#science-boner

jJSDJKFKSJDFJ I DREW IT FOR MYSELF but i did base it off this post! 

tak said "oh i can do better at this game if i steal someone's credit card info? :)"

THANK YOU COUCHY I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON YOU

i have a lot of favorites but if i had to narrow it down to three, mysterious mysteries, abducted, and backseat drivers!! theyre some of the funniest ones

first off, that's rly shitty i'm sorry that happened to you couchy :•(

Truth be told, the matter is entirely subjective. I don’t want to inadvertently bash on anyone who loves the comics or holds them in as high regard as the original show. If I have, I'm terribly sorry.

Heaven knows I will always read the comics! In fact, there are several issues I genuinely love andI truly appreciate the art and labor that went into each of them. We are consistently treated to varying drawing styles depending on the issue, captivating plots, and fun characters. Not to mention, the comics are still being produced by the very same people who were behind the show. By all logic, the comics should be just as great as the original show, if not better. But… honestly?  

I’m not crazy about them. And I know I’m not the only one.

Years before, Invader Zim made its mark in children’s animation for being a grossly underrated show that appealed to a more macabre demographic. It possessed a unique art style,somehow fusing both grotesque and adorable elements with ease. The show itself is absurd, dark, misanthropic, and hilarious. Seriously, there’s something about that humor that really hit my funny bone! And, AND, as if that wasn’t enough, this children’s show had some astoundingly deep undertones, interesting lore regarding Irken society, and was the perfect candidate for some serious critical analysis on morality.

The fact that IZ was such a short-lived show was unfortunate. At the same time, though, it left off on a very open-ended note and allowed the fanbase to fill in the blanks where they deemed fit. As a result, we got some fantastic fan content! Interesting, plausible headcanons, believable fanfiction stories, and tons of amazing art. A good ficwriter could make an absolute banger of an IZ story, especially since they had a certain amount of flexibility with the lore and the complicated nature of the characters. In a sense, IZ truly is the perfect storm for character studies and adventure stories.

But back on topic—the comics. When they originally came out, I was over the moon! Jhonen Vasquez could finally pick up where he left off with the series, on his original stomping grounds no less! And the first few issues certainly piqued my interest and kept me wanting more. But as time went on, I feel like they were straying further and further from what made IZ so special in the first place. They couldn’t seem to hold onto the charm of the original show and it left me rather disappointed.

While the comics still employ some of JV’s signature absurdist humor on occasion, I feel that their rendition is a bit more watered down. Often times, it isn’t dark or well-timed…it’s just goofy for the sake of being goofy. As others have said before me, this type of humor borders more on the “LOL RANDOM XD” territory. And honestly? It feels rather lazy to me. There’s a certain art to pulling off surreal humor, and while the show definitely succeeded at it, the comics fell flat in my opinion.

The plots themselves… often leave much to be desired. Many times, I’ll finish reading and immediately think to myself, “that’s it?” They feel a little tired and formulaic sometimes.They start the same way, by introducing some wacky, half-baked new character(s,) and end with Zim and/or Dib falling into some sort of unfortunate, anticlimactic situation either at their own hand or the hand of someone else. The aforementioned new characters (Fitzo-Menga, Xooxi, the Poop Cola masters, the feral trick-or-treaters,etc.) all seem to fit a mold, possess zero charm, and then disappear for good. 

Perhaps the aspect of the comics I like the least, though, are the characterizations of Zim, Dib, and even Gaz on occasion (Gir is pretty hard to screw up, so I guess he gets off scotch-free on this one.) 

Keep in mind, I’m totally in favor of dynamic characters evolving and changing in a series! And I’d LOVE to see Zim and Dib follow suit! But I don’t really feel that either of them have evolved… In the comics, they just seem to be more dim-witted versions of themselves. The writers took some of their most obvious traits and ran them into the ground. The result feels stagnant and insulting to these characters, who have the capacity for so much more complexity. 

Once again, these are merely my opinions. Please don’t take them to heart if they don’t reflect yours! In fact, if anyone disagrees with me, I’d like to hear your thoughts! A good civil debate does the heart and mind good!

I’ll end on this note: I don’t hate the comics. Like I said before, there are some I actually really like, including the latest issue #37! And when it comes down to it, I still love Invader Zim to pieces. Hell, I have devoted so much fan labor to this silly, gross, adorable series over the last year and a bit! But I’m not a “die hard” with anything in my life. Nothing is perfect. Not even the original show. And it’s okay to have some mixed opinions on something, even if you love it.

TLDR; I feel like the comics don’t really capture the heart and charm of the original show. But don't come after me with pitchforks and torches! That’s just my opinion!

ur right tho. nagai designed all these sexy naked ladies to appear in the story and my man akira just does not give one single damn or fuck (well maybe one fuck but he wasnt very invested in it)