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image comics reviews 5-14-25- battle beast 1
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Image Comics reviews 5/14/25 – Battle Beast 1, Geiger 14

Jeffrey Lyles , , , , , , , , , ,
Invincible Universe Battle Beast 1

invincible universe battle beast 1

One of the breakout characters from the unforgettable Invincible run was Battle Beast. The warrior in search of a great battle made for a fun opponent for Invincible and later, a compelling anti-hero for the series. Battle Beast 1 shows the latest adventures of the unstoppable beast from the original Invincible team of writer Robert Kirkman and artist Ryan Ottley.

Judging from Battle Beast 1, this is going to be a consistently fun read with all kinds of wild (and bloody) action sequences.

Battle Beast conquers a ship’s crew, which triggers the sentient computer. The computer is intrigued by Battle Beast’s origin and search for an opponent worthy of his might. Since the computer thought fondly of its previous crew, which Battle Beast killed, it’s perfectly happy to seek out someone who can kill him.

This measure of one-upmanship gives Battle Beast 1 a focused goal. Kirkman will have to be diligent of not having the Battle Beast/computer dynamic not play too similar to the Void Rivals banter with Darak/Solila and the Handroid. That dynamic is a major source of the comic relief in Void Rivals.

Battle Beast 1 shows the potential for that to become a narrative crutch or a fun twist where the supercomputer is actively trying to find opponents who can kill the title character.

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Ottley’s art hasn’t missed a beat, and he embraces making Battle Beast 1 stand out in an increasingly crowded market. Good thing most don’t have Ottley providing such energetic and lively artwork.  The wild action wouldn’t be the same with someone else handling the demands for a visual blockbuster.

Colorist Ananalisa Leoni is more than up to the challenge of keeping close tabs on every blood drop, costume detailing falling off and the intensity of various fights. Letterer Rus Wooton definitely gets to have more fun with the dramatic sound effects.

Battle Beast 1 marked a fun kickoff to the series and should absolutely satisfy Invincible fans who’ve missed their fix of this style of Kirkman and Ottley storytelling.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

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