Image Previews Picks: September 2018
“Invincible” was a pretty great comic. So great that it might wind up having two concurrent adaptations to two different mediums. That Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg had snatched up the rights to a film version and were in the process of developing it broke last year. Now, Amazon has announced that they’ll be producing an animated version of the series to premiere as part of Robert Kirkman’s development deal with them. It’s described as an “adult animated” series, which means the over-the-top violence of the series will make the transition intact, and has been commissioned for eight hour-long episodes. While such an announcement would normally mean the film version has been put on the back burner, word is that Rogen and Goldberg are still working on it.
Which version am I more interested in seeing? The look of “Invincible” is definitely more suited to animation and I’m expecting that Kirkman’s involvement will mean that the series hews as close to the source material as “The Walking Dead” did. While I wouldn’t be averse to seeing what Rogen and Goldberg do with the material, their handling of another comic book series that’s near and dear to my heart, “Preacher,” does leave me a little hesitant. The first season’s slow pace was mostly excusable in that it was designed to be a prologue to the story of the comic. Season Two was a distinct improvement, even if it wasn’t really following its source material all that closely. After watching the Season Three premiere, I was left with the feeling that it wasn’t bad, but in adapting a specific story from the comic (one of its best) it left a lot to be desired. So Rogen/Goldberg film version of “Invincible” might wind up being good even if it bears little resemblance to the comic it owes its name to. I’d prefer a version of the series that’s good and resembles its source material, so I’ll make some time for the animated series when it premieres either later this year or early next.
