If you’ve been keeping up with pop culture, or are on TikTok for any length of time, you may have seen a superhero decked out in blue, yellow, and black (sometimes just blue and black) all over your feed. This is Invincible — an animated superhero TV show based on the graphic novels by Image Comics, a lesser-known peer to Marvel and DC. The third season just wrapped up on Thursday, March 13th, and I’m here to provide all the insights.

I’m going to be straight with everyone, I’m a completely biased source here. I love Invincible. I watched the first season with my dad (who looks suspiciously like Omni-Man), the second season with my brother, and the third with two of my friends. It is an incredibly highly rated show; on its release, the most recent episode was the 2nd highest-rated episode of any TV show ever on IMDB, just behind Breaking Bad.

Just a recap: Invincible, or Mark Grayson, is a teenage boy with some not-so-normal parents. His father is the greatest superhero on Earth, Omni-Man, taking down monstrous threats daily. Suddenly Mark Grayson gets his powers and must learn to navigate the world around him–at the same time that the Guardians of the Globe, Earth’s greatest defenders, are murdered. When Mark’s father is under the spotlight for the deaths, will Invincible come to his aid? And what really happened to the Guardians?

Let’s start with the pros of this recent season because there cons are few and far between. First, the characters are wonderfully developed. The show took its time cultivating people that you can relate to, even as they fly to Rome for dinner and to the Moon to hang out. This leads to very emotional moments as you invest yourself in these characters- I was crying multiple times in the most recent season.

Second, the show both critiques superhero stereotypes and plays into them. Of course, Omni-Man is a foil and critique of Superman-like characters. The early Guardians of the Globe are meant to be light redesigns of the Justice League. While these can be set up for jokes, the show is not all satire like other shows like The Boys, also on Amazon Prime. The show treats its characters seriously and comically when it needs to.

Third, world-building and continuity are excellent. Characters aren’t just there for an arc, they reappear time and time again throughout the show. The show feels like a comic book in the best possible way. Invincible is forced, especially in this season, to make impossible decisions. The weight of the world is on his shoulders.

The cons are very brief. If you don’t like blood or are squeamish with gore- this show is an easy skip. There are so many very visceral moments where most of the screen is red. Characters get bloody and savage. This isn’t typical for cartoons, but it helps the show feel like a more grounded depiction of superpowers, even though the blood is over the top. It’s a brutal world out there. I hear a lot of people complain about the quality of the animation, and I think it’s just fine; it’s not anything that will blow your mind most of the time. However, the climactic fight scenes? Whew! Amazing. Invincible excels at those.

All in all, why aren’t you watching this show? It’s some of the greatest TV on air right now. Season 3 is only a continuation of that, and provides us with some of the best that this show has to offer. Pirates, while you’re wrapping up the semester and need a break- treat yourself to this wonderful show. I know I will!