Atop the Fourth Wall: Power Rangers Zeo #1

Monday, January 17, 2011

Power Rangers Zeo #1

We interrupt the Cry for Justice review with something with worse art but a more entertaining story involving robots!

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223 comments:

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Stephen said...: I don't want to start a flame war or anything, but at the same time, I want to say how I really feel about this. I know there's many who will disagree with what I'm about to say, and that's okay. I'm, fine with people having different opinions than mine.

When I saw the white Linkara costume in the video, I didn't know how to feel. I burst out laughing, but at the same time, I felt embarrassed for having watched the episode. The scene just pushed the video into self-indulgent worshiping territory and turned Lewis/Linkara's on the show into a Mary Sue in the sense that he can pretty much do anything and the universe revolves around him.

I can understand wanting to include a fight scene for the fans, but the reason why I started watching this show in the first place was because I wanted to see someone who's good at reviewing comics review comics, not spend half the video reviewing a comic and the other half into one big fight scene that only people who watch the show regularly can understand and possibly alienate newcomers.; January 17, 2011 at 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...: i was wondering when this was going to be looked at when you made the new opening of the show. anyways, great stuff once again from you two and i can't wait for the commentary for this[if you choose to do one for this episode, that is]!; January 17, 2011 at 4:20 PM
Mountain King said...: Well it's hardly surprising that Image lost the licence, what is surprising is that they did a fairly respectable job on it. Well respectable for Power Rangers. Don't get me wrong I still like and often re-watch what episodes I have (mostly the latter years because they were cheap on DVD) but it's hardly great fiction. For example it's not up to the standards of Babylon 5 or even Star Trek (that dispute it's age is classic for a very good reason).
Most of Power Rangers fandom are nostalgic and willing to overlook the various flaws because of that. Much like Transformers fans and their rose-tinted glasses blanking out some of the dodgy parts of good old G-1. That is why your matter of fact analysis of the Power Rangers series works. You look at it, warts and all, and respect it for what it attempts to do and why it fails.
That's why reviewing this comic felt forced, it DID fit into Zeo. Almost too well. You didn't make it clear, but was this part of the so called "Scorpion Rain hoax", or am I just getting my wires crossed. Either way I do wonder if there was some sort of meeting between the writers of the comic and the show to get it to fit.
Anyway, on to the point of the "review"; the battle. It would have made more sense if it had come as part of the Christmas build up to Cry for Justice but that really doesn't matter. This came out of nowhere and deserved a bit more build up, I don't see this as a surprise, more of an action scene to keep us on the edge of our seats. A perfect example is the return of Nutro. I would have expected a bit more to it, even a throw away line about a homing beacon, but just saying you stole it back off screen is a little iffy.
Still, while feeling out of place it was a good episode and a fair review. One thing I have to say; it's easy to see how stilted you and Liz's acting can be. Loosen up a little bit and it might feel a bit more natural. As it is, urm… Good review…

Thomas
AKA Mountain King; January 17, 2011 at 4:24 PM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "When I saw the white Linkara costume in the video, I didn't know how to feel. I burst out laughing, but at the same time, I felt embarrassed for having watched the episode. The scene just pushed the video into self-indulgent worshiping territory and turned Lewis/Linkara's on the show into a Mary Sue in the sense that he can pretty much do anything and the universe revolves around him.

I can understand wanting to include a fight scene for the fans, but the reason why I started watching this show in the first place was because I wanted to see someone who's good at reviewing comics review comics, not spend half the video reviewing a comic and the other half into one big fight scene that only people who watch the show regularly can understand and possibly alienate newcomers."

It is, of course, your perogative and opinion. You're allowed to not like the story bits or fight scenes.

But I did give my full thoughts on the comic and then moved into the story parts - I do try to keep the two parts separated so people who don't enjoy such things don't have to watch them. And since it is my show and I'm the host and reviewer and all, well, yeah, the universe within it DOES revolve around me. XD

As for alienating newcomers, every video, like every comic, is someone's first. And inevitably there are going to be aspects that a newcomer isn't familiar with. However, the goal of any such video, comic, etc. is to not push them away but rather encourage them to seek out more material so they can better understand it.

If that suceeds - it's fantastic and I can only hope I accomplish that. If not, then that is indeed my failing and I'll try to do better next time.

Still, don't worry about starting a flame war - I expect my fans to be honest with me, both in praise and critique and if any of my fans have a problem with that, I will respond accordingly.

So, yeah, thanks for watching, anyway!; January 17, 2011 at 4:32 PM
samson said...: while i do understand Stephen's point of view, this could be simply viewed as a comic book story line. as such, even if special effects and acting is a bit iffy (seriously linkara, i know you're pround of your girlfriend but do you need to show her off in every video? ;)), this can just be viewed as an example of a good comic book plot/story; January 17, 2011 at 4:33 PM
FugueforFrog said...: Neutro...it had to be Neutro. Only someone as invincible and chaotic as Neutro could be controlled by you. Oh, and I commend you on using the Paper Lace version of "Billy Don't Be a Hero"...yeah, Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods made it famous here but Paper Lace did it first.

Something tells me that you're going to somehow skip the Turbo powers...or have 90s Kid use it while you upgrade to Space next.; January 17, 2011 at 4:37 PM
Stephen said...: "But I did give my full thoughts on the comic and then moved into the story parts - I do try to keep the two parts separated so people who don't enjoy such things don't have to watch them. And since it is my show and I'm the host and reviewer and all, well, yeah, the universe within it DOES revolve around me. XD"

I do like how the parts were separated. The review itself was quite good and I liked the "Time 4 back story" bits.

Anyways, thanks for reading and replying. It means a lot to me. :); January 17, 2011 at 4:38 PM
THEWRATHFULSIRCHUNX said...: Great episode but I wished the Captain America shiled was used at some point during the fight.; January 17, 2011 at 4:38 PM
Shadow Walker said...: I understand Stephen's point of view but in all honesty this is the reason why I like the show so much. Though I just may be a little biased having watched the story progress.

Yes it was a little self indulgent, and I laughed; but it wasn't out of embarassment it was out of the pure why did i not see that coming. I honestly expected a ranger suit for Linkara sooner than this but I wasn't let down.

Though I do have one minor nitpick the scene where Judas Liz says there can only be one in this universe or there abouts why did you only show her hair? Was it just limited ability to get the shot or what? It would've worked a little better if we could see her face; and yes the acting was stilted and cheesy. Not saying you don't do a wonderful job but I agree you need to loosen up both of you.

Anyway good job Linkara love the suit and so jealous you got Ron Wasserman to make you your own fight theme. Oh and what do we call your zeo ranger form?; January 17, 2011 at 4:45 PM
Jesse said...: AWESOME! Linkara, you're living my Power Ranger, fanboy dream lol. A VERY nice break from the C4J 3-parter. And here I thought the break wouldn't fit. I stand (happily) corrected.

I heard of this issue, but could never find it. Sucks it only had this one issue and then ended.

Cool fight with Mechakara. I think it's better than the one from last year. When he grew at first I thought you were going to use a candle to drawn the power. Giant battling robots is better though.

I had several of the PR weapons from this episode and wish I still had them. I still have all the VSH tapes that came out at the time (All of the "Green With Evil" mini series too) so that's enough.

One last thing. When you morphed you looked a lot like Shawn Michaels from Wrestlemaina 25. That was awesome in of itself.; January 17, 2011 at 4:46 PM
James said...: I have mixed feelings; I really liked seeing Mechakara return, and a closer look at Judas Liz (though her spot was too short), the fight was kind of cheesy. Wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. Though it did a nice job establishing the growing threat of Vyce.

Still, the review was hilarious. Another good job, Lewis. Oh, and you definitely have the coolest girlfriend around. Make sure you get her something great for Valentine's Day. ;); January 17, 2011 at 4:46 PM
Anonymous said...: Smooth Criminal Linkara along with a battle royale with cheese. Just wow. I don't know what's more utterly ridiculous and silly yet epic, the second half of this review video, the "Punk is nothing but death...and crime...and the rage of a beast." line from your Batman: Fortunate Son review, or your original fight with Mechakara.

...I'd have to say this video's second half because... I never had a review put more of a smile to my face and laugh more than the first review I saw on your show, which if I remember correctly was the Captain Planet review.

The one thing I wish you could have added was for the backstory parts you could've mentioned your History Of Power Rangers series and then made sort of a running joke out of that. Otherwise, great review!; January 17, 2011 at 4:50 PM
Kymurii said...: So, when you got to the point in the review when you said that the Zeo comic was done by Image, I have to honestly say that I found myself recoiling in fear.

My brain already saw the cover and knew that they had questionable bodies, but it some how blocked out the Image logo from comprehension. Amazing that they did manage to at least keep it on par with the show though. Not an easy feat.

However, I think you might have out-cheesed the Power Rangers in your own way here. While fairly new to your series as a whole, I did pick up on the obvious clues that you've left behind, and knew what to expect, though you should make your own giant robot soon, even if you have to get Insano to make it for you. Neutro can only go so far.

Now I know there are people that have called you a Mary Sue (technically should be Gary Stu if the term is correct), but the thing is, while you are reviewing comics, the world you're doing it in IS one where stuff like that can happen. That, and its your universe, or at least your portion of the universe and the like, so slack can be given in my opinion.

Plus, if you lost, we might get stuck with reviews by 90's Kid for the rest of eternity...; January 17, 2011 at 4:52 PM
Andrew said...: I really wasn't expecting the giant robot at the end... Or Zeo Linkara XD

The only problem with the episode I have is the lack of a "V-MINUS 28" at the end, but, oh well. It was a great episode!; January 17, 2011 at 4:53 PM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "Though I do have one minor nitpick the scene where Judas Liz says there can only be one in this universe or there abouts why did you only show her hair? Was it just limited ability to get the shot or what? It would've worked a little better if we could see her face; and yes the acting was stilted and cheesy. Not saying you don't do a wonderful job but I agree you need to loosen up both of you."

It stemmed from some confusion between us about revealing her face - so, yeah, the editing's a little weird there as a result, but I made do with what I had.; January 17, 2011 at 4:55 PM
Anonymous said...: DAmn this new posting system.

Anyway, I think this video proves what I say about evil being sexy. Instantly with that evil version of Ironliz she was more attractive.

Have to wonder how Vice got in contact with the machine and upgraded him, must've forgotten how that happened. Vice will definantly be interesting.

The vice cosplay suit made me laugh though. Very well done but also funny.; January 17, 2011 at 4:55 PM
Anonymous said...: Wow, this video was so awesome it blew up Rangerboard.; January 17, 2011 at 4:55 PM
Scott said...: This was a fun review to watch. I did not expect to see a Mecha Kara fight, however. Certainly is an interesting way to link this review up with your other Power Rangers review. I was completely expected the Green Ranger costume to appear instead of White Knight Kara (didn't happen to put on a blue ring during that transformation sequence did you? :p).

Thanks for the entertaining review and keep up the good work.; January 17, 2011 at 4:55 PM
lordciaran said...: ok this is just wow, i mean it starts off like an episode of atop the forth wall but then just bamn Power ranger Linkara, with a good costume since if you think about it, he is,nt saban or toei and really it is a very good fan based costume and personally i would gladly wear it if given the option, also anyone want to try and out do Linkara be my guess and see how hard it is to make a power ranger costume original

I enjoyed the review of the comic and loved the final fight with Mecha Kara and Neutro.

Also i am glad Iron Liz helped out in the gaint monster fight, and i have to respect her for wearing that costume i mean yikes that home made Neutro suit must of been roasting. Linkara or Lewis whatever you prefer being called, bravo bravo and also bravo to poyo and Iron Liz keep it up. Looking forward to the end of that nightmare which is Cry for Justice to see your re action to the finale of the "darkest Jusatice league Story.; January 17, 2011 at 4:59 PM
Brandon Koehler said...: "Stronger than before... GO NEUTRO!"
I am simply awestruck. The Zeo Comic for one thing.
That second issue would have been awesome, especially for an episode. I can imagine that all the powers (whether from the Dino coins or Ninja coins) into some sort of Millennium Morpher, with gold plates and the lightning designs on the corner becoming the same color as the ranger who was using it. Billy morphs and gains all the old powers and destroys some ultimate foe and then steps down forever. Now THAT is how Billy should have been written out of the show. As awesome as that was, the fight, oh the fight! For one, Zeo Linkara was awesomely hysterical!! I don't mean that in a bad way of course and the outfit felt very nice of a blend between the Zeo costumes and the hat and jacket. But since you used the Golden Power Staff, I was expecting a little more gold in the outfit then the cuffs and around the neck area. The Evil Iron Liz was a neat idea but I felt a little more interaction could have happened. And last but, not least Neutro!!! That costume, just wow! I remember you talked about his return but man what a comeback! He went from a 2-d image, to a CG model in the Dr. Insano Familiar Faces, to a real costume. Amazing!! Overall, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1 was my favorite episode but after all that, this challenges it. Thank you for this spectacular episode Linkara.; January 17, 2011 at 5:00 PM
The Mad Scientist said...: This.....this.....WOW!!!!!!!!! Lewis, you continue to amaze me with every episode. Being the Power Rangers fan that I am, I am very pleased with your honest critique of the comic and the assessment you gave about how it could have proceeded if the license hadn't been lost. The story bits gave me lots of good laughs and added a metric ton of awesome to the Vyce story. I'm really hoping that we get a commentary on this episode eventually, but even if we don't, it will still be one of my favorites. Well done!; January 17, 2011 at 5:01 PM
E. Wilson said...: ....you keep Neutro's access device in your nick-nack drawer? Well, I suppose that's as good a place as any to keep it.

I'm also rather impressed with this comic, especially compared to the crappy comics that came out during the MMPR era; I had a few as a kid, and even then, I wasn't impressed.

Whoever thought IMAGE, of all companies, would raise the bar in terms of plot in regards to PR comics? I've rarely used "IMAGE" and "plot" in the same sentence.; January 17, 2011 at 5:03 PM
Yogurt said...: oh hey nice revie---NEUTRO COSTUME!

That caught me off guard!; January 17, 2011 at 5:03 PM
KaiKasparek said...: "Plus, if you lost, we might get stuck with reviews by 90's Kid for the rest of eternity..."

In my opinion, that would be a good thing. Lewis seems to be the only person who can do the "other side of the argument" mockery with just enough fun and self-deprecation to make it charming.

Lewis, you already your point about making the review and the "story" two seperate things, and I respect that.

That being said, there is something I have to say.

Do not ever, ever, ever use "Judas Liz" (ugh, it makes me ill just typing it) again. That made me cringe so hard. And I generally don't have a problem with Liz or her being on your show, but that crossed the line twice as TVtropes would say.; January 17, 2011 at 5:04 PM
KaiKasparek said...: also agreed with the Shawn Michaels comment. Though I can't decide whether or not finishing Mechakara with a superkick would have made the video better or worse.; January 17, 2011 at 5:06 PM
Starhound said...: Wow, glad to know issue 2 never came out, instead of me just having bad luck in finding it. Makes a lot more sense now.

And dude, Zeokara? That was fantastically awesome, sir.; January 17, 2011 at 5:09 PM
deuxhero said...: Wait what happened to the Magic Coin? Was it used as a power coin for the morpher?; January 17, 2011 at 5:10 PM
Liam Collins said...: Holy Pirate-version of Christopher Walken, was this bat-shit insane. Let's see what is happening in a 10 minute period; a cyborg who wears A fasionable shirt and has the adapting ability of the Borg; a badass comic book nerd who has the power of the Power Rangers and a 17th century flintlock pistol that fires laser; a sword fight between an Iron Maiden fan and a Judas Priest fan and a giant robot battle between a fashion conscious cyborg and a robot that can conquer T-Rexes and whales....colour me WTF!!!!

But could still have use some POWERHOUSE EXCITEMENT!!!; January 17, 2011 at 5:11 PM
Rowdy C said...: I knew the Zeo comic had to be coming due to its prominence in the title sequence, but I thought it would come in this epic upcoming Lord Vyce battle. Then the second half comes up and it all makes sense

And yes, I like that this is all full of Ham and Cheese and loaded with fanboy geekdom. This show is still better than half of what's on actual TV today.

Wait, you've actually been able to contact Ron Wasserman? Okay, now I will bow down and worship you.; January 17, 2011 at 5:11 PM
Anonymous said...: @Lewis Lovhaug Awesome Episode, But If I finished it, The Container which holds the Powers from the original power coins would've found the remains of both the Dino & Ninja coins revived them & Billy would've grabbed them, locked them down under the Power Chamber unless it was a real serious emergency. Plus I saw in October on Myspace.com/JBF428 a mix of a small rant from this James Faraci the self proclaimed "Last Of The Americans" which mixed in a tale of babysitting his twin nieces with you, the AVGN & the Nostalgia Critic. The story also has all of them taking on Mechakara, Christy Carlson Romano, Evil Clones of James, The AVGN & The Nostalgia Critic, You, Nostalgia Critic, James, The AVGN & James' twin nieces morphing, James Megamorphing calling on a weapon called the Hyper-Cannon, Dr. Insano capturing Christy and making her his seventh wife through bigamy after James disintergrates the clones and you closing out his blog. That battle is on par with the battle with Mechakara in this episode!; January 17, 2011 at 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...: Wow, Linkara said a Swear!! O.O

I enjoyed both parts of the show. Probably the second part more because I was never big on Power Rangers. So the comic review while amusing wasn't something that spoke too much to me. But I'm glad to see that at least one part of the Master Vile story has been wrapped up.

The White Linkara Ranger was pretty hilarious I though. I couldn't stop smiling through the whole video. It was just great. Linkara needs some socks though if he's gonna role around on the carpet. Heh. His feet just stood out to me in the video for some reason.; January 17, 2011 at 5:12 PM
EinWolf said...: I gotta agree... I did feel like the comic review felt like you were just bouncing off the walls hyper or just in a hurry to get through it to get on to the fight.

As for the fight it's self, it wasn't... I just, it feels like you were taking it WAY too seriously. With the pimp from heaven suit and just the way you seemed rip roaring to go and your eyes kept darting to the side, most obvious in the Neutro scene.

Anyways, a lot of this just feels like it came out of nowhere. Not quite 'big lipped aligator' material but close. Especially with the character of 'Linkara' slowly becoming something akin to silver age Superman with the powers on demand thing.

I admit I don't have quite so much enthusiasm or creativity. But I like to consider myself a objective individual who while not particularly educated or well read know enough about a variety of subjects to be able to form an intelligent analysis. Though I also know better than to write run on sentences, and it rarely stops me.

At any rate, keep at it. But just don't get so wrapped up in the plot arcs and what have you of your show that the meaning is lost. You'll just end up like Uwe Boll and I wish that on no one!; January 17, 2011 at 5:14 PM
areoborg said...: Was Evil Liz using Frostmourn, or just a sword with a similar design?

I did like the cockpit gags. If the Nintendo Controller was good enough for the Ghostbusters to drive the Statue of Liberty, it should be good enough for you.; January 17, 2011 at 5:20 PM
TheDVDGrouch said...: That one really had it all epic fight scenes, Giant Roberts, Girls with swords the only thing you were missing was dragons & the kitchen sink.; January 17, 2011 at 5:26 PM
Unknown said...: great review dude. I don't know about others but I like the story lines in your show. It shows creativity of being able to meld the two. Also, definitely try and track down that youngblood/zeo crossover. I would like to see the shlock of Liefeld mixed with the greatness of Zeo. Looking forward to the next episode.; January 17, 2011 at 5:30 PM
Ununnilium said...: That was, indeed, deeply self-indulgent. Just like the modern comic-book industry! It's appropriate!

(And I do love alternate costumes.); January 17, 2011 at 5:30 PM
Unknown said...: Also, one last thing: who was the meld of rita and zedd? Was that from the Dino Thunder credit?; January 17, 2011 at 5:32 PM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "Wait what happened to the Magic Coin? Was it used as a power coin for the morpher?"

Yep, that's what I used in the morpher last year.; January 17, 2011 at 5:36 PM
Scutigera said...: VERY cool fight scene, and possibly the best one yet. Very impressive choreography, and while I'm starting to think Mechakara needs to change tactics (seriously dude just plant a bomb or something), its always nice when old (and new) enemies show up for a brawl. I love the Linkara Ranger uniform, and I was really impressed by the Neutro suit too.

While both costumes are of very high quality, if I may make a suggestion I think the Linkara Ranger uniform should have something like a mask, possibly resembling the Linkara logo. I also think it would be good to cover up the back of Neutro's head with some black cloth or something similar.

I really hope Neutro shows up in more TGWTG specials!

As for the comic itself, my general distaste for 90s artwork aside it really didn't seem bad at all, and since they weren't constrained by sentai footage and budget it had the potential to tell a really interesting story. I really hope you track down the Youngbloods crossover, because I have no idea how that would work.

Youngbloods: "We admire dictators. Crotch attack!"

Power Rangers: "uuuuh, we'll be over here..."

Anyway, once again great stuff!; January 17, 2011 at 5:47 PM
Aurabolt said...: So, just to get something out of the way for people who seem to have issue with this story? What the hell?? The narrative of this fight and the rest we've seen are nothing different than the narrative aspects of Power Rangers, and what any normal hero with more than two brain cells would do in a fight; prepare accordingly. Many people call The Doctor a 'Marty Stu' for the same reasons-intellect to plan for a situation over brute force-which is not true in any regard. I respect your opinions about the episode for anyone who had a problem. I only want to make clear that a "Marty Stu" is invincible and has no flaws; While Linkara was prepared with better weaponry, he still got blindsided with a sneak attack, was unable to get help from allies due to a protracted divide-and-conquer strategy, and nearly lost on the sole reason of resorting to old tactics. If Mechara hadn't been toying with him like a true unfeeling robot, this would've been over. Oh, and the fact that Linkara proved to be all those things and more in Slient Hill: Dead-Alive might prove to be a little self-indulgent, but every author is guilty of that on some level for the basic fact that all people have stories they like to tell.

Huh. Loved the fight scene, but I have to wonder how in the hell magic can be adapted to with a technological body. I assumed the Magic Gun and Dragon Dagger-while having been used on him before-were magical in nature and something he couldn't resist.

Also, nice to see Iron Liz didn't take any damage from Judas Liz. That +5 Defender is really helping her out big-time.

Although I was confused on one thing: The new morphed suit. Yes, it was awesome and even shows an appreciation for the later Power Rangers series with "Power Down", but that little baby seems very different than the Power Coin.

Lastly, good on you for Camelot. I only read Le Morte Dea Authur myself (I know its spelled wrong, I don't know how to do symbols), but always nice to see others enjoying interesting and thought-provoking tragedy.; January 17, 2011 at 5:49 PM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "Also, one last thing: who was the meld of rita and zedd? Was that from the Dino Thunder credit?"

Nah, the Dino Thunder credit was Tommy walking through the school hallway.

The son of Rita and Zedd is Thrax, from an episode of Operation Overdrive. It's... not very good.; January 17, 2011 at 5:50 PM
Anonymous said...: Good episode. While I know that this proably took alot of editing and other work, I would have liked to see a continuation (sorry for the horrible spelling) of cry for justice. I mean does Meckara fit somewhere in the continuity of lord vice's impending invasion? I mean ik that he was plotting with vice and all but, did vice send him as like a preddeccer or was this just a random attack? Also you mention in your summary it has bad art work but in the accutal review you never really put any out beyond the cover and tommy's face.
Again though good review
P.S. Not to compare you to countdown but you used that qoute about first time readers and atleast countdown give the newcomers (if any) time to catch up; January 17, 2011 at 5:50 PM
Anonymous said...: I've been watching this show (if that's what the kids today are calling it) for quite some time, but I have never felt the urge to comment until after seeing this review. I feel that I do need to agree with Stephen's comment that it is rather self indulgent, but what got to me was that it was a much larger segment than in any of the others. I remember seeing this large gap between the current time into the video and the end of the video and it was a tad ridiculous. I found the part where Iron Liz fought Judas Liz to be unnecessary and I place the blame for that on the facts that it wasn't that long of a fight and it came out of nowhere and without explanation.

With that said, I don't have a problem with the fight scenes, but they're taken far too seriously most of the time (excluding the Nes Advantage part).

I disagree with what he said about this video alienating new viewers for the exact reason you posted, though it still might alienate some new viewers. That's why I always start from the beginning of anything new to me.

I found the white costume to be more laughable than serious, though that mostly came from Linkara looking like a pimp. Whether or not that was intentional eludes me. I feel like the battle between Mechakara and Linkara to be an apology for not doing the finale to Cry for Justice. If not I'm going to take it as an apology.

Sorry if this is a long read.; January 17, 2011 at 5:52 PM
Anonymous said...: I got to say the white costume was both ridiculous, but also cool, which is totally in the spirit of zeo.

Overall, I liked the figth, although I am disapointed that we didnt' get to see Liz do any actual fighting, those swords looked cool. (who is Judas Liz, is that a reference I forgot) Whatever, it was fun.

I will state the review itself was a disapointment. I think I understand what you meant in the screw ups video when you said talking about a good comic isn't very funny. This comic wasn't that bad, so the review wasn't that funny.

So I guess the episode as a whole gets a B.; January 17, 2011 at 6:00 PM
Marc Reyes said...: To be honest, I was hoping PRZ #1 would figure in as part of the "DOUBLE FEATURE!" in February, but I'm certainly not complaining about this. Thoughts:

- The whole "Power Rangers aren't supposed to be muscular" argument rings true for me too. It bugs me when I see Power Ranger figures that are roided-up, it just annoys me. I'd really love to see proportionate PR figures that aren't muscle-bound or anything.

- For what its worth, bad art aside, it does stay true to the show and whatever. I'm also a bit saddened that the comic couldn't continue on, as had it continued on, we would've had Billy turned into an Evil Grey Ranger, as well as robotic Power Ranger duplicates.

- A PRZ/Youngblood crossover? It's as insane as having Scott Pilgrim appear and team up with Spider-Man, or the TMNT teaming up with Spawn and other Image heroes. (Only one of the two actually happen, can you guess which?)

- I just love the action sequences and the plot stuff. You wouldn't expect it on a video review show about comics, but I just love it. As they say, haters gonna hate.; January 17, 2011 at 6:06 PM
Sethery said...: Great episode LLL, but there's a coupla things that confused me: what was TJ Omega credited for, and what version of "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" was that? The credits say Paper Lace, but the version that I have sounds a bit different.; January 17, 2011 at 6:11 PM
Pokeprof said...: A rather enjoyable episode, Linkara, and some rather hilarious bits too.

Just a couple of statements, both to you and your fans, as far as how things in the series goes.

One, it's a series FOCUSED on Linkara and what he does, reviewing comics. Any other series that focus's on a character is going to, in fact, have odd things happen to say character on a weekly, if not daily basis. Any Webcomic, TV show, or Video Game will tell you that much.

Second, This particular episode POWER RANGERS inspired, of COURSE it's going to be cheesy. That's part of what makes it so fun! And I honestly couldn't see Linkara do this earlier in his series, if only because his acting WASN'T as good and has since gotten better.

Third, we've seen Linkara AND Liz use items from books (Icingdeath and Twinkle) and shows (Power Rangers) before, so especially with Lord Vice breathing down their necks, I have no doubt that they wouldn't upgrade. Besides, as I've said before, It's Power Rangers inspired, I wouldn't doubt a Zord of some kind and Nutro fits right in with the 'Linkara Lore'.

In a way, I think the fans are being a little too critical of this episode, particularly since it was meant as a special Christmas episode.; January 17, 2011 at 6:12 PM
Sooz said...: Oh, Linkara... you should definitely stick to the reviews. Or at least keep the goofy non-review content to less than five minutes.; January 17, 2011 at 6:12 PM
Gamein said...: Ironically, I was just listening to Night Crawler before I saw this video. Nice choice.; January 17, 2011 at 6:16 PM
Bazookoidben said...: Hot dayum on a hot tin roof that was fun. I love that I AM A MAUN trope. Never over or under used. Just right.

What with all the comment on the suit, the fight scene and the story arc. My opinion. Your a guy in his own flat doing what he loves for the internet, your not getting paid for it, all your work is your own. So hell. I enjoy it.

If you can make a video each week with a review, and maybe the occasional fight scene, edit it all, and then get it online. And still not ask for a penny from fans...

Well you deserve some sort of award in epic awesomeness.

