Invader Zim's Return Is Finally Confirmed, But There's a Catch

Invader Zim is ready to go on even more world-conquering alien adventures — but with a twist. The character is confirmed to be returning for a new comic book spin-off.

BOOM! Studios has officially acquired the publishing rights for the franchise, and they shared the news of the upcoming comics on social media. "Doom, doom, doom, doom... We're proud to announce we've acquired the publishing rights to cult-classic animated franchise INVADER ZIM, and a new era is about to begin!" Exact details are expected to emerge in the coming months, with Boom teasing: "Prepare yourself, humans, for more details and A RETURN OF IRKEN SUPREMACY later this year!"

New Invader Zim Comic Series to Arrive Later This Year

IGN, which exclusively revealed the announcement regarding BOOM!'s acquisition, also revealed that the publisher has plans to "bring classic stories, long-sought-after collections, and brand-new original content to readers beginning later this year." The actual creative teams, release formats, and story details of the exclusive editions were not immediately available.

Fans can expect to see the beloved Zim once more, alongside GIR, Dib, and Gaz, with older stories as well as "entirely new invasions, conspiracies, and catastrophically ridiculous adventures." The original Invader Zim series was created by comic book writer and cartoonist Jhonen Vasquez, and it aired on Nickelodeon from 2001 to 2002, with a later revival on Nicktoons in 2006.

"Few properties have maintained the passionate, enduring fanbase that Invader Zim has," Bryce Carlson, VP, Business Development & Special Projects, Random House Worlds, said of the franchise's longevity in a statement shared by IGN. "We have exciting plans to bring beloved out-of-print material back onto shelves, and BOOM! is going to usher in a new era of DOOM! with brand-new stories that expand the strange and chaotic world fans know and love. The new invasion has begun. You’ve been warned..."

Invader Zim Already Had an Impressive Comics Run in 2015

BOOM! Studios' new plans for Invader Zim come more than a decade after the franchise previously enjoyed a comics run with Oni Press. The series was a continuation of the animated Nickelodeon series, with Vasquez returning to write. It debuted on July 8, 2015, and ran monthly for 50 issues until 2020. Another series, Invader Zim Quarterly, followed in 2020, and a special one-shot followed in 2021 that concluded the Oni Press run.

Fans looking for more animated Invader Zim goodness were treated to Enter the Florpus, a Netflix film that was based on both the TV series and its comics' counterpart. Vasquez wrote the screenplay for the film, which saw Zim attempting to gain the attention of his leaders and accidentally creating a cataclysmic catastrophe — prompting his human nemesis Dib to intervene and make things right.

More details of BOOM! Studios' Invader Zim revival can be expected to emerge in the coming months.