The animated superhero series Invincible is back for its fourth season, quickly rallying its fandom for the next most anticipated arc. And fans, both old and new, are drawn to the epic clash in the new season, with the fandom swelling bigger than ever. A chunk of this love has moved to the comics, too, giving its sales a boost.

However, this fame has also sparked a debate on whether the comics were already a hot release. Invincible’s artist and writer, Ryan Ottley, recently jumped into the conversation with his take.

The debate started when an X user claimed that Invincible comics blew up on social media thanks to fans, leading the way for the animated series. Another user countered, saying the comics never had a massive following, even as the show became a hit. Responding to this discussion, Ryan Ottley explained that the Invincible comics are working better now since back then most comic readers preferred Marvel over new superheroes. He added that the animated series, however, has converted casual viewers, especially manga and anime fans, into dedicated comic book buyers.

“And they are watching the show, and getting the books. It’s amazing to see! Nothing harder than bringing new readers outside of comic fandom into our world of comics!” he wrote on X.

“Comic industry mainly has sold to its inside readers for decades. So hitting a new giant group of readers is phenomenal. And almost impossible,” he said further.

The story of an animated series boosting comic or manga sales is not uncommon. However, as Ottley explained, the scale of Invincible’s success is truly unique. It is currently the number 1 most-watched show on Prime Video worldwide, while also holding the top spot in the United States, as per FlixPatrol. 

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Riding this wave, writer and creator Robert Kirkman has even hinted that he hopes the animated series continues for seven to eight more episodes. 

After last season’s brutal battle with Conquest, the hero now heads straight into the Viltrumite War in Invincible Season 4. As creator Robert Kirkman expects, there will be more seasons following the superhero. He shared in his interview with Polygon that seven to eight seasons of the animated series will be needed to do justice to Mark Grayson’s story. 

“I’m trying not to pin it down to a number, because it is somewhat of a moving target. I think in the seven-to-eight-season range seems like it would be enough,” he said.

Kirkman has also expressed that he wishes to add some original storylines that he could not include in the comics. This means there will be exciting new revelations even for those who are well-versed in the comic books. With fresh storylines as well as long-awaited arcs ahead, Invincible will surely pull in both old and new fans alike.

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What do you think about Ryan Ottley's opinion? Let us know in the comments.