Anyway....Youngblood and Power rangers. Admittedly I am not actually a big MMPR fan. Since the show was hard to find on UK tv. But even my scant knowledge of the show knows that the pairing of Youngblood and Power Rangers could be the most painful thing since Spiderman met Satan. I could rant about that forever, but that's your job mate.

Also, Neutro costume....epic.

Still counting the days until Vice arrives...I should really think of maybe making a shelter or something.; January 17, 2011 at 6:20 PM
Paul S. said...: I am so thankful I sent you that Neutro comic several years ago.

Where on earth did you get that costume?; January 17, 2011 at 6:21 PM
doggans said...: Call me a fanboy, but I was grinning through the whole fight, especially the buildup to Neutro's return. I continue to be impressed with the way you weave ongoing narrative into a review show.

I had a few issues with the editing and shot framing, but really, they're minor things. One suggestion I would make: the shots of Mechakara and Neutro in the city don't really have any sense of scale. When you cut from Mechakara back to you in the cockpit, it feels like you barely even moved from the greenscreen, just put back on your hat. If you could use lower angle shots for the giant characters (if that's even possible with your greenscreen setup), it might make it more believable.

Because that's what a fight between two giant robots set to Power Rangers music needs to be. Believable. :P; January 17, 2011 at 6:24 PM
Anonymous said...: Epic review Linkara! Alas there will always be people who dispute the Awesomeness that is Power Rangers, but speaking as a Power Rangers fan from way back I thought the White Reviewer costume was truly spectacular. Also I loved the Return of Nutro as the Linkara Megazord, and the continuation of the Awesome Vice plot. Your special effects are really top notch especially the White Reviewer Morphing scene. You are Morphenomenal five stars!!!; January 17, 2011 at 6:28 PM
EinWolf said...: Just to clarify, it's not so much that I take issue with getting new powers. It's more that he gets them RIGHT AWAY. Imagine if in Power Ranger the power coin cracked in the middle of a fight, and without powering down at all (as it's been established that the regular review costume is the 'powered' form) just explodes into an upgraded version.

Then Zordon suddenly announces he's got an even more powerful robot for them to use. That just raises the question 'why didn't he just send that out in the first place?' Cramming everything in to a single review like that seems rushed. But if you were going to do it like that, it works better as book ends like in the original. Suspense needs time if it's going to build.

Like if the fight started, Linkara gets beat to paste and the review takes place in some sort of dream sequence and inspired by his childhood heroes he finds the strength to fight on and dig deeper within himself to draw out a hither to unseen power. Rather than 'Ha HA! I Just LET you punch me in the face for an uncomfortably long time, and used all the stuff you gained immunities to last time to fool you! Into... beating me in the face for an uncomfortably long time... wait.'

Either way, it's an attempt at constructive criticism not an attempt to bash Linkara or anything of the sort. In fact I WISH I had the equipment and know how to set up a show like this because I would quite honestly love to be able to rail against MMOs.; January 17, 2011 at 6:34 PM
Wazaraku said...: Ok Mixed feelings but only nitpicking ones:
- Review: Awesome as always and actually quite interesting story and im kinda sad it was cancelled. I shiver to the idea that this was made by Image, but after the end of the review it was alright

- Fight scene: AWESOME, cheesy and all standing it was quite awesome fight but i have 3 nitpicky thing about it that without them could have been a little more enjoyable
1) Place in continuity... or something: i know the review was meant to be on christmas but even then... didnt have much of a build up, nothing too big but something would have been nice, i mean, we're not talking of a one shot villian to come and get you (Cable as example comes to mind) we're talking about MECHA-FRIKKIN-KARA here.
2) Judas Liz v/s Iron Liz: concept great buuuut (and even you have been able to do great fight of Linkara vs Mechakara) if you arent able to the fight look better between the two metal sword fighter better let them fight against others cos that part was a little dissapointing
3) Neutro costume... kinda: only problem with it was that we can see part of Liz's hair on the back xD

Besides that, awesome stuff, see you next week where we expect great madness :D; January 17, 2011 at 6:34 PM
Cubey said...: Great episode. Amusing that you wrap up a storyline when reviewing a cancelled comic. I'm sure that was intentional.

I don't think Linkara took the fight too seriously. It was hilarious and fun to watch, and looked like you were enjoying yourself when making it too. Well, except for poor Liz boiling in the Neutro costume...
Also, I suggest Pimpkara as a fan nickname for the white suit. Make it happen, TVTropes!

Hey, I just noticed. Linkara said "asshole"! OMG swearing.; January 17, 2011 at 6:35 PM
Unknown said...: You've prepared for a giant robot you rampaging around the city?

That is correct!

How do you prepare for something like that?

Uh... Lucky guess?; January 17, 2011 at 6:38 PM
Gus said...: Really Nice. though I think the fighting either went on too long or you should've found something else to do to eat up the time. I mean the Gold Ranger Staff was a nice touch but I figured Liz would do the morph into white or whatever or you'd bring in someone else to use that to win. I mean heck your ninja character could've did a Ninja storm morph to help out this time.; January 17, 2011 at 6:41 PM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "What with all the comment on the suit, the fight scene and the story arc. My opinion. Your a guy in his own flat doing what he loves for the internet, your not getting paid for it, all your work is your own. So hell. I enjoy it.

If you can make a video each week with a review, and maybe the occasional fight scene, edit it all, and then get it online. And still not ask for a penny from fans..."

Weeeeell, in the interest of fairness, I DO get paid for it through the ad revenue, though indeed the fans themselves don't pay for the show (except out of time for the ads to play).; January 17, 2011 at 6:44 PM
Unknown said...: The Fake Liz was disappointing. No build up at for her and she dies just like that. Still overall it was good; January 17, 2011 at 6:44 PM
Jer Alford said...: As well as that Youngblood x-over, I remember at the time reading that Image also had plans to do a TMNT crossover in their comics too as they had the Turtles license as well when the Zeo issue premiered. This was a few years before they had the TMNT: Next Mutation x-over on TV.; January 17, 2011 at 6:47 PM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "The Fake Liz was disappointing. No build up at for her and she dies just like that. Still overall it was good "

Judas Liz did not die - she teleported out. And technically there WAS build-up... just not in Atop the Fourth Wall. ^_~; January 17, 2011 at 6:47 PM
Anonymous said...: "Has anyone seen Neutro?" Ha ha ha--I don't know if that was Spoony planting a seed for you on his show or if you just saw the line and decided to run with it, but I love the crossover regardless. ;)

Props to the White Linkara costume, btw! Now if you can only work out some way to link it to the "Ship of Lights" storyline from original Battlestar Galactica for maximum nerd points...; January 17, 2011 at 6:51 PM
AmuroNT1 said...: Man, I owned this comic way back when. XD Even when I was a goofy kid, I knew the over-muscled bodies looked ridiculous.

Also, am I the only one who's mildly bothered by the fact that the only things they ever did with Adam (the Asian amongst the group) were martial arts-related? I mean sure, JYB had yet to become a rockstar/soul-reaping, gunslinging, robot-surfing revolutionary, but it's still a little bleh.

Personally, I don't mind the fight scenes and the "side story", since it's a part of what AT4W is. My only complaint (as such) is that, well, the White Zeo costume looked a tad silly. I think it was the jacket. Don't get me wrong, I still loved the whole thing, but the jacket made it look kind of like a Power Ranger wearing a labcoat. Sorry. :(; January 17, 2011 at 6:54 PM
ShadowWing Tronix said...: I'm not sure the Youngblood crossover ever came out. I ordered it, knowing nothing about Youngblood at the time. It was solicited, but the comic store I was using at the time never received it.

Then again, this is Diamond we're talking about, and they're willing to screw over the littler stores.

I rather enjoyed the fight scene, but where did you find a white version of the Linkara gear?; January 17, 2011 at 6:55 PM
AmuroNT1 said...: "Judas Liz did not die - she teleported out. And technically there WAS build-up... just not in Atop the Fourth Wall. ^_~"

I dunno. All due respect Lewis, but don't you yourself often rail against comic that force you to read tie-in comics to get the whole story?; January 17, 2011 at 6:55 PM
Jyger85 said...: Nice episode. That costume, man...you looked a combination of a Zeo Ranger and Big One from J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai (the second season of Super Sentai for PR fans reading that never watched Super Sentai).; January 17, 2011 at 6:56 PM
Captain Rufus said...: I liked the comic review but once the story bit started I pretty much just skipped through.

I know some folks like the non review storylines and such, but... I dunno. Most of them are kind of embarrassing really.

Its like silly cosplay dinner theater and a review when all I really care about is the review.

( A few forums have made a decent point that many of yall video reviewers of the rough "style" TGWTG/AVGN would be better suited with removing the story bits, removing the characters you play, and just reviewing this stuff as yourselves because it comes off LIGHT YEARS better. I know Rolfe's style is basically the one most of yall go by, but even his stuff is better without the story skits or being in character. )

Normally its not so bad, but when the story part of a review is longer than the actual time spent on the review itself?

Oooh boy. At least you decided to put the story bits at the end so I could basically skip past it.

I guess the younger fans love it though.; January 17, 2011 at 7:00 PM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "I dunno. All due respect Lewis, but don't you yourself often rail against comic that force you to read tie-in comics to get the whole story?"

Fair enough, fair enough. I sometimes fall prey to the same mistakes the comic industry does - assuming everyone watches everything.

Still, there isn't much to get with this - he summons someone else, a new player to the field, who is potentially a new character for long-term. She's SUPPOSED to be a bit of a surprise - it's part of why we didn't show much of her yet.

But yeah, I understand your position and I was just attempting to answer a bit jovially.; January 17, 2011 at 7:03 PM
Anonymous said...: I was positive we would see the Green Ranger outfit this episode. I am glad I was wrong. Skin tight spandex is not flattering, but the white outfit was pure awesome. I smiled through out most of the episode.; January 17, 2011 at 7:10 PM
Unknown said...: Way to go, Lewis! That might have been my favorite episode so far, although I do look forward to seeing the finale of "Cry of Justice"....so much disappointment in that mini-series, yet it looks pretty....did we get pulled back in time to 1992?!?!

I remember when this first came out and I thought it looked pretty cool, then again, I was under the impression that Rob Liefeld was a competent artist...live and learn, I guess, lol. I hope I wasn't the only one who thought the "villian of the week" or in this case, issue, actually looked pretty cool and like a halfway decent American-made monster.

And one last thing, couldn't you get Mecha-kara to "accidentally" destroy the Metrodome? I mean, I know its just a show, but still. it would have put it over the top for me, being from MN myself.

Again, great show and looking forward to next time.; January 17, 2011 at 7:12 PM
Recent Facting said...: Linkara can obviously do what he wants because this is his show but I hate it that he interrupted Cry for Justice for this review. I think he should had either made the finale for Cry for Justice a double feature, or release this one at another point during the week. But then again I wasn't surprised by this from his Frank Miller reviews.; January 17, 2011 at 7:12 PM
Anonymous said...: Really nice episode, really nice and long fight, good to see mechakara and neutro back. Was that weapon that Evil Liz was using a Frostmourne replica? Looked like one. Keep with the good work; January 17, 2011 at 7:19 PM
Toby said...: I thought it was, to paraphrase the Bum, "THE GREATEST COMIC BOOK REVIEW I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!"

Seriously, this should be the benchmark for internet reviews that blend story with amusing critique (lookin' at you, Spoony and Nerd). The pieces were all in place, and the new abilities (while admittedly a deus ex machina) were really fun to watch, and the battle between Mechakara and Neutro was AMAZING.

Plus, it's a great sort of full circle kind of thing; Linkara defeated Neutro with the magic coin, but now the robot has become his ally fighting an EVIL Linkara who stole the magic coin.

And yes, Linkara is the center of the universe, but it's the same with any other Internet reviewer with a plot. Why else would the Nerd be attacked by a possessed NES cartridge, or the Nostalgia Critic be probably the worst human being on the planet (at least in the Awesome-verse). Linkara is this world's champion, and thus crap needs to happen to him to make a story.

So yeah, awesome review, and I'm looking forward to C4J #5 and #6
:3; January 17, 2011 at 7:20 PM
Anonymous said...: Just a quick question, Lewis: do you plan to upload a WMV version of this. I always like to download the high quality versions of your PR vids, but there doesn't seem to be one this time. Same with the intro video to HoPR. Just curious. Cheers, mate!; January 17, 2011 at 7:24 PM
TekJansen said...: Wow, Props for this episode, some might have complained a bit about the white suit, but I thought it was pretty cool considering I expected you just to become the Green Ranger.

If I was going to say anything, I'd probably say you might have should have been a red Ranger, it would let you work in your logo, but it was still cool!

Also, I think stuff like this only gets more viewers, because like me, I saw you in Spoony's story and wanted to know more about ya, and you are a great reviewer, so watching the backlog of reviews and enjoying all/most of your work, and I think a lot of people feel the same way.

And glad to see Liz breaking more into the story and your reviews, I half expected to see her turn into Sailor Liz (She did say something about getting a Sailor outfit for Halloween) XD Maybe in the future.

The final fight, wow, ^^; I must say you and Spoony are really stepping it up with your story reviews, better costumes, action, effects, ect. Good job!; January 17, 2011 at 7:24 PM
Anonymous said...: I really liked the review itself. You were very fair to it and after reading some older MMPR comics I'm glad you didn't rip this one apart since it seemed like one of the better ones out there.

I didn't like the big fight in the end. It was very apparent that you put a LOT of work into it with the costumes(which were nice) and throwing in bits of the storyline throughout your other reviews, but it felt a little too long.

I actually wished you would've set aside a little time to share the rumors you researched.; January 17, 2011 at 7:25 PM
Anonymous said...: Heh, I kind of agree the fight scene was a little indulgent, but it was entertaining enough that I'm willing to overlook it anyways.

Plus, that Power Rangers suit was downright BITCHING. :D

Looking forward to more epic-level rage with Cry for Justice next week.; January 17, 2011 at 7:27 PM
KaiKasparek said...: "Judas Liz did not die - she teleported out. And technically there WAS build-up... just not in Atop the Fourth Wall. ^_~"

Wait....what? Where was this buildup?; January 17, 2011 at 7:29 PM
BallsMonkey said...: That Zeokara suit is awesome.; January 17, 2011 at 7:32 PM
BeyondTheInfinite said...: Not the Power Rangers video I've been waiting for but awesome as usual anyways. Why is tommy being played by a Klingon?; January 17, 2011 at 7:34 PM
Anonymous said...: Why did Tommy turn into Dave Lister at 11:22? WHY?!; January 17, 2011 at 7:41 PM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "Wait....what? Where was this buildup?"

