Invader ZIM - Doom Doom Doom (Vol. 1) Reviews

• Thank you god!

  
  By on 2004-02-24
  I never thought this show would ever come out on dvd! This just makes my day.

  Here's a list of episodes you can expect on this DVD:
  - Unaired Pilot Episode (a half-length short starring Billy West of Futurama as Zim) - Commentary with Jhonen Vasquez (Zim Creator, Head Writer, Art Direction)
  - The Nightmare Begins - Commentary with Rikki Simons (Voice Actor - Gir and Color Artist), Wally Wingert (Voice Actor) and Jhonen Vasquez
  - Bestest Friend - Commentary with Rikki Simmons, Ian Graham (Storyboard Artist) and Jhonen Vasquez
  - NanoZIM - Commentary with Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
  - Parent Teacher Night - Commentary with Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
  - Walk of Doom - Commentary with Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
  - Germs
  - Dark Harvest - Commentary with Eric Trueheart (Writer and Various Voices) and Jhonen Vasquez
  - Attack of the Saucer Morons - Commentary with Eric Trueheart, Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
  - Career Day
  - Battle-Dib
  - Planet Jackers - Commentary with Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
  - Rise of the Zitboy - Commentary with Eric Trueheart, Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
  - Invasion of the Idiot Dog Brain - Commentary with Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
  - Bad Bad Rubber Piggy - Surprise Commentary!
  - A Room with a Moose - Commentary with Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
  - Hamstergeddon - Commentary with Eric Trueheart, Ian Graham, Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
  
  

• Simply the best cartoon of all time

  
  By A2W7SII9AXCHYE on 2004-02-21
  From the mind of Jhonen Vasquez, author of insane, twisted comics, the voice of Richard Horvitz (Billy, Dagget), and the conductor's wand of Kevin Manthei (Resident Evil), Zim, an evil green alien from the planet Irk, comes to earth in attempt to take it over and give its land to his masters so they can do something cool with it. Unfortunately for Zim, a kid named Dib is onto his plot and is willing to go to any lengths to stop him. Now Zim, his insane robot sidekick, GIR, Dib, and his sister, Gaz, are locked in mortal combat for the fate of the Earth.
  This is a brilliantly set up cartoon and the bizarre humor is hiliarious. Zim has been cancelled and us fans have been dying for a DVD for years. Now it's here. ...Look up there! what a price. What on earth are you doing reading this? Support the Irken empire and buy this DVD!!!!
  
  

• Don't fear the Peepi! Fear Me! Fear ME!

  
  By A2PN7Z2VTHICL8 on 2005-08-31
  Invader blood marches through my veins like giant, radioactive rubber pants! Met Zim, an arrogant and none-too-bright Irkin sent to Earth to destroy it. Well, sent by accident. The Tall Ones just wanted to get rid of Zim and shot him randomly into space.
  
  While other Irkin Invaders are equipped with SIR's (Standard Information Retrieval Units), Zim is given an assistant put together from pieces pulled from the trash; a GIR. ("What does the `G' stand for?" GIR shrugs, "I don't know.") Ah, the stink of clean!
  
  With GIR's help, Zim must conquer earth. He disguises himself as a human child and attends school. No one suspects him except Dib, an outcast at school with a fixation on alien invasions.
  
  The humor is advanced for Nickelodeon, most likely the reason they finally pulled the show. Body functions and toilet humor abound, along with some great one-liners. Pure cartoon entertainment, especially for fans of Jhonen Vasquez's humor.
  
  My one complaint would be that there are no English subtitles. For those of us who are a little hard of hearing, I like to have subtitles sometimes.
  Here's a rundown of the episodes:
  
  Disc One:
  Episode One-The Nightmare Begins
  On Irkin, Zim shows up late for Invader assignments and is sent away in a random direction with GIR, just to get rid of him. Zim lands on earth, and sets up his base for plotting to destroy the planet.
  
  Episode Two-Bestest Friend
  Zim discovers he won't fit in with earthlings unless he has a friend. So he tests several of the kids to find out who will be his bestest friend. The tests include absorbency, electrical conductivity, and one that involved a squirrel and a taxi, but wasn't shown. The winner is Keef!
  
  Episode Three-NanoZim
  Dib takes an incriminating picture of Zim to send to Mysterious Mysteries of Strange Mystery, to prove Zim is an alien. Zim shrinks down and goes inside Dib's body to destroy his memory of the photo. Dib uses his dad's nano-technology to chase after Zim, but Gaz has to take over the controls to defeat Zim.
  
  Episode Four-Parent Teacher Night
  Zim has to reprogram his mechanical parents to attend Parent/Teacher night at school, but instead of the training program, GIR changes the screen to his favorite programs (like the Scary Monkey Show). Zim winds out with really weird parents.
  
  Episode Five-Walk of Doom
  Zim gets lost on purpose to test his new geographic locator, but GIR removed it to make room for a cupcake.
  
  Episode Six-Germs
  Hilarious episode! Zim buys germ goggles, only to find out his house is riddled with nasty germs. Especially GIR. The only thing Zim can find that is germ free is some really nasty burger meat, so he wears the meat
  
  Episode Seven-Dark Harvest
  One of my favorites! Zim needs human organs in order to appear human to the school nurse. He steals organs and replaces them with items like hall passes, cartons of milk, and cans of soda. At the end, he is bloated with organs.
  
  Episode Eight-Attack of the Saucer Morons
  Zim declares war on bees. He crashes his ship in the park during a UFO convention. "Ride the pig, GIR, ride the pig!"
  
  Episode Nine-The Wettening
  When it rains, Zim discovers that water hurts him. Unfortunately, so does Dib. What follows is the world's ultimate water balloon fight.
  
  Disc Two:
  Episode Ten-Career Day
  This is likely the most disgusting, and therefore one of the funnier, episodes. Zim wants to be Lord of All Humans on career day, but is instead assigned to food preparation. He gets a case of zits and...well...things go downhill from there.
  
