I’m gonna sing \"The Doom Song\"! \"Doom doom doom, doom doom, doom doom, doom....\"
Yes, folks, everyone\'s favorite malfunctioning robot servant is coming to you in plastic form as part of Palisades Toys second series of Invader Zim action figures. So listen up, Earthling monkeys: the invasion is coming… uh, again.
Series two gives us even more Zimtastic little pieces of Earth plastic, and compliments the first series very well indeed. You get the Almighty Tallest Red Irken co-commander, Dib’s little sister Gaz, Zim’s faulty Robo-Parents, Zim in his human form, and the long-awaited doggie suit-disguised GIR. Each of these new figures continues the excellent sculpting and fine paint decals of the first series. I’ve said it before: it is very difficult to translate two-dimensional characters into three-dimensional action figures, especially with some of the highly stylized cartoons that are produced nowadays. Zim can be especially difficult, with most of the characters having gigantic melon heads and the teeniest, tiniest legs and feet. Somehow, Palisades pulled their designs fantastically and still managed to cram a heaping helping of articulation into each tiny body.
Unfortunately, it does come with a price.
Zim’s second series still suffers from the major problem that sadly plagued the first line. Because of the aforementioned tricky cartoon designs, the figures are really delicate. Half of the first series of toys on my shelf have been glued multiple times. Obviously, things like that are bound to happen when most of the joints are two or three millimeters wide; especially when most of their heads are half the size of their bodies. This is particularly tough on their tiny neck joints. Seriously though, every single Zim action figure that I own has suffered a debilitating decapitation. It’s starting to look like the French Revolution on my toy shelf.
Oh yes, my friends. And may God help you if one of these little guys falls off of your shelf. I know these designs are very difficult to produce, but it just seemed like there would be ways to prevent such serious damage. For instance, because Zim’s head is half the size of the whole action figure he is very top heavy-- especially with his tiny ant legs. Oh, gravity, you foul mistress of demented torture! If Palisades would have used lighter plastic, maybe even a rotocast head, it would\'ve alleviated a lot of the problems.
Basically, it boils down to this: if you plan on opening these figures, one of them will break-- a fact that is terribly disappointing given all of their fantastic appearances.
Despite these flaws, Zim\'s second series of action figures does have something especially great going for them. The first series had some excellent accessories, but this series blows the first one\'s completely away. Almost every figure in the second set comes with a piece of Zim’s secret base. Three come with pieces that can be assembled to form the front facade, and his robotic parents come with pieces to form Zim’s living room-- including a gigantic couch. The Tallest Red doesn’t come with any house accessories, but he does come with the other half of the round command deck to attach to the first series\' Tallest Purple.
This is an incredibly cool development for the series, and it is a missed opportunity that more toy lines should take advantage of. Not only does it give a rabid toy consumer a terrific playset, but it is a great enticement to purchase the entire set, theoretically keeping the toy line in production longer. All I can say is, \"Magnifico!\"
Oh! And just like last time, there are versions of each of these figures that are exclusive to Hot Topic. They come with a fewer amount of different accessories, but most of them have more interesting sculpts of the figures themselves. Human Zim even comes with his hypnotic little friend Pustulio.
Now you can control all the kids on the playground and always get the best seat on the swing set. Yes, tremble before the might of the Irken Empire’s most exalted planet conquering champion, you puny Earth dog!