In part 3 of her Star Wars RPG retrospective, there was a stinger where a mysterious figure kills an alternate universe Liz (specifically Lita Liz) and the figure said Vyce's catchphrase.

Like I said above, it's admittedly not a proper buildup and I shouldn't expect everyone to watch EVERY video people come out with, so I do apologize about that. Instead, it should be thought of more as the introduction of a new character and villain here.; January 17, 2011 at 7:46 PM
Trevor said...: THAT WAS AMAZING!

What do we call your Zeo Ranger?

Oh! White Ranger Link-ZEO!

Loved the billboard for Obscurus Lupa, do I smell a crossover?

Keep up the good work, Linara!; January 17, 2011 at 7:54 PM
Joel Hook said...: BEST. EPISODE. EVER!! Seriously, they had me pumped! I know some people are saying "you should only focus on the COMIIICs" but really, theres like a gazillion other comic review sites on the internet, it's the humour and the epicness I keep coming back here for! Right on!; January 17, 2011 at 7:57 PM
Anonymous said...: Desert Eagle here.

The first half of this episode was great! I laughed several times and thought it was very funny.

The second half was a flop. Nothing was terribly wrong with it but it was trying to be like the last anniversary fight (which was one of my favorite episodes of the show) and did not quite hit that mark.

The main problem, if you ask me, is you need more actors (acknowledging that the show is low-budget). You have done a good job portraying multiple characters at once in the past (90's Kid, Finevoice, Ninja Style Dancer, Mechakara) but since 'Linksano' it has been making me raise an eyebrow. Costumed characters like Lord Vice work but when it is visibly obvious the same characters are being played by the same actor it does make things boring.; January 17, 2011 at 7:59 PM
Anonymous said...: That was freaking glorious. The White Linkara Ranger was really cool, the white fedora hat was a particularly nice touch. Will Liz ever get a morpher or is it a guys only thing like the battlizers in Lightspeed Rescue? It would be awesome if there was a crossover video where all the channel awesome guys became power rangers.; January 17, 2011 at 8:01 PM
Domino 555 said...: This was a great episode, and I want to thank you for showing this at Magfest, now I can brag to all my friends that I saw it first before they all did!; January 17, 2011 at 8:03 PM
Rowdy C said...: "It's admittedly not a proper buildup and I shouldn't expect everyone to watch EVERY video people come out with, so I do apologize about that."

Hey, I'll give you a pass on that. Stuff like that only happens on occasion and with your story primarily in mind, and all it costs us to get the backstory information is time watching. That's a far cry from the comic companies that develop events that intentionally make numerous references to tie-in material for the sole purpose of making readers pay more money for more books.; January 17, 2011 at 8:06 PM
Unknown said...: Hello, long time listener, first time caller...

Something occurred to me as I was watching the fight and if this is part of the story feel free to ignore it...but um...was it Judas Liz that was defeated? When I watched the video it looked as if maybe, just maybe, Judas Liz was the one left standing at the end and it was Iron Liz you blew away/teleported away.

I think having Judas Liz be undercover as it were, while the real Liz is locked away somewhere would be a really interesting turn of events, forcing Linkara to go on a suicide mission to rescue her or something.

Just a thought. I'm a writer, I have lots of them. Most of them being terrible :P; January 17, 2011 at 8:14 PM
Super Taco Bell said...: I first I was like "what? Another fight scene?" But then the white costume and the Neutro battle was like "OH SHIT WHAT! Duuuuuuuuuuuuude!!". It was a really nice love letter to Power Rangers.; January 17, 2011 at 8:17 PM
Ditko Gamer said...: What a great video.

Bad art aside (c'mon, it's a comic based off a TV show, who expects good art?), that was a pretty nice comic. It was much better than the last Power Rangers comic.

The comic could have made a great show. Billy could then have become a ranger again. I still wish that Billy had been the Gold Ranger (he was my favorite before I finally fell in for Tommy and Adam)

Great fight. The white costume is original and generally rocks. I can't wait to see how awesome the Green Ranger costume will be when incorporated. I still opt that the Kamen Rider Skull hat donning technique is used. Also, if the spandex is a concern, you could always incorporate a sweet flowing cape under the shoulder pads for your own flavor.

Loved the Neutro use. That was awesome! Thanks for the preemptive answer about who was in the costume.

This video showcases your reviewing and fun story making skills.

Sorry to drag the note out, but as I noticed earlier in this thread. I am so glad you get some money from this. You deserve it with your sweet talent.; January 17, 2011 at 8:21 PM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "Hello, long time listener, first time caller...

Something occurred to me as I was watching the fight and if this is part of the story feel free to ignore it...but um...was it Judas Liz that was defeated? When I watched the video it looked as if maybe, just maybe, Judas Liz was the one left standing at the end and it was Iron Liz you blew away/teleported away.

I think having Judas Liz be undercover as it were, while the real Liz is locked away somewhere would be a really interesting turn of events, forcing Linkara to go on a suicide mission to rescue her or something. "

Yeah, it's kind of my fault - I didn't get a shot of her vanishing in front of a green screen or something so it'd be more clear that she was teleporting away and there was no time left to finish the video.; January 17, 2011 at 8:22 PM
TheUberNerdyKid said...: Is it me or does the white Linkara costume make him look like a pimp? And I'm not the only one who noticed the Obscurus Lupa billboard?
Lewis, awesome episode. Neutro vs. Mechakara, YES!
Lewis, where was the Judas Liz build up? I don't think it was on The Foundry, was it? STOP HINTING DAMN IT!; January 17, 2011 at 8:37 PM
Michael said...: Maybe I'm thinking about this too much, but why would Linkara leave a piece of Mechakara relatively unwatched, after he saw him come back from being blown up? Surely he's seen enough comics to know that "playing possum" is a perfectly viable tactic.

Or maybe when Mechakara tries, he'll just shock himself and revert back into the claw, with a caption saying "Ain't I a stinker?"; January 17, 2011 at 8:42 PM
CaButler said...: So that's what happened to Neutro. I wonder when that plot thread was going to pick up.

Wow, I love the fact that you guys are just sharing these videos. Viva la Spoony and Linkara!; January 17, 2011 at 8:50 PM
Doink said...: Why don't you get an iMod, that'll deal with your adaptation problem. :)
In all seriousness, cool review. I think that a review of the Youngbloods crossover would be in order (if you can ever find them). I can't wait for the AT4W Live to get posted; January 17, 2011 at 8:53 PM
TimeTravelerJessica said...: Camelot! I love Camelot! I am wearing the shirt from my high school's production today! What a coincidence!

Anyway, I enjoyed this vid and the fight with Mechekara. Nice way to incorporate Liz.

I'm looking forward to the finish-up on Cry For Justice next week.; January 17, 2011 at 8:57 PM
Rogue Leader said...: When i was young, in the 90's i was hype by the comics, but there awful, even today, i have one.

Great review linkara!!; January 17, 2011 at 8:59 PM
Minty Dragon said...: Okay, first of all, this review had me hooked, smiling, grinning, and laughing my head off when it came to all the various twists and happenstances. While I agree that there were some arbitrary bits (Judas Liz herself being a tad tacked on for my liking, although her mention of there should only be one in this universe" does make me curious about what's about to happen in the future.

There's one plothole, here, however, that I'm rather surprised nobody caught, among other things; wasn't Mechakara already immune to the magic gun, as well as the dragon dagger? I can appreciate that perhaps his invulnerabilities were undone with the upgrades that Lord Vyce had added to him...but that excuse was thrown out when Mechakara mentioned that the weapons Linkara used beforehand were all accounted for. By that logic, save the weapons using a different/increased power source, shouldn't they have been as ineffective as they were when Mechakara last dealt with them?

Still, as far as that point goes in the episode, the plot discrepancy didn't really affect the final outcome much, as even when they affected Mechakara...they kind of didn't. Kudos for that, at least. And honestly, I don't understand what this is about Linkara being some kind of Mary Sue/Gary Stu. He gets hurt in these fights, he comes close to losing/dying, hell, he was even KIDNAPPED for a few weeks with his friends having to save him. If he was a Mary/Gary Sue/Stu, he'd have all the enemy's arms twisted about their backs, not even have to towel himself off after the fights, and he'd have taken the enemy ship over as his own while he was on it...besides, this' his show. It's not like this is some kind of program with a great cast of characters who're supposed to share the spotlight.

...and great usage of the Chekhov's Gun there, with the broken morpher, Linkara. I did not expect things to turn out like they did concerning the magic coin (the chant that Mechakara gave there was quite interesting in itself). The sound effects could have done with a bit of work (unless Mechakara has a large ball where his stomach is), but the visual effects were fairly well done; kudos to Liz, too, for her part in, well, her parts.; January 17, 2011 at 9:09 PM
Truce Weston said...: It's been a while since I have commented on one of your videos (sorry), but I have been watching and enjoying all of them!

This was one of the most awesome things I have ever seen! That Zeo Linkara Ranger costume (whatever it's called) was great, and seeing Neutro and Iron Liz kick some ass was also awesome!

I actually own this comic, and was gonna send it to you a while ago, but then decided to keep it, myself having a soft spot for Power Rangers, as you do. It's a bummer this didn't get the chance to continue.

You should have noted in the morphing page, I saw Tommy was suffering from Youngblood's Disease, but then again, pointing out all instances in where in 1990's Image comics where the characters have Youngblood's Disease, is like counting grains of sand at the beach!

So until The Dark Knight musical is made, MAKE MINE LINKARA!; January 17, 2011 at 9:16 PM
The Wookie Has No Pants said...: I understand what Stephen says, but disagree entirely.

Fans of Linkara and his show, know he has a tongue in cheek kind of nature to some of his stuff, and wit. This plays along with some of that here, as does his love for stuff like Power Rangers and Star Trek, hence their constant references throughout AT4W, and the genesis of his HOPR project also.

The fight was awesome, and very well crafted, and was an excellent but belated holiday gift from him to his fans, and one I, and many others, welcomed!

Great video, Mr Linkara!; January 17, 2011 at 9:24 PM
Amnesia said...: I thought this was awesome when I saw it at Magfest, and my opinion hasn't changed on second viewing. You and Iron Liz, just keep being awesome, all right?

And thanks again for signing my hat.; January 17, 2011 at 9:24 PM
The Guy In The Red Hat said...: Loved seeing this at MAGfest, loved the episode in general. The fight scene was awesome and the best yet, and I can't wait to see the next big episode and how you can top that!; January 17, 2011 at 9:25 PM
Anonymous said...: That was friggin' awesome! As someone who watched and loved Power Rangers (including Zeo) as a kid, I had such glee in watching this. I'm gonna have to get everything in bullet points.

First, the subject of this comic: KNEW IT!

Second, the comic itself: I gotta admit, when I first saw that it was by Image, I thought we'd be in for something awful. But like you said, that was actually pretty good. The writer clearly did their research and was able to write a story that tied not only into Zeo, but into Mighty Morphin' as well. Shame it was canceled.

Third, the fight: AWESOME! I know I said that already, but hey, needed to be said again. I'll get into more details as I keep writing.

Fourth, the storyline as a whole: I can see why people wouldn't like it. It's cheesy and over the top, but hey, I like cheesy and over the top. I'm honestly really enjoying it, and I can't wait to see how the Vyce arc ends. I say keep up the good work! Oh, and about the whole, "Linkara is overpowered thing," I really don't care about any of that. MST3K Mantra. (Oh and to respond to the commenter that Power Rangers never got new powers at the drop of a hat...unless my memory's all messed up, they got new powers at the drop of a hat all the time.) Besides, the Zeonizer was set up in Athena #1 and X-Men #1. Which leads me to...

Fifth, the White Zeo Suit: Awesome! Yeah, kinda goofy, but like I said, I like that kinda stuff. It was (I hate using this word) pimpin'.

Sixth, Judas Liz: This was the only thing that I REALLY have to criticize. Not because I didn't like her or the concept or anything, but because of how little screen time she got. She just sorta shows up, fights Iron Liz off screen, and then gets shot. That's it. A bit more would have been nice, and like you said, you did fall into the trap of not setting her up on the show itself properly.

Seventh, Neutro: The icing on the cake. That is all.

Well, that's enough of my wordy post. I enjoyed this episode immensely, and thank you for all the hard work that went into it!; January 17, 2011 at 9:28 PM
Norgavue said...: That was amusing. I love the bit where you go to morph and he grabs it. Always wondered why the villains never took these things away when they started with their elaborate transformation scenes. Overall even though I never liked the rangers it was a grood episode.; January 17, 2011 at 9:31 PM
AmuroNT1 said...: "But yeah, I understand your position and I was just attempting to answer a bit jovially."

Well, thanks for answering my concern fairly; I know a lot of people who would just blow off such a question, or give a snooty response like "Until you make your own series, you have no right to criticize mine." But really, a little thing like that isn't worth getting upset about. And I was kind of interested in checking out Liz's stuff anyway; I'm really curious if she's looked over the Dresden Files RPG and if so what her thoughts are.

And to all the people who are griping and calling Mary Sue here...who among us can honestly say we WOULDN'T do something even a little self-indulgent if we had our own web serie like Lewis and his friends? I'm not embarrassed to say, I definitely would. I even had an idea in mind for a Robot Friend. The only difference is, I'd be more likely to reference Kamen Rider than Power Rangers. :P; January 17, 2011 at 9:35 PM
Anonymous said...: I agree with those here saying Iron Liz has had a bit too much exposure in your videos, especially since she didn't really get much to do in this video anyway, compared to all the Linkara scenes. Her cameos are starting to get annoying and might get her pigeon-holed as...well, your Yoko Ono. Which would be too bad, she's knowledgeable about card games and could carve out her own reputation as a reviewer. The acting stuff doesn't seem to be her forte anyway (which is fine, plenty of TGWTG reviewers just stick to the meat and bones of reviewing.)