  Episode Eleven-Battle Dib
  Dib has to go through a triathlon type contest just to get his father to sign a note. The contest includes Spido-Ractno-Rama.
  
  Episode Twelve-Planet Jackers
  Zim's telescope is broken, so he must find a more powerful one. GIR wants to make biscuits instead. Using the telescope, Zim finds out earth has been planet-jacked and needs to get it back from the jackers.
  
  Episode Thirteen-Rise of the Zitboy
  Zim gets a pimple, and discovers that it has the power to hypnotize humans. He draws a face on it and names it Pustulio. He refers to it as a 'hideous montage of humiliation and shame'.
  
  Episode Fourteen-Invasion of the Idiot Dog Brain
  When Zim is installing a new house brain, GIR gets in the way and GIR's brain winds out in the house. "Shut your noise tube, taco human!"
  
  Episode Fifteen-Bad Bad Rubber Piggy
  Zim attempts to send a Hunter/Destroyer machine into the past to get rid of Dib, but GIR's rubber pig goes instead. Zim then must use ALL of GIR's rubber pigs to change the past and stop Dib from hounding him.
  
  Episode Sixteen-A Room With a Moose
  Zim sends a bus with Dib and his classroom out into space, through a wormhole headed towards a Room With A Moose. It's up to Dib to get the bus back to earth.
  
  
  Episode Seventeen-Hamstergeddon
  One of my favorites! Meet Peepi the hamster. Peepi is the class's new pet. Zim alters Peepi to grow at a phenomenal rate in order to use Peepi's cuteness to conquer the world.
  
  Invader Zim is an imaginative and enjoyable cartoon for those adults, like me, who never tire of being a kid once in awhile. I wouldn't recommend this cartoon for small kids, but its good silly fun for the mature cartoon connoisseur. Enjoy!
  
  
  

• Universe's most incompetant alien is here to conquer Earth!

  
  By A1ZNKWFPWEGKHV on 2004-02-26
  The Irken are a mighty race of tall aliens slowly conquering the planets. Invader Zim hails from planet Irk, and though small, he's a veteran of Operation Impending Doom (and the reason OID was a failure). Sent to conquer planet Earth because it's really far away from Irk, Zim sets up a base and trys to do his part for Operation Impending Doom 2. Aiding his effort is Gir, his "advanced" robot sidekick. Although Gir was intended to aid Zim in his conquering efforts, his strengths lie in his ability to watch lots and lots of television and carry objects in his head.

  As Zim and Gir do silly things to try and destroy the Earth, there's only one boy who notices Zim's an alien and constantly tries to defeat him. Dib is the son of a great scientist, obsessed with the paranormal, and if any of Zim's schemes come close to succeeding, Dib will find a way to stop it (Dib doesn't really have any friends or anything else to do).
  Also fun to watch are Gaz, Dib's sister who doesn't like anything that interferes with her reading or video gaming, and Ms. Bitters, the evil teacher everyone has had to deal with in their journey through "skool".

  NOTE: This review is being written months before the DVD release, the show is just that good. It's not being shown on tv anymore, so this is your only chance to witness the impending doom. Even if the extras turn out to be bad (and that's highly unlikely), this DVD is worth getting just for the stories of Invader Zim, Gir, and the humans who stumble across their paths (and the only way to discover your moosey fate!)
  
  

• Behold the Power of ZIM!

  
  By A2J4K4QR00NWTO on 2004-04-19
  A little over two years ago, a little cartoon named Invader Zim premired on Nickelodeon. Then, just as the show had developed a large fanbase, Nick cancelled it. Think that's the end of the story?

  Fear not, IZ Fantaics, your time as come! Zim is finally available on DVD! If you never have heard of Zim, here's a newbie's Cliff Notes: Invader Zim is about an alien named, you guessed it, Zim. With a megalomaniac personality that makes up for his short stature, Zim isn't exactly in the Top Ten of the Almight Tallest's (Zim's advisors) favorite invaders list. After nearly ruining Operation Impending Doom I, OID II is underway and Zim wants a slice of the pie. But the Tallests have other plans. In order to get rid of Zim (and having OID II go smoothly), they send him to an unknown planet called Earth (which they themselves have no idea who, or what, inhabits it) on a "special misson". Being complete blind to the Tallets' true nature of this "mission", Zim happily accepts and decends to Earth, in hopes of completing OID II and pleasing the Tallests.

  Along with Zim, you get a colorful cast that includes GIR, an "advanced" robot that has garbage for brains (literally) and acts like a two year old on a sugar high. Dib, Zim's antagonist, is a kid who is an inpiring paranormal investigator and will stop at nothing to prove of Zim's exsistance and plans to take over Earth. Gaz, Dib's younger sister and sometimes partner, just wants to be left alone and go about her daily way of life and Miss Bitters, Dib's teacher at "SKOOL", who main priority is to crush children's dreams and be blunt of the "evils" of life in general.

  Why take notice? For one, Zim's creator, Jhonen Vasquez, is the brillent, twisted genius behind the popular comics Johnny the Homacidel Manaic, SQUEE! and I Fell Sick (which have already a large fanbase). Plus, it still amazes me that this is a kid's show. While most children's shows are just carbon copies from yesterday and beyond, Zim brakes the mold by portraying childhood as a dark, disturbing period of a person's life that involves odd and random humor, jabs at how society has gone downhill since the 1980s (maybe even earlier than that given time period), and how one must deal with everything inbetween...all through the eyes of an alien, a robot, two kids and a bitter old woman.

  This, I believe, is why many have grasped on to this show. Truly a cult classic, it's no surprize that the IZ DVD will included a nice, heeping helping of much anticipated bonus features, including commentaries from the show staff and actors, the orginal pilot that gave way to show, and many more. Plus, all the episodes are uncut and edited according to Jhonen's true vision, which promises to please all IZ fans alike.

