Galactic Gladiator

Robert Kirkman on expanding the Invincible Universe with a new Battle Beast comic

- STEPHEN JEWELL

WHILE THE ANIMATED series' third season recently concluded, Robert Kirkman is now returning to Invincible's comic-book universe as he and the alien warlord's co-creator Ryan Ottley launch a new Battle Beast ongoing title.

"I've been working on the TV show, and as Battle Beast [otherwise known as Thokk] shows up sometimes I was getting nostalgic for working on the comics and with Ryan in that capacity," Kirkman tells Red Alert. "Battle Beast just seemed like the character that both of us would enjoy telling stories about the most, as he calls for a lot of complicated action."

Falling between Battle Beast's debut in Invincible and his subsequent later return, the new series charts the fearsome warrior's progress from a bitter adversary to a more pragmatic figure. "There's a harshness to Battle Beast in this series that's more present in issue 19 but less prevalent in issue 55 and beyond," explains Kirkman. "This story is about revealing what it is that softens him and takes him from a spacefaring tyrant that's willing to kill for anyone and who beats up Invincible and the Guardians of the Globe in Machine Head's warehouse, and transforms him into this character who's willing to work with the Coalition of Planets in order to end the threat of the Viltrumites. That's a big difference in his character, so what caused that evolution and what has he experienced?"