An episode that bides its time, “You Want a Real Costume, Right?” rounds out the three-part premiere of Invincible’s third season by expanding its emerging themes. The plot doesn’t quite move forward, but that’s by design. It’s a measured chapter by necessity, either forcing the characters into ethical conundrums, or highlighting the hypocrisies that they aren’t quite capable of noticing.
It begins with a familiar foil-the-bank-robbery sequence, but its perspective is turned on its head. A pair of henchmen who’ve appeared briefly in prior seasons, the lava-powered Magmaniac and the tech-imbued Tether Tyrant, hold up a local branch for cash, but their dialogue-free reaction shots tell a different story than usual. They don’t seem to enjoy scaring their inadvertent hostages, especially kids, and when Guardians member Bulletproof enters the scene – floating into frame like some supernatural, Lovecraftian creature – we become firmly affixed to the villains’ point of view as they narrowly escape.
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In a silent seven-minute montage (which keeps cutting to the moving imagery of a wilting flower), we see the villainous duo – now revealed to be a romantic couple – trying their damnedest to steer clear of a life of crime and get good, honest work, only to have doors repeatedly shut in their faces. In a Dog Day Afternoon scenario, they’re eventually forced to steal, and when Mark/Invincible arrives (with little brother Oliver/Kid Omni-Man in tow), he takes on a haunting, practically monstrous presence. We don’t see Magmaniac or Tether Tyrant beyond this prologue, but by making them an emotional anchor, “You Want a Real Costume, Right?” brings into focus Mark’s ongoing dilemma about working with reformed criminals. Granted, while the likes of Doc Seismic and D.A. Sinclair have sinister, “mad science” motives, it’s hard not to see the other side of the coin when Invincible finally presents street-level crime as an outcome of material circumstances, adding a layer of reality to a show that grows more fantastical with each passing week.
Several other street-level villains re-appear, mostly in dialogue scenes that establish future conflict without really going anywhere – it’s the only time the episode spins its wheels – but the human concerns continue to be intriguing. Atom Eve tries to navigate her friendship with Amber now that the latter knows she’s dating Mark, and she also rekindles her relationship with her parents, who still disapprove of her superhero path, and see her as a disappointment. The other Guardians get a scene or two of downtime as well – a much-needed departure from Invincible’s usual M.O. of having them only show up for action scenes.
The show is, of course, at its strongest when centering the Grayson family’s drama. Debbie goes on another date with Paul, and unilaterally decides that trusting someone again means spilling the beans about her past – which is to say, her supervillain husband and costumed vigilante kids. Mark is none too pleased, but he has his own ongoing drama with Oliver too, about the best way for the Robin-esque (specifically, Damian Wayne-esque) sidekick to train and observe in the field while being so close to action.
This thin line between watching and participating shatters when the Mauler Twins return for the umpteenth time, causing mayhem as usual. They’re a common recurring fixture of the series, and just when it seems like they’ll be around forever, Oliver ends up dismembering them in gruesome fashion, forcing Mark to confront a serious conundrum. Instilling Oliver with the patience to not kill his enemies, even when things seem dire, also means going back on his newfound rejection of reform as a concept, a hypocrisy that only confuses his younger brother, and a stalemate on which he makes no headway (at least, not yet).
Invincible Season 3 GalleryIn a bit of dramatic irony, this quandary presents shortly after Mark is finally allowed a sense of normalcy, when Eve – the first fellow superhero he’s dated – shows a complete understanding of his impossible work-life balance. A quick pit stop at Art’s to feel a sense of routine results in a costume change – a darker blue, minus any yellow highlights – but this ends up being a mere Band-Aid over the more serious issue of Oliver’s ethos beginning to resemble their father’s.
It’s also incredibly telling – and befitting of the show’s status as a superhero comics send-up – that Oliver’s outlook on killing is not unlike that of most major superheroes, as though this were less a sign of emotional intelligence than it were a hallmark of arrested development. However, even Mark might be forced to approach this moral code in different ways when his family is attacked at home, via an explosive drone revealed to be controlled by none other than last season’s major villain, Angstrom Levy – a return sure to pose severe complications in the rest of season 3.
VerdictThe measured third episode of Invincible’s new season offers both fun downtime and conflicting moral dilemmas. “You Want a Real Costume, Right?” plays with perspective to highlight how its god-like heroes come off to the common person – as well as the common criminal – but more importantly, it forces its titular hero to confront his own evolving stances on violence and reform.