  If you are a fan (like myself), then this is a must-buy and a perfect addition to add to your DVD collection. If you are not, give the show a go and discover what all the excitment is about. You'll never look at cartoons the same why again once you have gotten a taste of Invader Zim.
  
  

• I Squeal With Glee
  By A22HLJH4XSS0G on 2004-07-03
  Well, Nick made good on their decision to cancel Zim forever from the airwaves. The only problems I can think of with the DVD are the mispelling of 'Irken' on the back, and the fact that the Irken subtitles automatically come on when you put the DVD in the player.

  Aside from these, however, the DVDs are packed with solid entertainment. They even have commentaries for some of the episodes, as well as a feature where the sketchy storyboards are shown onscreen with the original audio playing. The hilarious pilot episode is included as well.

  One of the best inclusions is the interview with the voice actors. It may surprise you to learn that GIR's voice actor is a tired-looking guy who mumbles a lot... and that Zim's voice actor's voice really does sound like that.

  I would have been content with just the episodes, actually, so I was pleasantly surprised... the commentaries are well-done and very funny, what with Tallest Red's voice actor always complaining about how Tallest Purple stole his lines and the other little in-jokes here and there. Also, you get to hear the enigmatic Vasquez speak about his masterpiece, which is grood. And great. And good. Great and good.

  This package has a solid five-star rating all the way through for a reason. There is really nothing else one could hope for... excepy maybe a GIR dog plushie.
  
  

• I'm gonna watch it again!!!
  By A3BZA9WDMPKBJD on 2004-05-19
  Ok, I'll level with you... There are a lot of hilarious cartoons out there for adults these days, but none (and I mean NONE) can compare to the snappy one-liners and incredible attention to detail of Invader Zim. The first time I watched a Zim show I practically wet my pants from laughing so hard (yes, I was 22...)! The second one I saw, between the intermitant need to pee my pants, I also noticed how unbelievably amazing the animation quality was in this show. Unlike so many other cartoons, the animators actually show some incredible talent and appear to take a huge amount of pride in their work. The same can be said about the writers. Very few "intended" jokes fail to illicit a stomach-wrenching guffaw from myself and my other friends. This show is not full of fluff... it's pure animation GENIUS!!
  I do agree that it is a little too intense for children and therefore, I understand how Nickelodeon took it off of the air. What I don't understand is why the Cartoon Network hasn't picked it up and heaped loads of money on Mr. Vasquez to produce more and more until the show is forced to "jump the shark" from lack of material (which I see happening about 70 or 80 years from now...)
  Anyway, my suggestion would be very simple: Put down the mouse, step away from your keyboard, grab your wallet and car keys and race to purchase Zim. I love Amazon, but seriously folks... with this cartoon, any amount of waiting is WAY TOO LONG!
  I hope you enjoy the show!
  
  
• Best show to be shown on Nickelodeon...
  By A10VQUCFXVTXHG on 2005-06-20
  and that's why they cancelled it.
  
  Invader ZIM had everything. It was original, it had aliens, robots, Foodcourtia, robots dressed as dogs, robots dressed as dogs dancing, gothic sisters, nerds, robot parents, organs, burnt eyes, parent teacher nights, germs, giant flying pigs, glue, paranormal investigators, zits, houses being controlled by robots, rubber piggies, a room with a moose and MUCH MUCH MORE!
  
  I remember the one faithful day when Invader ZIM came on my television. It came on the same night as Fairly OddParents, which is a dumb show, just like other Nick stinkers as in Rugrats, All Grown Up!, and pretty much anything else on now. The day I saw Zim, I thought it was the BEST SHOW ever made. Although I don't think that anymore, I still think it's pretty darn close.
  
  This set, Volume 1, comes with the first 9 episodes made of Invader ZIM. They were all shown on Nickelodeon. Each half-hour episode contains 2 shorter episodes, except in Episode 1; The Nightmare Begins. So, what you're getting is 17 episodes of one of the greatest shows ever made. Trust me, it's well worth the price.
  
  "Doom Doom Doom" starts out with the first episode, The Nightmare Begins. This show was created by Jhonen Vasquez, creator of the books Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, Everything Can Be Beaten and Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors. The beginning takes place in the planet Irk, a planet where their rank is based on how tall they are. The Almighty Tallest and the rest of Irk is planning Operation Impending Doom 2, to destroy the universe and make Irk the best planet. After the assigning of the planets, you see ZIM, who was banished to Foodcourtia. The Almighty Tallest give ZIM a "secret mission", which is just a fake mission. Every Irken invader is given a SIR (Standard Information Retrieval unit), except Zim, who is given a GIR, which is made from trash. GIR is by far the best character in Invader ZIM. He is so stupid, it's funny. Zim and GIR are sent to the "secret planet" that turns out to be Earth. Gir sings the Doom Song for 6 months until they finally get to Earth. ZIM and GIR make new costumes and make a new house. ("I wanna be a mongoose dog!" GIR) They then try to rule Earth but they're REALLY stupid. Plus, the "weirdo" Dib tries to stop them from ruling Earth. Also, Dib's gothic sister, GAZ, is randomly put in for more laughs. Hilarity ensues. This is one of the worse episodes, but it's by no means bad. It gets a 9 out of 10.
  
  After that we get 17 more episodes. I'll describe them in a couple sentences, then give them a rating from 1 to 10.
  
