's direct descendants. Ultimately, however, this is a rewarding read that makes you think about how healthy teen superheroes really are, as well as the genre itself. It also resulted in one most recognizable images in comics in the 1990s: the vertical "@#*!" symbol worn by the series' ostensible villain, Dr. Blasphemy.

After spending a few years producing creator-owned work, Jonathan Hickman returned to Marvel in 2019 with his biggest idea yet: What would happen if all of Marvel's mutants, from the X-Men to their most hated adversaries, banded together on the living island of Krakoa and formed their own country, one with a language and culture all its own? And how would the rest of the Marvel Universe react to a new sovereign mutant nation? Those were the questions that Hickman initially raised in two concurrently published miniseries, "House of X," which was illustrated by Pepe Larraz, and "Powers of X," a collaboration with artist RB Silva. 

Plenty of intrigue results, of course, both within Krakoa and without as forces gather to deal with this situation. Are Charles Xavier and Magneto, having buried the hatchet, being forthcoming about all that happens on Krakoa? Or are there secrets about this new island nation that will shake the world to its core? Will a stunning betrayal destroy Krakoa, as Invincible himself was so shockingly betrayed in his series' first season finale?

With story threads that unfold 10, 100, and 1,000 years into the future as well as the present day, Hickman's X-Men run is a sprawling epic, one that "Invincible" fans will easily find themselves drawn into. While it stands up on its own as a complete work, "House of X" and "Powers of X" formed the foundation for Marvel's big X-book relaunch. The story they kicked off continues to this day, even though Hickman has left to tackle other projects.