The review was fun, the comic didn't suck (far from it, it was probably as good as PR comic could get) but it was good to call attention to it. Billy actually had some decent character moments in it. Makes me all the more sad at the treatment of David Yost, I hope he knows Billy was much beloved by all of us kids who watched the show.; January 17, 2011 at 9:45 PM
animehater said...: I'm disappointed you didn't try to use the Dragonzord picked up from some sentai footage at some point in that giant monster battle to go with the PR theme. I suggest in any situation you ever decide to do this again you try that.; January 17, 2011 at 9:45 PM
Dustin said...: This review is pretty enjoyable for me and the whole fight sequence is awesome.

I ran into Johnny Yong Bosch at Ikkicon, got his autograph, and found out my brother in law is friends with someone in the power rangers cast...Sadly, he forgot the name of the person.; January 17, 2011 at 9:49 PM
Doink said...: Now that i've read more comments, I feel like an idiot for not realizing that this was the MAGfest show; January 17, 2011 at 9:50 PM
Benjamin J said...: Totally worth the wait, man.

There were definitely some surprises, Though once Mechakara started growing, I anticipated Neutro...but was even still pleasantly surprised by the cosplay.

I'm really not entirely sure why Liz's presence on the show seems to bug some people - if you look at the storyline bits of AT4W as episodic television, then like any television show of any genre, there are regular cast members. AT4W has Link, Liz, and Pollo, and the occasional guest spot by guys like Insano, Angry Joe, et al. Every good protagonist needs a good foil - why not have it be your foil in real life? Makes sense to me.

Speaking as a fan of about a year and a half, it's actually been a very interesting (and heartening) ride since you started doing the more storyline-intensive stuff on the show. The plots have become more detailed, the villains more threatening, the stakes higher, and the effects, costumes and production value steadily better (White Ranger-kara? Ron Wasserman? WTF?! <0_0> ), but the tongue in cheek sense of fun and enjoyment is still as present as ever, if not more so, and if you take a step back, you can see it as a big ol' love letter, not just to comics, not just to Power Rangers, but to fun storytelling and creativity in general.

And I suppose it's not over yet. Sweet...; January 17, 2011 at 9:52 PM
XdarkmetalmanX said...: I loved the white Linkara ranger look, it looked freekin awesome!
keep up the excellent work!; January 17, 2011 at 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...: Minty Dragon said:
There's one plothole, here, however, that I'm rather surprised nobody caught, among other things; wasn't Mechakara already immune to the magic gun, as well as the dragon dagger? I can appreciate that perhaps his invulnerabilities were undone with the upgrades that Lord Vyce had added to him...but that excuse was thrown out when Mechakara mentioned that the weapons Linkara used beforehand were all accounted for. By that logic, save the weapons using a different/increased power source, shouldn't they have been as ineffective as they were when Mechakara last dealt with them?

I think we can give Lewis a pass here--his internal logic is at least as consistent as Star Trek Borg logic, which I figure Mechakara's invulnerability is heavily influenced by--by all rights, all Borg should have been immune to Starfleet weapons shortly after the first meeting, yet the cast was always able to get a shot or three off each encounter before they adapted.; January 17, 2011 at 10:03 PM
KamenRiderGumo said...: I think this single vid hit every single one of my nerdgasm buttons. That hasn't happened since, well, your last fight with Mechakara. I honestly can't find a single fault here and I'm not just saying that because some people are putting the episode down. It's clear that you put a lot of time, effort and thought into this and as a film student I applaud your efforts. As Chris said above, if I had the resources you do for such a show I'd be just as self-indulgent once in a while (though again like Chris I'd probably be more Kamen Rider than Sentai; I mean, check the name. :p)

Secondly, as a couple of others have asked, is that Frostmourne I spotted? After the many, many times my fellow Adventurers and I have engaged the Lich King I'd be disappointed if I -didn't- recognize that sword on sight.; January 17, 2011 at 10:08 PM
PockyMech said...: OMG! Linkaras the White Zeo Hat Ranger! This show is Fricken-AWESOME! But seriously, I really liked this video. I haven’t been this happy since the first PR comic review. I love your analytical reviews, but your low budget action stories bring me a lot of amusement. I’m not saying I prefer one over the other, I’m just saying your series is Most-Radial! Keep up the Awesomeness, and may the power protect you. (XD Sorry! I just had to say it.); January 17, 2011 at 10:24 PM
Anonymous said...: Honestly man you and fucking Spoony are getting out of control with these retarded storylines I mean for fucks sake already.; January 17, 2011 at 10:51 PM
Golem said...: I saw it and i couldn't resist, the world needs the LinkaRanger in drawn format XD Awesome Video!

Fanart ho!:
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/017/f/9/linkaranger_by_pastel_samurai-d37ge0l.png; January 17, 2011 at 11:08 PM
Writrzblok said...: Another great episode, Linkara! Is it me or is it starting to be that every time you review a Power Rangers comic you and Mechakara have it out?; January 17, 2011 at 11:09 PM
Anonymous said...: I've been very patient with the continuity in AT4W. I've even enjoyed quite a bit of it. Also, I realize that you like using the show as a way to live out your own childhood fantasies and I'd be lying if I said that you weren't living out a few of mine as well. But I still think this is the episode where you took it too far.

In my opinion, the spectaculars of the show are best used as seasoning. Your fight with the "Countdown" monster was good, for example, because it served as the final catharsis against a comic series that deserved scorn. The two "Silent Hill" fights work for similar reasons while also serving as a nice bit of Silent Hill parody.

Speaking of which, I find it so much easier to follow you on your f(l)ights of fancy when they're brief and served with a healthy dose of humor. Kinda like Linkara's rescue from Vyce: "Hi, I'm distracting you so that she can stab you."

This fight didn't have nearly enough humor to make it accessible, and it accompanied a review of a comic that by your own admission wasn't half bad. The whole comic review seemed to have been made to service your own continuity when it should be the other way around.

I realize that this is a tricky balance and you've been pretty good about sticking to it. This is a notable misstep in that balance, though to my memory, it's your first. I just hope that you're a bit more judicious before you spend so much time and effort on more greenscreen action.

Also, regarding Mecha-kara's missing limb, do you happen to have a copy of "A Farewell to Arms?" Just asking, one Evil Dead fan to another.; January 17, 2011 at 11:10 PM
Furore said...: That was STUPID. More of that please!

Not only another comic-type review that got me watching in the first place, but a dose of PR lovin' to tide me over while jonesing for the next HOPR. So, double-duty, thank you Mr Lovhaug.

I am baffled, sir, BAFFLED by complaints of GaryStu-ism or about featuring Iron Liz occasionally. It's just... baffling. Whose show do they think they are watching? And who else lives in the same apartment and is therefore available to help out? Colour me baffled. BAFFLED RANGER BLUE!

Anyways. Thank you Linkara (and 8-bit Lizzie!). Off I go.; January 17, 2011 at 11:11 PM
Overlord of the North! said...: I might be high on nostalgia giddiness from that but this may very well be the greatest episode of anything ever.

It was cheesy and awesome and just lots of fun. Just like Power Rangers used to be. Good work.

And while a Youngblood/Zeo Rangers crossover may sound weird I'm certain that I've seen a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Sailor Moon crossover comic somewhere. Just can't find it.; January 17, 2011 at 11:22 PM
Kavinsky said...: Well that was ridiculous... in a good way

I'm surprised you didnt go the highlander way with mechakara, it seemed to be begging to go that way with him. especally when liz pulled out her sword

and that was a strange white costume you had, it looked like a white version of the spirits costume mixed with chow yun fats monk costume from crouching tiger.

and I dont mean this as an insult but I swear evil liz reminded me of a female klingon from tng.; January 17, 2011 at 11:22 PM
Clark Cradic said...: I may have found a site that sells the Young Blood/Power Ranger Zeo crossover. I'm not sure if any are in stock, but it did have a price listing for it. Hopefully it'll have one for you to order. Here's the link. http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=list&title=63152097498&snumber=1 Hope this helps man. I can't wait for your next review!-Clark Cradic; January 17, 2011 at 11:27 PM
Mildra said...: Dear god...... the memories....

THIS was the first comic I ever bought. right at that Midway Comics over on Snelling ave. (remember, Zod is in the details).

Granted, in this case it didn't hit me until it was mentioned that Zedd had the energies of the coins. Still, for a 90s image comic, they did a pretty good (relative) job.

PS, the fights here get the Monk's seal of approval; January 17, 2011 at 11:29 PM
Stephen Rosebaugh-Nordan said...: There...really is no other way to describe this episode. It is win of the highest caliber! I don't think even Snowflame, riding Neutro, with twin clone Hitlers pulling the string could top this. But will we get to see more of the "White Knight Linkara," love whoever suggested that title in the comments btw, in future episodes? It looked like the costume took a while to get ready and it really is awesome. You're comic reviews even make a noncomic fan like me smile so hard it hurts. Now I can't wait for the final showdown with Vyce.; January 17, 2011 at 11:50 PM
Toby said...: "Honestly man you and fucking Spoony are getting out of control with these retarded storylines I mean for fucks sake already."
If you listen very very closely, you'll be able to hear another fan be able to tell you off in a clever manner instead of making a meandering post which really doesn't say anything.

...

Where was I going with this?

Oh yeah, you're being a douche and could've said that without the douchery.; January 17, 2011 at 11:57 PM
KHoyt said...: Yay for using the Edmonton Skyline in the background.

I can see the Telus building out my front door.

Complete with Christmas tree lights; January 18, 2011 at 12:04 AM
Jaebird said...: Thank you, Linkara, for making my night after work awesome. And Might-Morphin' Kudos on the Linara Zeo(?) getup.; January 18, 2011 at 12:08 AM
Gyre said...: Might have been better to switch opponents with Liz so you could have shots of two people.; January 18, 2011 at 12:08 AM
Anonymous said...: The Comic: The story does sound like a typical Power Rangers story, which means it's not too bad, for Power Rangers. My only problem is as you pointed out with the changes in Tommy's appearance is that the art work could have been much better.

Your arc: Last thing I expected was for Vyce to unleash Mechakara and for Mechakara to be as... blunt, for lack of a better word, in his attack as he was. Of course the ending will come back to haunt us at some point sooner or later, it's just a matter of time.

As for Mechakara, himself, the shield he used looked rather familiar to me, but in a good way.

The fact that Insano left Neutro out in the open like that... doesn't actually surprise me as much as I thought it would. He should have invested in an anti theft system, not sure what would work with a 100+' tall robot but anything's better than what I suspect he used.

Pollo using an old NES controller for Neutro... What are you paying him for if he's going to pull something like that on you.

Your new costume, not bad, and unlike some here I knew that something like it was coming, since this arc does have some influence from Power Rangers.

I look forward to the next installment.; January 18, 2011 at 12:08 AM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "Also, regarding Mecha-kara's missing limb, do you happen to have a copy of "A Farewell to Arms?" Just asking, one Evil Dead fan to another."

Oh, like THAT stopped the other one!

Still, I can't help but feel that a lot of the negative reaction I'm getting is from the timing and this would have worked better had it been released on Christmas as originally planned.; January 18, 2011 at 12:23 AM
Dman said...: Go Pimp Zeo Ranger!; January 18, 2011 at 12:30 AM
Tegan Dumpleton said...: Holy-! Go Go Nostalgic Fanspasm!

This was awesome. I was laughing with joy the whole time. It was like watching a power rangers episode! And yes, i did even like you power suit. I did not see that coming. Nor did i see live action Neutro coming! XD

Yes, it was cheesy. But i'd like someone to point out one single skit in a review that wasn't at least a little cheesy. The closest i can come up with is your silent hill review, but even that had a few fun moments with the dancing ninja and pyramid head in the pokeball.

Honestly, i love these skits. And if you enjoy doing them, then by all means, keep doing them.

My only real complaint is... Judas Liz. But only that 1- the name is a little awkward and 2- we didn't see more of her or Iron Liz duking it out!

Can't wait for the continuation!; January 18, 2011 at 12:35 AM
Unknown said...: Haha, loved the white Zeo ranger outfit. I thought it had the right blend of Power Rangers and Channel Awesome cheesiness. It almost looks like you were the Pope of PR.; January 18, 2011 at 12:36 AM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "Yay for using the Edmonton Skyline in the background.

I can see the Telus building out my front door.

Complete with Christmas tree lights "

Damn, you've found me out! XD

I honestly tried to use strictly Minneapolis shots, but sadly my Google images failed me on getting enough really good city shots, so I had to branch out a bit. XD; January 18, 2011 at 12:49 AM
Razor6X said...: Hello again linkara, I'm sure you don't remember me but Let me be the 120 ... ish person to congratulate you on another show. I hope you don't mind the a fan/critic that watches your series. I know you always say we comment because we care but I never want you to think I'm upset about your show. I 100% enjoy watching your series and all your plots. I love your story with Machine trying to understand or destroy magic. It really comes off as a doppelganger of you and is portrayed greatly. The fight scene was fluid and very awesome. Very easy to showing how everything fit together.
Now I really really apologize in advance for asking this though but I didn't understand a part in your story. Actually more about what you said on a commentary that pertains to what happens in this story. Once again, I apologize for not fully understanding. In your commentary for Silent Hill: Dead/Alive review you said the reason you didn't say "I am a Man!" was because it was a gag bit. It was not to be taken seriously and only pertains to punching someone. While you did punch Mechakara, (Which was awesome! just letting you know) It was a empowering moment and in no way a gag. Now like you said in an earlier post, You are the creator so I'm not saying it's bad, In fact I think it's great since I was hoping you would say it in Silent Hill: Dead/Alive. Is the "I am a MAN!" punch not a gag anymore or is it still a gag since the joke is on Linkara, that Mechakara isn't defeated?
Really sorry for asking It's my fault for not understanding, feel free not to answer it if the question upsets you.; January 18, 2011 at 12:56 AM
TJOmega said...: Excellent job. As always you've got a great flare for combining the awesome and the cheesy in your fight scenes. And I was quite proud to literally have a hand in this video. (Yes, I have been using that joke all day.)

I know you've been proclaimed Pimp Ranger already, but I think you were accidentally channeling one of Super Sentai's most awesome characters ever and the original extra Ranger all the way from 1977:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udaEQHvWEqs; January 18, 2011 at 1:08 AM
TheKindlyOnes said...: Great episode!

But.. I have to take away points on one thing... there was no,

"No Mechakara. I AM your father!" *fist held out clenched in the air*; January 18, 2011 at 1:30 AM
Steve said...: You cited Camelot as your favorite film/musical ever.

