The Viltrumites are Coming! Robert Kirkman & Ryan Ottley’s Invincible Universe: Battle Beast Returns

Skybound and Image Comics announced the highly anticipated return of the hit series Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #7 from the longtime Invincible creative team. The kickoff to the all-new story arc of the bestselling series from co-creator/writer Robert Kirkman (Skinbreaker, Void Rivals), co-creator/artist Ryan Ottley (The Amazing Spider-Man), colorist Annalisa Leoni (Cobra Commander), and letterer Rus Wooton (The Walking Dead) will arrive in comic book shops March 18, 2026.

Perfect for longtime fans and new readers alike, Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #7 kicks off a new blood-soaked epic, as Battle Beast now faces the two most dangerous enemies of his lifetime…and did we mention that the Viltrum Empire is on the way?

Returning just in time for Skybound’s celebration of Invincible Month in March 2026, Battle Beast joins an exciting slate of comic books – including reprints of the most demanded issues and all new collections – timed to the debut of season 4 of the hit animated series on Prime Video. Fans can look forward to releases perfect for those looking to discover every corner of the Invincible Universe, which continues to shatter records worldwide in print and onscreen. Invincible has never been hotter and it’s only heating up in 2026 with the release of Skybound and Quarter Up’s brutal, tournament quality 3v3 tag fighting game Invincible VS.

“Between season 4 of the show and the events of this Battle Beast series, 2026 is all about the Viltrumites!” exclaimed Robert Kirkman. “It’s so cool that readers are finally getting an inkling of what this series is actually about. Arc one was really just the taste of the chaos to come as we dive headfirst into how exactly Battle Beast ended up in that Viltrumite prison!”

“Did Thragg say CONQUEST at the end of issue 6?” asked Ryan Ottley. “Does that mean… this series will have… Battle Beast fighting Conquest?! Could it be?! Well, that’s just too much excitement to contain in one press release! All that and a Todd McFarlane cover on this issue?! Bless my biscuits!”

Even in a universe of mighty Viltrumites like Invincible and Omni-Man, it seems that no one may be able to stop the galaxy’s deadliest warrior…unless he does the unthinkable. A new story arc begins as Battle Beast continues his quest to find the one being who can defeat him in battle and end his life.

“The blood-soaked return of Battle Beast is here!” cackled Executive Editor Ben Abernathy. “Fans and retailer patience will be rewarded with perhaps the greatest single issue of the year!”

Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #7 will feature a main cover by Ryan Ottley and Annalisa Leoni and a variant cover program including an open to order cover by Todd McFarlane (Spawn) and Annalisa Leoni, a connecting 1:10 incentive variant by Chris Burnham (Batman Incorporated) and Brian Reber (The Amazing Spider-Man), a 1:25 incentive variant by Rossi Gifford (Spirit Leaves), a 1:50 incentive by Edwin Galmon (Superman), and a 1:100 Foil incentive variant by Matthew Roberts (Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!).

Invincible Universe: Battle Beast Vol. 1: Heart of Glory, which collects the first six issues of the hit series, is now available everywhere books are sold (Lunar Code: 0825IM0465, ISBN: ISBN: 978-1-5343-3327-7| SRP $16.99).

The full list of covers is below:

Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #7 Cover A by Ryan Ottley & Annalisa Leoni
Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #7 Cover B by Todd McFarlane & Annalisa Leoni
Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #7 Cover C (1:10 Connecting) by Chris Burnham & Brian Reber
Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #7 Cover D (1:25 Incentive) by Rossi Gifford
Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #7 Cover E (1:50 Incentive) by Edwin Galmon
Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #7 Cover F (1:100 FOIL Incentive) by Matthew Roberts

Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #7 (Lunar Codes Coming Soon | SRP: $3.99, unless otherwise noted) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.

Author Profile

Al Mega

I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!