Monday, May 28, 2012

Batman: A Word to the Wise



Zellers teaches you why reading is important! Also: cowboy hats.



141 comments:

Mountain King said...

Alright when this started I had two simple questions. First, why in the seven blue blazed hells found in Satan's right left nostril is Batman in Canada? Is there an answer or are we just to guess that he took a holiday and just happened to find himself in a city were no one can read? The next question; how can you get people to read, by writing books about it? this is the same sort of thinking as teaching swimming when you're in the middle of an ocean. It kind of fails at the first hurdle. Namely making any sense at all. We're already reading… It doesn't work that way!

While this mess developed there was at least an explanation for the first. Namely the Joker being basically insane. There second is supposed to be answered with Jodie. At least there is a pay-off for the whole dedicated reading everything, including tourist pamphlets. Which is how she knew about the damn rodeo.

Describing this comic as goofy is an understatement, I'd call it silly to the point of being idiotic. And then some. Still after the madness you've been revelling in recently that's an improvement. You're right when you say that if come at this from the right direction it might be quite funny.

As for the magic gun, I have to ask; did you get that thing on extended warranty? Is it still valid?

Thomas

PS Poor snowflake, trust me if I suddenly had visions of Alan Moore and bananas after eating a sandwich with extra salt I'd be freaked out too...

Peace1986 said...

Just watched it on Blip :D

The comic was meh, the Joker actually funny.
And we get new storyline :D

First thing I thought of when I saw your opponent was Smiling Man, but that's just the one I've read of in Lightbringer, I haven't read Crossoverlord yet.

The ending however was a pretty big homage to "The Waters of Mars" Doctor Who special, where the tenth Doctor proclaims himself Timelord Victorious.
Only to be put back in his place.

Loved it.

Peace

Steve said...

First off, insanely awesome Mark Hamill impression! (I was wondering how you'd voice the Joker since I believe this is the first time he's been in any of the comics you've reviewed.) But don't take MY word for it! :D

Secondly...ok, I know a little bit about historical context and sovereignty of government, so here's my question: how in the frakking hell did Joker's ancestors get a land grant for an ENTIRE CONTINENT without being actual royalty, especially since, by 125 years before the comic's release date, America had been a sovereign recognized country for about 40-90 years, Mexico was under Spanish authority, and Canada had become an independent nation less than a decade before? Was the Joker Family descended from Charlemagne or something?

NAS said...

uh oh. Linkara's Ego finally caught up with him.

LucasChad said...

That's right Snowflame! We like our sandwiches BIGGER! That's why we have Subway though I don't think they provide cocaine as part of the ingredients.

Des Shinta said...

I think Will is beginning to steal the Show.

What did you do? You tempted Fate! Clearly the girl in the Gun didn't like that. Or something. The Gunslinger costume looks great, Got a bit of an Ed Elric vibe from the Wig. Hair that long on guys does tend to look better braided.

Hmm, The Tom Servo Puppet is Back in the Case, does that mean Pollo is in a new body?

k-m-anthony said...

Purple Hulk Hands are the Joker's most fiendish weapon.

Steve said...

Also, I think somebody's been watching Rock and Roll Cowboy. Cinema Snob xover, anyone?

MY GOD. IT'S FULL OF BLOW. AND PONIES. AND, wait, is that Lorien? HE ALSO LIVES IN THE COKEGATE.

Zion said...

I'm thinking that Joanie may be in training to be the Canadian answer to the British Library's The Paper ala Read or Die. Though if she was a paper master this comic would have been a lot cooler.

Anonymous said...

Hey, one of the guys who sent in the comic here. This could have solved a big issue for Batman, namely who the Joker actually is. If it were Joker's ancestors who received the deed, wouldn't Joker have to prove his identity? Batman could have waited low, had Joker go through the courts, then spring that fact on him.

Oh yeah, the comic is full of Zellers ads, mostly for Batman related stuff. Although, for the VHS section, it mentions that Zellers has Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. I got a chuckle out of that, it is not a kids film.

Also, when the comic was written, Joker had crippled Batgirl and killed Jason Todd. And Batman still takes the kids with him?

Anonymous said...

You know, the joker's idea of taking over America was stolen from Donald Duck. See Carl Bark's story The Golden Helmet (from 1952):

http://disneycomics.free.fr/Ducks/Barks/show.php?s=date&loc=1952/W_OS_408-02R

FugueforFrog said...

Oh boy, there goes the magic gun...QUICK, GET CHRISTABELLA SO WE CAN SACRIFICE ANOTHER LITTLE GIRL!!!

This was a weird comic, silly but weird. First of all, Montreal does have people who speak English but that is more part of Francophone Canada. Second, when the girl took the book, for a moment I thought she was going to take the Neverending Story, not some stupid map book that was ultimately useless. Third: the biggest rodeo in Canada IS in Alberta...but it's not in Edmonton. IT'S IN CALGARY! I've been to the Calgary Stampede and that's one of the biggest festivals the country has! Yeah Edmonton is a great city (having visited there) but Calgary's Stampede is THE event of that part of Canada! What the Joker was announcing was probably at some small local rodeo; maybe there is something bigger in Edmonton than that but it is not going to be the same as the Stampede! And finally...well, at least Batman has the sense to not brood for a while to enjoy Canadian scenery. Great episode BTW, particularly with the Reading Rainbow bit.

BTW: Snowflame's gone beyond the infinite...I wonder if we can get him back somehow.

Jarkes said...

Okay, seriously, Wil's pretty cool, but with Liz no longer part of the show, the two of you make up the entire cast of the show. You seriously need to consider expanding your cast members for two reasons: for more natural interaction with the characters, and so editing isn't so painful when you need two or more of your characters in the same shot.

Also, what the hell was up with that Snowflame PSA? It starts out like Epic Meal Time, then goes into some Stanley Kubrick mind screw. Whose face was it that appeared in the middle of that? And why did Snowflame suddenly have (what I presume to be) blood on his hands? Gah, it's weirder than Evangelion's ending...

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"Hey, one of the guys who sent in the comic here. This could have solved a big issue for Batman, namely who the Joker actually is. If it were Joker's ancestors who received the deed, wouldn't Joker have to prove his identity? Batman could have waited low, had Joker go through the courts, then spring that fact on him."

Crap, were you the one who wanted to have his name in the credits? I even made a note for it on the schedule but I completely forgot to put it in while I was trying to get the storyline stuff edited. ^^;

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"Also, what the hell was up with that Snowflame PSA? It starts out like Epic Meal Time, then goes into some Stanley Kubrick mind screw. Whose face was it that appeared in the middle of that? And why did Snowflame suddenly have (what I presume to be) blood on his hands? Gah, it's weirder than Evangelion's ending..."

It's actually not blood. It's jelly. XD

And the photo in there is of Alan Moore.

Anonymous said...

No mention that they likely wouldn't have been late if they didn't stop at Zeller's?

Also your hair looks longer than normal.

I hope one of you actually ate that sandwitch.

Blackcat325 said...

Oooohhhh!! I think I know what he did... or, at least, I hope I do :) It looks to me like the one thing that I really didn't like about the Silent Hill Dead/Alive ending is finally coming back to bite him.

Can't wait to see how this unfolds!

boooratt said...

Ok that Snowflame PSA was the best! Alan Moore that was great! Was that powder sugar meant to be Cocaine or just powdered sugar!?

Wow, this was pretty fun comic! I'm surprised no Heath Ledger Joker dubbing for that scene in the library when the old wheelchair bound librarian started talking crap to the Joker! You know the whole "Ask me about my scars" bit!
This reminds me a lot of the goofier Silver Age comics more than the 80s or 90s in-which I think this comic was released... right?!
Heeeyy, I as a Texan found that bit about Texas offensives!
Wait a minute if that deed belonged to one of the Joker's ancestors and his name would be on it how is it nobody still doesn't know the Joker's real name!?

Oh, ceeewwl the Arcs are picking back up! And this time we get inter-diamentional Cowboys/Bounty Hunters!
I like the pearl handle Magic Gun better!

You do know what that song is about don't you!? XD

ngrey651 said...

The Joker's plan was just so ridiculous and silly!...and yet I agree with you. It's enjoyably funny. It's refreshing to see the Joker being more corny and funny than "I'm gonna beat people to death with a crowbar cuz that's my thing since Jason Todd came back to life". XD

Jesse said...

Ha-ha! Song lyric drop!:D

Out of all the comics this month this one was the most fun. Joey and Jody were both stupid, but not to the level of last week's people. They look like they can survive in their world. Last week they were ASKING to die!

Wonder who the new guy is and what eh did to the Magic Gun. I want his coat too.

PS Snow Flame, you make the after-credits on AT4W more entertaining. Also, can I get one of those sandwiches please?

PPS Thanks for the "Snowflamecmic.com link last week Linkara.

Anonymous said...

I think the Joker on the title card wuz so CUTE!

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"Was that powder sugar meant to be Cocaine or just powdered sugar!?"

Good question. The answer is yes.

John Farrell said...

It's ok. Stuff happens and it wouldn't be fair to the other guy who sent a copy in.

You have to admit, there's something unsettling about Batman buying a 16 year old boy a new outfit and only getting the girl a cowboy hat.

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"You have to admit, there's something unsettling about Batman buying a 16 year old boy a new outfit and only getting the girl a cowboy hat."

*Silently points up.*

o/ The ambiguously gay duo! o/

Anonymous said...

The snowflame parts are awesome!
More Snowflame!

Anonymous said...

Okay, so now I'm totally picturing Batman and Reed Richards casually chatting over some interdimensional communicator about the best places to buy anti-supervillain junk like two guys discussing hardware stores over the phone.

Awesome mental image is awesome :D

Shane Lambert said...

This was actually one of the first batman comics I ever owned, and I still have it. Not exactly a great way to be introduced to batman.

rdfox said...

OK, talking here while still watching the video--the reason it was called the Canadian National Exhibition is that it was sponsored by Canadian National Railway, who plastered their name all over it for advertising purposes. (The CN Tower was built for just that event, actually!)

boooratt said...

"Also, when the comic was written, Joker had crippled Batgirl and killed Jason Todd. And Batman still takes the kids with him?"

Hey, he still needs a human shield the Joker might actually have a gun on him!

"Oh boy, there goes the magic gun...QUICK, GET CHRISTABELLA SO WE CAN SACRIFICE ANOTHER LITTLE GIRL!!!"

Not necessary! He could just forge a new better weapon like the Nazi Power Ring in Green Lantern Annual #3 - "Ring of Evil" - in-which Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner are Nazis and John Stewart leads a resistance.

"Also, what the hell was up with that Snowflame PSA? It starts out like Epic Meal Time, then goes into some Stanley Kubrick mind screw. Whose face was it that appeared in the middle of that? And why did Snowflame suddenly have (what I presume to be) blood on his hands? Gah, it's weirder than Evangelion's ending..."

You don't know Alan Moore the most insane but still BEST comic book writers out there!? He wrote Watchmen, V for Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell, and most notably here The Killing Joke!

"Good question. The answer is yes."

I see what you did there! XD

Julie S said...

Oh crap, Linkara broke the Magic Gun.

Have to say, the Gunslinger character looked pretty interesting. Can't wait to see more.

Got a kick out of the comic, too, especially the usage of the Reading Rainbow theme. At least it wasn't the Batman PSA comic about unexploded landmines...

Can't wait to see whats going to happen now that the Magic Gun has stopped working...

Jarkes said...

"You don't know Alan Moore the most insane but still BEST comic book writers out there!? He wrote Watchmen, V for Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell, and most notably here The Killing Joke! "

I know who Alan Moore IS, I just had no idea what he looked like.

AndersS said...

Great review, as always, of what is probably the best Batman comic you've ever reviewed. However, just a couple of nitpicks with your review: I get that Batman is acting kind of goofy with his comments on how lovely the Canadian landscape is, but isn't that a lot better than him going all Crazy Steve by starting off on how it is "COLD and FRIGID, just LIKE stupid ClARK's stupid GIRLFRIEND wonder WOMAN"?
And would it really be all that hard for the RCMP to get in touch with Batman? Couldn't it be that they just called Gotham PD and told them that they've got the Joker running around in Canada, and that Batman might want to pop up there to help them catch him? I'm pretty sure Gordon would be willing to help his Canadian colleagues with getting in touch with Batman.

Also, this is a shame, but this is my first time commenting on one of your videos, and this comic wasn't bad enough for me to be able to annoy you by calling it re-Todded.

Jarkes said...

Also, even though I already knew you're not a brony (although Wil apparently is), I kept expecting you to use a clip from the Season 2 episode, "Reed it and Weep". If you WERE a brony (or had at least seen some episodes), you'd probably know why, but as it is, it's very complicated to explain without first explaining what the characters on the show are like (as it is an important part of said episode).

...You know, personally, I think it's possible to enjoy the show while being outside the target demographic and not consider yourself a brony. I usually don't refer to myself as a brony, even though I enjoy the show despite being a male college kid (I'd rather not disclose my exact age).

rdfox said...

And now that I've finished watching the entire episode... I have a sneaking suspicion that this whole book was originally done in the Silver Age, and the copy you have is a reprinting from the 80s.

Partly because Batman is acting like Silver Age Bats. Partly because the art feels like mid-60s Batman to me. Partly because Joker didn't kill anyone.

But mostly because the Canadian National Exhibition that they built the CN Tower for was held in 1967!

Are there any credits on the issue? I'm kind of curious...

13th Doctor said...

Why doesn't Linkara care about the Gunslinger's backstory? Wouldn't it be, IDK, IMPORTANT? Genre blindness, much?

The Exiled One said...

OK, Linkara, one question:

I thought the reason your Magic Gun is magic is that it's possessed by the soul of a murderered little girl. So...how the hell did the Gunslinger manage to depower it? The only way to do that is if he ripped out the little girl's soul from the gun. Can the Gunslinger do that? Furthermore, why didn't the ghost of the little girl attack the Gunslinger the minute she was ripped out from the gun (we all know how nasty little ghost girls can be, just ask Sadako).

Kth-77 said...

Pride before the fall... though it happened rather quicker than normal =P

The Exiled One said...

"Poor snowflake, trust me if I suddenly had visions of Alan Moore and bananas after eating a sandwich with extra salt I'd be freaked out too..."

It wasn't salt, it was cocaine. Remember that Snowflame's shtick is being a crazed drug addict.

"uh oh. Linkara's Ego finally caught up with him."

Actually, ignoring this unexpected bit of bragging, Lewis is one of the most humble reviewers of TGWTG. Doug is far more of an egotist, considering how reluctant he is to adress his own mistakes and how he thinks making his critics look bad counts as "reconciliation" (yeah, I'm not letting go of that one. I want an actual apology from him, or at least the promise that he won't pull that kind of shit ever again).

Lewis Lovhaug said...

You're asking very good questions, Exiled One. Keep it up. =3

Miyuko said...

While i think last weeks review was better it Is cool to have a review fall on my 19th birthday,along with it being a Batman one at that

Laevatein said...

Since the scene at the beginning was in Montreal, shouldn't the signs have been in FRENCH?

The Exiled One said...

"Okay, seriously, Wil's pretty cool, but with Liz no longer part of the show, the two of you make up the entire cast of the show. You seriously need to consider expanding your cast members for two reasons: for more natural interaction with the characters, and so editing isn't so painful when you need two or more of your characters in the same shot."

You are forgetting about Spoony and Marzgurl, Linkara's two best friends in the whole world. If Linkara ever needs more actors for his show, he can just ask Spoony or Marzgurl. Especially since Spoony always plays hilarious characters (Doctor Insano, the Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, Iron Sheik, Macho Man Randy Savage, the Gatecleaner, Terl) and Marzgurl is so charming and likable that she can make reading the phonebook interesting.

"He could just forge a new better weapon like the Nazi Power Ring in Green Lantern Annual #3 - "Ring of Evil" - in-which Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner are Nazis and John Stewart leads a resistance."

Good point.

Linkara still has the Dragonzord Power Coin, the Tigerzord Power Coin, the Red Zeonizer and the Magic Coin (you know, the one that makes him grow to giant size? Am I the only one who still remembers that?). Not to mention, he has Pyramid Head at his beck and call. I really don't see how not having the gun makes him powerless. If anything, it makes him more powerful, since now he only has weapons he can control, while the Magic Gun was subjected to the whims of the little girl (ghost girls are also known to be fickle and hard to reason with, just ask Helena Ravenclaw). He sure as hell didn't the Magic Gun to defeat Mechakara or the Entity.

Kathryn said...

Speaking as a Librarian, it is true. We know no fear! We have to deal with 5 year olds AND their parents. Both can get scary at times.

But yeah, was this before or after Batman started his war on Rock and Roll?

13th Doctor said...

"Actually, ignoring this unexpected bit of bragging, Lewis is one of the most humble reviewers of TGWTG. Doug is far more of an egotist, considering how reluctant he is to adress his own mistakes and how he thinks making his critics look bad counts as "reconciliation" (yeah, I'm not letting go of that one. I want an actual apology from him, or at least the promise that he won't pull that kind of shit ever again)."

May I ask what this is in reference to, Exiled One?

"uh oh. Linkara's Ego finally caught up with him"
There is having an ego and then there is being an idiot.

Marc said...

For those wondering why Zellers decided to sponsor a Batman comic:

It's apparently because at the time, they were running an ad campaign for the Zellers Toyland featuring Batman and Robin extolling the virtues of Zellers' low prices on toys. Here's one of their ads (featuring some impressive animation, I must say...):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RObBwd9PCgI

Anonymous said...

This new villain is exactly what I thought he was going to look like from all your hints of the new storyline.

Probably a Coincidence.

The Exiled One said...

"Speaking as a Librarian, it is true. We know no fear! We have to deal with 5 year olds AND their parents. Both can get scary at times."

That's nothing. Did you see Spoony's review of "Lords of Magick"? You guys have to deal with Macho Man Randy Savage, an insane Britishman dressed in a big blue bird suit, and a pack of juice that leaks and sprays juice all over the library.

Chochip said...

Sorry to Nitpick Linkara, But you mispronounced the Librarians name, Her name is Coincidentally based on my Towns name (Yes, I'm Canadian) LaSalle, Its pronounced "La-Sal", Once again, sorry to nitpick.

Jarkes said...

"Actually, ignoring this unexpected bit of bragging, Lewis is one of the most humble reviewers of TGWTG. Doug is far more of an egotist, considering how reluctant he is to adress his own mistakes and how he thinks making his critics look bad counts as "reconciliation" (yeah, I'm not letting go of that one. I want an actual apology from him, or at least the promise that he won't pull that kind of shit ever again)."

...Wait, what? What are you talking about?

Anonymous said...

Yes I know you probably won’t answer, because it will be reviled latter, but…

Is new ‘villain’ evil or was he just trying to free the soul of the little girl so she could be at peace? Did he assume Linkara was evil because he uses a magic gun powered by a child’s soul? Will we ever find out the girl’s name?

Ok now I’ve got that out of the way grate review. I also loved all the Snowflame PSAs they are just awesome. Please do one after every PSA comic review because they are just so brilliant.

Anonymous said...

Insano's been making a lot of random cameos lately. First in Cinema Snob's DVD-R-Hell "Bibleman," then in that CGI gay porn Diamanda reviewed, now this comic. Is he cloning himself?

Oooh, new villain! I love it when there's a new villain. And I love watching the development of Linkara. I find him an entertaining and compelling character, even during the (very few) moments that I would call him insufferable. I've gone through the entire archive three or four times since I became a regular viewer, and I've tracked your growth as a writer and an actor with great enjoyment. In short, you kick all of the ass.

Can't wait for Bludhaven; I've been getting tantalizing tidbits for that since year 1. ^_^

Crazy56U said...

@Peace1986
"The ending however was a pretty big homage to "The Waters of Mars" Doctor Who special, where the tenth Doctor proclaims himself Timelord Victorious.
Only to be put back in his place."
...oh craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap, that has "bad connotations" written all over it.

Natasha Bennett said...

I used to work for Zellers. Too bad it's going to be replaced by Target in a year or two. Decent company, although it has the usual credit cards with the high interest rate.

That Dude From Jersey said...

You broke the magic gun... HOW DID YOU BREAK THE MAGIC GUN?! You better fix it quick cause sooner or later every bad guy and his momma is gonna come after you cause they will think you are helpless. Oh and one more thing, APOLOGIZE TO THE GHOST GIRL WHOSE LIFE WAS USED TO CREATE THE DAMN THING AND GIVE HER HER PROPS!

Anonymous said...

As a Librarian - Yes, people DO act like that regarding books coming in. Sometimes they do come in the next day, sometimes they take weeks. Sometimes regular patrons who come in ALL THE TIME will walk up when our truckload of stuff is piled in plain sight as ask if their books have come in.

"Did we call you?"
"Well, no, but I thought it might be in today's delivery."
"You mean the huge pile over there we just got unpacked but haven't gone through yet, and usually don't have done until 2?"
"Yes!"
". . . We'll call you when it comes in."

And vis-a-vis the whole magic gun scenario. You were monologuing. You're the good guy, remember? You best step that anger down, or you'll lose your connection to teh Morphing Grid next.

MichaelJGleason said...

God that was funny, until the magic gun started being not magic. WHAT DID YOU DO? WHAT DID YOU DO? WHAT DID YOU DO????? I cannot wait until next week. Good show Linkara old chap. Great suspense. But I have to know, was that the same guy that played Snowflame? I could be wrong. I'm not good with faces.

Taylor said...

There's a reason Space Marines are led by Librarians, for they truly know no fear.

Werebunny said...

Magic Gun disapproves of God-Madness vibes. Also, SNOWFLAME has made me hungry.

Anonymous said...

Maybe the point of the Montreal interlude was that Batman was in Quebec helping L'Office de la langue francaise track down whoever put up that illegal English sign?

Anonymous said...

I can't believe you didn't a tandy wiz kids joke, since the kids in this comic remind me of the wiz kids only all grown up. They even try to assist the hero and accomplish nothing really. As for the storyline, I can see how Linkara may need to learn a lesson in humility since he has beaten so many bad guys, that kind of thing can affect a guy. I hope the magic gun isn't gone forever though, that's one of the things that makes Linkara, well, Linkara.

Ming said...

Oh this is not good for Linkara. Bad enough he's got a new adversary, but now the magic pistol has suddenly went inert . . . as if the gun is reacting badly to Linkara's "I AM INVINCIBLE" rant.

First we have Lord Vyce, then the so-bad-it's-insanely-awesome Snowflame, and now the mysterious gunslinger. This guy could be a dark mirror for Linkara.

Great review for this goofy comic. This is an epic ending to a month of PSA Hells.

BookwormOtaku said...

You know, something about this comic has me wanting to watch a certain episode of My Little Pony again. I wonder why...

As for the ending, so this is where Yuber's been since Suikoden 3.

http://suikoden.wikia.com/wiki/Yuber

ShadowWing Tronix said...

Linkara's response reminds me of Lightbringer's response, born out of frustration yet coming back to bite him on the behind. In Lightbringer's case it was the mayor turning PR against him. In Linkara's case it was the gun going against him.

Of course, another possibility is that that the white gun was forged by the same cult, possibly her sister or something or a counter weapon by some anti-cult using a willing sacrifice, or anything along those lines. The Gunslinger may not know that Linkara's one of the good guys, while Linkara's just sick of people popping up in his home demanding stuff.

KKDW said...

Yes that Batmobile does look kinda silly, but I've seen sillier. I've got a few issues of Detective Comics from 1992 and the Batmobile looks much worse there, very dark age (I thought it was kinda like if you asked Rob Liefeld or one of his immitators to design a car). Funny really since those issues came out not too long after this one and yet they have very different Batmobiles. Interesting.

Felipe said...

Another great review Linkara.
Very funny.
Now a little theory:
Maybe The Gunslinger is a kind of TimeLord. His purpose? The Absolute Elimination of Atop The Fourth Wall...
Why? Who knows...
(Is only a theory)

Joshua Ford said...

Totally thought you were about to make a Fifty Shades of Grey joke at 6:34! Oh well. :)

MalkyTop said...

You know, when both Carl Barks and Don Rosa did this plot, it didn't seem as ridiculous. But maybe it was because it was being done by talking ducks instead of crazy clowns. Also Scrooge did attempt declaring his entire hill a separate nation and it reaaaaaally didn't work out.

Anonymous said...

Is it just me...or did that guy look like Snowflame? Was that Snowflame from the future?

Also, Linkara, you really love your heroic "I've had enough" speeches. I think you've finally overused it and it broke reality.

Sijo said...

And so PSA Hell month comes to an end! I must say I was underwhelmed. I expected more controversial stuff. Now that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it- your performance is always charming, Linkara. But next time you do a theme month, try to save something more impressive for it. Only The Titans' drug PSA was any good, and only because it had Wolfman & Perez doing it, and with more than a token effort.

More than anything, the month was just... weird, with comics for problems that you don't even think are of any urgency to be solved, presented in rather unhelpful ways. I have a theory: that these stories weren't originally written for these purpose, but are rather unused comic plots (probably "stock" stories, which used to be written for emergency fill-ins.) Daredevil vs Vapora, for example, feels like a Daredevil supernatural horror story repurposed by having the fire-spirit into being caused by gasoline, and the Batman one felt like a Golden or Silver age Joker story turned into an ad for a Canadan store *disguised* (poorly) as a PSA comic. i wouldn't mind this, if the results weren't so... lame. (And unhelpful.)

Anonymous said...

Zellers in a nutshell? K-Mart, more or less.

The Comic:

This one... Could have been a lot worse, but that doesn't mean it's any good either.

Your Arc:

Hmm... Going into dark territory with that little rant after the Gunslinger left... This could only mean good things... Hehehe..he...he... (runs

Fiery Little One

Lotus Prince said...

Waaaait a second. Joker found a parchment that has his ancestors' rights to the land, and therefore his rights, but...

Wouldn't that mean that the Joker has a clear-cut identity? Someone should read that document and find out who the hell he is!

ToadT said...

More specifically, most of the Zellers stores have been bought out by you guy's Target stores, with the remaining stores being turned into WalMart's. I know you don't care, just spreading the info (CAUSE KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!)

Also, said Rodeo that the comic should've been referring to is the Calgary Staampede; the self proclaimed greatest outdoor show on earth. (Coincidently, it's 100 this year.)

Deraj said...

My god...what can I say about this episode. First off we got a Batman PSA about reading of all things, frankly one on gun violence would have made more sense but i digress. Also wouldn't it make more sense for the Joker to be at like the Prime Minister's office or something like that, granted Joker and making sense don't usually intertwine. My problem of when the Joker is more comical he tends to be less intelligent, granted I have a sick sense of human so I laughed when he shot Barbra and beat Jason Todd with a crowbar, every time I see a crowbar I chuckle...what was I talking about now oh right.

Next let's discuss the beginning of the new story arc, frankly I am loving it thus far we got a guy in black with his own magic gun, love the nod to the theme song btw, and the magic gun going on the fritz. If I may offer my crackpot theory on this I think that because Linkara was getting all arrogant and such the girl in the gun basically stopped working, or the guy in black can not only travel between dimensions but can also travel through time and went back to stop the girl from becoming the gun. The former is the stronger one I think.

And for the Snowflame PSA...dear god man get some help!

Phantom Roxas said...

Good episode. The comic wasn't as bad as last week's, but otherwise worth the review. You have a great Mark Hamill voice for the Joker, so keep it up. You mentioned that other writers portray the Joker as an outright sadist. What do you think of his portrayal in things like The Dark Knight or The Killing Joke and his murder of Jason Todd?

Interesting start to the new storyline. Will is awesome, and his Gunslinger character seems interesting. This was easily my favorite of the Snowflame PSA's, and a great way to end PSA Hell Month. I'm not sure how next week's review will tie into this aside from picking up where this week left off, but the Blake's 7 review will likely delve deeper into the story.

Ozaline said...

Hello an Edmontonian! here.

Actually FugueforFrog, I believe that Batman actually is going to the Canadian Finals Rodeo, which is hosted in Edmonton and televised across the country, while the Calgary Stampede is a huge event, the CFR is the top when it comes to Rodeo events.

The rare book store actually resembles one of the locations of "The Wee Book Inn" a chain of Albertan used bookstores, specifically it kinda looks like that it's the location located on Whyte Avenue in the Old Strathcona Shopping Market.

I also think it does make sense to assume Alberta from the Joker's Clue. The Joker seemed to leave that on purpose and while you say it makes as much sense for it to be Texas... Alberta is the Texas of Canada, oil execs, cows and cowboys, people who like firearms, (we also double as the Minnesota of Canada with the large Norwegian population, so it's fitting that you used Edmonton as a spare background in your one giant robot fight). So yeah given it's a Candaian caper, Alberta would be my first guess... especially if the CFR was on.

This is a great review Linkara, I really enjoyed it.

I can see my house from here!

I will review this comic myself if/when I get my show off the ground, I think.

Oh for your Halloween thing, do you have a copy of Pinhead #1... I picked it up thinking it'd be fun to review, but I plain don't understand it... if you'd like it I'll send it your way.

Turkish Proverb said...

Dear Lord, linkara. Your Joker voice has gotten chillingly good.

Also...I now want to see a cowboy slasher film.

Interesting plot hook as well.

Nathan said...

So first off: Most epic sandwich making montage ever...of all time.

Second: it seems our new villain has possibly taken your magic gun's powers...sucks to be you.

Can't wait for this story's continuation.

LadyoftheSunlight said...

Yay, storyline! With a new character even!

I have to ask though Linkara, is Harvey Finevoice going to be appearing much in this storyline? He's one of my favorite characters.

Regardless, I can't wait for next week!

Anonymous said...

@BookwormOtaku

I knew it! I knew someone else would say the dude looks just like Yuber!

DrZulu2010 said...

@BookwormOtaku. I also thought of Yuber when I saw the villain. I wonder if either Linkara or Will like the games. I know it mostly accidental but hey! That would be fun if it is.

Sage Saria said...

Will gets ALL the awesome villain roles, man XD

Seriously, I love the Gunslinger already; he's got a great design and his presence made me go "uh-oh..." pretty much IMMEDIATELY. I hope we see more of him.

Generally I'm really excited for this plot; have been since you announced the working title for it. One of my big worries after the Entity was whether the gun would still work now that literally EVERYTHING responsible for the Girl in the Gun's death is gone now. This is gonna be a rough season, I just know it.

Ozaline said...

Also I only noticed this now but it really does sound like the choir singers are singing PSA HELL! PSA HELL! the power of suggestion, or Linkara really commissioned a special recording of the piece?

Anonymous said...

Cocaine isn't like marijuana. You don't get high from eatin it. In fact, you could get some pretty bad ulcers as it restricts the blood flow and starts to kill your stomach tissue.

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/cocaine-use-and-its-effects

Yes, I know I'm missing the point.

The Exiled One said...

"Wait, what? What are you talking about?"

Do the words "Mara Wilson" ring any bells to you?

"Is new ‘villain’ evil or was he just trying to free the soul of the little girl so she could be at peace? Did he assume Linkara was evil because he uses a magic gun powered by a child’s soul? Will we ever find out the girl’s name?"

Here's the thing, though: the little girl probably didn't want to be "freed". If she did, Linkara would have probably "freed" her ages ago. She was most likely content in acting as Linkara's guardian until now.

The Exiled One said...

"May I ask what this is in reference to, Exiled One?"

The Mara Wilson fiasco. Making your critics look like evil demonic beings is not exactly my idea of "reconciliation".

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"Also I only noticed this now but it really does sound like the choir singers are singing PSA HELL! PSA HELL! the power of suggestion, or Linkara really commissioned a special recording of the piece?"

Huh. Never thought of that before. But nah, it's another MusicLoops.com piece. It's called "Origins." I had been hoping to use it for something nicely heroic, buuuuut it fit too well with the epicness of sandwich-making.

Unknown said...

Oh man... Oh man...

13th Doctor said...

"The Mara Wilson fiasco. Making your critics look like evil demonic beings is not exactly my idea of "reconciliation"."

OK, you do realize that Mara Wilson agreed to that willingly right? The same way Wil Wheaton agrees to satirize himself on The Big Bang Theory? Second, NC is a CHARACTER. Yes, his views reflect Doug's yes, BUT THAT IS NOT DOUG. Third, in that SAME EPISODE, Doug allowed embarrassing videos of himself to be shown to illustrate what a hypocrite NC was being about child actors. Doesn't sound like a guy who takes himself all that seriously.

Anonymous said...

"The Mara Wilson Fiasco. Making your critics look like demonic beings is not my idea of reconciliation."

...You, uh, you did realize that Mara Wilson VOLUNTARILY chose to be in that video, right? And that in real life the two apologized to each other, right? The whole problem arose because Mara Wilson heard from some Critic fans that NC hated her and didn't realize that the Critic was a character and not the real Doug Walker.
And if you think she's still offended, look at this Facebook post:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=329706620429139&id=127127037353766

Jarkes said...

"The Mara Wilson fiasco. Making your critics look like evil demonic beings is not exactly my idea of "reconciliation"."

Oh, that? I wasn't aware about the "making the other critics look like evil demonic beings" thing. All I knew is that Mara Wilson herself was willing to make a cameo in Doug's review of one of her old movies, and then Doug showed some videos he made when he was 13 years old. Maybe it's because I didn't watch it... What's this about making the other TGWTG reviewers look bad? I don't really have time to actually go watch the video right now...

Anonymous said...

Exiled One, have you read this?

http://marawilsonwritesstuff.com/regarding-the-nostalgia-critic/

Laura F. said...

@TheExiledOne: Wait, wait, hold on. Are you suggesting him making Mara look demonic was a jab at her? Because he DID make a commentary (that was taken down for re-recording with Holly) saying that he showed Mara the clip with and without that and she loved the demonic one. Plus, they were very civil through Facebook over the whole thing as well.

Now, onto the review. I agree with a few people here that the comic really doesn't promote reading properly. I do like that the Joker was soon in the more goofy chaotic sense. And I can't believe this came from my country. Seriously, what's with Canada and bad PSAs? *facepalms*

And my God, I'm SO excited for this new storyline. I feel at least part of the reason the girl's soul is gone is because of Linkara's arrogance. The Gunslinger is awesome too - props to Will for a great first impression! :)

Brand said...

Yea!!! Plot! I've been waiting. *Does the plot happy dance*

Also best Snowflame PSA yet!

Anonymous said...

lol, Snowflame has the munchies

Unknown said...

Huh. Reading actually does solve the problem, Linkara - reading the fine print on a legal document saved America in a few seconds!

Yep, it's still really stupid, but that's actually a practical use for obsessive reading. Still, they could've just talked about Batman's childhood education for a book instead of making up this sprawling and ultimately unconvincing plot?

Nate said...

But But Linkara! You didnt read the FINE PRINT!

Im so glad you got around to reviewing a comic I actually own, I was actually just about to send my copy to you when I saw the schedule.

This is easily one of my favourite episodes, and I'm already liking the new storyline. But I have to ask, are you planning on doing DC's Zero Hour down the line? I have a few bones to pick with that one, as I guess you might...

Anonymous said...

Your Joker is very "Mark Hamill." Great stuff! I have to admit that I'm in my middle twenties, and another guy my age WHO DID THE COVER FOR A BOOK I translated, had never read a book for fun.

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"But I have to ask, are you planning on doing DC's Zero Hour down the line? I have a few bones to pick with that one, as I guess you might..."

No real plans, I'm afraid. I admit, Zero Hour has a LOT of problems, but for some reason it actually kind of resonates with me, particularly the very end of the book where we have characters who simply want a chance to have lives.

Mike said...

"Isn't calling it the Canadian National Exhibition kind of redundant?"

This is why it is usually referred to as the CNE or simply The Ex.


Oh comics in Canada, you continue to baffle me. Well except for Scott Pilgrim, mainly cause it was written by a guy living in Toronto :p

The Exiled One said...

I'm sorry, but am I the only one who noticed the big, demonic, fiery letters in the "Don't mess with Mara Wilson" message? The sinister, Joker-like, demonic laugh she had? How the hell is that a flattering portrayal of her? All that was missing was editing devil horns and a Snidely Whiplash-esque mustache on her.

Yeah, I know, I know, "she voluntereed herself for it". How does that make it any less offensive to her? Are you seriously telling me that Mara can't have a lapse of judgement? You know, make a wrong decision? Just because she was OK with it, it suddenly makes it less of a dick move?

Remember when Uwe Boll challenged his critics to a boxing match? The critics pretty much played along with it. That doesn't make Uwe Boll's reaction any less childish and immature.

I like how the ONLY argument for what Doug did is "she agreed to it". People DO make mistakes, and her agreeing to do that WAS a mistake on her part.

The Exiled One said...

And before ANYONE brings up the Doug/James Feud, THAT was a different situation because:

a-James ALREADY makes himself looks demonic in his own videos. Remember when he died and went to Hell in the "Crazy Castle" review? The fact that he owns a video game cartridge that can summon the Devil? Or the fact that he mercilessly beat Bugs Bunny twice without any sort of provocation other than "I hated this game starring you"?

b-The Feud was all about who was the better reviewer, it was an internet pissing contest. They ended it as soon as they realized that neither of them is better than the other (and that "Mystery Science Theater 3000" already perfected the "snarky reviews" thing before either of started doing videos).

The Mara Wilson thing stemmed for Doug's fans being assholes, and Doug having to save face because he can't keep his fans on a leash. Completely different thing.

c-Right after the Feud ended, we see Doug and James, with zero animosity or grudges, reviewing "The Making of the Coming Out of Our Shells Tour".

I sure as hell haven't seen Doug being friendly to Mara Wilson after the "Simple Wish" review.

And by seen, I mean SEEN. An actual video, NOT a Facebook post or a blog.

d-Doug and his idiotic fans are the ONLY ones that I know that have a beef with Mara Wilson, while a lot more people have criticized James before and after the Feud.

The Exiled One said...

Zero Hour? What's wrong with that comic? Sure, it was a Crisis Event, but it was a GOOD Crisis Event, much like 52 or the original Crisis (or Secret Wars or Contest of Champions).

Furthermore, without Zero Hour, we wouldn't have the Reboot Legion, and that means no giant-sized Violet.

I'd much rather have Linkara take a look at a BAD Crisis Event, like Civil War or House of M.

Anonymous said...

@Exiled One: "Keep his fans on a leash?" His fans aren't pets, they're people. As such, his fans will do what THEY want, not what HE wants.

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"I like how the ONLY argument for what Doug did is "she agreed to it". People DO make mistakes, and her agreeing to do that WAS a mistake on her part."

Oh, for God's sakes, Exiled One, you are being bitter and indignant over something that no one else is or should be. Mara Wilson LIKED it. That is the end of the discussion right there. She is not offended. She is not upset. She is not fuming about it. And in the end it is HER opinion that matters. You are feeling offended FOR her, even though she is not offended by it.

No one seriously believes that Mara Wilson is a demonic force. Tell me, should Nat Gertler feel offended because of the inclusion of a made-up curse he put on Mighty Morphin' Power Ringers and his claims that it was all a master plan to raise the value of the comic?

Mara Wilson liked it. She liked the video, she liked the ending, and that is the end of it. If you have a problem with how she received it, then take it up with her. Now then, this is not a place to discuss things in the Nostalgia Critic's videos, so comments on this matter are closed.

The Exiled One said...

Yeah...sorry for derailing the blog. One thing led to another, and it snowballed from there. I won't bring it up anymore...on this blog.

Just for the record, Mara Wilson did NOTHING to deserve what happened to her. Gertler wrote "Mightily Murderered Power Ringers", one of the most abominable things ever out on print, so he deserves every bit of venom he gets. He's like Uwe Boll or Stephanie Meyer or Chris Bores: you can't possibly make me feel sorry for HIM. Mara, on the other hand, was a perfectly good child actress who did nothing to deserve an Humiliation Conga ("Matilda" did suck, but because it was a faithful adaptation of a Roal Dahl book, and Roal Dahl is one of the most overrated hacks in the history of modern literature, so it wasn't her fault. You could have put Chloe Moretz or Evanna Lynch and the results would have been the same).

lollypopalopicus said...

I loved the little part about her needing "chapters" because Chapters is actually one the the largest if not the largest chain of book stores in Canada. Was that intentional?

rutana said...

*watches the snowflame psa*
...
...
...wait...
you americans have jelly in plastic tubes? o.O


Anyway, great review. I actually wrote a comment yesterday allready, but google seemed to swallowed it (I feared it happened...) and I have to admit that I'm not remembering anything I said yesterday about the comic itself, so sorry when I'm only adressing the Storyline and Snowflame part ^^;

The Snowflame PSA was my most favorite of his PSA's so far. But you really, REALLY should consider to put up a warning for people with motion sickness next time. The part where the 2001-"mindfuck-slide" was combined with the spinning camera, was REALLY hard to take for me (and I'm only having a slight motion sickness) and caused me around an hour with headache and vertigo... For the first time I really feel with all those epileptic people out there x_x
Still an awesome part. Maybe you should show this to Snowflame:
http://c-puff.deviantart.com/art/SNOWFLAME-303713608
I'm sure he'll likes it, beeing a Brony after all x3

The introduction to the storyline was awesome. I'm very curious how it will be concluded and I won't go into everything since most parts were actually brought up in other comments. However, I was very pleasantly surprised about his look, this seems to become a very interesting villian and I'm really, REALLY curious about the whole story/backstory of the magic guns. Great usage of the tagline "where'd you purchase that" btw ;D
(sorry if I wrote this wrong, english isn't my mother tounge)

FugueforFrog said...

'Hello an Edmontonian! here.

Actually FugueforFrog, I believe that Batman actually is going to the Canadian Finals Rodeo, which is hosted in Edmonton and televised across the country, while the Calgary Stampede is a huge event, the CFR is the top when it comes to Rodeo events.'

Didn't know that, so thanks for filling me in. Considering I've been to both Edmonton and the Stampede, I sort of figured that the biggest western event in the province was the Stampede. This is actually the first I've heard about the rodeo so I had no idea.

Crayons said...

Oh man, I hope the Mounties do have a maple leaf bat signal. Now that would be a "deleted scene" worth reading.

Jarkes said...

""Matilda" did suck, but because it was a faithful adaptation of a Roal Dahl book, and Roal Dahl is one of the most overrated hacks in the history of modern literature, so it wasn't her fault."

I like Roald Dahl (you forgot the d at the end of his first name). And Matilda wasn't all that faithful (if I recall, Matilda lost her psychic powers at the end of the book, whereas she didn't in the movie, but it's been years since I've read the book or seen the movie).

...Wait, Mara Wilson was the lead role in that? Huh... for some reason I thought it was some other former child actress... not sure who though...

Anonymous said...

(The Exiled One said)

"Actually, ignoring this unexpected bit of bragging, Lewis is one of the most humble reviewers of TGWTG. Doug is far more of an egotist, considering how reluctant he is to adress his own mistakes and how he thinks making his critics look bad counts as "reconciliation" (yeah, I'm not letting go of that one. I want an actual apology from him, or at least the promise that he won't pull that kind of shit ever again)."

... Patchouli Knowledge? Is that you?

The Exiled One said...

Ummm, no, I wasn't a Touhou character the last time I checked. Mainly because Touhou is not real.

Corey W. Williams said...

If every review ended with a Snowflame PSA, it would make me so happy.

Aurabolt said...

So....I'm sorry, what exactly did Linkara do wrong that the Magic Gun took offense to it? He made another powerful speech about defeating his adversaries-who have threatened the world on occasion-and how he still protects people. It was these ideals alone which the Magic Gun originally appreciated from Linkara.

Yeah, he was a little over-zealous about being unable to be stopped, but everyone is allowed a little appreciation of their own abilities. Its only if you go too far, and that hasn't happened.

Aurabolt said...

'I really don't see how not having the gun makes him powerless. If anything, it makes him more powerful, since now he only has weapons he can control, while the Magic Gun was subjected to the whims of the little girl (ghost girls are also known to be fickle and hard to reason with, just ask Helena Ravenclaw). He sure as hell didn't the Magic Gun to defeat Mechakara or the Entity.'

That is true, Exiled One. He does have weapons he has more control over. However, the power of the Magic Gun should not be understated simply because of the power of the soul invested in the gun itself.

As we've seen, the gun has a number of different abilities and attacks based upon what the girl thinks is an appropriate response to any given situation. I think it might be similar to Jaime Rayes' Scarab in that regard but with greater appreciation towards Linkara and his feelings; it knows the appropriate response to a situation and how to fight it, but Linkara still has to pull the trigger.

As far as I've been able to surmise, the Magic Gun is probably the most powerful thing in Linkara's Arsenal of Freedom because while transformation and his other weapons are certainly powerful, they aren't sentient and with the strength having thoughts and feelings behind those powers would give. The power comes from the little girl and her connection to Linkara, not from Linkara himself. Which meant the out-of-character boasting, from a child's perspective, may have sacred her.

Gyre said...

Y'know Jodie, there is a line between 'liking books' and 'book cultist'. Seriously, I expected her to suddenly start screaming 'Ia Ia, Library F'taghn'. Then she'd start making a sacrifice out of her boyfriend.

As for the constant mentions of 'Canada' and how great Canada is I wonder if they did it to make it constantly clear to the reader how Canadian and not U.S.A. the place is. Sometimes Canada seems a bit touchy about culture.

One thing I do have to notice about the propaganda/advertisement/PSA comics is this. The writers really twist and bend to find reasons for why the irritating civilians should go with the heroes. The sad thing is, I'm fairly sure I could have come up with a better reason for why they had to come along myself and I would have done it for free just to show up the writer!

rutana said...

"So....I'm sorry, what exactly did Linkara do wrong that the Magic Gun took offense to it? He made another powerful speech about defeating his adversaries-who have threatened the world on occasion-and how he still protects people. It was these ideals alone which the Magic Gun originally appreciated from Linkara."

I don't think (without reading much comments) that the Magic Gun refused him, or "leaving on purpose". I think that the gunslinger dragged the Spirit of the Girl, which makes the gun magically to begin with, out of her shell (the gun itself). How, I don't know. But seeing him "beaming" himself into Linkara's House, I don't think he can be stopped while NOT beeing at place. I think he came to look for the gun and take it, maybe even getting rid of the owner, but as it was too much trouble (and he knew the exact whereabouts), he took the easy road, somehow.

That's my assumption at least ^^

The Exiled One said...

But, Aurabolt, we see right in this video why having a sentient weapon that you can't control is a bad idea: the general consesus is that the little girl abandoned the Magic Gun to teach Linkara a lesson in humility. And really, this could have happened at any given time. THAT is why having weapons you can control makes you more powerful.

Furthermore, let's recap: in his first fight with Mechakara, he defeated him by using the Dragonzord Power Coin. In his second fight with Mechakara, he defeated him with a combination of the Red Zeonizer and having the foresight to steal Neutro from Doctor Insano. Lord Vyce was defeated the first time because Doctor Linksano betrayed Vyce. The Entity wasn't even defeated with weapons, Linkara talked it into suicide using sheer logic and wit. In his fight with Pollo-Vyce, he defeated him with a combination of tactics, planning, and the return of the original Pollo. NONE of those enemies were defeated due to the Magic Gun. So no, losing the Magic Gun isn't a big of a deal as he makes it out to be.

If I was Linkara, losing the Magic Gun wouldn't even faze me. I would either keep doing what I do best (without the need of a magic gun), or get another kind of gun, like the one Nostalgia Critic uses (which can kill angels without the need of being sentient).

The Exiled One said...

On restrospect, "The Pagemaster" worked better than this comic as a PSA for reading because Macauley Culkin (forgot his character's name in the movie) WASN'T passionate about reading (unless it was books on statitcs, I guess), so through the movie he actually discovers the joy of reading.

HOWEVER, I have to agree with someone at the TGWTG forums and point out that most of the books he gets sucked into aren't appropiate for his age (does Ted Turner seriously think children should be reading "The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde", "Treasure Island" and "Moby Dick"?).

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"Furthermore, let's recap: in his first fight with Mechakara, he defeated him by using the Dragonzord Power Coin. In his second fight with Mechakara, he defeated him with a combination of the Red Zeonizer and having the foresight to steal Neutro from Doctor Insano. Lord Vyce was defeated the first time because Doctor Linksano betrayed Vyce. The Entity wasn't even defeated with weapons, Linkara talked it into suicide using sheer logic and wit. In his fight with Pollo-Vyce, he defeated him with a combination of tactics, planning, and the return of the original Pollo. NONE of those enemies were defeated due to the Magic Gun. So no, losing the Magic Gun isn't a big of a deal as he makes it out to be."

Okay, a few things:

-Mechakara was first defeated with the MAGIC coin (obtained in Barkley vs. Godzilla), not the Green Ranger coin. The Green Ranger coin was used to defeat the cursed Mightily Murdered Power Ringers comic.
-It's not the red Zeonizer, it's just a Zeonizer.
-The magic gun participated in the defeat of Dolorem (the manifestation of the anger of the little girl) and the defeat of Whately.

Aurabolt said...

So, Exiled One, you think that it is okay for Linkara to not be phased not only because he may have made a blunder, but now that the spirit may have left the gun-possibly forever-that he should just ignore it and move on?

That doesn't sound like Linkara to me. The man who made sure that an attack against humanity would never come from an AI under his command. A man who expressed such a strong emotional connection to Pollo, a robot who returned the favor in kind and showed us that Mechakara could never happen in this universe. A man who has idealism and heroism clearly present, but also shows a mind within there-a very rare trait in heroes.

Generally, this is not also a person who you would expect to brag. I'm a little confused as to how this one instance of confidence would cause the gun to pull back when its only one incident and not indicative of real hubris or a change to worse natures..but it has happened.

And Linkara isn't the kind of person to let something like that slide. If this isn't about his confidence, he'd want to know what happened to the Spirit of the Girl and protect her because he's a good person. If this is about that, he'd still never take the Spirit for granted and toss her away for something more readily usable. It isn't right.

(I admit, I might be reading too much into the character. Happens when you analyze narrative, so if I got something wrong or inaccurate, sorry about that.)

The Watcher said...

Awesome episode, as per usual.

I was curious though, is the song that plays after the Cybermat attacks the gunslinger a western twangy version of I am the Doctor, because it sure as hell sounded like it.

That, or my brain is just aching for new Who.

Laura F. said...

It also WOULD be a big deal because this isn't just a weapon we're talking about - it contains the soul of the girl sacrificed to create it. This girl saved Linkara before he could kill himself and has specifically said he's his friend/partner. So, Linkara would have plenty of reason to be fazed/worried.

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"I was curious though, is the song that plays after the Cybermat attacks the gunslinger a western twangy version of I am the Doctor, because it sure as hell sounded like it.

That, or my brain is just aching for new Who."

Nah, it's a MusicLoops track called "By Horseback." I've used it before on the show.

Sage Saria said...

To Exiled One:

a: You wouldn't be phased by losing your PARTNER AND FRIEND? Someone who's been with you for years and has saved your life in more ways than one?

b: Who said anything about Linkara not being able to control the magic gun? Once again, they're PARTNERS. They work TOGETHER. Yes, she is in control over the gun's abilities technically, but the only time she has EVER refused to work was when Linkara tried to turn the weapon on himself.

While the timing doesn't look good and it could very well look like the Girl in the Gun left to teach Linkara a lesson, I very much doubt it. The Gunslinger was there for a reason, and I'm pretty sure that the gun's malfunction and his appearance are related.

The Exiled One said...

1-It's the Red Zeonizer that Tommy has long since discarded due to being the Black Dino Thunder Ranger now. It turns you into the White Zeo Ranger because it taps into a different part of the Zeo Crystal.

2-Umm, excuse me? Maybe I need to rewatch the video, but the Magic Coin wasn't even featured in your first fight with Mechakara. And in the second one, it was Mechakara who was using the Magic Coin and not you.

3-What the fuck is a "Dolorem"? If you are talking about the stuff during the Lord Vyce arc, that's just Lord Vyce (somehow) gaining control over the forces of Silent Hill. It's not "Dolorem", it's just Silent Hill. And THAT victory was mostly due to you realizing that you had nothing to do with the creation of the Magic Gun.

4-As it stands, Whately is the ONLY villain whose defeat can solely be attributed to the Magic Gun. Hardly any reason to panic once the Gun stops working

------------

Sage Saria, you are forgetting one thing: Linkara very rarely acknowledges the Magic Gun as a sentient being. Most of the time, he treats it ONLY as a weapon (to the point of only mentioning the little girl when the plot reminds him of her existence). From Linkara's point of view, he didn't lose a partner, he lost a weapon. And it's no big deal considering the amount of weapons he has and his past victories without the Gun.

Look at how Linkara treats Pollo, and compare it to how Linkara treats the Magic Gun. Pollo is a partner to Linkara. The Magic Gun is nothing more than a weapon to Linkara.

The Exiled One said...

Aurabolt, I refer you to my reply to Sage Saria. No matter how much of a "hero" Linkara may be, he never gave a rat's ass for the little girl. If he truly cared about bher, don't you think he would have found a way to exorcise her from the gun so she can "cross over" to the afterlife and rest peacefully in Heaven? Remember, the girl is not inside the gun out of her own free will.

He never did that. And that's because he only cares about the gun itself as a weapon. Think about it, we don't even know the NAME of the little girl, something Linkara never bothered to find out because he never truly cared about her.

Also, Linkara is not the uncorrupted saint you make him out to be. In his recent Superman review, his response to a suicidal girl was to "GET OVER IT!", which just about the most monstrous, villainous and heartless thing you can say to someone about to commit suicide. And in the Teen Titans Drug Awareness comic review, he supported the use of marihunana and said that the media that shows it in an unglamorous light (ie. the one that shows it for what it truly is) is lying. That, to me, is anoher villainous statement.

So, Linkara DOES have a dark side to him, even if it shows in the reviews themselves as opposed to the storyline stuff.

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"1-It's the Red Zeonizer that Tommy has long since discarded due to being the Black Dino Thunder Ranger now. It turns you into the White Zeo Ranger because it taps into a different part of the Zeo Crystal."

...No. It isn't. I have no idea where the hell you got this from, but that's not it.

"2-Umm, excuse me? Maybe I need to rewatch the video, but the Magic Coin wasn't even featured in your first fight with Mechakara. And in the second one, it was Mechakara who was using the Magic Coin and not you."

Maybe it's just because it's not zoomed in well enough in the episode, but yeah. It's the magic coin. The morph I used there and a few other times has always had the magic coin in the morpher.

"3-What the fuck is a "Dolorem"? If you are talking about the stuff during the Lord Vyce arc, that's just Lord Vyce (somehow) gaining control over the forces of Silent Hill. It's not "Dolorem", it's just Silent Hill. And THAT victory was mostly due to you realizing that you had nothing to do with the creation of the Magic Gun."

Dolorem is the manifestation of the girl in the gun's hatred and anger over what happened to her. However, she needed something to hold onto to continue to exist, and with all of the perpetrators of her circumstances (supposedly) dead, she did not have any reason to keep on going. In the credits, I name her as Dolorem.

"He never did that. And that's because he only cares about the gun itself as a weapon. Think about it, we don't even know the NAME of the little girl, something Linkara never bothered to find out because he never truly cared about her."

A fact that he has acknowledged and in the review of Silent Hill: The Grinning Man, he says they haven't been able to find that out. They've been searching for it off-screen.

"Also, Linkara is not the uncorrupted saint you make him out to be. In his recent Superman review, his response to a suicidal girl was to "GET OVER IT!", which just about the most monstrous, villainous and heartless thing you can say to someone about to commit suicide."

And immediately afterwards I pointed out that I was just making a joke and that of course if you are contemplating suicide you should seek help. It sounds like you didn't actually FINISH the episode, though I could be wrong about that.

"And in the Teen Titans Drug Awareness comic review, he supported the use of marihunana and said that the media that shows it in an unglamorous light (ie. the one that shows it for what it truly is) is lying. That, to me, is anoher villainous statement."

No, I did not. I said I don't care about the issue. And where in the hell did I say that the media shows it in an unglamorous light? My confusion is that I've never seen a movie or TV show that explictly stated, "Hey, kids! Do drugs!" And people have stated that the casual use of it in media is the example of that.

Aurabolt said...

And now you're questioning the credentials of a hero through their idealism. There really hasn't seemed to be any proof of this situation of his callous nature until now. The suicidal situation up on the building in that Superman comic was because the narrative conventions made the suicide angle stupid and contrived, so Linkara responded to the idiocy.

I'm pretty sure this is about to be explored, but I see no reason to disbelieve the notion that ever since Dead Alive, the two have had a bond on some level. Trying to say there isn't one-especially after the gun spoke to him and made him aware of her life and feelings-is simply not correct. And on the whole, it is a positive one from the story.

Onto other things: Wow...Reading is great, but since when does the Clown Prince of Crime now even cover his tracks? He's possibly smarter than most of the villains in Batman's rogue's gallery, and he got found out by a bunch of children? Way to drop the ball.

Also, someone better check on Snowflame's doings. Ticking time bomb, I'm telling ya. Especially if he were to grind up the Porcelain stuff in the apartment in the belief that its snortable China Cat or some other drug.

The Exiled One said...

1-No, your (very elaborated) reply to the suicidal girl was "We all have problems, so stop moping and get over it". Which is about the worst thing you can say to a suicidal person, since yelling at her that her problems are insignificant will just depress her further (or even worse, convince her that her whole LIFE is insignificant), and thus convince her to jump. That kind of statement could very well end up KILLING her, which is why I find that crossing over "complete monster" territory, as TV Tropes would say.

And yes, you DID elaborate on it. After the "just a joke bit", you went into a huge rant about how insignificant her issues were and how Superman should help someone with real issues. It was indeed a pretty elaborate rant, and it rubs me the wrong way, since NOTHING that can drive anyone into suicide is insignificant.

2-What you are describing as "Dolorem" is just the forces of Silent Hill trying to mess with your head. I don't what names the forces governing Silent Hill have (or even if they HAVE a name), but I'm pretty sure that "Dolorem" isn't it. It's just the forces governing Silent Hill (if you need a "name" for them, "Silent Hill" would do just fine, since Silent Hill IS more than just a town).

3-The Magic Coin makes you grow to giant size. That's it. It does nothing more. If you morphed into the Green Mighty Morphin Ranger, then it's the Dragonzord Power Coin. There is no evidence in the original Charles Barkley comic or anywhere else that the Magic Coin can do anything other that make people grow to giant size. It's like expecting the "Eat Me" cake from "Alice in Wonderland" to give you heat vision.

4-Ok, so how the hell do you have a Zeonizer, then?

5-Stop referring to yourself in the third person, it's confusing and distracting.

The Exiled One said...

And again, a question to both Aurabolt and Linkara himself: if Linkara cares SO much for the little girl, how come he hasn't freed her from the Magic Gun? Remember, she is stuck her due to being sacrificed to the Entity, and keeping her there prevents her from crossing over to the afterlife and entering Heaven.

Why doesn't Linkara let her enter Heaven, if he cares so much about her?

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"1-No, your (very elaborated) reply to the suicidal girl was "We all have problems, so stop moping and get over it". Which is about the worst thing you can say to a suicidal person, since yelling at her that her problems are insignificant will just depress her further (or even worse, convince her that her whole LIFE is insignificant), and thus convince her to jump. That kind of statement could very well end up KILLING her, which is why I find that crossing over "complete monster" territory, as TV Tropes would say.

And yes, you DID elaborate on it. After the "just a joke bit", you went into a huge rant about how insignificant her issues were and how Superman should help someone with real issues. It was indeed a pretty elaborate rant, and it rubs me the wrong way, since NOTHING that can drive anyone into suicide is insignificant."

My problem with it was that the way it was presented did not give the impression that she was legitimately suicidal. Maybe I didn't get it across properly, but then fine, my mistake, but please don't put words into my mouth.

"2-What you are describing as "Dolorem" is just the forces of Silent Hill trying to mess with your head. I don't what names the forces governing Silent Hill have (or even if they HAVE a name), but I'm pretty sure that "Dolorem" isn't it. It's just the forces governing Silent Hill (if you need a "name" for them, "Silent Hill" would do just fine, since Silent Hill IS more than just a town)."

No. That's not how I wrote it. And yes, *I* wrote it. I think I know what happens in something that *I* wrote. Now, if you have a THEORY about what happened beyond what I wrote, that's fine, but I am not David Lynch, who doesn't discuss how he interprets the things he writes and just wants people to come up with their own. I will actually tell you what I meant by it and what happened. While the Dead/Alive reviews are a bit ambiguous and you need to read between the lines, I have stated before what actually happens during it for the confused. The entity that Linkara encountered was called Dolorem.

"3-The Magic Coin makes you grow to giant size. That's it. It does nothing more. If you morphed into the Green Mighty Morphin Ranger, then it's the Dragonzord Power Coin. There is no evidence in the original Charles Barkley comic or anywhere else that the Magic Coin can do anything other that make people grow to giant size. It's like expecting the "Eat Me" cake from "Alice in Wonderland" to give you heat vision."

Please do not lecture me on how the objects in MY show work.

"4-Ok, so how the hell do you have a Zeonizer, then?"

Wait and see.

"5-Stop referring to yourself in the third person, it's confusing and distracting."

No, because there is a distinction between ME, Lewis Lovhaug, who sometimes referred to as Linkara as a screenname, and Linkara the character on the show. In real life, I do not possess a magic gun, nor do I regularly contend with robots and monsters. Linkara the character has, so I try to distinguish between them, otherwise I could sound more than a touch egotistical and detatched from reality.

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"Why doesn't Linkara let her enter Heaven, if he cares so much about her?"

Because she doesn't have any real desire to do so. She's content where she is.

Anonymous said...

That almost sounded like a super villain speech at the end. No wonder the gun cut out on you.

Oli said...

Zellers is more or less a competitor to Wal-Mart. I find it pretty hilarious how they made this comic being that they have no real defining characteristic whatsoever. They're just... another chain of stores. I find the whole mention of a club at the beginning a little odd since I used to shop at Zellers regularly as a kid and had no knowledge of a club (or a Zellers Restaurant, for that matter) at all.

Oh well, it's likely the only comic I'll ever see to feature Montreal in any major way.

Gareth said...

Tut tut Linkara, it looks like someone wasn't paying attention to the ending of Doctor Who: Waters of Mars

Jarkes said...

You know, quite frankly, Exiled One is beginning to annoy me, what with his high-horse, I-know-more-about-TGWTG-than-the-people-who-are-actually-part-of-it mentality. Seriously, there's Wild Mass Guessing (which usually at least uses evidence from the work as basis for the guess), and then there's just making stuff up with no evidence backing it, and claiming that he's absolutely right despite the fact that he has no idea what he's talking about (I'm referring to his theory about the Zeonizer, which he doesn't even bother calling a theory). And then there's his tendency to put words in Lewis's mouth, and then (again) claiming that he knows what he's talking about despite the fact that he doesn't.

I'm sorry, Lewis, but with his attitude lately, I'm honestly surprised you haven't blocked him like that one guy who kept filling the comments with his fanfictions a while back (whose name I have already forgotten). I really hope this doesn't sound petty.

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"I'm sorry, Lewis, but with his attitude lately, I'm honestly surprised you haven't blocked him like that one guy who kept filling the comments with his fanfictions a while back (whose name I have already forgotten). I really hope this doesn't sound petty."

It's fine. He isn't causing any real problem, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Arianne said...

I had to watch it at That Guy with the glasses.com Because the video was being a pain. Your new Big bad reminds me of a evil tall Edward Elric in design as for his personality He reminds me of what Travis Touchdown from No More Heros said about the Drifter. "He's either the shit or full of it". What the crap is happening to SnowFlame?. Are him and the new big bad connected ?.

Anonymous said...

Why is a comic book, that you READ, doing a reading PSA?
Alternative to declaring war, the US and Canadian governments could just ignore it.

Dark Reader said...

Some of us can't afford to go to other country so reading about them is the next best thing and some places don't actually exist so you can only go to them through reading anyway and 'some' of us can visualize them in our heads. Also as for the characters. Again good imagination and an emotional connection to a character allows you to get to know them as if they were real or as historical figures go, as if they were still alive. And in a way, yeah it can be an addiction but not just any book. It's an addiction because some books really hook you in to the story and immerse and you in it and does not let go even after you put it down. Books like that kinda rare so you try to find another book that do that.

This being said, I an not as crazy as that girl. I love history and a good book but Pamphlets? Girls got a problem. But the closes this comic gets to the impotence of reading 'is' the padding segment which is just bad because even that is just stupid.