I take it you're also a fan of "The Once and Future King" ?; January 18, 2011 at 1:33 AM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: @Razor6X: I get your confusion, so let me clarify a bit. The Dead/Alive review's story bits were a lot more dramatic and while the awesome speech elevated partially into cheesy or humorous territory, the insertion of "I am a Man" would not have fit what was being said, especially since exclaiming it without doing the punch would just make it TOO silly.

Whereas this fight ties back to when Mechakara was first confronted and the fights have a much more cheesy and comedic feel in places. It's easier to be snarky and make such responses in a fight like that than it is something like what was in Dead/Alive.; January 18, 2011 at 1:34 AM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "You cited Camelot as your favorite film/musical ever.

I take it you're also a fan of "The Once and Future King" ?"

My favorite book. ^_^; January 18, 2011 at 1:43 AM
Anonymous said...: "Still, I can't help but feel that a lot of the negative reaction I'm getting is from the timing and this would have worked better had it been released on Christmas as originally planned. "

Okay maybe... Cause you interupted the Justice League books. Which was a review that was actually good and funny, With a Review of a Comic book, you actually liked. Let alone had guilty fan boy monents in (Ala Camelot). Plus hell, as a power ranger fan, I wanted to see what happened with Billy and the old powers too. How was that remotely AT4W worthy? Oh wait, it wasn't! It was just a good excuse for you to do yet another Power Ranger Themed Episode side plot.

This was just bad. Seriously Judas Liz?

Wow, could that have been written worse?

You did a Mechakara fight, it was good, it was Epic! but this was the same thing all over again, except it felt rushed and more random.... The editing and camera work was sloppier, you even acknowledged that in another comment with the sudo Judas liz reveal.

Plus the oringal fight relied on your established characters... 90's Kid, Harvey, and the Ninja Dancer. Plus the Spooney Cameo.

Compare that to this Fight, Liz is the cameo, must have been real hard to book her.... Plus she is your only supporting cast, unless you count Poyo who just gets smacked and forgotten until you make the NES controller joke. (Oh and Ghostbusters did it)

Sure Neutro was great, if you remembered the video from 2 years ago. Hell, it was shocking Liz even knew about it.

Wow, you morph into on of the Kryptonian Judges from the First Superman movie.... Atleast it wasn't the Green Ranger costume... I half expected that to come bulging out.

Look Lewis, lately your work, (really since you moved out of your parents place) has been lacking, it seems to be less about Reviews, and more about your Fanfiction make believe world. (Kind of like your Angel Armor books). You put Liz too much in your videos, spend way too much time playing with Toys and costumes rather than just reviewing comics.; January 18, 2011 at 1:55 AM
Joker said...: OK, so this may have been said already - I didn't read all of the comments, just the first handful - but my take on the Linkara-verse is this: Linkara is a superhero. Whether Lewis Lovhaug is one in the real world isn't important. Linkara reviews comic books and saves the world. He's done it a few times now. The show is a balanced part of review/story line continuity. Hell, his own continuity has crossed into others' shows like the Spoony Experiment. It's pretty well thought out and the continuity is fairly easy to follow. For the most part he reviews comics, but every now and then something or someone shows up and threatens the world (or maybe just creates a nuisance). When this happens, Linkara uses his powers, whether it be morphers, robots, SCIENCE! or his magic gun (it's mentioned in the theme for the show! It's not supposed to be taken THAT seriously!) to thwart the bad guy. That's what comic stories do.
Think of this as one big live action web comic.

When he isn't saving the world Linkara reviews comic books, like Peter Parker takes photographs or Superman writes for the Daily Planet or Bruce Wayne...goes to parties and charity balls? Anyway, the point is that he doesn't just randomly throw in fight scenes and situations where he saves the world. He's the hero of this story, just like Spider-Man or Batman in their respective stories.

I was at MAGfest where this was first aired as a bonus to Linkara's panel and the crowd went through the roof. While it may have been intended to air earlier, and interrupted the Cry for Justice storyline, it offered some needed backstory for the upcoming (and inevitable) conflict with Vice. People are entitled to watch what they like, but I actually PREFER the story lines, especially if I haven't read the comic or don't care for that particular series. The stories give me something else to look forward to.
Just one man's take on the matter.; January 18, 2011 at 1:57 AM
Bruce said...: Wow, Great Review, and While some say it comes out of nowhere, and doesn't make sense, I Myself, Find them Great, and I feel it's add's great points to the story, and I really enjoy how interesting it add's to the show. I Mean in the "Linkara-Verse" How ever Power Ranger's Based it is, Makes for such a great storyline, i would love to see back stories, and more stories, Such as Alternate Future's, and Parallel Universe, because that is what you have created, in a review show alone. So i applaud a simple task of watching a show about comic review's and made it another Comic Book for me, and You should know, how ever much i hated it, I fast forwarded through the Silent Hill Episode Just to see the Story(thanks for that Commentary, i would have never watched Silent Hill)So, Again, Thanks for great reviews, and another enjoyable storyline; January 18, 2011 at 1:59 AM
Destinyhero20 said...: Nice review Linkara, love your fight scene. Keep up the good work :)
Youngblood & Power Rangers Zeo crossover!? That sound crazy, I hope that the Zeo Rangers don't get the Youngblood's disease; January 18, 2011 at 2:01 AM
The King of Thessaly said...: Just a few quick things:

Your Ranger form could use some white rimmed sunglasses to bring it all together as well as mimic the visors on their helmets...

I've seen a few people complain about how you're being self-indulgent or whatever- duh, it's your own fucking show! You're a kid playing in your room, you know? But now you have the means to act it all out with props, music, special effects and costumes.

Speaking of the son of Rita and Zedd; have you ever seen the Parody Ranger flash-cartoons on Newgrounds??? Any Power Ranger fan should love those!

That's all- have a good one!; January 18, 2011 at 2:05 AM
Unknown said...: The fight and morph to the white suite...

Made. Of. Awesome.

In the white suite, you may give Tom Wolfe a run for his money. Very pimp.; January 18, 2011 at 2:06 AM
David Twiddle said...: Hi there Linkara.
Just wanted to say that i loved both segments of your episode. While i am not a huge fan of the Power Rangers your episode rocked!!
All of it.
Also, if you get a chance you might check out the "Nulzilla" episode of a cartoon series called Reboot and a cartoon called Megas XLR. I just think you would get a kick out of them.
Until Batman gets an apiary, make mind Atop the Fourth Wall
Thanks!; January 18, 2011 at 2:12 AM
Nex Vesica said...: Adam (I think it was Adam at least) killing a cog via hitler salute had me cracking up. Yeah, the acting is stilted/cheesy/self indulgent and what not, but these aren't professional paid actors with years of experiencing shooting on set with a giant budget for professional CGI/props/effects.

I enjoy the little story arcs, especially when it ends up involving the reviews themselves like when Linkara was missing and his alternate characters ended up doing the reviews.

The main focus though is ultimately reviewing comics, which I don't feel has ever taken a back seat to anything else that goes on. Besides, I'm sure Lewis has a great time with it which alone is reason enough for him to do it. We're not hiring him to do a specific thing, this is just something he enjoys doing and shares with us.

Liz is cool and I don't think you're showing her off, it's just like any other time another reviewer does a crossover, just happens with more frequency due to the fact that there's no distance limitation as unless I'm mistaken they live together. As always, awesome review Lewis even I have been eagerly anticipating the conclusion to Cry For Justice.; January 18, 2011 at 2:17 AM
Alexander Munro said...: I do like the shift from Cry for Justice to Power Rangers. Really, though I have to agree with your twitter post, the timing is a bit weird. But good as a break between the idiocy that is Cry for Justice.

Also, where did Vice (Vyce?) come from? I don't remember him or any of his plans or even him getting Mechakara, just a shot of Mechakara bitching about not killing Linkara or something in another episode. Where did he come from?
I watch pretty much everything you do, but I can swear I've never seen or heard of Vyce (Vice?) until then, and when I heard of him he was already part of an ongoing story that I've never seen or heard of. Did I just miss something in an episode or was this a side issues kind of deal like with Judas Liz?; January 18, 2011 at 2:27 AM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "Also, where did Vice (Vyce?) come from? I don't remember him or any of his plans or even him getting Mechakara, just a shot of Mechakara bitching about not killing Linkara or something in another episode. Where did he come from?
I watch pretty much everything you do, but I can swear I've never seen or heard of Vyce (Vice?) until then, and when I heard of him he was already part of an ongoing story that I've never seen or heard of. Did I just miss something in an episode or was this a side issues kind of deal like with Judas Liz?"

Vyce was HINTED at in a review featuring an "EXTREEEEME!" and by a dream of Mechakara in Sultry Teenage Super-Foxes #2, but he was first MENTIONED by Dr. Linksano in the Tandy Computer Whiz Kids review, where he then kidnapped Linkara for four episodes.; January 18, 2011 at 2:39 AM
TheKindlyOnes said...: Wow.. reading over some of the comments i felt i should say i really enjoyed the episode. Heck i cant even really name an episode or cross over i dont like.

Seriously, this is usually more interisting then whats on actual TV.

I also kinda like a break from the "Cry for Justice" comics, as.. just.. Wow. seriously. WOW. watching these make me wonder what some of the writers/editors/people publishing the comics were smoking.. Mercury possibly?

and Nex Vesica, as the nostalgia critic has shown the "Hail Hitler!" attack is indeed mighty..; January 18, 2011 at 2:39 AM
Anonymous said...: Linkara is...
The Moon Walker!; January 18, 2011 at 2:54 AM
The_Random_Ninja said...: Well done, sir! I rather enjoyed the climactic battle with Mechakara. This one has been building for a while now. I like how much is actually set up in Spoony's videos. i.e. in his Final Fantasy X reviews, Dr. Insano bursts in saying that Neutro was missing and that Mechakara had escaped. Not to mention the build up in your own videos over the past year. Again, well done, sir. I can't wait to see what happens next.; January 18, 2011 at 3:09 AM
Astaroth said...: Well for me the review was amazing and the fight scene at the end was brilliant. I can imagine how hard it is to make those scenes, not including the short amount of time you had to make them ( I honestly dont know, you might as well had a month to make it but nevertheless xD). There is a lot of creativity in the shots and I was completely blown away when I saw the white Linkara costume. Yes, some people may say it was cheesy or something like that, but for a fan like myself it was quite enjoyable and I can't wait to see if Mechakara will rise from the ashes and seek revenge on Linkara.; January 18, 2011 at 3:26 AM
Angel Asylum said...: Review was interesting, and well done, with not to much obviously said about what was wrong, which is kinda weird, but at the end you did say it wasnt that bad so meh.

also i was wondering, now that he's on the site will you be participating in Apollo Z. Hacks Reviewerverse Saga/ Nerdpokolypes? or could we possibly see a team up of Linkara and Apollo Z. Hack, Power Rangering and Kamen Ridering it up in there respective Morpher/Revuer #1 suits?

wow theres some not real words there lol; January 18, 2011 at 3:40 AM
Anonymous said...: Always love a good fight sequence, especially the over the cheese-top style that I grew to love in AT4W :D.

Unfortuneatly, even I got some things that I didn't completely like.
1. I was confused at the Judas Liz at first, but you already answered where she came from in the comments.
2. The Zeo PowerPimp morph?? I guess it's a mather of taste ;p
3. The pattern I see of Liz coming to help out but always ending up being saved by Linkara,this also happened in the Ewoks comic, where Liz, Harvey and Poyo were struggling to keep the shades at bay, untill Linkara was back on his feet.
I know Liz is new to the Linkaraverse and therefore wouldn't have the need to know all kinds of technomagical fighting skills needed to survive, but you'd expect the character Liz to have started practising. Not saying that she can't fight, she kept Judas Liz at bay, but again, she was struggling until Linkara came to help.
Also out of Linkara's feministic views, I just hope that now that Liz has her own nemesis, that she will start practising more often(training-montage;) ), so that next time Judas Liz can be the one being backed into a corner(and I know filming to Lizzes duking it out would be hard to film).

Otherwise, great job :D; January 18, 2011 at 4:15 AM
James Spiring said...: @Bazookoidben

Didn't look hard enough, dude. MMPR was on GMTV every weekend and daily during school holidays. It was also on Sky One 7 days a week, until it moved to Fox Kids when it launched in October 1996. Sure Sky One is a subscription channel, but GMTV was the breakfast slot on ITV, one of the four free-to-air main broadcast networks. There's no excuse for not finding it there.; January 18, 2011 at 5:32 AM
Anonymous said...: And all I have to say is...

Lewis, why weren't you wearing any shoes?; January 18, 2011 at 5:35 AM
firestonex said...: This was the best video I've ever seen in my life!!!!

I love the new White Power suit...

And I don't care what the first commenter said, I love the story parts of your series. I don't read comics and while I like your reviews, it is the story that entertains me the most.

This was just awesome...

If I had to make one suggestion I wish you would have more story or fight scenes that were not happening in your home... The place is a bit small and hard to make it feel like an epic battle.

But this was my favorite episode since the first Mechakara fight.

I hope that new white suit makes some more apperances. That was just EPIC!; January 18, 2011 at 5:57 AM
firestonex said...: I love your long story episodes. I read someone saying they wished you kept them less than 5 minutes.. I say screw that.. Give me more story!!!!!!!

I would watch an entire episode of just story related!! Heck, an entire series of the Adventures of Linkara would make me happy.

Oh and to the person who didn't like Liz in his video and wanted to keep her out... Think about it. They live togeather.... It wouldn't make much since if a robot was attacking him and she just stayed in the other room would it? They are a team now... Get used to it.

Just my opinion to counteract that other guys opinion. :); January 18, 2011 at 6:06 AM
firestonex said...: Oh, I also wanted to say nice job on the Ghostbusters 2 reference. When I saw the NES advantage I laughed so hard!; January 18, 2011 at 6:19 AM
firestonex said...: Ok I know this is like my 4th post. I'm sorry. But I have read through about every post now and some are really ticking me off.

Linkara makes great videos and has a great series. It ticks me off so much when I see people moaning and complaining...

Sure everyone, is free to have their own opinions. If someone does like how linkara does things, then stop watching his videos. If I spend all the time and effort like he did, I would hate to people complaining about stupid stuff. These are the kind of people who like getting something for nothing and think that they are entitled to it.

