While Invincible currently sits as one of the biggest animated series, the Viltrumites’ success doesn’t mean that we’re guaranteed to see Mark Grayson conquer the worlds of manga and anime. A fifth season of the Amazon animated series has already been confirmed, and series creator Robert Kirkman has been making the rounds to discuss the future of Omni-Man’s offspring. In a recent discussion, the creator of Invincible and The Walking Dead went into detail regarding how the “manga/anime pipeline” has created the perfect system for the series’ success. As the anime medium becomes more popular, it makes sense that its success would have a major impact on the entertainment world.
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In a recent speech at the latest ComicsPro event, a gathering to discuss the “progress and development of comic book retailers and improve the condition of the comic book industry,” Kirkman talked about how comics can be tied to animation in the same vein as manga and anime, “What I’m seeing with Invincible, and the way that the animated series is fueling the sales on the trades in the direct market is something that to me is signaling that there’s a potential to build something really exciting in this industry that will sustain us for years and years and years. Everybody talks about manga and how successful manga is, and the thing that makes manga so successful is the manga to anime pipeline. And with Invincible, we’re seeing that you can with American comics basically do the exact same thing.”
Invincible’s Animation Domination
Kirkman then took the opportunity to discuss the Amazon animated series’ success and how Mark’s journey is changing the industry, “Invincible is an animated series that adapts the comic book very closely, and it is doing really well, and all of the streaming services are so excited about adult animation that they are rolling out entire divisions trying to do that. And I think that as more comic books are adapted in this way, because having done Invincible, comics being adapted into animation really is the most seamless transition, and I feel like the two mediums are just made for each other. And so I think that there is a future where we can have a comics to animation pipeline that will fuel this entire industry in a completely unprecedented way. And we’re already seeing the beginnings of it now.”
As for Invincible’s return, a release date for season five remains a mystery, though Kirkman has hinted that the franchise hopes to make a comeback in 2027. With the Viltrumites now looking to resurrect their race by breeding with mankind, Mark is sure to be struggling with this new status quo when the animated show returns. As comic readers know, things are going to escalate for Grayson in many ways that viewers might not see coming.
What do you think of Invincible taking a page from the anime world for its future? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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Courtesy of TOHO Animation
