Invincible season 2 has an Omni-Man shaped hole - for good and bad.

Season 2 of Invincible is here, with its second episode having arrived just yesterday. The season carries the torch well enough so far: bringing back familiar faces, moving storylines ahead in a way that makes sense, and providing a decent mix of narratively-driven scenes and action set pieces. But one of the most obvious aspects of the season is that Omni-Man isn’t here. It’s a fact that allows for some incredibly interesting moments. It’s a thing I love about the season! However, I reckon it’ll also push some folks away.

Why is that? Well, there’s no reason to overcomplicate the point. Omni-Man is just too damn fun, too damn interesting. His dynamic with the rest of the cast was a major draw for viewers, as was the double life he lived. Voiced by J.K Simmons, Omni-Man was frankly a major draw to the show. This isn’t to take away from the performances of other actors or the writing – those haven’t taken a turn for the worse in season 2 – but it’s clear that an Omni-Man shaped hole is a key part of the narrative.

As hinted at earlier, this allows the plot to go to places the first season just couldn’t touch. Mark is the most obvious example of this – thrust into adult life with the weight of the world placed on his shoulders, his journey back into the role of Invincible is slow, hard, and complicated. Much of the pressure he feels is self-imposed, he’s clearly in the shadow of his dad even though he’s striving not to become his dad. It’s a common enough trope because… it’s a very real one! Guys feel like this all the time, it’s an easy problem to relate to.