I remember actually seeing this comic on the shelf at my local comic shop back when it came out, I think my brain almost exploded from the pointlessness.
I had to keep asking myself, exactly who thought this was a good idea? It reminds me of those horrible Hostess Fruit Pie comics.. Maybe you should take a look at some of those in a kind of mini review format.
Ahhh cross promotional comics! Is there any better review fodder? There are two arguments for this sort of rubbish. the first is to have fun. The other is to introduce a new fan-base to an already established character. That's the ENTIRE point of this stuff. Meanwhile a rocket powered helicopter almost killed me laughing each time it morphed into a new, even more outlandish vehicle I couldn't stop laughing. There is so much I could call out on this comic it's not true. Hot air balloons faster than Airwolf? No. The eye of a tornado, would tear the balloon it ribbons before you got near the middle. Superman needing the help of an anthropomorphic bunny? Nope. The blatantly obvious selection of the Club… Qlub members? As bad as the impossibly useful collection of junk Bond found in another Q's layer. Every panel was a fresh slice of WTF. This was great fun to laugh at and I think that was the point. There is no way the writers were even going to pretend to pull this of seriously. If that was their intention they succeeded perfectly. Giving fans a chuckle and little kids all the mindless adventure needed. There was also a bit of humour to watch you of all people call it out on some of the science. Have you completely forgotten about Billy's inventions in the first season of Power Rangers? The Rad Bug and the body-switching machine and you're calling the Nesquick bunny out? But a great review and a lot of fun. Thanks for a good laugh.
Thomas
PS, Just to tick you off:- the idea that Superman fights for the "american way" has always ticked me off because I'm not American. What he stands for are the ideals of a lot of people and nations, not just the fairly tyrannical (from a certain point of view) U.S of A. Truth, Justice and Freedom is a lot more encompassing. "Freedom" being all kinds; including personal, religious and to have one's own opinions and the right to disagree with others.
After watching this review, I checked the DC Database wiki, and it turns out that the Weather Wizard's powers aren't magic-based. Which, of course, raises the question of why this comic portrayed him as a literal wizard.
I think the kids are confusing a tornado with a hurricane. Even if there is an eye in a tornado, you still have to survive passing through the eye wall, where the winds are the strongest.
To be fair to the spinning helicopter ears, that's actually pretty common. For example, Tails from Sonic the Hedgehog can fly using his two tails, and Tiny Kong (at least in her debut, anyway) can fly by... spinning her ponytails... But yeah, in this case, it's stupid. Also, I've asked this several times, but I never seem to get a response: Do you like the Kirby games?
I've read some of those comments on the "citizenship thing" and the critiques of the Fox News types reacting to it. The problem is, patriotism (which, in my view, is a support of general values and the goods produced by your country) and "supporting the government" can, in some cases, be two vastly different things. From what I, a Canadian, understand of the founding of the US, Michael Moore is more of a patriot than Glenn Beck. On the one hand, you have what amounts to a member of the propaganda front of the neo-cons and, on the other, someone fighting against oppression (Fahrenheit 9/11), aggression (Bowling for Columbine), governmental corruption (Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko, Capitalism: A Love Story) and the more disgusting forms of capitalism. (Sicko, Roger and Me, Capitalism: A Love Story.) You can criticize their vehemence and histrionics, but patriotism is pride in your country's values and accomplishments, whether tied to government or not. Ultimately: Cheering for a Canadian team winning the Stanley cup? Still patriotism.
One more complaint to add on to this comic along with "The Weather Wizard's powers are tech-based - not real magic" and "The Quik Bunny can fly!"
Why is the Weather Wizard running around causing all this chaos? He's always been portrayed as a rogue out for money with no special interest in causing chaos ala The Joker. And he doesn't show any signs of looking for a profit in any of this, apart from trying to steal part of a pyramid wall.
No one would want to read a food mascot comic? Sounds like someone has yet to read "Breakfast of the Gods". Granted, it's a webcomic, but still, very much awesome.
Wow, a talking bunny, a treehouse TARDIS, kids that should be working with the NASA space program, and the weather wizard is actually a wizard instead of a criminal that stole tech from his brother. I'm going to start drinking now.
Funny you should mention Nesquik in your review, in the UK it is also a breakfast cereal.
I didn't know there was a comic based on it though, so this review was a joy to watch.
By the way speaking of mascots - you may not or may not have heard of the Sugar Puffs Honey Monster but back in the 90's the commercials he was in often had him taking part in activities like snowboarding, rock concerts and football. I'm surprised they haven't done any comics about him yet.
Wow, at least Phineas and Ferb are able to pull off the whole "Kid engineering genius" thing while still being both interesting, and even mildly plausible
No, you're right. The eye of the tornado is where the wind is the strongest. Now, if it were a hurricane, then their idea might have some merit... Except by the time you get to the eye of the hurricane you're already dead.
Oh, also, why the Weather Wizard? Why not Lex Luthor or Braniac? Or, hell, even a B-Lister like Toyman or Mr Mxyzptlk would make more sense; at least they're freaking SUPERMAN villains and not a bloody FLASH villain! Hell, Luthor could easily do everything that happens in this comic, and would have the motivation to do so.
Wow, a Yes Minister clip? Is that widely known in the US? I guess Doctor Who opens all sorts of doors. One of the most delightfully random pieces of nostalgia I've seen in a while.
Two things: First, the Weather Wizard isn't magic, he just stole his super scientist brothers weather control device. Second, I'm going to assume this takes place before Crisis on Infinite Earths, so you can probably take solace in knowing that this Earth was most likely destroyed by the Anti-Monitor.
I think someone else touched on this, but it's worth repeating that adding to the idiocy of this comic is the fact that the Weather Wizard's powers aren't magical in nature. The wand is a bit of advanced technology and he went with the name Weather Wizard because:
A) The device is shaped roughly like a rod (though the original designer of the device meant it to be more like an antena).
and
B) It's aliterative in the way Mirror Master, Pied Piper, Captain Cold and other Flash villains were at the time.
Granted, that's still only a minor bit of insanity when compared to the rest of the comic, but I'm a huge nerd and it would tick me off as much as someone claiming that Spider-Man's powers were magical.
I actually read the flash comic that introduced the weather wizard's wand is not magical, but instead "advanced weather controlling technology" that he inherited from a relative who apparently wanted to do good with it by keeping it completely unknown to the outside world rather than doing something productive like helping to stop natural disasters or preventing droughts. To be fair though, in comic books, particularly the old ones, advanced technology and magic did pretty much the same thing.
To be fair, I think it would've been even more ridiculous if Superman met the Weather Wizard in Seattle and said villain tried to topple the Space Needle or try to destroy Starbucks before it became a worldwide popular coffee chain attempt to murder Bill Gates before Microsoft became super popular. That would've made the comic even more ludicrous than it was originally intended.
I find that statement highly ironic coming from someone who hails from one of the great seats of government enforced Anglo supremacy and brutal ethnocentrism. Imagine that: a Brit calling another nation "tyrannical". It's like George W. Bush calling someone else "inept". "From a certain point of view"? From a certain point of view your nation is a noose around the neck of the Black man, your leaders pathetic flailing attempts to resist the inevitable progress of a civilization (whose apex is a multicultural, multiethnic accepting society) in the name of "protecting our ideals and culture" (read: beating down any person of color who has the audacity to not kneel down and kiss the ring of Anglo domination, crushing any non-white person and quite a few anglos who you view as 'not white enough' or 'not our kind of anglo') who will not give up their culture and who desires to rise up in your society) instantly reveals that the heart of a tyrant empire beats very close to where you lay your head.
Does America have it's issues? Shit, of course it does. I'm as black as it gets and I've been around long enough to see and feel the sting of boots upon my back (both literally and figuratively). It's a work in progress that will take longer than the paltry lifespan I have been given. But at least it is progressing. At least I can begin to see change on the horizon. For the first time in a long while, I see black and white, asian and hispanic, native and non working together. There are some beasts in the wild. There are some bigots who crawl forth every so often. But their numbers shrink, year by year. Their shrill voices are tossed into the dustbin of history and they are rightly mocked and then ignored. America may have been the scion of tyrants, but today at least she is walking down a long road to progress and growth, proof that the multicultural experiment can succeed. I'd be very careful tossing out accusations of tyranny, boy. Especially given the state of your nation at the time of this writing.
Oh please. Beck and Moore are both lying sacks of shit. Both are con men for their respective sides. Both have produced nothing but propaganda and bullshit. Both scream and rant about "saving America", but are only interested in selling their particular brand of lies. Moore's work has about as much to do with reality as one of Beck's Fox News backed rants about Obama being a 5th columnist: none.
The only difference is that Beck is a torture apologist and Moore is a rape apologist.
Patriot? Neither one of those boys would know the meaning of the word if it bit them on the ass. A patriot is self-sacrifice in the name of the highest ideals of a nation. A patriot is to accept and stand up for the truth, knowing that the truth will alienate you from all sides but will ultimately make your nation greater. A patriot has no interest in gain or promoting one political spectrum over the other, but doing what is right for the people of the nation, opposing all forces that would corrupt and oppress (chief of these being the government itself), even if it means you fight alone.
They are ideologues. Political prostitutes. Nothing more.
given the lack of logic/general sense in this comic it doesn't surprise me that the guys behind the 'puzzles' can't tell the difference between England and the United Kingdom.
Also, am I the only one who still wants to see a tree-house robot?
Probably been mentioned, but for the country naming game, one name is given as England. The country is actually the United Kingdom as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are a part of it which are seperate countries which only get classed together under the United Kingdom term.
Than again you might have answered the question with England, and the comic wanted Britain, but even that's inaccurate as Britain is the term for England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland which is clearly there.
Yes, that was pedantic but I wanted it mentioned.
As for the review, a very funny review of a ridiculous concept.
Wait a second! Was this comic trying to pull the "Mortal Kombat" stunt of trying to replace "c"s with other letters (instead of "K", we'd get "Q")?? What the hell?
"Awesome review, one question though: what was with the Ancient Egypt is evil thing?"
It's a recurring gag on the show because of the fact that the only things that seem to come out of ancient Egypt are mummies, ancient talismans of evil, and various other trinkets and baubles that cause untold destruction and menace.
Linkara, every week you make awesomer and awesomer videos. This week, you actually busted out a reference to one of my fave old-school britcoms "Yes, Prime minister"...awesome!
Great video as well, funny as all get out.
By the way, which do you prefer "Yes, Minister" or "Yes, Prime Minister"?
So an opponent who the Flash could knock around, suddenly is able challenge the Man of Steel himself? What's next? Captain Boomerang is going punch out Batman? The Ventriloquist conquering the Titans?
I'd mention I think one commenter's post refering to Micheal Moore's so called patriotism is bullshit, but Lewis said to keep it out of the comments section.
I'd just like to say, this is a pretty jammed packed review. I honestly didn't think you'd almost get to a half hour with this thing, but I was surprised. Pleseantly I might add. I guess I should've known better, these promo comics are always perfect material for riffing on. I mean, christ that maze was dumb as all fuck.
This was an awesome review Linkara, and I know there are plenty of great reviews to come. Ultimate warrior next week... and the crown jewel of terrible crossovers the next. I look forward to it. I hope you survive, may God be with you sir for the horror that is to come.
I don't know about you, but i freaking hate comics where they have "activities" in them, its totally distracting, and i don't accept the, "well its for kids" excuse, im pretty sure kids are smarter than this crap. By the by, i'm surprised you never at one point in the review compared the treehouse to the Tardis.
No TARDIS comparison to their treehouse, given it was bigger inside than out?
And you call yourself a Dr. Who fan. :P
..and this is coming from one who is trying to find a good starting point to start watching Dr. Who, while also wondering what fan reaction would be if a future regeneration turned The Doctor into a female.
The Quik Bunny is obviously a narcicistic drug addicted sociopath desperately trying to live out a dangerously immature hero-fantasy at the expense of the lives of these children. Look at the expression on his face, a deranged mix of hatred for everything around him and pure extacy at the thought of it, when he mentiones that they could HELP Superman AGAIN. It's quite obvious that he's completely addicted to anything that makes him feel alive, be it the glory and adrenalin rush of being a "hero" or shitty chocolate milk, and like many addicts is completely focused on self gratification and will to anything it takes to get his fix, even at the cost of others, and in this case forming a suicide cult of child soldiers that worships him like unto a god.
Also, the cover looks like mediocre fanart based on a layout for a kickin' movie poster Miyazaki drew.
I'm sure you'll get many notes to the tune of this, but the eye of a HURRICANE is the safest place to be in a HURRICANE. The eye of a tornado is the most dangerous part of a tornado, where the winds are so strong they can tear houses to smithereens.
If you're wondering whether that means that this comic fails even more, you'd be right.
Wow, that was stupid. But, it's nice to know that Superman, one of the most powerful beings in existence who can make time go backwards, juggle planets and has defeated the omnicidal Darkseid multiple times, can always depend on a rabbit and some children in case some guy with a weather altering wand appears. Because anyone with a weather altering device is not so easily defeatable, e.g., the ruthless, terrorist organisation determined to rule the world, Cobra.
And kudos on the Yes Minister reference. It's very weird when an American makes reference to one of our sitcoms or other programmes, but not weird when we Brits make a reference to an American programme. Maybe it has to do with the preconcieved stereotypes of Americans as people who have no knowledge of the world other than America, and to make a reference or acknowlegement to another nation is just out of place.
Hm, a long and inconsiquential rant that said nothing, just like my reviews and blog posts (shameless blog promotion).
Alright I haven't seen the Kool-Aid episode, but having seen insanity like the Whiz Kids nonsense and the Fantastic 4's insane adventures in Staples, this really took the cake. I remember comics like this one growing up, where they took a story and added activities to keep kids interested, but to see that treehouse...yeah, I say we put these kids in a showdown with the likes of the Karate Kommandos, the Care Bears, Madballs and US1 to see who would come out on which one was more WTF.
Oh and BTW: as great as the Gene Wilder version of "Pure Imagination" was, I somehow had an inkling of also wanting to have the Ben Verene version...but that's me being a "Muppet Show" fan, so ignore that.
My theory is the Phineas and Ferb must be members of the "Quick Qlub."
One interesting/funny thing that you forgot to mention "Superman Meets The Quick Bunny" was actually drawn by legendary Silver Age artist Carmine Infantino, co-creator of Barry Allen the second Flash!
I'll say right now that I haven't read many of the comments, but given the number of them that look like essays in this case, a pass may be in order on that.
With that in mind, if memory serves, I don't think the Kool-Aid Man comics, nor any food mascot character comics, for that matter, were actually free, as one usually got them with their respective products or as a promotion related to them. Thusly, the comics were only free in that one did not have to pay for the comics themselves.
In regard to this comic in particular, after having seen your review, I feel markedly less bad about my own crossovers. At least I took the time to find some way of making them a tiny bit plauseable in some way.
As always, thanks for another excellent review, Linkara! I'm looking forward to more!
Ah yes "What?" comics make for much better episodes than "Early Image".
*checks for next week*
"Ultimate Warrior’s Workout"
Oh... wow... this is going to be good.
Oh! Wikipedia says the earliest of the pyramids were built in "2630 BCE–2611 BCE". Even assuming they had a map of the world, supercontinents are MILLIONS of years ago, a long way from "~5000".
Also: Every time the tired unwraping the mummy gag (hmm *checks TVTropes and fails to find it, is shocked, then rushes to YKTTW*) I have to ask "where are the parts that are well... mummified."
Linkara, didn't you say at one point "Comic readers love the lavishly ludicrous"?
I suppose I am taking your reaction to the comic too seriously, but it seems that this is the sort of comic that you were referring to. I am not saying that this was a good comic, but where does this hatred come from? I can understand that kind of reaction to a comic that ruined an interesting character or that advocated some kind of unforgiveable sentiment, but this one seemed fairly harmless.
"I had to keep asking myself, exactly who thought this was a good idea? It reminds me of those horrible Hostess Fruit Pie comics.. Maybe you should take a look at some of those in a kind of mini review format."
Hostess comics have already been done by Seanbaby (formerly of EGM, currently of Cracked.com). Hilariously. All respect to Linkara, but he'd have to come up with something PRETTY awesome to compete. ;)
No i know it's a sci-fi term, and i guess i haven't seen enough of doctor who or sci-fi to get all the proper terms down yet. i guess i was expecting another doctor who clip at the point.
"I suppose I am taking your reaction to the comic too seriously, but it seems that this is the sort of comic that you were referring to. I am not saying that this was a good comic, but where does this hatred come from? I can understand that kind of reaction to a comic that ruined an interesting character or that advocated some kind of unforgiveable sentiment, but this one seemed fairly harmless."
Honestly, it's a BIT of an overreaction, but it's also incredibly stupid and there were things I completely missed that others have pointed out. You don't really LEARN much from it and as an adventure, there's no real action in it other than Superman pushing things and the Quik Bunny saying how they need to help out Superman by managing to overhear things.
Ehh, I never like it when Linkara reviews comics meant for little kids. Not only they are *not* supposed to make sense, but also (unlike some comics you've reviewed) aren't made with malice towards anyone. Blatant commercialization, yes, but that's everywhere already, kids are used to it.
THAT said, this comic could have been SO much better. Cartoons like Phineas and Ferb prove that you can write for kids but do so in such inventive ways (despite the show's premise forcing you to reuse the same basic gags) that they're fun for the whole family.
Who wrote this, btw? He doesn't seem to have been familiar with either kid's comics or Superman. At least the art was surprisingly good (the artist is in fact from many *much better* old Superman DC comics, which added a nostalgia element for me.)
And btw, yes there are living cartoon characters in DC already (from Earth-C, home of Captain Carrot and the Amazing Zoo Crew) so you're right in that part not being too fantastic for a DC comic... though even then it requires using an interdimensional crossover and not just acting like humanoid rabbits are the norm on Metropolis.
Oh and (you probably know this already but anyway) the pyramids ARE evil, as seen in the Dr. Who episode, "Pyramids of Mars!" :D (goofy title aside, it was a GREAT serial.)
So many missed opportunities for a good old "Of course! Don't you know anything about science?"
You were right to put this one in with the Kool Aid Man, it was equally preposterous. Much like the Kool Aid Man, The Quik Bunny had his own "Quik Cave" (Or, as the comic prefers, "Qave").
Seems asthough Weather Wizard secretly knows necromancy to have a mummy around to distract Superman. Other than that.... My god people come up with STUPID crossovers. As far as I've seen, only Capcom are the only ones that are able to do it right, and not just with one other company, but with multiple ones. Marvel, SNK, and Namco. If anyone can tell me who else does good crossovers, please feel free to tell.
First - not a single Ice Cream Bunny reference. Tsk, tsk.
Secondly- As briefly mentioned in the review and comments, for Pete's sake no! You don't ever head towards a tornado. Ever. Okay, I'll make exceptions for folks in storm chasing vehicles or for Superman or the Flash, but not normal, non-suicidal people.
Geez, DC. That's like telling kids to extinguish a fire by pouring gasoline on it or that the best thing to do in a thunderstorm is to climb really high to get above the lightning. Following that advice won't lead to happy results.
Oh I forgot! This comic also fucks up something huge! It's not safe inside the eye of a TORNADO its safest inside the eye of a HURRICANE! Tornados are funnels, they don't have eyes! Inside a tornado is the worse place you want to be, especially at the bottom. Hurricanes eyes are the only place in the entire storm where you can safely remain without getting killed cause the windforce is so powerful and spread out that it actually creates a small unclouded space in the middle where there is no wind. Subsequently, the eye wall is the WORST place you can be in a hurricane because its where the strongest winds are.
So that bitch in the comic? Total idiot. Her friends should've been killed for listening to her advice and she should've been blamed for their deaths.
Apparently, not only is the Qlubhouse a TARDIS, but it's one with a very sophisticated chameleon circuit. Maybe the Doctor and the Master aren't the only two Gallifreyans left. :P
"Second, I'm going to assume this takes place before Crisis on Infinite Earths, so you can probably take solace in knowing that this Earth was most likely destroyed by the Anti-Monitor." No such luck, I'm afraid–Crisis On Infinite Earths ended in March 1986, while this comic was published on New Year's Day 1987. Fret not, though–you can always assume that Zero Hour or one of the other CoIE follow-ups took this Earth out, if you're so inclined.
Hello great reivewe but they is problem with this comic that no has commented so as big fan of the flash I know a fine or to about Weather Wizard and I know for a fact that he can not sumone the undead and I also know for fact a that his powers tec based not magic. He migth call himself Weather Wizard but wond of his is acttly a advents due hick used to measer the power storms that stole he from a lab after breaking out of jail.
"Hello great reivewe but they is problem with this comic that no has commented so as big fan of the flash I know a fine or to about Weather Wizard and I know for a fact that he can not sumone the undead and I also know for fact a that his powers tec based not magic. He migth call himself Weather Wizard but wond of his is acttly a advents due hick used to measer the power storms that stole he from a lab after breaking out of jail."
There's always the advertising a brand gets from something like this. Alternatively some (though I doubt these were among them) could have been attempts to get money from the federal government to make anti-drug, anti-smoking and anti-unhealthy food ads. Besides, at least it isn't Trix. That would just make you depressed with how cruel those kids can be.
As for this specific comic...ouch. Look carefully at the takeoff. They're lucky they didn't set the entire forest on fire with that stunt. Though perhaps that was intentional considering that the Bunny wants them to go into a flood.
BTW - If you're ever stressed about the flak you'll get for a pronunciation you can always try to verify it using Forvo. For example, here's how to pronounce "Yangtze River." It may not quiet all the dissenters, but at least you can tell them you looked it up.
"I wouldn't know. I've never played them." Ah, so that's why you wouldn't answer my question. See, I thought you might have been a fan, because the Entity reminds me of one of the recurring villains in the Kirby games, Dark Matter. Guess it's just a coincidence. In an unrelated subject, something bugs me a little about your Dark Knight Strikes Again reviews. I'm sure the comic is bad, but the thing is, I recently read The Dark Knight Returns for the first time, and I noticed that several of the things that you complained about in the sequel were present in The Dark Knight Returns. Examples: The EMPHASIZING of RANDOM words, the line "We HAVE to be criminals," the porn star Hot Gates, and a few other things. I'm a little confused as to why you like The Dark Knight Returns, seeing as how it had some of the same problems its sequel had. You did address the media satire in your review (in the original, it doesn't draw attention away from the plot, but in the sequel, it does), but... well, yeah.
"The Dark Knight Returns. Examples: The EMPHASIZING of RANDOM words, the line "We HAVE to be criminals," the porn star Hot Gates, and a few other things. I'm a little confused as to why you like The Dark Knight Returns, seeing as how it had some of the same problems its sequel had. You did address the media satire in your review (in the original, it doesn't draw attention away from the plot, but in the sequel, it does), but... well, yeah"
Yeah, they're Miller quirks, but like I said, the Dark Knight Returns had a more engaging story, was better paced, Batman actually acted like a hero, and I can still disagree with Miller about the "we have to be criminals" thing. I never said it was a perfect book, but it's still a lot better IMHO.
Now I might be mistaken but the reason why these comics were produced is not to be sold at newsstands or traditional comic distribution venues. This and the Kool Aide Man Comic were "premiums" given away to kids who sent a certain (large) amount of proof of purchases or Kool Aide Points to the company with a label on the back.
This would, in turn, inspire kids to binge on the respective product to hoard up these points in order to receive the mail away toys and prizes faster. The ones found in comic shops are probably overstock or bought from bulk purchases of no-longer-wanted comic collections.
Where was the song 'I have a theory' in all that? It was the perfect time!
@CM Waters: a female Doctor happened in Curse of the Fatal Death...
"He's at the old pyramid" ... as opposed to all those new pyramids they have lying around? Which one, btw? One of the three at Giza, or one of the others?
@Michael... the other Michael... Practice this mantra I often use while watching Linkara: "Overreacting is his schtick... Overreacting is his schtick..."
Also, this was long before all the Timelords were wiped out.
"Come on people it doesn't take a degree in rocket science to use google." No, but they'd have needed the clubhouse to be an actual TARDIS (ie: time travel) to do it in 1987. An atlas, otoh...
Okay I know you don't care Linkara but I have to say it. My god Mark what were you doing before Geoff John? Your the Weather Wizard a long time member of the Rogues and professional criminal. You should be ripping tornado's in posers stomachs, talking about your possible-murdering of your brother and videotapeing the artic not fighting a chocolate mascot and stuff out of your league! It be like Heatwave wanting to fight Captain Crunch while trying to set fire to the wall of china.
I know I'm awfully late in giving praised, but this was an excellent episode. The Quik Bunny makes my skin crawl, to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that he's the head of a nefarious racist organisation called the QQQ.
Hey Linkara. I love your stuff(even though I'm not a comic fan myself).
You pose the question as to why these promotional comics are even in existence. I've thought about it for a little while(as an economics student in college I tend to incredibly over think this kind of thing), and I think I've thought of a potential answer(whether or not it is actually effective is a different story).
The reason is to try to sell more of the product being advertised; it seems very likely that the companies of the products being advertised end up paying the comic companies to produce the comic. The idea is twofold. First, the comic is there to expose a particular product to a new child consumer. A child wandering in a comic book store/supermarket might see the comic, and then might become interested in the product being advertised. It may also make a child consumer of chocolate milk products pick nesquik pick one brand of chocolate milk product over another with increased exposure for the quik bunny. Just a thought.
I remember actually seeing this comic on the shelf at my local comic shop back when it came out, I think my brain almost exploded from the pointlessness.
ReplyDeleteI had to keep asking myself, exactly who thought this was a good idea? It reminds me of those horrible Hostess Fruit Pie comics.. Maybe you should take a look at some of those in a kind of mini review format.
I'd pay to read a comic featuring a food mascot.
ReplyDeleteAhhh cross promotional comics! Is there any better review fodder?
ReplyDeleteThere are two arguments for this sort of rubbish. the first is to have fun. The other is to introduce a new fan-base to an already established character. That's the ENTIRE point of this stuff.
Meanwhile a rocket powered helicopter almost killed me laughing each time it morphed into a new, even more outlandish vehicle I couldn't stop laughing. There is so much I could call out on this comic it's not true. Hot air balloons faster than Airwolf? No. The eye of a tornado, would tear the balloon it ribbons before you got near the middle. Superman needing the help of an anthropomorphic bunny? Nope. The blatantly obvious selection of the Club… Qlub members? As bad as the impossibly useful collection of junk Bond found in another Q's layer. Every panel was a fresh slice of WTF.
This was great fun to laugh at and I think that was the point. There is no way the writers were even going to pretend to pull this of seriously. If that was their intention they succeeded perfectly. Giving fans a chuckle and little kids all the mindless adventure needed.
There was also a bit of humour to watch you of all people call it out on some of the science. Have you completely forgotten about Billy's inventions in the first season of Power Rangers? The Rad Bug and the body-switching machine and you're calling the Nesquick bunny out?
But a great review and a lot of fun. Thanks for a good laugh.
Thomas
PS, Just to tick you off:- the idea that Superman fights for the "american way" has always ticked me off because I'm not American. What he stands for are the ideals of a lot of people and nations, not just the fairly tyrannical (from a certain point of view) U.S of A. Truth, Justice and Freedom is a lot more encompassing. "Freedom" being all kinds; including personal, religious and to have one's own opinions and the right to disagree with others.
Well, I wonder if they speak generic Chinese in this comic instead of Mandarim or Cantonese...
ReplyDeleteGreatly done, Linkara.
After watching this review, I checked the DC Database wiki, and it turns out that the Weather Wizard's powers aren't magic-based. Which, of course, raises the question of why this comic portrayed him as a literal wizard.
ReplyDeleteNo Superman/Citizenship questions/comments here, got it.
ReplyDeleteOther than that, have you heard of the 80-page story JLA: Goes to Hell? To me that was like JLA: Act of God, interesting idea, horrible execution.
Would you consider reviewing that please? I'm not good at catching errors or problems in comics, and even I found a ton throughout the whole thing.
Just thought I'd mention and request it. Even if you don't, thanks anyways.
You mean that this was a real comic? I thought this was just a joke that was put on Superdickery.com
ReplyDeleteI think the kids are confusing a tornado with a hurricane. Even if there is an eye in a tornado, you still have to survive passing through the eye wall, where the winds are the strongest.
ReplyDeleteWhen did Superman have "Instant Bricklaying Vision"?
ReplyDeleteTo be fair to the spinning helicopter ears, that's actually pretty common. For example, Tails from Sonic the Hedgehog can fly using his two tails, and Tiny Kong (at least in her debut, anyway) can fly by... spinning her ponytails... But yeah, in this case, it's stupid.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've asked this several times, but I never seem to get a response: Do you like the Kirby games?
Mummies are weather. What, you didn't know that?
ReplyDeleteI've read some of those comments on the "citizenship thing" and the critiques of the Fox News types reacting to it. The problem is, patriotism (which, in my view, is a support of general values and the goods produced by your country) and "supporting the government" can, in some cases, be two vastly different things. From what I, a Canadian, understand of the founding of the US, Michael Moore is more of a patriot than Glenn Beck. On the one hand, you have what amounts to a member of the propaganda front of the neo-cons and, on the other, someone fighting against oppression (Fahrenheit 9/11), aggression (Bowling for Columbine), governmental corruption (Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko, Capitalism: A Love Story) and the more disgusting forms of capitalism. (Sicko, Roger and Me, Capitalism: A Love Story.) You can criticize their vehemence and histrionics, but patriotism is pride in your country's values and accomplishments, whether tied to government or not. Ultimately: Cheering for a Canadian team winning the Stanley cup? Still patriotism.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to point out that the country puzzle was wrong. That wasn't England, that was Britain; which contains England, Wales and Scotland
ReplyDeleteOne more complaint to add on to this comic along with "The Weather Wizard's powers are tech-based - not real magic" and "The Quik Bunny can fly!"
ReplyDeleteWhy is the Weather Wizard running around causing all this chaos? He's always been portrayed as a rogue out for money with no special interest in causing chaos ala The Joker. And he doesn't show any signs of looking for a profit in any of this, apart from trying to steal part of a pyramid wall.
No one would want to read a food mascot comic? Sounds like someone has yet to read "Breakfast of the Gods". Granted, it's a webcomic, but still, very much awesome.
ReplyDeleteooook... I give up... which one of the kids were Bruce Wayne/Ted Kord/(whoever made Inspector Gadget)/Q/etc... son/daughter?
ReplyDelete"Also, I've asked this several times, but I never seem to get a response: Do you like the Kirby games?"
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't know. I've never played them.
Wow, a talking bunny, a treehouse TARDIS, kids that should be working with the NASA space program, and the weather wizard is actually a wizard instead of a criminal that stole tech from his brother. I'm going to start drinking now.
ReplyDeleteFunny you should mention Nesquik in your review, in the UK it is also a breakfast cereal.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know there was a comic based on it though, so this review was a joy to watch.
By the way speaking of mascots - you may not or may not have heard of the Sugar Puffs Honey Monster but back in the 90's the commercials he was in often had him taking part in activities like snowboarding, rock concerts and football. I'm surprised they haven't done any comics about him yet.
Wow, at least Phineas and Ferb are able to pull off the whole "Kid engineering genius" thing while still being both interesting, and even mildly plausible
ReplyDeleteNo, you're right. The eye of the tornado is where the wind is the strongest. Now, if it were a hurricane, then their idea might have some merit... Except by the time you get to the eye of the hurricane you're already dead.
ReplyDeleteOh, also, why the Weather Wizard? Why not Lex Luthor or Braniac? Or, hell, even a B-Lister like Toyman or Mr Mxyzptlk would make more sense; at least they're freaking SUPERMAN villains and not a bloody FLASH villain! Hell, Luthor could easily do everything that happens in this comic, and would have the motivation to do so.
Wow, a Yes Minister clip? Is that widely known in the US? I guess Doctor Who opens all sorts of doors. One of the most delightfully random pieces of nostalgia I've seen in a while.
ReplyDeleteTwo things: First, the Weather Wizard isn't magic, he just stole his super scientist brothers weather control device. Second, I'm going to assume this takes place before Crisis on Infinite Earths, so you can probably take solace in knowing that this Earth was most likely destroyed by the Anti-Monitor.
ReplyDeleteI think someone else touched on this, but it's worth repeating that adding to the idiocy of this comic is the fact that the Weather Wizard's powers aren't magical in nature. The wand is a bit of advanced technology and he went with the name Weather Wizard because:
ReplyDeleteA) The device is shaped roughly like a rod (though the original designer of the device meant it to be more like an antena).
and
B) It's aliterative in the way Mirror Master, Pied Piper, Captain Cold and other Flash villains were at the time.
Granted, that's still only a minor bit of insanity when compared to the rest of the comic, but I'm a huge nerd and it would tick me off as much as someone claiming that Spider-Man's powers were magical.
. . . . .
Wait . . .
I actually read the flash comic that introduced the weather wizard's wand is not magical, but instead "advanced weather controlling technology" that he inherited from a relative who apparently wanted to do good with it by keeping it completely unknown to the outside world rather than doing something productive like helping to stop natural disasters or preventing droughts. To be fair though, in comic books, particularly the old ones, advanced technology and magic did pretty much the same thing.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, I think it would've been even more ridiculous if Superman met the Weather Wizard in Seattle and said villain tried to topple the Space Needle or try to destroy Starbucks before it became a worldwide popular coffee chain attempt to murder Bill Gates before Microsoft became super popular. That would've made the comic even more ludicrous than it was originally intended.
ReplyDeleteMountain Man
ReplyDeleteI find that statement highly ironic coming from someone who hails from one of the great seats of government enforced Anglo supremacy and brutal ethnocentrism. Imagine that: a Brit calling another nation "tyrannical". It's like George W. Bush calling someone else "inept". "From a certain point of view"? From a certain point of view your nation is a noose around the neck of the Black man, your leaders pathetic flailing attempts to resist the inevitable progress of a civilization (whose apex is a multicultural, multiethnic accepting society) in the name of
"protecting our ideals and culture" (read: beating down any person of color who has the audacity to not kneel down and kiss the ring of Anglo domination, crushing any non-white person and quite a few anglos who you view as 'not white enough' or 'not our kind of anglo') who will not give up their culture and who desires to rise up in your society) instantly reveals that the heart of a tyrant empire beats very close to where you lay your head.
Does America have it's issues? Shit, of course it does. I'm as black as it gets and I've been around long enough to see and feel the sting of boots upon my back (both literally and figuratively). It's a work in progress that will take longer than the paltry lifespan I have been given. But at least it is progressing. At least I can begin to see change on the horizon. For the first time in a long while, I see black and white, asian and hispanic, native and non working together. There are some beasts in the wild. There are some bigots who crawl forth every so often. But their numbers shrink, year by year. Their shrill voices are tossed into the dustbin of history and they are rightly mocked and then ignored. America may have been the scion of tyrants, but today at least she is walking down a long road to progress and growth, proof that the multicultural experiment can succeed. I'd be very careful tossing out accusations of tyranny, boy. Especially given the state of your nation at the time of this writing.
Volvagia,
ReplyDeleteOh please. Beck and Moore are both lying sacks of shit. Both are con men for their respective sides. Both have produced nothing but propaganda and bullshit. Both scream and rant about "saving America", but are only interested in selling their particular brand of lies. Moore's work has about as much to do with reality as one of Beck's Fox News backed rants about Obama being a 5th columnist: none.
The only difference is that Beck is a torture apologist and Moore is a rape apologist.
Patriot? Neither one of those boys would know the meaning of the word if it bit them on the ass.
A patriot is self-sacrifice in the name of the highest ideals of a nation. A patriot is to accept and stand up for
the truth, knowing that the truth will alienate you from all sides but will ultimately make your nation greater. A patriot has no interest in gain or promoting one political spectrum over the other, but doing what is right for the people of the nation, opposing all forces that would corrupt and oppress (chief of these being the government itself), even if it means you fight alone.
They are ideologues. Political prostitutes. Nothing more.
given the lack of logic/general sense in this comic it doesn't surprise me that the guys behind the 'puzzles' can't tell the difference between England and the United Kingdom.
ReplyDeleteAlso, am I the only one who still wants to see a tree-house robot?
Probably been mentioned, but for the country naming game, one name is given as England. The country is actually the United Kingdom as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are a part of it which are seperate countries which only get classed together under the United Kingdom term.
ReplyDeleteThan again you might have answered the question with England, and the comic wanted Britain, but even that's inaccurate as Britain is the term for England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland which is clearly there.
Yes, that was pedantic but I wanted it mentioned.
As for the review, a very funny review of a ridiculous concept.
Self-contained manufacturing plant?
ReplyDeleteA structure that can fly and land almost anywhere?
Ridiculous levels of computer tech in a really small space?
Is this comic trying to tell us that these kids invented the Terran building technology from Starcraft?
Wait a second! Was this comic trying to pull the "Mortal Kombat" stunt of trying to replace "c"s with other letters (instead of "K", we'd get "Q")?? What the hell?
ReplyDeleteAnother thing too! Since when has the weather wizard's powers been "magical"? He's a scientist with a tricked out control rod, for crying out loud!
ReplyDeleteAwesome review, one question though: what was with the Ancient Egypt is evil thing?
ReplyDelete"Awesome review, one question though: what was with the Ancient Egypt is evil thing?"
ReplyDeleteIt's a recurring gag on the show because of the fact that the only things that seem to come out of ancient Egypt are mummies, ancient talismans of evil, and various other trinkets and baubles that cause untold destruction and menace.
Linkara, every week you make awesomer and awesomer videos. This week, you actually busted out a reference to one of my fave old-school britcoms "Yes, Prime minister"...awesome!
ReplyDeleteGreat video as well, funny as all get out.
By the way, which do you prefer "Yes, Minister" or "Yes, Prime Minister"?
Brian~
Thanks for the explanation, Linkara. Never really noticed that until now, and the more I think about it...
ReplyDeleteOMG its a tardis, in club house form. Where were those when i was a kid?
ReplyDeleteSo an opponent who the Flash could knock around, suddenly is able challenge the Man of Steel himself?
ReplyDeleteWhat's next? Captain Boomerang is going punch out Batman? The Ventriloquist conquering the Titans?
I'd mention I think one commenter's post refering to Micheal Moore's so called patriotism is bullshit, but Lewis said to keep it out of the comments section.
ReplyDeleteI'd just like to say, this is a pretty jammed packed review. I honestly didn't think you'd almost get to a half hour with this thing, but I was surprised. Pleseantly I might add. I guess I should've known better, these promo comics are always perfect material for riffing on. I mean, christ that maze was dumb as all fuck.
This was an awesome review Linkara, and I know there are plenty of great reviews to come. Ultimate warrior next week... and the crown jewel of terrible crossovers the next. I look forward to it. I hope you survive, may God be with you sir for the horror that is to come.
I don't know about you, but i freaking hate comics where they have "activities" in them, its totally distracting, and i don't accept the, "well its for kids" excuse, im pretty sure kids are smarter than this crap. By the by, i'm surprised you never at one point in the review compared the treehouse to the Tardis.
ReplyDeleteSomeone pointed out something Lewis...
ReplyDeleteNo TARDIS comparison to their treehouse, given it was bigger inside than out?
And you call yourself a Dr. Who fan. :P
..and this is coming from one who is trying to find a good starting point to start watching Dr. Who, while also wondering what fan reaction would be if a future regeneration turned The Doctor into a female.
The Quik Bunny is obviously a narcicistic drug addicted sociopath desperately trying to live out a dangerously immature hero-fantasy at the expense of the lives of these children. Look at the expression on his face, a deranged mix of hatred for everything around him and pure extacy at the thought of it, when he mentiones that they could HELP Superman AGAIN. It's quite obvious that he's completely addicted to anything that makes him feel alive, be it the glory and adrenalin rush of being a "hero" or shitty chocolate milk, and like many addicts is completely focused on self gratification and will to anything it takes to get his fix, even at the cost of others, and in this case forming a suicide cult of child soldiers that worships him like unto a god.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the cover looks like mediocre fanart based on a layout for a kickin' movie poster Miyazaki drew.
I am reminded of the orange lanturn christmas special that came out last christmas. all the puzzles and silly story.
ReplyDeleteOrange lanturn was better. It had an awesome Cookie recipe. ^^
As already mentioned the actual name of the country the comic calls "England" is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
ReplyDeleteFunny DC don't seem to know that given how many well known British comic writers there are.
@ Lewis:
ReplyDeleteAnd Anubis. Don't forget Anubis. Stupid, sexy, furry-commandeered Anubis.
Aw, what the he...
ReplyDeleteHe's endangering a wonder of the world? The freaking PYRAMIDS are a wonder of the world, and Superman himself shattered one!
What worst with the only UK thing is Northern Ireland is clear there. So much fail too much fail
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'll get many notes to the tune of this, but the eye of a HURRICANE is the safest place to be in a HURRICANE. The eye of a tornado is the most dangerous part of a tornado, where the winds are so strong they can tear houses to smithereens.
ReplyDeleteIf you're wondering whether that means that this comic fails even more, you'd be right.
Wow, that was stupid. But, it's nice to know that Superman, one of the most powerful beings in existence who can make time go backwards, juggle planets and has defeated the omnicidal Darkseid multiple times, can always depend on a rabbit and some children in case some guy with a weather altering wand appears. Because anyone with a weather altering device is not so easily defeatable, e.g., the ruthless, terrorist organisation determined to rule the world, Cobra.
ReplyDeleteAnd kudos on the Yes Minister reference. It's very weird when an American makes reference to one of our sitcoms or other programmes, but not weird when we Brits make a reference to an American programme.
Maybe it has to do with the preconcieved stereotypes of Americans as people who have no knowledge of the world other than America, and to make a reference or acknowlegement to another nation is just out of place.
Hm, a long and inconsiquential rant that said nothing, just like my reviews and blog posts (shameless blog promotion).
Alright I haven't seen the Kool-Aid episode, but having seen insanity like the Whiz Kids nonsense and the Fantastic 4's insane adventures in Staples, this really took the cake. I remember comics like this one growing up, where they took a story and added activities to keep kids interested, but to see that treehouse...yeah, I say we put these kids in a showdown with the likes of the Karate Kommandos, the Care Bears, Madballs and US1 to see who would come out on which one was more WTF.
ReplyDeleteOh and BTW: as great as the Gene Wilder version of "Pure Imagination" was, I somehow had an inkling of also wanting to have the Ben Verene version...but that's me being a "Muppet Show" fan, so ignore that.
Tune in next week to see... Superman meets The Energizer Bunny!!!!
ReplyDelete" By the by, i'm surprised you never at one point in the review compared the treehouse to the Tardis."
ReplyDeleteI did, or do you think "dimensionally transcendental" is a real scientific term?
My theory is the Phineas and Ferb must be members of the "Quick Qlub."
ReplyDeleteOne interesting/funny thing that you forgot to mention "Superman Meets The Quick Bunny" was actually drawn by legendary Silver Age artist Carmine Infantino, co-creator of Barry Allen the second Flash!
Bigger on the inside? They must be Timelords!
ReplyDelete(Doctor Who theme starts up)
(Gets a weird look on his face)
(record scratch)
Wait, nah, they're too lame to be Timelords.
But, seriously, who thought this up? This one is really, really lame for a crossover.
Fiery Little One
I'll say right now that I haven't read many of the comments, but given the number of them that look like essays in this case, a pass may be in order on that.
ReplyDeleteWith that in mind, if memory serves, I don't think the Kool-Aid Man comics, nor any food mascot character comics, for that matter, were actually free, as one usually got them with their respective products or as a promotion related to them. Thusly, the comics were only free in that one did not have to pay for the comics themselves.
In regard to this comic in particular, after having seen your review, I feel markedly less bad about my own crossovers. At least I took the time to find some way of making them a tiny bit plauseable in some way.
As always, thanks for another excellent review, Linkara! I'm looking forward to more!
Ah yes "What?" comics make for much better episodes than "Early Image".
ReplyDelete*checks for next week*
"Ultimate Warrior’s Workout"
Oh... wow... this is going to be good.
Oh! Wikipedia says the earliest of the pyramids were built in "2630 BCE–2611 BCE". Even assuming they had a map of the world, supercontinents are MILLIONS of years ago, a long way from "~5000".
Also: Every time the tired unwraping the mummy gag (hmm *checks TVTropes and fails to find it, is shocked, then rushes to YKTTW*) I have to ask "where are the parts that are well... mummified."
Linkara, didn't you say at one point "Comic readers love the lavishly ludicrous"?
ReplyDeleteI suppose I am taking your reaction to the comic too seriously, but it seems that this is the sort of comic that you were referring to. I am not saying that this was a good comic, but where does this hatred come from? I can understand that kind of reaction to a comic that ruined an interesting character or that advocated some kind of unforgiveable sentiment, but this one seemed fairly harmless.
"I had to keep asking myself, exactly who thought this was a good idea? It reminds me of those horrible Hostess Fruit Pie comics.. Maybe you should take a look at some of those in a kind of mini review format."
ReplyDeleteHostess comics have already been done by Seanbaby (formerly of EGM, currently of Cracked.com). Hilariously. All respect to Linkara, but he'd have to come up with something PRETTY awesome to compete. ;)
No i know it's a sci-fi term, and i guess i haven't seen enough of doctor who or sci-fi to get all the proper terms down yet. i guess i was expecting another doctor who clip at the point.
ReplyDelete"I suppose I am taking your reaction to the comic too seriously, but it seems that this is the sort of comic that you were referring to. I am not saying that this was a good comic, but where does this hatred come from? I can understand that kind of reaction to a comic that ruined an interesting character or that advocated some kind of unforgiveable sentiment, but this one seemed fairly harmless."
ReplyDeleteHonestly, it's a BIT of an overreaction, but it's also incredibly stupid and there were things I completely missed that others have pointed out. You don't really LEARN much from it and as an adventure, there's no real action in it other than Superman pushing things and the Quik Bunny saying how they need to help out Superman by managing to overhear things.
Ehh, I never like it when Linkara reviews comics meant for little kids. Not only they are *not* supposed to make sense, but also (unlike some comics you've reviewed) aren't made with malice towards anyone. Blatant commercialization, yes, but that's everywhere already, kids are used to it.
ReplyDeleteTHAT said, this comic could have been SO much better. Cartoons like Phineas and Ferb prove that you can write for kids but do so in such inventive ways (despite the show's premise forcing you to reuse the same basic gags) that they're fun for the whole family.
Who wrote this, btw? He doesn't seem to have been familiar with either kid's comics or Superman. At least the art was surprisingly good (the artist is in fact from many *much better* old Superman DC comics, which added a nostalgia element for me.)
And btw, yes there are living cartoon characters in DC already (from Earth-C, home of Captain Carrot and the Amazing Zoo Crew) so you're right in that part not being too fantastic for a DC comic... though even then it requires using an interdimensional crossover and not just acting like humanoid rabbits are the norm on Metropolis.
Oh and (you probably know this already but anyway) the pyramids ARE evil, as seen in the Dr. Who episode, "Pyramids of Mars!" :D (goofy title aside, it was a GREAT serial.)
So many missed opportunities for a good old "Of course! Don't you know anything about science?"
ReplyDeleteYou were right to put this one in with the Kool Aid Man, it was equally preposterous. Much like the Kool Aid Man, The Quik Bunny had his own "Quik Cave" (Or, as the comic prefers, "Qave").
Seems asthough Weather Wizard secretly knows necromancy to have a mummy around to distract Superman. Other than that.... My god people come up with STUPID crossovers. As far as I've seen, only Capcom are the only ones that are able to do it right, and not just with one other company, but with multiple ones. Marvel, SNK, and Namco. If anyone can tell me who else does good crossovers, please feel free to tell.
ReplyDeleteThe Quik Bunny wouldn't be too out of place in DC's Earth-C, which is my only justification.
ReplyDeleteThe major flaw in going to the capital is that he WOULD be going to the state capital.. Washington DC is the US CapitOl. Thus Capitol Hill.
ReplyDeleteAlso I think they mixed hurricanes and tornadoes up.
Two things astound me about this review.
ReplyDeleteFirst - not a single Ice Cream Bunny reference. Tsk, tsk.
Secondly- As briefly mentioned in the review and comments, for Pete's sake no! You don't ever head towards a tornado. Ever. Okay, I'll make exceptions for folks in storm chasing vehicles or for Superman or the Flash, but not normal, non-suicidal people.
Geez, DC. That's like telling kids to extinguish a fire by pouring gasoline on it or that the best thing to do in a thunderstorm is to climb really high to get above the lightning. Following that advice won't lead to happy results.
Oh I forgot! This comic also fucks up something huge! It's not safe inside the eye of a TORNADO its safest inside the eye of a HURRICANE! Tornados are funnels, they don't have eyes! Inside a tornado is the worse place you want to be, especially at the bottom. Hurricanes eyes are the only place in the entire storm where you can safely remain without getting killed cause the windforce is so powerful and spread out that it actually creates a small unclouded space in the middle where there is no wind. Subsequently, the eye wall is the WORST place you can be in a hurricane because its where the strongest winds are.
ReplyDeleteSo that bitch in the comic? Total idiot. Her friends should've been killed for listening to her advice and she should've been blamed for their deaths.
You missed a perfect chance for a Jin reference. Ah well. Not like I expect most people to.
ReplyDeleteActually, there are also Nesquick cereals
ReplyDeleteApparently, not only is the Qlubhouse a TARDIS, but it's one with a very sophisticated chameleon circuit. Maybe the Doctor and the Master aren't the only two Gallifreyans left. :P
ReplyDelete"Second, I'm going to assume this takes place before Crisis on Infinite Earths, so you can probably take solace in knowing that this Earth was most likely destroyed by the Anti-Monitor." No such luck, I'm afraid–Crisis On Infinite Earths ended in March 1986, while this comic was published on New Year's Day 1987. Fret not, though–you can always assume that Zero Hour or one of the other CoIE follow-ups took this Earth out, if you're so inclined.
ReplyDelete@Drunken Lemur
ReplyDeleteSadly no, this is post-crisis
also one thing people haven't brought up
How would the Ancient Egyptians know what Europe Asia and Africa look like? They never really left the Mediterranean.
Hello great reivewe but they is problem with this comic that no has commented so as big fan of the flash I know a fine or to about Weather Wizard and I know for a fact that he can not sumone the undead and I also know for fact a that his powers tec based not magic. He migth call himself Weather Wizard but wond of his is acttly a advents due hick used to measer the power storms that stole he from a lab after breaking out of jail.
ReplyDelete"Hello great reivewe but they is problem with this comic that no has commented so as big fan of the flash I know a fine or to about Weather Wizard and I know for a fact that he can not sumone the undead and I also know for fact a that his powers tec based not magic. He migth call himself Weather Wizard but wond of his is acttly a advents due hick used to measer the power storms that stole he from a lab after breaking out of jail."
ReplyDeleteActually, several people have commented on that.
There's always the advertising a brand gets from something like this. Alternatively some (though I doubt these were among them) could have been attempts to get money from the federal government to make anti-drug, anti-smoking and anti-unhealthy food ads.
ReplyDeleteBesides, at least it isn't Trix. That would just make you depressed with how cruel those kids can be.
As for this specific comic...ouch. Look carefully at the takeoff. They're lucky they didn't set the entire forest on fire with that stunt. Though perhaps that was intentional considering that the Bunny wants them to go into a flood.
I had this comic as a kid. Kinda ashamed of that. lol
ReplyDeleteNonetheless, great review as always.
BTW - If you're ever stressed about the flak you'll get for a pronunciation you can always try to verify it using Forvo. For example, here's how to pronounce "Yangtze River." It may not quiet all the dissenters, but at least you can tell them you looked it up.
ReplyDeleteI just realized you missed the perfect opportunity for a Superman 64 joke.
ReplyDelete"Solve my maze" was just begging to be used during the maze puzzles!
"I wouldn't know. I've never played them."
ReplyDeleteAh, so that's why you wouldn't answer my question. See, I thought you might have been a fan, because the Entity reminds me of one of the recurring villains in the Kirby games, Dark Matter. Guess it's just a coincidence.
In an unrelated subject, something bugs me a little about your Dark Knight Strikes Again reviews. I'm sure the comic is bad, but the thing is, I recently read The Dark Knight Returns for the first time, and I noticed that several of the things that you complained about in the sequel were present in
The Dark Knight Returns. Examples: The EMPHASIZING of RANDOM words, the line "We HAVE to be criminals," the porn star Hot Gates, and a few other things. I'm a little confused as to why you like The Dark Knight Returns, seeing as how it had some of the same problems its sequel had. You did address the media satire in your review (in the original, it doesn't draw attention away from the plot, but in the sequel, it does), but... well, yeah.
"The Dark Knight Returns. Examples: The EMPHASIZING of RANDOM words, the line "We HAVE to be criminals," the porn star Hot Gates, and a few other things. I'm a little confused as to why you like The Dark Knight Returns, seeing as how it had some of the same problems its sequel had. You did address the media satire in your review (in the original, it doesn't draw attention away from the plot, but in the sequel, it does), but... well, yeah"
ReplyDeleteYeah, they're Miller quirks, but like I said, the Dark Knight Returns had a more engaging story, was better paced, Batman actually acted like a hero, and I can still disagree with Miller about the "we have to be criminals" thing. I never said it was a perfect book, but it's still a lot better IMHO.
Now I might be mistaken but the reason why these comics were produced is not to be sold at newsstands or traditional comic distribution venues. This and the Kool Aide Man Comic were "premiums" given away to kids who sent a certain (large) amount of proof of purchases or Kool Aide Points to the company with a label on the back.
ReplyDeleteThis would, in turn, inspire kids to binge on the respective product to hoard up these points in order to receive the mail away toys and prizes faster. The ones found in comic shops are probably overstock or bought from bulk purchases of no-longer-wanted comic collections.
Remeber, Lil' Orphan Annie Says :D-R-I-N-K-Y-O-U-R-O-V-A-L-T-I-N-E
there worst ren & stimpy meet spiderman(im not kidding)i use to have it(perverse curiosity)but i got rid of it before i even heard of your show
ReplyDeletewait...THAT'S NOT A BLOODY COUNTRY! The first "country" is England AND Scotland, Whales and Northen Ireland. Countries in their own right!
ReplyDeleteI hate it when people from other countries make stupid mistakes like that. Come on people it doesn't take a degree in rocket science to use google.
Where was the song 'I have a theory' in all that? It was the perfect time!
ReplyDelete@CM Waters:
a female Doctor happened in Curse of the Fatal Death...
"He's at the old pyramid"
... as opposed to all those new pyramids they have lying around?
Which one, btw? One of the three at Giza, or one of the others?
@Michael... the other Michael...
Practice this mantra I often use while watching Linkara: "Overreacting is his schtick... Overreacting is his schtick..."
Also, this was long before all the Timelords were wiped out.
"Come on people it doesn't take a degree in rocket science to use google."
No, but they'd have needed the clubhouse to be an actual TARDIS (ie: time travel) to do it in 1987.
An atlas, otoh...
Jer Alford:
ReplyDelete" When did Superman have "Instant Bricklaying Vision"?"
Superman IV: The Quest For Peace
How did the Ancient Egyptians know about the Irish border. Or the French and Italian ones for that matter. Clearly they're planning something.
ReplyDeleteOkay I know you don't care Linkara but I have to say it. My god Mark what were you doing before Geoff John? Your the Weather Wizard a long time member of the Rogues and professional criminal. You should be ripping tornado's in posers stomachs, talking about your possible-murdering of your brother and videotapeing the artic not fighting a chocolate mascot and stuff out of your league! It be like Heatwave wanting to fight Captain Crunch while trying to set fire to the wall of china.
ReplyDeleteI know I'm awfully late in giving praised, but this was an excellent episode. The Quik Bunny makes my skin crawl, to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that he's the head of a nefarious racist organisation called the QQQ.
ReplyDeleteHey Linkara. I love your stuff(even though I'm not a comic fan myself).
ReplyDeleteYou pose the question as to why these promotional comics are even in existence. I've thought about it for a little while(as an economics student in college I tend to incredibly over think this kind of thing), and I think I've thought of a potential answer(whether or not it is actually effective is a different story).
The reason is to try to sell more of the product being advertised; it seems very likely that the companies of the products being advertised end up paying the comic companies to produce the comic. The idea is twofold. First, the comic is there to expose a particular product to a new child consumer. A child wandering in a comic book store/supermarket might see the comic, and then might become interested in the product being advertised. It may also make a child consumer of chocolate milk products pick nesquik pick one brand of chocolate milk product over another with increased exposure for the quik bunny. Just a thought.