If you don't like his videos fine. You don't have to go rant about it. Ever here the phrase, if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all?

All you people want is more more more.. Leave Linkara alone! Leave him alone!!!! Leave Linkara alone right now!!!

You have to love how everyone thinks they know what is best for Lewis's videos.

I hope to see more great reviews and stories from Linkara in the future. Keep up the excellent work Lewis.; January 18, 2011 at 6:39 AM
Anonymous said...: I only have one things to say about Linkara being a Gary-Stu type character... duh. I kinda thought that was one of the perks of having your own internet show.

Also, I disagree completly with the whole "but the storyarc will completly alienate new veiwers!" thing. Do you know what my very first episode of this show was? Last year's Mechakara fight. I had no idea what was going on, I didn't know all the characters used, and I sure as hell didn't get it on the first veiwing. But you know what? I thought it was awesome, and wanted to go back through the episodes to get the full story. (Cue massive archive binge, since I had no idea where to start I just went all the way back to the original text reviews.)

Anyways, nice fight sequence, Linkara. I thought it was a bit out of place, but hey, for what it was it worked fine.

By the way, I gotta agree with the comments here- Judas Liz really didn't get enough screen time to be a legitamite threat. Just as soon as she was starting to get kinda cool, she was shot down.; January 18, 2011 at 6:48 AM
Anonymous said...: You and Spoony are really great at making hints at eachother's videos Dr. Insano saying "Bad news it seems Machakara has... argh!" and "Has anybody seen Neutro?"; January 18, 2011 at 8:00 AM
Nionel said...: Very well done episode, Lewis, I laughed when you mentioned that you stole Neutro from Dr. Insano, as it made me think back to him looking for the giant robot in Spoony's Final Fantasy X review. This comic really didn't seem all that bad, aside form the atrocious artwork, and I agree that it's a shame that it was never concluded. I had to look into that Power Rangers/Youngblood crossover after seeing it on here, and while I found a listing for it at Milehigh Comics, they don't have either issue in stock. Anyway, keep up the great videos Lewis, I look forward to the conclusion of Cry For Justice next week and I hope you'll be posting you live episode from MagFest at some point as well, since MagFest is just a little too far away from Nebraska for me to able to go there on a whim. Keep up the good work, sir, and enjoy you time at MagFest.; January 18, 2011 at 9:35 AM
The Average Grunt said...: This was awesome! I love Zeo!!

I kinda wished this was posted on Christmas, it would have made my holidays that much better. But hey, better late than never.

Thank you, my fellow Power Rangers geek.; January 18, 2011 at 9:41 AM
MagMarcy said...: I understand the somewhat negative feedback for this episode, but I am in total support of it. This episode, along with the other "big fight" episodes, is an example of the "reviewerverse" in perfect form. While AT4W may have begun as a review show for bad comics, it's blossomed into so much more than that, while still keeping the reviews at its heart. The very fact that so many different genres and fandoms can be referenced constantly in a single show--Westerns, Power Rangers, and The Spoony Experiment to name a few--is glorious. Just the other day, I was watching a Halloween episode of CR!'s "Familiar Faces," and choked on my soda when he made a "SH:Dying Inside" reference.

I loved this episode. It totally messed with my expectations, as I was thinking there'd be a big Lord Vyce Showdown in a few weeks. That might still happen, but I was TOTALLY not expecting a huge Mechakara fight. And it was made of AWESOME.; January 18, 2011 at 10:49 AM
The Bald Guy said...: All shades of awesome Lewis, BUT MAN Insano is going to be pissed off when he finds out and don't you have enough problems with out kicking that old hornets nest; January 18, 2011 at 11:11 AM
PWBOT said...: Man, Mechakara is really unlucky with his timing. Both times he fought you are when you are probably at your best moods after reviewing comics, seeing how it IS Power Rangers and it's supposed to be a little cheesy. I mean, if he had waited one week after you finished Cry For Justice, he would have ended you, with how bad that series was.

Seeing your stuff from Day 1, I say that your storylines and reviews are still done well. The reviews are before the storyline (most of the time) so anyone who only wants the review can just watch that. The fight was impressive and I liked how you turned the table on Mechakara much earlier and made it reversal of the last fight. Would have loved to see more sword-fighting from Liz but I know that it is kind of hard to do without making the fight jarring. Keep up the great work, you Smooth Criminal.; January 18, 2011 at 11:23 AM
Matthew said...: Alright I've never before commented on a Linkara Episode before. But this episode was both Campy and Awesome. Loved the Morphing Sequence.

As for Power Rangers. The most interesting moment for me was when we found out that even with the power coins broken they could still morph, though at great risk. I REALLY wish they would have explored this more. Sometimes a million times more then the other series that came out. Cuz thats just a giant mystery hanging out there you know?; January 18, 2011 at 11:43 AM
Kitsula said...: Awesome episode and great costumes! Props to whoever made the costumes them they look really great.

Though I thought there was going to be an explicit Ghostbusters 2 reference with the NES Advantage as something along the lines of it being most powerful interface in existence and even more powerful than the USS Enterprise-E's Gravis Blackhawk Joystick.; January 18, 2011 at 11:55 AM
El Diablo said...: This was a great episode! I kinda wish you would continue with the Power Rangers comic series than "Cry For Justice." There must be a Mighty Morphing series somewhere. Great job at the voice imitations. You nailed bulk and skull.; January 18, 2011 at 12:21 PM
Anonymous said...: I was eating a sandwich while watching this, but Judas Liz made me lose my appetite..

Also, boy you like 30 what is your punk ass doin in a power rangers costume and fedora.; January 18, 2011 at 12:32 PM
Aurabolt said...: Although now that I think about it, what exactly was Judas Liz wielding in terms of that weapon; it looked like a greatsword, but what could get past the +3 Frostbrand and the +5 Defender, I wonder.; January 18, 2011 at 2:44 PM
ShadowWing Tronix said...: "And I'm not the only one who noticed the Obscurus Lupa billboard?"

I noticed it, but I couldn't tell what was written on it.

As to other stuff:

-I like the fact that Linkara has someone play off of besides Lewis or his dad in other costumes. This way he can have someone else on screen with him, which is difficult with 90's Kid or Harvey.

-Forgot to mention in my first post, but nice Neutro costume. I was wondering who was in there.

-How soon before we reach the Acclaim Comics stories?

-And as far as "Gary Stu", that's just what happens when you choose being awesome as a career. :); January 18, 2011 at 3:07 PM
ItsJustMarty said...: Let me just start by saying I loved every second of this episode. The review itself lived up to your standard quality, and there wasn't a lot to make fun of so I'm surprised that you made it work at all.

Now some things I have to get off my chest.

What's the problem? I don't mean to insult anyone or start any fights but I have to say this. Linkara goes MONTHS at a time just reviewing comic books and doesn't do plot arcs a whole lot. But whenever he does, "Ooh no don't do that just review comics and never do anything else". Does it not occur to anyone that a sizeable amount of us actually LIKE the plot arcs? And considering how rarely he ever does it, shouldn't you just put up with it? I mean you don't HAVE to watch the plot sections of the episodes if you don't want to.

Also I fail to see what was wrong with the Zeo suit. And calling it a pimp suit really seems narrow minded to me, "hat and jacket, I call pimp". To elaborate, the white jacket, basically just your brown jacket but white, the hat, aside from having a different visor, its your hat of power just white instead of brown. Anything else? The gloves were very cool and looked like actual battle ready gloves, and they looked like Power Rangers gloves aside. And the shirt, it was a frigin' shirt with a logo on it. I fail to see how this is a "pimp suit", its just what Linkara normally wears except its Power Rangers themed and it's white. And breaking away from that to give it my own personal opinion, I love the costume and REALLY hope to see it used again. I liked the color scheme and I liked how it differentiated from the previous morph.

Next, I guess I can see why some people are confused about Judas Liz since not everyone checks Iron Liz's stuff. But I hardly see how this crosses any lines. Some people have cried that this is bad writing and crosses the line twice but the annoying kicker is they're not explaining how, just that it is. Maybe other fans don't get that Iron Liz comes from Iron Maiden, so having another one based off of Judas Priest actually makes perfect sense. For that matter, I like Iron Liz I don't care what anyone says. She adds an extra sort of life to the series. Maybe thats because she introduces a female character, maybe its because she adds another actor to interact with so it's not all just you, or maybe shes just charming. All of the above. ;)

Next, I don't see how this is self-indulgent. You started a show giving your analysis on comic books and wanted to add a story line to relate to it, and it doesn't relate at all unless the reviewer is involved in some way. And it's not like you can keep calling an actor over to your house every time you wanna make a video. Therefore you play the main character, and the main character, as it seems to slip from some people, is a superhero. One minute "you're taking it too seriously" the next "it's cheesy and not serious enough". This particular episode is an ode to Power Rangers Zeo, so of course it's around that level of seriousness. And I don't see much of a difference between Linkara and other superheroes except that he seems more laid-back and such. Its a lighthearted superhero story 2% of the time(the next 97% being a review show, and the last part being the magic gun's backstory). There's not enough of these anymore. Really any sense of self-indulgence or being a "Mary Sue" (a term which I'm heavily oposed to) seems to stem entirely from the fact that you play the main character. Nevermind that you play almost everyone else. -_-

On to points I further enjoyed. I like how Mechakara was able to use the magic coin. I wasn't expecting it and it shows the resourcfulness of the villain. The fight scene topped last years in my opinion and I can't wait to see the conclusion to the Vyce arc either. ^_^; January 18, 2011 at 3:39 PM
Daniel said...: Great Episode Linkara! I can't believe the comics were cancelled!

I love the new look and fight scene. Although the Pure white coat makes you look like the White Suite Dictator rather than a superhero.

I love Judas Liz and FrostMourne!I hope we see her again too.

One thing I couldn't stop thinking is Why isn't Linkara wearing any shoes? Ok so you take off your shoes when your home but no socks or loafers? It looked silly but in a good way.; January 18, 2011 at 4:12 PM
Frank R. said...: The comic review portion of this story was quite entertaining so props on that.

However, the 'story' portion could've and should've been shorter. Don't get me wrong it's nice to see you getting better at the special effects and all but that's not the reason I watch your videos. I watch your stuff because I enjoy laughing at you complaining about the comic bits not fighting aliens, power rangers villains, or other miscellaneous baddies. I was a fan when you started using them for the first time as they were a nice ADDITION to the comic reviews however they are increasingly becoming almost a show onto themselves and that just feels unneeded and unnatural. If you could cut those segments down to maybe 5 minutes or so out of a 20 minute review or you interleaved them around the review itself, as you did in some earlier stuff, I'd find them much more palatable.

Lastly, and I'm sure that Liz is a wonderful person in real life and I'm not saying anything against her as a person but I don't enjoy her as a character in your videos. Nothing she has done in any of your videos has made me laugh or even chuckle. Her bits feel bland, uninspired, and boring. Maybe if she wrote her own material and did her own thing she would deliver the lines and parts with more passion but as it stands she sucks down the quality of everything I've seen her in. I would strongly encourage you not to keep using her she just has not connected at all with me and I just feel she is in these videos because of her personal relationship with you rather then any talent she may have and as such is being forced upon us by you.

I'm sure you'll write back to my criticisms with 'well it's my show' and yes it is of course. However, you're increasingly making decisions that make the show far less entertaining and if the trend continues I really don't think I'll still be watching your videos if this pattern continues. Now if you only care about doing it for your own enjoyment and the dramatic elements are entertaining to you that's fine but that isn't what "Atop the Fourth Wall" started as. You've lost the vision of what the show really was and this is true of most of TGWTG's staff with increasing cameos and plots. Those are fun as additions or occasionally but this all the time epic plot threads just bog down what are humorous reviews. I'd personally suggest either splitting the review into the 'review' portion and the drama elements or making a new show for your dramatic leanings.; January 18, 2011 at 4:23 PM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "I'm sure you'll write back to my criticisms with 'well it's my show' and yes it is of course."

Actually, my question is this - you freely admit that the comic review portion was still entertaining, so if that part was good and you enjoyed that part, yet you say that the overall quality of the show is lowering due to the stories, why not just not watch the stories?

Not trying to be rude or anything, just curious. ^^;; January 18, 2011 at 6:03 PM
Alexander Munro said...: "Vyce was HINTED at in a review featuring an "EXTREEEEME!" and by a dream of Mechakara in Sultry Teenage Super-Foxes #2, but he was first MENTIONED by Dr. Linksano in the Tandy Computer Whiz Kids review, where he then kidnapped Linkara for four episodes."

Ah, so I did miss something. That's what I get for paying more attention to the reviews than your story. ^_^;

Thanks for answering my question, can't wait to see how you actually resolve your story, and however many comics you'll review in the future.; January 18, 2011 at 6:37 PM
Anonymous said...: Mr. Lovhaug:

..... THAT WAS FRAKKIN' AWESOME!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

I completely enjoyed both the review and storyline, though the second one was just a few minutes too long. Every beat of the episode flowed perfectly for me, and each time I thought it couldn't get more epic ... it did :)

Case in point - the White Knight Linkara suit!!!! Holy CRAP!! The transformation scene was stunning (especially for one guy on his laptop at home ;D ) and the suit's reveal made me squee in fangirl delight. Some people immediately called pimp, but my first thought was "Doppleganger Harvey Finevoice - WIN!!!!" (who is coincidentally tied with Liz as my favorite side character). It came off perfectly for the style of the show and the theme of the episode.

Speaking of which HUGE PROPS TO THE PROPLADY!!!!! I perused her website after the first time you mentioned her and I was very impressed. I was a bit underwhelmed by the Lord Vyce outfit ... but White Knight Linkara AND full-suit Neutro -
... *slowly building applause*

My one complaint was not enough Iron-vs-Judas Lizzes. Intercutting even one or two shots of her into your fight with Mechakara would have helped the flow of both a lot, and addressed the feeling of "pointless cameo"/"dragging fight sequence" without adding much time. I follow her as well, so Judas Liz didn't come out of left field for me, like she did for others (and FYI - the name is perfect! :D ), but her sections did come across as clunky and amateurish, especially compared to the high bar set by the rest of the episode.

.. But I'm totally fine with the product you've given us -- I know you scrambled through post-production to get it ready for MagFest ... damn, I wish I'd been there to see this live. Nitpicks and all, this episode has brightened my Tuesday more than any episode of AT4W since the reveal of Mechakara and the conclusion of SH:D/A!

