Invincible Vol. 4: Head of the Class [Paperback]

Robert Kirkman (Author), Cory Walker (Author), Ryan Ottley (Author)

Book Description

Series: Invincible | Publication Date: April 6, 2005

After the traumatic events of Invincible Volume 3: Perfect Strangers, Mark Grayson (a.k.a. Invincible) is left to pick up the pieces and try to continue on with some sort of life. His mother is a wreck, his friends don't understand and the super-villains of the world just want to beat him up. Mark has a lot on his shoulders and graduation is just around the corner. Containing the fan-favorite and sold-out issues #14-#19 and the short story from Free Comic Book Day 2004's Image Comics Summer Special, this volume is massive!

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Image Comics (April 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582404402
• ISBN-13: 978-1582404400
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,412,915 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Graphic SF Reader, September 3, 2007

By 

Blue Tyson "- Research Finished" (Legion clubhouse) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Invincible Vol. 4: Head of the Class (Paperback)

The fallout from the whole super alien thing continues. Mark has problems because he has to keep his identity secret from his girlfriend.

His mother is becoming a drunk, and then there is the hero team problem and the working for the secret government organisation problem. All in all, a lot to deal with for a kid.

5.0 out of 5 stars A brillant homage to silver age comics, February 28, 2007

By 

Tufnel1780 (St. Louis, Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Invincible Vol. 4: Head of the Class (Paperback)

After ending the father and son story of Volume 3 Robert Kirkman really starts to expand the world of his comic 'Invincible' with 'Head of the Class'. This volume is really many small self contained stories each either filling in the gaps from the previous thirteen issues or setting up plotlines to come.

Kirkman's style of writing coupled with Ryan Ottley's brillant art make this read like any of your favorite silver age comics with tons of humor and references that any long time comic fan should find irresistable.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Plot Threads and Repurcussions, December 30, 2006

By 

Steve Fuson "comics geek" (Beaverton, OR) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Invincible Vol. 4: Head of the Class (Paperback)

Writer Robert Kirkman has said that when he wasn't sure how long the Invincible series would last, he was hesitant to start too many plot threads. But now that he feels safe he's really starting too build up the fictional world in which Invincible lives. Some of the stories in this volume stand alone, some stories are fallout from previous volumes, and some are obviously precursors of stories yet to come.

The Flaxans return (although we didn't know their name last time, so you're probably thinking "who?"). The knew Guardians of the Globe aren't quite on par with the old team, and the government intervenes, adding a couple new members. The death of Aquarus has left a unique power vacuum in Atlantis that only Mark can fill. Mark's mother, like many misguided people, is finding solace in a bottle. Mark secretly accompanies the first manned mission to Mars, and has to secretly rescue them from the Martians. There's a shake-up in the super-hero underworld. We meet Angstrom Levy, though we don't learn yet why he matters. And Amber wonders where Mark keeps disappearing to.

Kirkman writes entertaining charactors and Ryan Ottley draws a dynamic story. And don't forget Bill Crabtree's sharp colors, which keep the story much more clear than the "painterly" monochromatic colors some of the big guys use that make everything blur together.

This volume is as entertaining as the previous volumes, and like a good parent, Kirkman loves all his characters equally, giving them all face-time, and letting us fans find our favorites.

But this book definately doesn't exist on its own. Before you read this you're going to want to the previous volumes, and after reading this you're definately going to want to read the one's that follow.