Invincible Spin-offs Development Get Exciting Update from Robert Kirkman

Invincible creator Robert Kirkman teased that more spin-off comics could happen after Battle Beast. The superhero saga has already received several spin-offs, such as Atom Eve & Rex Splode, The Pact, Brit, and Guarding the Globe. Kirkman debuted Battle Beast as a new spin-off starring the intergalactic warrior superhero in search of an opponent to grant him a worthy death. The Battle Beast series will begin in May and take place between his Invincible appearances.

Just weeks before Battle Beast hits comic stores, Robert Kirkman spoke with SFX Magazine and teased that the new series "opens the door" for more spin-off comics. However, while some Invincible characters could return, one major hero may sadly be absent from those plans. The report, unfortunately, made clear that there are "no plans for Invincible himself" to return after he ended the 144-issue series in the far-flung future, ruling over a peaceful galaxy with his wife, Atom Eve, and their children.

That said, Kirkman confirmed that Battle Beast will allow him and his collaborators "[to do] different things with the Invincible characters:"

"Doing Battle Beast opens the door to myself and [artist] Ryan Ottley and possibly [original Invincible artist] Cory Walker coming back and doing different things with the invincible characters from time to time."

The Invincible creator pointed out the "historic fight scenes in Invincible" that are still discussed, and Battle Beast gives a chance to "top that:"

"Ryan drew a number of historic fight scenes in Invincible that people talk about to this day, and Battle Beast is an opportunity for both of us to come back to this world and top that."

He continued to hype up "lots of Easter eggs and character appearances," including some big surprises who have "pretty large roles in the book:"

 "There's going to be lots of Easter eggs and character appearances, including some characters that you might not expect to show up, and some of them have pretty large roles in the book. At first, it's a cool adventure for Battle Beast, but as we continue the series, especially past the first are, more and more bits of the Invincible Universe start working their way in."

The Battle Beast writer teased how the spin-off "widely shifts genres from issue to issue" as the titular hero travels the cosmos and "goes to some unexpected places:"

"One of the most exciting things about the first arc is that it wildly shifts genres from issue to issue. To start with, it seems like a science fiction book but it could be a horror book by the end, a fantasy book or any number of different things. As Battle Beast explores the cosmos and goes from planet to planet, there'll always be some kind of sci-fi element but much like Invincible, it'll shift from are to are and issue to issue and be a pretty expansive story that goes to some unexpected places."

Explaining why he is returning to the pages of Invincible, Kirkman revealed that working on the Amazon Prime Video series has made him "nostalgic for working on the comics," and Battle Beast quickly became the choice for a new series:

"I've been working on the TV show, and as Battle Beast shows up sometimes I was getting nostalgic for working on the comics and with Ryan in that capacity. 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."

Will the Invincible TV Show Get New Spin-Offs Too?

Battle Beast is the first new Invincible comic since the mainline series released its final issue in 2018, and it might mark a new beginning. Not only is it a whole new ongoing series with no defined end in sight, but it appears Robert Kirkman is open to developing more spin-offs with other characters.

As new storytelling resumes on the pages of Invincible, one has to wonder if these spin-offs could get their own adaptations on Amazon Prime Video.

The studio behind the Invincible adaptation, Skybound Entertainment, still has its plate full with the flagship series. Fans have been frustrated with long waits between releases, and now that Kirkman is aiming to have new seasons dropping more regularly, diverting resources to a spin-off may not be wise.

Unless Skybound had some major expansion or the spin-off was passed off to another studio, fans shouldn't expect an offshoot until Invincible is finished. That said, there is always room for Amazon to surprise its enthusiastic viewers, especially since Invincible has been consistently popular from the beginning. 

Beyond the ongoing animated series, Universal is cooking up a live-action Invincible movie that Kirkman confirmed last year is "still in development."