And now, after an unacceptably long and rambling comment, a toast to the master of both Camp and Class ... Linkara!

-Jemilee; January 18, 2011 at 7:12 PM
SatansBestBuddy said...: Hmm... Methinks perhaps you've gone and overindulged more than a little bit in that fight, mostly cause it's longer than the actual review and got pretty repetitive by the end.

Usually I like your story bits, being silly, cheesy and cheap yet still entertaining in their own right, but you also usually make them very small parts of the show, which is what makes them good, since they don't overstay their welcome.

The only times they've been longer was with weeks worth of buildup, such as with the first Mecha-Linkara arc or the really well done Silent Hill arc, and without that buildup we don't get as satisfying a fight.

Yes, you do have the Vyce invading Earth arc happening right now, but if you'd have put in, say, a scene with Mecha-Linkara arguing with Vyce and leaving the ship with the shadow of Judas Liz in last weeks video, well, that would have made for much better build up, since we know he's on his way and that he's got somebody new with him.

Without the buildup, we just get an overly long fight that comes out of nowhere and lasts a lot longer than the cheesiness does, making it annoying rather than memorable.

That and you had, like, four different fights in there (Linkara vs Mecha-Linkara, Iron Liz vs Judas Liz, White Ranger Linkara vs Mecha-Linkara, and Neutro vs Giant Mecha-Linkara), all of which could have been their own fights, but thrown together just makes the whole thing bigger and clumsier than they would have been otherwise.

That and your fights suck, with bad choreography and worse editing, which, like I said before, is made up for by being cheesy (and the writing doesn't suck, though it's also very cheesy), so having overly long fights just makes the flaws in your editing more and more obvious with each passing minute.

Like I said, I like the story bits to your reviews, their extra bits of entertainment along with the reviews themselves and add another reason to check back every week, but putting them front and centre only works when they're capping off a long arc and make for a suitable conclusion, and they REALLY work when you're able to meld them into the reviews themselves. (again, Silent Hill and the first Mecha-Linkara arc are perfect examples)

Looking forward to next week.; January 18, 2011 at 7:14 PM
TekJansen said...: As far as the build up goes, I think the best way you could've handled it is to feature that segment of Liz's show on your blog (which you may have, I dunno) and pointed out build up.

I don't think using others to build up is bad, In fact it may get others to check out people they haven't, and would let you and Liz expand your content possibilities, while not having to pack more story into either than you want, so my biggest suggestion would be to make sure the people who just check your blog notice the thing and possibly keep a section of your which list episodes of any show that contain story relevant to Linkara's story.; January 18, 2011 at 7:22 PM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "Hmm... Methinks perhaps you've gone and overindulged more than a little bit in that fight, mostly cause it's longer than the actual review and got pretty repetitive by the end."

Based on this comment and several others, I decided to actually look at the total amount of time I spent on the story/fight aspect vs. the actual review in this episode.

Review (not counting theme song): 15 minutes 30 seconds
Fight (not counting end credits): 10 minutes 10 seconds

Not to say you aren't wrong about the build-up or the editing aspects of my fight, but I do want to get clear that there was more review in this episode than fight for any who think otherwise.; January 18, 2011 at 8:39 PM
Anonymous said...: (("Hmm... Methinks perhaps you've gone and overindulged more than a little bit in that fight, mostly cause it's longer than the actual review and got pretty repetitive by the end."

Based on this comment and several others, I decided to actually look at the total amount of time I spent on the story/fight aspect vs. the actual review in this episode.

Review (not counting theme song): 15 minutes 30 seconds
Fight (not counting end credits): 10 minutes 10 seconds

Not to say you aren't wrong about the build-up or the editing aspects of my fight, but I do want to get clear that there was more review in this episode than fight for any who think otherwise.))

Except it felt longer than the review. Since it was long... Drawn out... And not nearly as Entertaining. The Neutro scene made me long for the days when this show was good, ya know before Liz got all the cameos.

Any one remember the little 5 minute bumpers that used to be the end of an episode? Like Insano with Neutro back in the day? Or how about Countown Monster? Or the Magic Coin grow thing, with Lewis singing from Dr. Horrible.

2/5ths, nearly half the episode was a goofy badly editied and shot fight. Yes Ron's music helped, but not enough to excuse Judas Liz, or the terrible fight scenes. Ron's music worked with truely epic fights, but I for one am getting a little tired of you hitting your self. You are much funnier when you are going "Dude!!!" as 90's Kid, or parodying the lounge lizard stylings with Harvey Fine Voice.; January 18, 2011 at 9:35 PM
MysticJoJo said...: Aaah, crapsicles. Since Aakashi and I have been snowed in for the past week and a half and unable to ship you the card game decks Mitch and I promised to you, we've been spending the time drawing Linkara and Spoony decks to print and package with it. But now that you've got a swank new outfit, we've little choice but to include it as a levelup card in the game. Curse your fashionable power-up! Ah, well, still a few days until the roads will be clear enough to let me get to the post office...; January 18, 2011 at 9:44 PM
Benjamin J said...: "Look Lewis, lately your work, (really since you moved out of your parents place) has been lacking, it seems to be less about Reviews, and more about your Fanfiction make believe world. (Kind of like your Angel Armor books). You put Liz too much in your videos, spend way too much time playing with Toys and costumes rather than just reviewing comics."
_______________

Excuse me, but what the hell? The guy's one of the most consistent and prolific reviewers I've ever seen...he's released a new review, to the best of my recollection, without fail every week for over two years, and has done the storyline stuff (not to mention the extremely research-intensive History of Power Rangers) IN ADDITION to the always on schedule reviewing, which has always taken precedence. The extra stuff is exactly that - EXTRA. In what way has the reviewing been "lacking?"

I can understand not digging this particular battle - everyone has their likes and dislikes - but some of these negative comments are REALLY starting to sound like entitlement, and that's just completely obnoxious.; January 18, 2011 at 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...: Amazons Attack and Countdown were, in my opinion, were two of your best reviews. They both were multi-parter reviews to horribly written comics with several tie-ins. They both ended in an elaborate fight (one with a large flash animation of you fighing alongside Wonder Woman and the other against a Godzilla-version of the Countdown comics).

Power Rangers Zeo is just a not-bad comic that only had one issue before getting canceled.

I think if you would've attached the fight to the end of Cry for Justice , the series that you declared was worse than Amazon's Attack and Countdown (and of course adding a small bit showing white Linkara destoying the CfJ book at some point or throwing it in the direction of Mechara), I don't think you would have received as much criticism over it.

I guess what I'm saying is: A big fight should be attached to a big review.; January 18, 2011 at 10:31 PM
Cuchulain said...: As regards fight scenes: If Judas-Liz is to become a regular character you might do well to pair off combatants a little differently—that is to say: if you pit the villains you yourself play against Iron Liz whilst Linkara deals with “Judas-Liz” it would allow for less restrictive camera angles.

A varied sequence of shots featuring two characters legitimately reacting to one another can be a lot more interesting and dynamic than a medium shot of only one character, followed by several awkward close-ups containing only hands and a head.

I appreciate that you have a fondness for the ol’ evil doppelgänger battle, but, now that you have ready access to another performer besides yourself, I just wanted to suggest an alternate approach (which, naturally, you can take or leave).; January 19, 2011 at 2:49 AM
QuetzaDrake said...: Alright, I got a couple of comments/critiques, although I thought it was pretty awesome so I'm not complaining at all. First... gotta agree with others on its out-of-nowhereness. Mechakara was antsy about killing you at the end of the Dead/Alive review, but he didn't seem like he'd gotten fed up with waiting and gone down himself (or gotten ordered to go kill you by Vyce). I think a simple scene even before the theme song in this review (if not perhaps shoved in at the end of Cry for Justice 3-4) showing Mechakara getting too impatient and beaming down to Earth could've solved the issue.

Plus, I think you got overexcited with the fight. You used and revealed a LOT of new powers and stuff, and I think it was too much too soon. The white Zeo reviewer suit is pretty badass and god-tier, but it seems like something that should've been saved for fighting Vyce, not on the past-villain-now-henchman fella. Neutro was awesome, too, but... I dunno, I know this fight scene was far shorter than the first Mechakara fight, but it still seemed like too much to tack onto the end? Maybe if the suit hadn't been used and only Neutro, it wouldn't've seemed somewhat bloated with the new badass stuff.

All that said... the new stuff IS awesome. I think you need to add a little variation, though, at least in the coat area... it DOES look a little weird with the gloves and the hat. Maybe a little more gold somewhere? Dunno. Unlike first commenter Stephen, though, I didn't burst out laughing until the Neutro costume, which was just... wow, I did not ever think a Neutro costume would ever come into existance. It is spectacular in both its hilarity and badassery.

Finally a few comments on Mechakara himself: one, how come you don't mock him for essentially being the Borg now? I mean, I'm sure that's what your inspiration/intention was, he adapts to every weapon as he's hit by it. Guess you didn't want to point out the obvious? Coulda lampshaded it "Oh, what, you're the Borg now? Gonna assimilate me, asshole?" Two, for a guy who hates humans so much, Mechkara sure loves to try and be A MAN, by which I mean he sure loves punching a lot. I guess he did just as much punching in the first fight, but it's way more noticeable here. Would figure the homicidal robot would employ some other tactics like technological weapons or... a kick, but I guess he just enjoy pounding you in the face instead. :B

Anyway, good review and such. Don't actually know if it would've been better on Christmas rather than yesterday... but whatever.; January 19, 2011 at 4:25 AM
Thomas Kelley said...: Linkara. Honestly your fandom is amazing, your abilities to create story lines is amazing. I'm jsut waiting for the rest of your team to be assembled. your a genius and I love your work bra.; January 19, 2011 at 4:32 AM
QuetzaDrake said...: Oh, also, I forgot to mention in my comment (provided it went through, I got an error page but pressing Back got me the "comment has been sent" message): I love that you have that Power Rangers staff and used it, cause I had one as a kid even though I actually didn't know where it came from (didn't really watch beyond the third season unfortunately), but I played with it a lot so it's a good feeling of nostalgic.

Also, that thing better actually open up and have its three red LCDs flash in a future fight or I will be severely disappointed..; January 19, 2011 at 4:38 AM
QuetzaDrake said...: Aha! Found where a certain something was that reminded me of one more thing I forgot to say.

When I was running through the archives of videos again for recreation, I was reminded when watching Athena #1 again that you were fooling around with the Zeo wristthing, and it was nagging at me about what that was gonna do and when it would come back, and lo and behold, here it's finally revealed! Awesome. And Athena #1 was way back in April of last year, so that is some epic-length foreshadowing there.; January 19, 2011 at 8:00 AM
Anonymous said...: Linkara don't listen to some of these guys on here. Some people complain just because they can.

Your the man. It's your show, so do with it how you wish. I will appreciate it for what it is, unlike some people.

Suggestions are fine, but I am reading to many comments of nothing but unjustified complaints and comments from people who act as though their opinions are facts instead of just their thoughts. One example, someone said that since you moved out of your parents your videos have been lacking. Or the person who said that this battle was not entertaining. I disagree completely on both acounts.

I'm just so sick of reading comments from douchbags who thinks they know what is best for you.. I guess I should just stop reading comments then. lol.

Anyway I just want to voice my opinion to help negate any negative feedback you may have received about this video. I loved it. Thank you for taking your time and effort into bringing me such joy with your videos.; January 19, 2011 at 1:06 PM
DerKork said...: I'm kind of late to the party but I didn't mind the fight. I found it to be awesome.

As you already know: The appearance of Mechakara was a bit... surprising after he dropped off the planet. That's because you had to delay the review - otherwise it would have been flwoing naturally, even if it feels a bit awkward for Vyce to send one of his best weapons against Linkara that early with only minimal backup.

About the fight itself: Had I been doing that, I might have used a few more cuts to Liz who struggles against her enemy when the fight in the "foreground" somewhat slowed down. Heck, even adding just a few "clang" SFX not in sync with you beating Mechakara up might have helped telling the story of Iron Liz's battle. As it stands right now, it seems that she and Judas Liz just stood there, waiting for the two of you (Linkara and Mechakara) to be done with fighting.

I have two suggestions for future giant robot battles, one is extremely time consuming and the other takes a lot of time - or luck.

- Use an animated background plate.
That's the one taking time or luck. If you can find freely available stock footage of the Minneapolis skyline, it's relatively easy. If not, you will have to invest a lot of time - which probably won't pay off.

- Put some buildings in the foreground.
Those buildings would help convey the size of the giant robots, even if you just use them in an establishing shot. It is a time consuming process no matter what technique (cardboard cutouts filmed with the actor behind them or added in post-production) you use.

And finally I apologize for the wall of text but I couldn't find the time to condense my thoughts further.; January 19, 2011 at 2:05 PM
Publisher Pete said...: I want to say that while I did think this review was okay I didn't like the fight either. Iron Liz is a horrible actress, and I find it hilarious how ironic it is that Linkara the feminist makes his girlfriend incredibly weak.

I really can't understand why you don't put the story line part of episodes as there own videos. The Silent Hill one was way worse. It was just pathetic.

Also it's ironic again how what Linkara is doing can be argued as being glorified fanfiction kind of like a certain former editor and chief of Marvel.

Never stop being a hypocrite Linkara.; January 19, 2011 at 8:10 PM
Lewis Lovhaug said...: "I really can't understand why you don't put the story line part of episodes as there own videos. The Silent Hill one was way worse. It was just pathetic."

How exactly was it pathetic?

"Also it's ironic again how what Linkara is doing can be argued as being glorified fanfiction kind of like a certain former editor and chief of Marvel.

Never stop being a hypocrite Linkara."

Let me get this straight - the wrecking of forty years of established characterization and the very core of their character - responsibility and unwillingness to compromise his principles even if it makes his life hell - is comparable to a humorous show about comic books that occasionally does comic book-style plotlines that are slightly on the more action-serious side of things, which even then have bits of humor peppered throughout?; January 19, 2011 at 10:43 PM
Toby said...: Oh, I meant to ask this earlier, but what happened to the Magic Coin after Mechakara was 'defeated'? Or is that going to be a plot point later and I shouldn't have noticed yet?; January 19, 2011 at 10:51 PM