A return a decade in the making…
Written by Jhonen Vasquez
Illustrated by Aaron AlexovichZIM and his filthy evil ways have been gone for what feels like years. But Dib KNOWS the alien menace will rear his head again, and he won’t leave the house, or his 900 security monitors, until it happens. And it WILL happen. Oh, it WILL.
Invader Zim is one of those names that fans always talk about with a sense of defeat. The show was a critical hit for the Nickelodeon network back in 2001. Coming from the brain of Jhonen Vasquez, the show was aimed at an older audience instead of the younger crowd the network is known for. I was a late fan to the show, it was easy to see how talented Vasquez was. Much like Ren & Stimpy before it, the show was not ready for primetime. It was cancelled before a mostly finished second season got to air. Given Vasquez’s comic history with “Johnny the Homicidal Maniac”, bringing Invader Zim to life in the comic book world is a smart move.
It becomes clear even on the credits page Vasquez wants you to think of the show right away. There is a list for the original show’s cast listed on the bottom of the page. Wisely however, there is a recap of what the show was about and where the comic is going to go. Anyone who has read a Vasquez book will be familiar with the sense of humor and the darkness that surrounds something like this. That is a nice little pitch to give the old fans a little bit of service and to give the new folks an idea of what they are in for.
Thankfully, we get right to it. Aaron Alexovich’s art is exactly what this book needed to hit the ground running. Alexovich was a character designer on the original show and his familiarity was a wise decision. He makes all the characters and backgrounds look exactly like the show did a decade ago. He is assisted by Simon Troussellier on colors. The dark purple world these characters inhabit makes for a unique environment. You get the feeling the entire book is happening at night on another planet. Comparable to the show, Alexovich uses his panel space to its full potential. Each panel move is fluid as if you were watching the show in book form. There is a lot of fine detail in each panel in the various background settings that really brings the book to life.
For the story, this is not unlike any Invader Zim episode. Zim is trying to take over Earth and Dib is trying to thwart his efforts. In a bit of brilliance, the characters are very self-aware of how much time has passed. Dib is looking like he has seen better days, since he has been waiting for Zim to make a move for some time now. Zim, on the other hand, full knew this and baited him into this. It gives the book a fresh starting point to work from. Any new reader does not have to know what happened prior and they are thrown right into the story. Another wisely thought out decision from the creative team.
There is a lot of self-awareness in the book; Vasquez has a chip on his shoulder from the original show’s cancellation. While personally I believe this was a long time coming, having to wait this long for fans to experience the show must have been grueling. In another brilliant bit of self-referencing humor, Zib & Gir have a panel about how a show they are watching is ruined. “Not a single original cast member remains…” Zim is quoted in the book. In conjunction with the credits page earlier, it was a fun callback that should give old fans a good laugh.
If there is one downside to report it is the book does not give you any real closure. The episodic nature of TV this would have played well, but in the book it comes to a screeching halt when you get to the end. No real answers are given. That is not to say the comic book medium doesn’t have abrupt endings, far from it. My expectation was it would be like an episodic adventure. Everything wrapping up nicely in 22 minutes and then moving on to the next adventure.
Continued below“Invader Zim” can take a page from the Adventure Time comic. That book is set inside its own universe independent of the show’s universe. The characters are the same but the stories are unique to the comic world without betraying the basic premise of the show. Additionally, “Adventure Time” contains the main story and a fun side piece from various creators. Being an avid “Adventure Time” reader I can speak to the books strengths. Where “Invader Zim” suffers a bit is that it seems it is set directly within the show’s canon. Potentially, that could be a major roadblock down the line. There is also no expansion to short stories. Given the numerous characters in the story, this would benefit new readers unfamiliar with the universe as a whole.
But this is not a major distraction, if anything it is where the book can improve. I am realistic too, this is issue #1. Future issues have the potential to fix these minor problems with great ease. As well, there is no indication of how long this particular story will go. For now, the book finding its footing should provide fans with enough to satisfy a decade long absence.
Final Verdict: 7.5 – For old fans and new fans alike this is a fun TV show book to enjoy. While it is not “Adventure Time” caliber, it is nice to have “Invader Zim” back in the pop culture realm.
