I’ve been reading Robert Kirkman’s Invincible since it’s release in 2003 and have every month since then looked forward with excitement to each new installment. It’s a well written with characters that I’ve become quite invested in and attached to over the years. It’s taken quite a few twists and turns and I’ve enjoyed them immensely.

Lately, the urge to read the book has flagged a little.

The story seemed to flounder for a few issues, coinciding with the time Kirkman came on board as a partner at Image. You can hardly blame him for getting more busy and not seeming to have an outline. Sure, Ryan Ottley’s art has started off as breathtaking and has actually gotten better as each issue progressed. After almost 60 issues, Ryan’s art has never been better. And the new colorist, FCO Plascencia has offered a new depth, range, and emotion to Ryan’s art that I didn’t realize was missing.

But as soon as I read issue #63, I felt like Kirkman has once again his stride with the writing, easing back into the saddle after what must have been a hectic last year or so.

As for this current story arc, an aged Viltrumite warrior has come to Earth and is told to secure it at any cost. Invincible and Kid Omni-Man (Mark Grayson and his little brother Oliver) have done their best to hold him off, but there are less than half a dozen super-heroes on Earth that could stand toe-to-toe with a full-strength Viltrumite for even a minute and most of them are still nursing wounds from the invasion of Evil Invincibles orchestrated by the long-thought-dead Angstrom Levy.

I’m having trouble describing this issue, because I really, really don’t want to spoil it.

But something happens that literally choked the breath out of my lungs. And then I wept.

Like a baby.

For a full few minutes after I finished reading, I was still tearing up. When asked what was wrong, I was simply only able to open the book, point to the offending panels and tear up some more.

If you’ve been reading this book all along, this issue has a punch that I didn’t realize Kirkman was capable of delivering so wholly unexpectedly. If you haven’t been reading this book, I would suggest starting at the beginning (right here) and catching up as quickly as possible.

If you’re one of those people that ditched the book for whatever reason, now is the time to come back. You were wrong to go, even with the tightening of the belts this economy and the ever-expanding cost of comics has cost.

And for those of you hurt by the events of this issue, don’t go. Don’t you want to know how things turn out?