  2a. Bestest Friend: Zim overhears a popular girl saying he's so "inhuman", so he hires a best friend to complete the disguise. He chooses Keef, a weird kid. But Keef likes ZIM a bit too much. Betcha can't guess how this ends.
  10/10
  
  2b. Nanozim: Dib takes a picture of ZIM without his disguise on and is going to send it to a science fiction show. ZIM goes into Dib's body and tries to make Dib forget where he left it.
  9/10
  
  3a. Parent Teacher Night: Ms. Bitters (the teacher from Squee AND Invader ZIM) calls a parent-teacher night one night. Having no parents, ZIM builds robot parents. This one is GOOD.
  10/10
  
  3b. Walk of Doom: ZIM tests out GIR's new guidance technology by getting lost in the city and making GIR guide them back home. Unfortunately, GIR has replaced the guidance chip with a cupcake and they get lost. GIR is great in this one.
  10/10
  
  4a. Germs: When ZIM finds out germs can kill aliens, he goes germ crazy and tries desperately to stop them. This one's okay.
  6/10
  
  4b. Dark Harvest: ZIM realizes he has no human organs and he tries to get them from his fellow classmates. This one's sick and it's not very good.
  6/10
  
  5a. Attack of the Saucer Morons: When a bee crashes ZIM's ship and an alien convention takes it in, ZIM tries his hardest to get it back. This one's the best on Disc 1.
  11/10
  
  5b. The Wettening: When ZIM discovers water can burn an Irken soldier's skin, Dib hits him with water balloons a lot. But ZIM wants revenge...
  8/10
  
  The rest of the episodes are on the second disc. I'll review them now.
  
  6a. Career Day: Ms. Bitters' class takes a "career test" which makes them tell what blotches look like. The career machine gives them a probable career and they have to follow a worker in their job around. This one's good too.
  10/10
  
  6b. Battle-Dib: Dib needs his parent's signature to present his work on ZIM to a secret investigation thing called the Swollen Eyeball Net. He has to take a test and battle some weirdo to get to Proffesor Membrane (his dad). Plus, GAZ is against him because he ate her pizza. GAZ is awesome.
  10/10
  
  7a. Planet Jackers: Another planet tries to capture Earth and drag it into the sun. This one's not too good.
  6/10
  
  7b. Rise of the Zitboy: ZIM grows a huge zit that can control minds. He hypnotizes everyone in the class, almost.
  8/10
  
  8a. Invasion of the Idiot Dog Brain: Trying to catch his squeaky moose toy, GIR ends up getting his head caught in the house's data stream. He ends up being able to control the whole house. But GIR wants tacos and is willing to blow the whole plan to get them. Best episode probably ever made.
  13/10
  
  8b. Bad Bad Rubber Piggy: ZIM finds a way to control the past with a space-time object-transfer device. He tries to ruin DIB's life, but ends up getting permanent brain damage.
  10/10
  
  9a. A Room With A Moose: ZIM sets up a fake field trip to lure his class into a room with a moose. (Which I don't understand why is so bad.)
  10/10
  
  9b. Hamstergeddon: ZIM mutates the class hamster. I didn't really get this one.
  7/10
  
  
  So, there you go, the best show ever on Nick getting cancelled after 1 season. They showed all the episodes on this set and most of the ones on Disc 2: Progressive Stupidity, but then cut the show. Have you noticed they cancel all the good shows? Futurama, Family Guy, Ren & Stimpy, Greg the Bunny, the Oblongs and this! WASSUP WITH THAT!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Now I hate Nickelodeon and I have a grudge against FOX.
  
  
  But, to catch a cancelled gem, get this before Nick finds out an evil plan to get these out of production! Nick IS that evil!
  
  
  BUY IT!
  
  
• I'm Gonna Sing the Doom Song Now...
  By A1IJKJGH1US2PO on 2004-02-24
  It's about time! I've been waiting for Zim on DVD since it first came out! I've been dying to see it ever since Nickelodeon cancelled it. It's such a crime that Nick won't play Zim but they'll play other pathetic shows *cough cough* Rocket Power *cough cough*. What is wrong with some people watching stuff like that? Just shows you the limited brain capacity of some of the people in this world.
  Zim is by far the most amazing show ever created. Jhonen Vasquez has truly left his mark on the world with the creation of Invader Zim. You must buy this DVD. You won't regret it!
  
  
• Good stuff, and about time.
  By A25FMU5DW9HZVR on 2004-03-19
  Reading the other reviews will give you the plot, but there's several other things about Invader ZIM that it's helpful to know. It's fairly dark and satirical, with at least one plot about stolen internal organs. It's also some of the most wildly imaginative stuff I've seen in a while, both in terms of plotlines (in one episode, Earth has been stolen, and ZIM must retrieve it so that he can conquer it himself!) and the technology. The visual style, especially of the Irken settings, is so cohesive and distinctive that creator Jhonen Vasquez won a place in the National Design Triennial for it. No skimping on the backgrounds or details here!

  A couple of things that might put some people off: The series is very morally ambiguous. Neither ZIM nor his archnemesis Dib are really the good guy or the bad guy, which might bother some parents of smaller kids. Also, a personal peeve is that a lot of the humor relies on sheer randomness. One of Jhonen's overall concept of ZIM was to take the most inane stuff he could imagine (and if you know his comics work, you know that can stretch the limits of the current definitions of inanity--Happy Noodle Boy, anyone?) and treat it as dramatically as possible. Some of the scenes, especially the endings, will sometimes leave you thinking "huh? what the---why?!?"

  Beyond the series itself, the DVDs will contain many extras, at least some from a list Jhonen himself gave MediaBlasters. They say that to get the most extras, you will have to get the box set that will be released after the DVDs. Also helpful to know.

  Get the DVDs, and prepare yourself for some DOOM!
  
  

• James Cameron meets Tim Burton meets David Lynch...
  By on 2004-04-13
  The only reason I can think of for why Invader ZIM made it to television in the first place is that, up to a certain point, no one at Nickelodeon actually bothered to watch the show. Thank goodness for that-- ZIM ranks as one of the most delightfully demented shows ever to pass itself off as "children's television."

  In creator Jhonen Vasquez's twisted worldview, "SKUL" is a hateful place where children go to have their spirits crushed (by hissing, demonic, wraithlike teachers) and most people are fat, mindless consumers eager to stuff their faces. Both of the series' protagonists-- the titular alien kid, who megalomaniacally plots to conquer Earth, and Dib, his nerdy, self-appointed nemesis-- are obnoxious little know-it-alls whose epic battle to destroy or save the world merits shrugs at best (and bored contempt at worst) from everyone around them. Zim is aided in his efforts by GIR, a sweetly malfunctioning robot who serves as the id to Zim's ego; Dib's sometime ally is Gaz, his inexplicably angry little sister, who is as likely to beat Dib up as save his bacon.

  All this subversive, queasily funny weirdness is bolstered by lavish production values, dazzling integration of traditional and computer animation, and the sort of thrilling action scenes you'd expect to find in summer blockbusters. It's a wonder this series lasted as long as it did before (undoubtedly awed and horrified) Nick execs pulled the plug. The show's sense of humor leans far toward the disturbing-- perhaps it was the fanged, acid-drooling monster babies who finally sealed the show's fate, or the monstrous, tentacled robo-Santa who tries to eat the world? At any rate, fans of offbeat comedy, weird science fiction, and high-quality animation will find tons to enjoy in this inspired series.
  
  

• It's a secret government aircraft...
  By AHYCTYDH9NBAW on 2004-06-01
  Fools! What else would it be? What? You mean you haven't bought this DVD yet? Have you the brainworms???
  
  
• Handsome and Smart
  By A2LXS8EV8SHT0C on 2004-06-14
  Ok, I'll admit it, my main reason for watching Invader Zim was because Jhonen Vasquez was it's creator. I really didn't know what to expect out of the show, it was hard for my brain to comprehend a nickeolodeon cartoon being created by Jhonen Vasquez, master of most things absolutly inappropriate for children.

  Then I saw the show, and I was amazed. Just by the sheer amazingness that was the show's look. Distinctly Jhonen-esq characters, and a depth to the background that many cartoons lack. It was visually appealing. Not only was it pretty, but the show was funny (but were we really expecting anything less). Funny in both the dark, gross out way and that quick witted one-liner way.

  The premise of the show is that there is this Irken alien who is less than adept to do any of that conquering that the Irken empire is known for, infact this alien ruined the last Impending Doom mission. This alien's name is Zim, he's quite full of himself and quite stupid. He get's sent to Earth to get out of the Almighty Tallest's hair, and as standard Irken issue he must get sent with a SIR unit. The problem with that is the Almighty Tallest don't wish to waste a good SIR unit on Zim, so he get's a robot made of trash called GIR (voice by Rikki Simons). Frankly, Gir's stupid in that tremendously endearing way, he provides much of the comedic relief. Upon arrival on earth Zim goes undercover as an Elementary School student, where he crosses paths with his new found nemesis, Dib. Dib is simply a boy engrossed in the paranormal and determaned to get recognition for his research (which is basically his discovery that Zim is an alien, proving that they do exist), in the process of achieving his goals, he also tries to prevent Zim's world domination.

  The DVD contains the first 9 episodes (18 cartoons) of Invader Zim. For special features, you can listen to the episode commentary, featuring various voice actors and writers of the show and also Jhonen Vasquez. In each episode who is present for the commentary changes, but for the most part Jhonen and the voice actor who plays Zim are always present. Not every episode contains commentary. Also features is the animatronics, which can make a person dizzy, therefore meriting one to watch EVERY episode in the animatronic mode. You can listen to the Pig Commentary on one episode (which personally grates on my nerves), or you have the option of subtitles...Irken subtitles! This DVD containes 2 disc (which was a nice surprise).
  
  

• AWESOME, but y did they take it off?
  By on 2005-03-01
  This dvd is awseome!!! im a major invader zim fan and love all the episodes, but was devastated that they took it off air!!! can anyone help me and tell me y nickelodeon took it off? also on nicktoons they show some of the episodes, but not all, so i hope this lives up to my expectations!!!o and nickelodeon t(**)t
  
  
  
• wonderful but cancelled
  By A13PFAH7CKCBDH on 2004-04-27
  This is simply one of the finest (and funniest) works of sci-fi to be aired on television, ever.

  A lot of mystery revolves around why Nick found the "wisdom" to cancel the show, after only one season and a rotating ,illogical time slot .

  Here is what I've learned during a recent covention at which Jhonen Vasquez spoke about Invader Zim: during an episode called "Game Slave 2", their is a part where Gaz's nemesis in the episode (Igines), is killed falling with an elevator. Nick execs thought that it was horrible having a child die on their network, a family network. To please the censors and to hopefully give a cheeky response to the execs, an epilogue was added of Igines leaping from the broken husk of the elevator and shouting his name with "IGINES!" splashed across the top in a victorious manner. This was an "in your face!" to Nick execs., who DID GET IT!! Soon after, the show was canceled. (Not directly quoting) Many elements that were suppose to be added later were simply thrown into "the worst x-mas ever"; (minimoose, Tak's ship, the Massive coming to earth0, all larger story features for other episodes. Condensed down, they actually killed the episode (as well as the brutal chopping it got on the editting floor).

  Saddly, an actual story with some meat was beginning to take shape (again, Tak's ship, the Resisty from "Backseat drivers from beyond the stars",Invader Skoog joining Zim on Earth and Foodcourtia mentioned in many episodes). As well as a definite final episode (titled "Invader Dib" acording to rumor) which woud have brought the everything to a proper end (see TVTOME.COM for further information). None of which will ever be shown. (Some bootlegs do exist of some of these episodes)

  Worse yet, in signing over the rights to Zim, Jhonen lost all creative rights to the charecters that were in the show (luckily Squee or Johnny never cameoed in the show).

  I hope this gives some explanation to the whole debate.

  Favorite episodes: "NanoZim","PLanet Jackers", "The Sad, Sad Tale Of Chickenfoot" (funniest episode ever), "Tak: The Hideous New Girl", "Dib's Wonderful Life Of Doom", "Backseat Drivers From Beyond The Stars" (favorite episode)
  
  

• Doom... Doom... Doom!
  By A3MM5G8XX6YX7J on 2004-05-10
  From the moment you hear the opening theme on the very first episode, you'll be hooked. You'll enter a new reality and become apart of the Invader Zim universe. Jhonen Vasquez's brilliant new sci-fi world has devloped a cult following much like many Anime series have. From the animation to the voices, everything about it is top notch. And this time, there wont be any obnoxious "Nickelodeon" sign in the corner of the screen.

  Invader Zim was canceled in December of 2002 for a few reasons. Many parents sent in letters saying that there was too much dark humor and suggestive themes in it that they felt it was not appropriate for young children to watch. Because most of Nickelodeon's fan base is younger children, they felt compelled to shut down production and chuck the reel into the vault before locking it shut.

  However, fans were not going to let it go that eaisly. Realizing that Invader Zim had attracted the attention of adults and teenagers world-wide, they resumed production momentairly before once again, they had to get rid of it.

  Fanfiction sprang up all over the net. Anti-Nickelodeon websites were appearing countless times in the google search toolbar. I even remember a few sites that had "Shrines to Invader Zim".

  Bootlegging happened - Kazaa was being bombarded for downloads of the series. Those who had taped the episodes were now copying the copys and selling them for money off the internet. People were going to almost any lengths to get the series.

  Then, one day, I appeared at Amazon.com and saw they were selling Volume 1 of the Invader Zim series. I ordered it at that second.

  I promise you, you will not be dissapointed with this animated series. Amazingly well done, each episode is packed with outrageous humor and real life issues brought into the light. Almost every student will be able to relate to having a "Miss. Bitters" at least once as their teacher. A heartless, cold "doom" infested old woman who teaches Dib and Zim in the school.

  It's an amazing series. So if you haven't ordered it... Then what the heck are you waiting for?!
  
  

• "Awww, but I wanna watch the Scary Monkey Show!"
  By A2ZLROGIL2V7GV on 2004-06-02
  Yes, kiddies, it is true! Invader Zim has finally come home to DVD. The cult hit that was too bizarre and dark for Nickelodeon to handle. The fans have demanded for the show to be available, and now here it is. "Invader Zim Volume 1: Doom Doom Doom" is fantastically wild and zany--a show unlike any I have ever seen before.

  Zim has been banished by his own planet for the mayhem and destruction he had caused, but to get him out of their hair the higher ups decide to give him a "secret mission." That mission is to take over a planet that nobody on the Irken planet has ever heard of--which turns out to be Earth. The higher ups don't expect him to be successful, but Zim doesn't know that and takes the mission head on with his brainless, but highly entertaining robot slave, Gir. Dib is a kid who is obsessed with aliens and other sorts of "phenomena," and is determined to stop Zim at all costs--that is, unless his sister destroys him for taking the last soda! All of this makes one heck of an entertaining premise for an off-the-wall animated show.

  I was extremely happy when this DVD came out and got it as fast as I could. The shows have a very high replay value and they never fail to get a laugh out of me. It's hard to believe that such a show used to be on Nickelodeon... but I guess that's why it isn't on that channel anymore. It is dark and creepy, but it is extremely humorous as well. While Zim is very funny with his outbursts of anger, I have to say that Gir really steals the show. That robot always makes me laugh in some insane way. All of the episodes are great and never lacking.

  The DVD has some cool features to offer. It is a two-disc collection that contains episodes 1-9 (most have two episodes each). Some features include commentary, animatics, interviews, and for fun, "Irken" subtitles that can be turned on during each episode.

  "Invader Zim: Doom Doom Doom" is definitely something to check out for those who have a warped and dark sense of humor. Don't let the "Nickelodeon" icon fool you, this show is incredibly bizarre and outrageous! Adults are bound to enjoy it as much as the kids, if not more. It's great to see this show finally get the DVD treatment. Now, you can relive some of your favorite episodes over and over again. And if your favorite episode doesn't appear in the volume... never fear. Volume 2 is on the way. Highly original and entertaining. -Michael Crane
  
  

• Vasquez's genius
  By on 2004-06-11
  This series excels in so many areas. The ingenious alien technology, the pitch black humour and biting social commentary, the beautifully drawn background worlds, Vasquez's refreshing, iconoclastic drawing style and, most of all, the stunning, movie-quality backing music.

  If it has one fault, it is that Invader ZIM is not a series for young children. It resonates best with skeptical teenagers and jaded adults alike. This may explain why the series was cancelled, and why low-quality recordings of the TV episodes subsequently became so popular on the internet.

  The commentary tracks on this DVD contain mostly recordings of cast parties than useful technical explanations or analysis. This just proves that ZIM is simply a delicious product of shining talent having a good time instead of just another commissioned, formualic and politically-corrected instance of mind candy like so much other animation aired these days.

  Buy this DVD. You need it.
  
  

• Disgustingly Hysterical!!!!!!
  By A2OCJNB6B46OKP on 2004-05-12
  I had seen my very first episode of Invader Zim in my junior year of college. My friend had 5 episodes in a burned disc and I just thought it would be just your typical everyday Nicktoon. Never would I have excpected this show to be so eerie and sometimes nasuiating but at the same time flat out hillarious! This show blends the essence of classic Nicktoon comedy like Ren & Stimpy and Rocko's Modern Life with a bit of the twisted anime action and humor (kids jumping out of second story windows when school is out.) I Was officially hooked when GIR (A hyperactive Meatwad) made his first apperence and sang the DOOM song, because he just rules! Unfortunatly I had gotten into this show too late because it already had been canceled by hoards of angry parents saying this was not a kids show. WELL DUH! It wasn't ment for kids otherwise it would be on tv at noon rather than prime time! Why do all the good shows die so soon? (The Critic, The Oblongs, Mission Hill: may they rest in peace.) I was hoping to have seen Zim join the rest of the adult swim crew, but a season dvd is so much better. Once again we have triumphed over moder society and are able to get back our sick, twisted and tremendously funny programs to be watched over and over and over. WE SHALL BRING DOOM TO YOU ALL!!!
  
  
• Usually excellent show gets good DVD treatment
  By A1YU679AGGROAI on 2004-05-22
  I first heard of Invader ZIM while it was still airing on Nickelodeon, and had heard of the controversy it had created around the kiddie networks' headquarters. Seeing what Nickelodeon had done to Ren & Stimpy nearly 10 years before, I wasn't surprised in the slightest that the creators of the show weren't getting their way as much as they'd like.

  In 2003 I downloaded some episodes as there was no other way to get them, and I instantly became hooked. The show isn't a laugh-riot from start to finish, but it's curiously interesting and occasionally does have moments that'll have you laughing, or failing that, just admiring it's weird dialog and cool neon colors.

  AnimeWorks promised that they would give ZIM *the* shining example of stellar DVD treatment. While the DVD is nothing bad, calling it stellar would be very wrong. Most of the episodes have very good transfers from (I think) DigiBeta masters, giving good image quality. I think 2 of the episodes (that's 4 of the cartoons) however, have been transferred from Composite Video, meaning these episodes have Analog Cable TV-like symptoms like Dot Crawl (thankfully however, there is not much noise on the offending episodes).

  As well as this, the DVD is encoded for multi-angular playback - meaning that you can press the Angle button on your DVD's remote to access the Animatic version of the episode (an Animatic being a rough pencil version of the show before the final animation is done). While this is interesting, the way the disc is mastered (and I think this might be true or all multiangular DVDs) means that each angle receives half of the video bit-rate. To cut a long story short, this means that the quality of the episodes themselves is occasionally sacrificed for the sake of this feature. Most fans won't watch the animatics more than a couple of times, so surely a better idea would have been to include clips of the animatics on seperate video tracks as Special Features. (This also means that on certain DVD players, the "Angle" icon will stay present on your screen for any of the episodes that feature Animatics - luckily I could turn this off on my player).

  Again, the image quality is still very good, but to call it flawless would be wrong.

  Special Features are also a bit thin - the extras we get are a short but good look at the Voice Cast (creator Jhonen Vasquez sadly doesn't make an appearance), and the Pilot episode. Commentaries are included and they're definitely worth listening to.

  Irken subtitles are included, which seems pretty pointless. Deaf or otherwise hard of hearing viewers will be pleased to know that while there are no English subtitles that can be generated by the DVD player, English closed captions are included.

  All in all, definitely worth buying - it's the best way to see ZIM. Hopefully for the remaining volumes we'll get more polished products.
  
  

• Let the Doom commence!
  By ASQ1C63TIPC32 on 2004-08-07
  Invader Zim has finally been realeased to DVD!
  It comes in a two-disc set seperating the episodes evenly between the discs and is loaded with extras, some of which include Irken subtitles, piggy commentary (I feel they gave in-depth insight into the show.) and interviews with the voice talent of the show, also the pilot for the series, which is a little raw but still very entertaining.
  The two discs are packaged in a case that appears to be a single disc case, making it alot more convienient, cheap, and easy to carry around.
  The creators of the menus had the idea with a simple straightfoward interface and some interesting techno-esque background music.
  The voice actor interviews (on disc two) are very well done and enjoyable, they oftenly refer to Jhonen Vasquez (creator) as a genius and as a creative mastermind. (which he is.)
  The piggy commentary is very satisfactory, giving new insight into the episode "Bad bad rubber piggys".
  The Irken subtitles help to show the fans of the series who aren't from earth what exactly everyone is saying.
  
  The extras only help to fuel how great this DVD set is, the best thing about it is of course the show itself, which can be viewed with or without animatics/commentary/Irken subtitles/etc.
  The show Invader Zim is excellent, a great mix of humor, action, and, the sad truth about man's pointless life as invisioned through the eyes of animation master Jhonen Vasquez.
  Zim, an overzealous, ineffective, and short "invader" was head of "Operation Impending Doom 1" which ended in him destroying his own planet, after being relegated to the life of the fast food industry by the Almighty Tallest he persuades them to give him one last chance to prove his merit, the Almighty Tallest don't want him to once again get in their way so they send him to an unknown planet called "Earth" with the hopes that they can continue with the operation, Zim is under the impression that he is part of an actual mission but is very mistaken, he was sent there without the Almighty Tallest knowing for sure that there was a planet there in the first place.
  
  A masterpiece, 5 stars..
  
  
• poop
  By A1YQB7CGVMX3D8 on 2004-08-22
  i first saw this show through a disc that someone downloaded for me. i loved it. it was just my type of dark humor in cartoons that aren't supposed to be for kids. i don't know why nick thought it would be suitable for their programs, but for taking the step to hire a guy who created Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, i have to give them props. i can't wait to see the second disc then the third disc then the fourth. gir is by far the funkiest character i have ever seen besides happy noodle boy from the JTHM comic. something about incoherent rambling is just unbelievably comical. i loved the planet jackers episode and the germs one as well. great job mr vasquez
  
  
• The Greatest Cartoon That's Ever Wacked Us In The Head
  By on 2005-01-17
  Invader Zim may have been shrewdly dumped by Nickalodeon because it was "too dark", but it's making a giant comeback on DVD!
  
  It centers around Zim, a too-short alien who's about three fries short of a Happy Meal; that believes that he has been sent by his leaders to destroy Earth, when in reality, they just sent him there to get rid of him.
  
  This cartoon is probably the most original I've ever seen, and one of the best animated and voiced. To not see it would be to really miss out.
  
  
• Superb Marvelous Remarkable Genious
  By ABNE3L7K229K4 on 2005-02-04
  Invader Zim has never been shown on terrestrial TV here in the UK, so I bought this DVD on the strength of a mention it was given in an online review about Ren and Stimpy. I was not disappointed. This is pure unadulterated genuis.
  
  Invader ZIM is an eccentric alien soldier from the planet Irk. He was banished from the Irken Empire after nearly destroying it on an early mission. After begging his superiors for another chance, they decide to get rid of him once and for all. They trick him into going on a "secret mission" to an obscure planet at the edge of the universe i.e Earth, in hopes that he'll die in transit. But their trick backfires when ZIM safely reaches Earth (along with his loopy but lovable sidkick robot Gir)and begins his not very subtle attempt at conquest. He disguises himself as a schoolboy, and now the only person who can stop him is one kid - Dib, who sees straight through ZIM's disguise and is intent on stopping his reign of "terror". The only problem is both are pretty rubbish at outwitting the other.
  
  Weird and wonderful, superb graphics, excellent and mad dialogue, superb little unexpected touches that make your toes curle up in delight. BY THIS NOW!
  
  
• Nickelodeon Needs More Shows Like This........
  By on 2005-06-30
  A couple of years ago when Invader ZIM premiered on Nickelodeon, I never watched it or even bothered to. But quite a while ago my cousin had bought the DVD and showed me it. I was amazed. To GIR'S crazy antics, Zim's hilarious yelling, and Dib just being paranoid, I suddenly loved this show.
  Why Nick? WHY MUST YOU UNLEASH OUR WRATH BY CANCELLING ZIM???? Now that ZIM is gone, Nick replaced it with an annoying and stupid show called "My dad is a rock star".
  Well, now I have all three volumes of Zim, and I watch them all the time. If you're a die-hard cartoon fan, this, along with Simpsons, Ren & Stimpy, and Futurama is the best one yet.
  It has great color, great animation, and great voice acting (especially by Richard Horvitz, Andy Berman, Rikki Simons, Wally Wingert, Rodger Bumpass and Kevin McDonald).
  This particular volume is the best. It contains the greatest episodes, and I love the commentaries. Jhonen Vasquez is brilliant and hilarious.
  
  Jhonen Vasquez is a Genius! GENIUS!!!!!
  
  
• TV's Best
  By AJLUBDFJSWOXT on 2004-02-24
  "Invader ZIM" follows the story of ZIM, a short alien for Planet Irk. In Operation Impending Doom, ZIM got a little too eager and blew up half of his planet. Now, almost 50 years later, ZIM begs his leaders for forgivness. In a scam to get rid of him, they send him to the mysterious planet of Earth. They send him on his way with an insane droid named GIR. When he arrives, he is seen without his disguise by a paranormal investigator named Dib. ZIM and Dib are constintly battling. Unfortunatly, neither of them are very good at their jobs. 'Zim' is created by Jhonen Vasquez, known for horror comics like "SQUEE" and "Johnny: The Homicidal Maniac". You can't afford to miss this, but ya can afford the DVD at the low price of 25$. "Invader ZIM" is perhaps the greatest telivision experience out there. I also reccomend Seth McFarlane's "Family Guy".
  
  
• GAH! THE HAPPIEST RUNS THROUGH MY VEINS!
  By A2FK1D24I1RG0T on 2004-04-05
  finally, i have been hoping this would happen. I got a zim dvd off ebay but I am soooo getting this for the commentary and extras, as well as to help fuel the genious of mr. vasquez.
  
  
• Great animation, characters, show.
  By A1DA4WJ4THM416 on 2004-05-02
  I admit that it took me a while to catch on to Invader Zim. (Partially because it was being aired by Nickelodeon about once a week on Sunday afternoons.) What first drew me in to the series was the absolutely astounding semi-3D computer animation. The characters were (and are) some of the most unique and interesting in cartoon history. The second thing that drew me in (and also the most likely reason the show was cancelled) was its cutting edge "dark humor". Similar to other Nick shows like 'Rocko's modern life', (Still waiting for the DVD on that one.) Invader Zim can safely be enjoyed by children, but the real, underlying humor will only be appreciated by teens and adults.
  I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys dark humor, or just great animated TV. Zim truly is one of the greatest series of all time, animated or otherwise.
  And if you like Zim, I REALLY recommend that you check out HBO's sketch comedy series 'Mr. Show', one of, if not THE best show you've never heard of. (That one's just for the adults, though.)
  ...Anyway, I'm kind of getting off track here...Great animation, great characters, great show...yeah, I pretty much covered everything. Now please go buy it and love it. Thanks.
  -Colin George
  
  
• No seriously, it's the friggin bomb!
  By A1VEDMIC34ZZJ on 2004-05-07
  I used to watch Zim when Nick aired it back in the day. Normally I'm not the whole Nicktoons kind of guy (Spongebob needs to die) but my brother showed me Invader Zim one Saturday morning and I couldn't stop watching it. Invader Zim is so different then anything I've ever seen. The dark humor, fast action, and incredible animation makes Invader Zim one of the greatest. I think if they would have aired the show on another channel (cartoon network) it would have been accepted a little better and wouldn't have gotten canceled so soon. I'm hoping that if the DVD does well that maybe the creators could bring back the show. Hey, the same thing happened for Family Guy.
  
  
• I LOVE Invader Zim!
  By on 2004-05-12
  Ok, I know this is a "kids" cartoon but this show rocks. I went out and bought the DVD the day it came out (today) but I was slightly dissapointed. The other reviews I have read said that the DVD contained 17 episodes but it actually only has episodes 1-9. This was slightly less than I had hoped for but for a true Zim fan, it's still pretty good considering we can't watch the show at all anymore. I would still recomend this DVD for hardcore Zim fans but even for $17, 9 episodes seem like too few. The extras are actually pretty unique, including pig commentary and Irken subtitles. Go and buy this if you truly love Invader Zim!
  
  

• Invader ZIM - Progressive Stupidity (Vol. 2)
• Invader ZIM - Horrible Holiday Cheer (Vol. 3)
• Invader Zim Complete Invasion (3 vol. set)
• Johnny The Homicidal Maniac: Director's Cut
• Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors