While sitting down to watch the newest installment of Invincible, I was trying to figure out what it is that makes the adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s landmark graphic novel series stand out from similar superhero properties. The show doesn’t entirely lean away from the genre’s tropes, but it does distinguish itself in many noticeable ways to make it feel refreshing. It’s clear that Kirkman has a great affinity for comic books of old and the epic struggles of heroes, but he finds ways to subvert expectations at nearly every turn.

Season one of the show introduced viewers to a world where superheroes were not only normalized but welcomed, where various teams were formed and heroes essentially auditioned to be part of one, not unlike a professional sports league. Its backbone was a family drama, where Nolan Grayson (voiced by JK Simmons) played the part of Omni-Man, a Superman-like hero, his human wife Debbie (Sandra Oh) and their son Mark (Steven Yeun). The end of season one saw Mark’s eyes opened to his dad’s true nature, a murderous alien masquerading as a hero, in preparation for his native species’ impending invasion of Earth. (In case you’re wondering, the one-off special Invincible: Atom Eve is not essential viewing to understand season two.)

Season two – which is being split into two parts, releasing one episode per week – builds on the foundation laid by season one and improves upon it in virtually every way. And it opens with a hell of a cliffhanger, with Mark actually joining Nolan in a conquest of Earth, before backtracking over the previous months. Mark continues his balancing act between his heroic life and all the typical endeavors of a post-high school life, including his relationship with girlfriend Amber (Zazie Beetz). One very noticeable aspect that stands out with Invincible when compared to other superhero content is just how graphically violent it is. Squeamish viewers beware: Invincible includes heads being smashed, limbs being torn off, bodies being impaled, and more brutal kills of friends and foes alike.

What really sets the show apart in season two is in Kirkman’s handling of the non-heroic storylines. This is a show that feels more like heroes dealing with human problems – infidelity, doubt, grief, imposter syndrome – and less like a show that treats the human elements as plot filler between action set pieces. It’s part of what made The Walking Dead so significant for the zombie genre, and it works just as well here. There may be moments where the show shifts its focus away from Mark and the Grayson family and you may find yourself wondering why we’re spending so much time on a less connected and less focused storyline, but it’s all part of Kirkman’s tapestry of grounded characters.

Of course, it helps when you have such a stacked voice cast to lean back on, and season two adds more exciting talent in each episode. Amazon has a history of spending big on its TV projects, and the same is true of its animated fare. The animation continues to impress here, taking more cues from Kirkman’s comics in both character design and action set pieces. Though the strange dubbing issues that I noticed in season one continue to be a distracting issue again.

Discussing superhero fatigue in late 2023 sometimes feels like running on an endless treadmill, expending energy without ever going anywhere. But Invincible shows that comic book adaptations can still feel fresh and exciting. Kirkman’s ideas aren’t anything terribly new when broken down to their basics, but it’s the level of care and effort put into them that really sets Invincible apart.

Part one of season two of Invincible premieres on Amazon Prime Video on November 3, with new episodes premiering every Friday.