After a brief hiatus, Invincible Universe: Battle Beast has returned just in time for Invincible Season 4 to make its debut. Last issue was a perfect stopping point – not only did it seem like Battle Beast had met his match in the tyrannical Colossus, but the Viltrumite Empire had entered the picture. On top of that, it was implied that then-Grand Regent Thragg was sending none other than Conquest after Battle Beast. Considering the outright carnage that happened when Conquest first showed up in the main Invincible title, the thought of a fight between him and Battle Beast is ripe with potential.
So how does Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #7 play out? Surprisingly low key. Apart from a few sequences, Battle Beast is mostly absent from the action since he needs to heal from his wounds. Instead, the focus shifts toward Prince Salaka and the navigation computer of Battle Beast’s ship, now with its own robot body. Elsewhere, the remaining people on Salaka’s planet decide to stop hiding and take the fight to the Juggernaut.
This approach is something of a mixed bag. While I’m glad that not every issue of Invincible Universe: Battle Beast will be a straight out slugfest – that can only carry you so far, even in the world of Invincible – some of the dialogue and imagery that Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley come up with is…questionable. Salaka’s body parts are among them; I think I could have gone the rest of my life without seeing full-on alien genitalia. Nor did I need to know that the name he bestows upon the computer is one of his many, many conquests.
For what it’s worth, Kirkman does strike up a rapport between Salaka and the computer that’s fun to read. He also has Salaka confronting Battle Beast in a tense moment, and it shows how much both characters have grown. A while ago, Salaka wouldn’t have said anything, while Battle Beast would have potentially ripped the alien prince in half for daring to speak to him in such a manner. Kirkman’s script highlights how one character has grown a spine, both figuratively and literally, while another is contemplating if there’s more to life than his quest for death.
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But for those who think Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #7 is all sharing feelings, worry not: Ottley continues to deliver on his signature brand of violence, particularly when one of Salaka’s people takes the Juggernaut head on in combat. This alien also happens to be well versed in magic, slinging enough spells to rival Doctor Strange or John Constantine, and the visuals are a sight to behold, especially once Annalisa Leoni drenches the page in literal explosions of color. More characters also come to a grisly end, so expect plenty of alien blood and entrails to be spilled before the end.
Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #7 makes a quieter comeback than expected, as it dials down its trademark violence for character introspection. Mileage may vary with readers, but at the very least the creative team shows that they’re willing to expand their horizons.
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