The perils of small business loans.
So far, Oni’s Invader Zim comic has done an excellent job of capturing the unique vibe and sense of humor of the short-lived but much-beloved animated series. It helps that Oni put the series in the hands of creator Jhonen Vasquez and other Zim veterans. With that in mind, issue #6 offers another big test for the series. This month Vasquez steps back and allows new writer/artist K.C. Green to run wild in the Zim-verse. The end result is a little different and maybe not quite as memorable as the previous issues, but it’s great to see these characters through a different lens.
Green opts for a relatively less bombastic story than we’ve seen in recent chapters. Of the main cast, only Zim and Gir put in an appearance this month. For some reason Oni solicited this issue as containing three separate short stories when in actuality it’s just one tale that plays out in three locations. What begins as Zim’s attempt to secure a business loan quickly devolves into chaos and gluttony and all the rampant silliness you’d expect from a good Zim adventure. Green crams in plenty of gross-out humor alongside the goofy plot twists. Suffice it to say, this isn’t a Zim story Nickelodeon would have ever permitted on the air. And that’s part of what makes this comic so great. It doesn’t strive for a mature readers approach, but it’s not afraid to be crass either. And while the tone of this issue is different from what’s come before, the pacing of the humor is right in line with Vasquez and his collaborators.
The one real weak element of Green script is Gir. Usually the most reliable source of humor in the comic or the show, here Gir falls a little flat. He’s mostly a silent presence in this issue, causing trouble but failing to pepper the page with his usual Gir-isms. And when he finally does speak, Gir is bizarrely lucid and even normal. That’s just unacceptable.
Green’s art style also manages to push the comic in a slightly different direction. This is still instantly recognizable as a Zim story, but Green isn’t afraid to take some storytelling liberties. The thick, purposeful lines of previous issues are replaced by more frenetic, wavering line-work. This gives the book more of an indie comic sensibility. If anything, the facial work is even more distorted and exaggerated than usual, which is really saying something. Despite these embellishments, Green sticks to a more traditional approach to page construction, one that ensures clean, smooth storytelling flow throughout the issue.
If nothing else, this issue proves that an Invader Zim comic can work under more than just one group of creators. This issue isn’t necessarily superior to those that preceded it, but it at least offers a different take and a different visual interpretation on the Zim-verse. A little variety is never a bad thing.
