Prime Video’s 5-Part ‘The Boys Meets Dragon Ball Z’ Series Still Has A 100% Success Rate

For any TV series, coming in hot with an excellent debut season can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, premiering to glowing reviews and gushing praise from viewers is what every actor, showrunner, and studio executive dreams of. On the other, future seasons bear the responsibility of maintaining that ridiculously high standard. It’s a rare feat indeed that TV shows with a stellar first season avoid a slump later on, and the number of current series that have hit the season 4 or 5 mark without a blemish can be counted on one hand.

Prime Video’s The Boys likely wouldn’t be included among that elite group. Homelander and co. have never suffered any major missteps, but the pacing slows down enough to ensure seasons 4 and 5 don’t quite live up to The Boys‘ very impressive first three outings.

On the surface, The Boys has precious little in common with Akira Toriyama’s cultural behemoth that is Dragon Ball. Superhumans flying through the air aside, the only real comparison is Hughie’s endless hopeful optimism being reminiscent of a certain food-loving Saiyan. Still, The Boys and Dragon Ball share a degree of crossover in terms of their fandoms, so it’s only natural that these two franchises have combined to create a yellow and blue mutant offspring.

Based on a comic series by Robert Kirkman, Invincible is an offbeat superhero series that enjoys poking fun at Marvel and DC just as much as The Boys. Ethical ambiguity and an examination of the superhero archetype create further similarities between the two Prime Video hits. At the same time, Invincible is increasingly indulging in anime sensibilities, especially with its action. As Invincible season 4 moved into the Viltrumite War arc, the overblown midair fights and Saiyan-like alien warriors veered into Goku’s territory more than any other American TV production has.

More impressive still, Invincible has now managed to release four full seasons without any noticeable dip in quality. Invincible season 1 gave Mark Grayson an effective origin story and ended with the iconic father-son fight against Omni-Man. Invincible season 2 saw Mark experience his first taste of post-Nolan life and introduced the show’s first proper supervillain in Angstrom Levy, before season 3 jumped headfirst into the Multiverse of Markness. And, of course, 2026’s Invincible season 4 brought the Viltrumite War sharply into focus, upping the stakes, intensifying the action, and blessing the world with Thragg.

Invincible season 4 may have included the show’s lowest-rated episode yet in “Hurm,” but it also contained a string of back-to-back classics that finally paid off storylines seeded way back in season 1. Looking at Invincible‘s overall run since 2021, therefore, no season has fallen below excellence.

Can Invincible Season 5 Continue The Streak?

With a quartet of very strong seasons under its belt, Invincible has earned the right to be trusted. Nevertheless, there is legitimate reason to question whether Invincible can continue living up to its name in season 5 because, for the first time, Prime Video’s series won’t have the impending clash against Viltrum as an overarching storyline.

Now halfway through adapting its comic source material, Invincible has entered a new chapter, and while the Viltrumites still have a key role to play, they’re no longer the galaxy’s dominant force. The show’s entire premise is upended, placing the onus firmly on season 5 to figure out a new path.

Fortunately, Invincible‘s foundations give the series every chance of upholding its high standards for years to come.

Invincible adapts Robert Kirkman’s original comic books faithfully, honoring the same basic progression and major story beats, but refining and tweaking elements along the way. Invincible‘s future is already mapped out, with the potential for three further seasons, which would bring the TV version to the end of the comics. Knowing the direction it’s heading in is a big reason behind Invincible‘s success so far, and should allow season 5 to keep on the same track.

TV shows based on novels or comic books have a tendency to decline as they drift further from whatever they’re adapting. It’s a phenomenon seen with The Umbrella Academy, Game of Thrones, Preacher‘s debut season, and The Walking Dead. While The Boys‘ alterations for TV have generally always been positive, not following the comics’ structure has undoubtedly contributed to the pacing problems seen in later seasons. Even in Invincible, the least-popular episode is the one written exclusively for the TV show. Invincible has a proper roadmap for the future, and as long as it doesn’t decide to toss that map out the window, hopes remain high for upcoming seasons.

Release Date

March 26, 2021

Network

Amazon Prime Video

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