Invader Zim #40

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: In the 40th issue of the Invader Zim comic series, everyone's favorite hyperactive fanboy, Recap Kid, gets sucked in a void where he needs to find his way back to his dimension. Along the way, he witnesses various versions of Zim and the rest of the cast in each alternate universe.

My Thoughts: Well this is one of the most artistically explorative plots in the entire series. Firstly, it is the first one centered around Recap Kid who previously only appeared to introduce each issue with his overzealous commentary. Second, it employs several diverse art styles for each dimension to accompany every mini-story's tone. Here are my quick 50 cents on each mini-comic (because 2 cents isn't enough):

Warlock Zim - A pretty solid riff off sword and sorcery tales such as Conan the Barbarian with detailed dotted art by Warren Wucunich

SuperZim - Amusing and silly tale subverting Zim and Dib's traditional roles as an anti-hero and hero. I can't say much about its short 3 pages beyond "How much did Mecha GIR eat to need to take a dump in the dump?".

Zim No More - This interpretative dance routine just might explain the show/comic's seeming lack of continuity (view spoiler). I'd say it's my favorite part of the issue.

Sugar & Spice - Alright, this actually composes of two separate mini-comics. The first one takes place in a colorful world of sunshine and rainbows where all the characters get along swimmingly and are nauseatingly sweet to each other. Essentially, it's an antithesis to Invader Zim's gloomy, crapsack setting which is both entertaining and surreal to look at. The 'Spice' part comprises of two more mini-comics (don't fret, this is as recursive as it gets). One is a six-panel spoof of depressing and cynical indie comics including the likes of Daniel Clowes (whose art evidently inspired this bit) and Chris Ware. The other one takes a jab at Dada-influenced comics (Dinosaur Comics instantly comes to mind) with 10 panels of Zim and Dib as beans lying on a table statically until Dib tells Zim "I hate you." in the final panel.

    In the end, Recap Kid is sent back to the Zim universe we all know and remember. I'm guessing this would imply Zim and the rest of the crew aren't fictitious where Recap is from but real individuals whose accounts are unauthorized ones based on their lives.

Final Thoughts: Overall, this was a fun and experimental issue. However, I feel like some of the stories such as SuperZim and the depressing indie comic could have benefited from a slightly longer length. Otherwise, this would have gotten a perfect 5-stars.