All eyes are on the return of Invincible to the small screen next year with the release of Season 3 on Prime Video in February. However, co-creators Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley are also returning to their violent superhero universe on the page with a new comic series following a longtime fan-favorite character – Battle Beast. Titled Invincible Universe: Battle Beast, the story marks the duo’s first full-length installment in the franchise since the mainline comic ended in 2018 and will shed some light on the battle-crazed character with the power to rival the most fearsome of Viltrumites. His solo story at Image Comics is set to debut next year, likely sometime after Season 3 finishes airing.
Written by Kirkman with art by Ottley, Invincible Universe: Battle Beast is set between Issues #19 and #55 of the comics, from the moment after Battle Beast, aka Thokk, left the battle with the New Guardians of the Globe behind to the moment Allen the Alien springs him from the Viltrumite prison where he and Omni-Man are being held. Serving as a planetary guardian in his past has left Thokk with an insatiable thirst for battle that he finally seeks to end for good. While away from the rest of Invincible‘s cavalcade of superheroes and villains, he continues his own journey to find a worthy opponent strong enough to kill him and finally end the cycle of violence he’s caught in before his loved ones get dragged into it. The search ultimately forces him to consider an unthinkable solution to his problem, but fans will have to wait and see exactly what that solution is.
The Battle Beast series will also sport some stunning new comic covers illustrated by guest artists, including David Finch, E.J. Su, Kael Ngu, Arthur Adams, and Jonboy Meyers. For Kirkman, making a new Invincible series with so many talented contributors is something he’s been eager to do, saying in a statement “Moving from the comic series directly to the animated series, I haven’t really had a break. That said, while adapting the series to animation, I’ve been itching to do something new! Longtime fans will know there’s a massive gap in Battle Beast’s appearances in the series between Invincible issue 19 and issue 55. There’s a lot of story to tell, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Battle Beast co-creator Ryan Ottley on board to tell it with me!” Ottley, meanwhile, expressed his excitement at seeing his creation grow from a one-off character to a recurring presence about to get his own in-depth tale:
“When Robert and I first created Battle Beast way back in Invincible issue #19 as a way to increase Invincible’s Rogues gallery, I wasn’t sure if he’d be a big character who’d come back throughout the series, or a character who’d die a terrible gory death right away. Robert always kept me and the readers on our toes, he could command a death at any moment, and you know I’d always jump at the chance to carry out the visual execution! Luckily, Battle Beast became a fan-favorite and lived to tell a larger tale. It’s amazing to be working with Robert again in the Invincible Universe. A while ago I was telling him I wasn’t sure what project to do next, and when he mentioned us doing a Battle Beast series together, I jumped at the idea of being back on a creator-owned book, enlarging the Invincible Universe even more! I’m really happy to be back at Image Comics and Skybound, and can’t wait for you to see the story we are fleshing out in this series! I haven’t had this much fun since Invincible!”
‘Invincible’ Is About to Bring Back Battle Beast for Season 3
The announcement of a new series surrounding Thokk comes at a perfect time as Season 3 will soon reintroduce viewers to the character voiced by Michael Dorn. Season 1 only gave a brief taste of the character as he pounded Invincible, Black Samson, and Monster Girl into paste with ease, showing he’s a force to be reckoned with. The full scope of his strength only becomes more apparent as the comics go on, and the show is about to show what he’s capable of when he aids in the fight with the Viltrumites and embraces his role as an antihero. He’s one of two old faces confirmed to be returning in the upcoming episodes, alongside Mahershala Ali‘s Titan. Assuming Invincible continues to find success and the new comic series follows suit, it could also open the door for a Battle Beast standalone episode like Kirkman discussed with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff following the unveiling of the Invincible: Atom Eve special.
Invincible Universe: Battle Beast arrives next year. Before then, the series will return with a three-episode Season 3 premiere on Thursday, February 6. Check out the new comic cover above.
via Collider