Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #12 Review – Round 3 Against Conquest Begins

Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #12 (Image Comics, 8/19/26): Writer Robert Kirkman and Artist Ryan Ottley begin round three of the fight to the death between Battle Beast and Conquest. Fans of the series will enjoy more of the same. Verdict: For fans of Battle Beast and/or non-stop fighting.

• Writer: Robert Kirkman
• Artist: Ryan Ottley
• Colorist: Annalisa Leoni
• Letterer: Rus Wooton
• Cover Artist: Ryan Ottley (cover A)
• Publisher: Image Comics
• Release Date: August 19, 2026
• Comic Rating: Mature (gore)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Page Count: 28
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

Analysis of Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #12:

First Impressions:

Given the last two issues, I expected Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #12 to give me more of the same or take a surprising swerve. It was more of the same, which is a positive or negative, depending on your feelings about the series to date.

Recap:

In Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #11, Battle Beast and Conquest commenced round two of their brutal, bloody battle to the death. The issue ended in a temporary stalemate and truce when their combat stumbled across a pair of giant sea monsters.

Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):

In Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #12, Battle Beast and Conquest spend four pages making quick work of the sea monsters. During the fight, when Battle Beast is temporarily restrained, he tosses his magic sword – Draskula – to Conquest to finish the job. When the sea monsters are turned into giant sushi, Conquest throws Draskula into space orbit as a taunt, sending Battle Beast into a rage.

The truce ended, Battle Beast and Conquest resume their fight, hand-to-hand. The issue ends with the two combatants passing out from exhaustion, without a clear winner.

How is the story in Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #12?

At the risk of sounding redundant, Robert Kirkman gives you everything you expect, which could be a net positive or negative, depending on your point of view. If you want a comic with a molecule-thin plot that serves as nothing more than an excuse for Battle Beast to rip, shred, and tear his way through 22 pages of great art, that’s what you get.

However, if you want a comic with great art and action, and a plot with at least some semblance of progression and/or surprise, this ain’t it. This series is the comic equivalent of an MMA fight that never ends.

How is the art in Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #12?

Ruan Ottley’s art is really the only reason to buy this comic (series?). Ottley is in his element by giving you all the blood, guts, and glory you could possibly fit in every panel. Plus, the action choreography is as brutally macho as you could hope for.

That said, this issue gets away form Ottley slightly in that each panel has so much blood and guts that you sometimes can’t tell what you’re looking at. The problem doesn’t crop up in every panel, and you could make the case that Annalisa Leoni’s stellar coloring might be at fault, but there a few panels, here and there, where it just looks like a mass of shapes.

Characters

The series is oddly in conflict with itself in that you want Battle Beast to win, but his whole motivation is to die a worthy death, which means he has to lose. You appreciate that Battle Beast fights with singular determination, giving the fight everything he’s got, but Conquest is so despicable that you don’t want him to succeed.

Originality & Concept Execution

Herein lies the biggest flaw of Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #12 – the complete lack of originality beyond the core concept. Pick up any random issue in the series, and it’s (almost) the same comic on rinse & repeat. Can you really declare a comic to show or say something original when it’s nearly identical to the previous 11 issues?

Pros and Cons

What We Loved

• Non-stop action
• Brutal, bloody art
• Macho dialogue

Room for Improvement

• No plot movement or surprises
• Some panels are hard to make out
• The story is becoming tediously repetitive

Art Samples:

The Scorecard:

Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 2/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 1/2

Final Thoughts:

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Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #12 enters round 3 in the fight between Battle Beast and Conquest. Robert Kirkmandelivers exactly what you expect in a series about a fight to the death, but getting what you expect leaves no room for surprise, change, or growth. If not for Ryan Ottley’s kinetic art, issue #12 would be nearly identical to every other issue in the series.

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