Invincible Universe: Battle Beast has long been teasing a showdown between its titular ferocious feline and the infamous Viltrumite warrior Conquest, and in this week’s issue, Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley more than deliver on that promise. After all, anyone who has read Invincible knows that Conquest is usually sent to planets by the Viltrumite Empire as a last resort. They also know that Battle Beast yearns to meet the opponent who will finally end his life. To quote a certain scene from Kung Fu Panda, this is a battle that has the potential to be legendary.
Even a dinner scene between the two is fraught with tension, thanks to Ottley’s art. A two-page spread features the two staring eat each other as Prince Salaka awkwardly tries to be a good dinner host; what really makes this image stand out is the panels on the top and bottom. Each one features a close-up on Conquest and Battle Beast’s eyes, and Ottley packs a wealth of details into those panels. Though one of Conquest’s eyes is missing, you can see the bloodlust and fury boiling in his eyes. Likewise, Battle Beast’s gaze is that of a predator who’s finally cornered its prey.
Kirkman’s dialogue also hints at the conflict to come between the pair. Conquest might seem friendly, but his dialogue is laced with thinly veiled insults meant to get a rise out of Battle Beast. Battle Beast doesn’t say much, but when he does finally get the chance to speak, he is nearly overjoyed upon learning of Conquest’s true mission. In a rather twisted way, Kirkman shows that these two understand each other better than anyone in the universe ever will. I’ve told so many fellow comics fans that the best thing about Invincible isn’t just the bloody violence or the deep examination of the superhero genre, but the care that Kirkman puts into giving each character depth. This issue is a prime example of that.
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This comic does deliver on the bloody violence front, for those who are wondering. Ottley begins the battle with a splash page of Conquest grabbing Battle Beast by the throat and shooting straight up into the air, which leads into a round of brutal fisticuffs. If the imagery wasn’t graphic enough, Annalisa Leoni begins to drench the page in blood-red hues as the duo opens wounds in each other. Even the dinner scene gets pretty bloody as Conquest and Battle Beast start ripping into alien delicacies, with plenty of multicolored fluids that are heavily implied to be extraterrestrial blood.
While I’m glad Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #10 more than delivers on the titular fight, it ends right as said fight is reaching a boiling point. Now, I’m not an idiot: I know that comics are a serial medium, and ending at the right moment is meant to keep readers coming back for future issues. Still, I wouldn’t have minded at least an extra page or two, given the crazy note that the creative team chose to end on.
Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #10 more than delivers on a long-awaited showdown between Battle Beast and Conquest, packing it full of bloody violence while also delivering some surprising character work. I eagerly await the next issue, as it’s likely to exceed this one.
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