Top 10 TV Shows To Watch If You Like INVINCIBLE
#10: “The Awesomes” (2013-15)
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It may not have the same levels of violence as “Invincible,” but Hulu’s “The Awesomes” does feature its own uniquely comedic look at superheroes. It follows a replacement team of heroes after the original group breaks up. Sounds like the new Guardians of the Globe from “Invincible,” only here the original team wasn’t horrifically murdered by one of their allies. The show focuses on how the populace and media see them as they struggle to make their dynamic work. Co-created by Seth Meyers, it also stars a cavalcade of hilarious talent like Bill Hader, Rashida Jones, and Kenan Thompson. Although its plotlines are much lighter than others on our list, it’s still worth your time.
#9: “The Venture Bros.” (2003-18)
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Often and correctly thought of as one of the greatest Adult Swim shows ever, “The Venture Bros.” should delight fans of “Invincible.” It chronicles the adventures of the Venture family and leans much more heavily into parody. The show was created to not only pay homage to, but make fun of sci-fi cartoons and superhero comics of the 1960s. While it has a wildly different tone to “Invincible,” it does focus on similar themes and even features a serious moment or two. We get elements of generational trauma and trying to distance oneself from your parent’s actions, similar to Mark’s journey in his show. With fantastic writing and animation, “The Venture Bros.” is definitely one to check out.
#8: “One-Punch Man” (2015-)
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If you're a fan of stunning fight sequences, over-the-top villains, and surprising twists…well, there’s probably a few anime you should be watching. But for one with superheroes, we’d recommend “One-Punch Man.” After training relentlessly for years, Saitama has enough power to strike down any foe in a single blow, contrasting with his completely average appearance. With so much power, the series comically plays with his motivations while still featuring deadly villains and persistent heroes. In fact, it becomes a bit of a game to watch and see how long people can last before they’re punched into oblivion. “One-Punch Man” manages to make the lead character insanely powerful, yet still has high stakes.
#7: “Hit Monkey” (2021-)
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While Marvel has been filling its world with new heroes through Disney+ shows, Hulu has given us the adventures of a little-known character known as Hit Monkey. As its name suggests, the show follows a monkey who works as an assassin. And it brings all the absurd violence you’d expect from that premise. With inspiration from Japanese animation and an extremely macabre sense of humor, “Hit Monkey” sees the title character take on a criminal underworld alongside the ghost of a spy voiced by Jason Sudeikis. It’s as witty and silly as it is violent, which is to say very. Despite a lead that doesn’t talk, the show manages to make you root for Hit Monkey beyond him being an outlet for carnage.
#6: “Primal” (2019-)
To be fair, there’s a lot of work from animator extraordinaire Genndy Tartakovsky that should be right up the alley of “Invincible” fans. However, none of them feature the same levels of brutality as “Primal.” Set in a world that injects a prehistoric setting with elements of fantasy, it follows a caveman and his T-Rex friend trying to survive against whatever they come up against. Despite that sounding like a kids cartoon, “Primal” can get incredibly dark, and we aren’t just referring to its violence. The show also examines losing loved ones in incredibly traumatic ways and perseverance against untold despair, things that should certainly resonate with “Invincible” viewers.
#5: “Todd McFarlane’s Spawn” (1997-99)
In an era where most superhero shows were made for kids, or at most whole families, “Todd McFarlane’s Spawn” walked so shows like “Invincible” could run. After being betrayed and killed by a former ally, assassin Al Simmons makes a pact in Hell. He returns to the living world, but as the walking corpse known as Spawn. The series is exceptionally dark, in everything from its plotlines to its grim art style. It is also vicious, as Spawn isn’t the type of hero to really care about a criminal’s well-being. And the character was voiced flawlessly by Keith David. “Spawn” and “Invincible” have a bit more in common, as they both came from Image Comics.
#4: “Castlevania” (2017-21)
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In adapting Konami’s popular video game series, Netflix brought plenty of gore and story depth to what was initially fairly light. Following the death of his wife at the hands of the Church, Dracula wages war on all humanity. Only a small group of heroes stands in the way of his nightmarish creatures and vampiric generals. The adaptation has been praised for its gothic focus and crisp fight sequences, which feature plenty of jaw-dropping flair. The half-vampire Alucard’s arc, as he stands against his father’s acts, is particularly good. The whole show is a visceral tale of good vs. evil, with every combatant minor and major showcasing glorious magic or deadly combat prowess.
#3: “The Legend of Vox Machina” (2022-)
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For bigger heroes and even bigger adventures, it doesn’t get much better than “The Legend of Vox Machina.” Based on the campaigns of “Dungeons & Dragons” web series, “Critical Role,” it follows the titular group as they attempt to bring peace to the land. However, making that much harder are vampires, dragons, and all manner of power-hungry warriors. The built-in chemistry between the cast translates wonderfully into an animated format, making every performance stronger than the last. And because it’s based on D&D, you feel the highs of every Nat 20, and the despair of every Nat 1. There’s a real sense of urgency and comradery that even most superhero teams can’t match.
#2: “Harley Quinn” (2019-)
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Simply put, if you want another hilariously violent superhero cartoon, you need to be watching “Harley Quinn.” HBO’s animated series focuses on the anti-hero’s struggle to make a name for herself following a nasty break-up with the Joker. And while the character has grown increasingly popular in recent years, this series is one of the strongest iterations. With animation reminiscent of the groundbreaking “Batman” series of the 90s, just with a ton of bloodshed and biting humor, “Harley Quinn” is a thrill to watch. It also has a stellar voice cast; performances from Kaley Cuoco as Harley and Alan Tudyk as both Joker and Clayface are especially great. The world of DC hasn’t been this much fun in years.
#1: “The Boys” (2019-)
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Although it’s the only live-action series on our list, there are just too many similar elements between both shows to ignore. In fact, chances are pretty good that if you like “Invincible,” you’ve already seen all of “The Boys.” Not only do both shows feature excellent parodies of DC’s “Justice League,” but they both examine themes of power and corruption, just with superheroes. Not only that, but they both overflow with brutal fights, plenty of gore, and shocking twists that you’ll never see coming. “The Boys” became an instant hit on release, and has only continued to climb the pop culture ladder with two spin-offs already released, one of which is even animated!
