A startling deconstruction of superheroes in the real world! ...Or, just a really stupid black and white comic about an asshole who gets superpowers.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Psychoman #1
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Twitter
Upcoming Episodes
- 4/7: SCI-Spy #5
- 4/14: Red Hood and the Outlaws #1
- 4/21: Athena #2
- 4/28: Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey #1
- 5/5: Zolastraya and the Bard #1
- 5/12: Superman: For the Animals #1
- 5/19: Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos #2
- 5/26: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie #1
About Me
Links
Blog Archive
-
▼
2012
(158)
-
▼
September
(14)
- Animénia: Pokémon The Movie 2000
- October 2012 Trailer & Longbox of the Damned Promo
- To Boldly Flee Cast Commentary
- Batman: Jazz #1
- Tandy Computer Whiz Kids: The Answer to a Riddle
- To Boldly Flee, Part 8
- Wonder Woman (2011) Commentary
- To Boldly Flee, Part 7
- Marville #3
- To Boldly Flee, Part 6
- Ghost of AT4W Live!
- To Boldly Flee, Part 5
- Psychoman #1
- To Boldly Flee, Part 4
-
▼
September
(14)
Labels
- AP Comics (2)
- Ape Entertainment (1)
- AQLA (6)
- Arcana (1)
- Archie (4)
- AT4W (431)
- Avatar Press (1)
- Batman (28)
- Blackthorne Publishing (2)
- Blood Eagle (1)
- bloopers (3)
- Bluewater Productions (2)
- Bongo Comics (2)
- Boom (1)
- Brainstorm Comics (1)
- Brick Computer Science Institute (1)
- Card Games (14)
- Catfish Comics (1)
- CI5P (11)
- Clamp (1)
- commentary (19)
- contest (2)
- Continuity Comics (1)
- Conventions (41)
- Crossover (45)
- Dark Horse (12)
- DC (111)
- Dell (1)
- Draculina Publishing (1)
- Dreamwave (1)
- DVD (2)
- Dynamite (2)
- Edfund (1)
- Eternity Comics (1)
- Fantagraphics (1)
- Gold Key (3)
- Good News Everyone (2)
- Hamilton (2)
- Harvey Comics (2)
- HOPR (17)
- ID (1)
- IDW (20)
- Image (27)
- INKS Comics (1)
- Interview (34)
- Invincible Press (1)
- Kickassia (8)
- Lightbringer (1)
- