Comic book artist Jhonen Vasquez's outré sci-fi spoof, which ran on Nicktoons at Night from March 2001 to December 2002, remains the object of a vociferous cult following. Pressure from the fans compelled Nickelodeon to resume production of Invader Zim twice before the show was cancelled permanently. The title character is a zealous, none-too-bright agent from the Irken Empire posing a human boy. Zim imagines he's gathering vital information for the imminent conquest of Earth; the Irken leaders actually sent him here to get rid of him. With the rather spotty assistance of Gir, his robot sidekick disguised as a dog, Zim alternately sneers at humanity and gets himself into trouble. The only person who recognizes Zim as an alien is his UFO-obsessed classmate, Dib. The two-disc set is loaded with extras that will delight fans of the show, including commentaries by Vasquez and several of the story and voice artists, a second "commentary" of pigs grunting, subtitles in Irken, and the original pilot for the series. The uninitiated may find Invader Zim suggests a cross between Dexter's Laboratory and Jimmy Neutron re-imagined by Tim Burton. The bizarre designs, over-the-top vocal performances, and bodily function jokes are not for the faint-hearted, but they're not supposed to be. (Unrated, suitable for ages 10 and older: cartoon violence, gross humor) --Charles Solomon
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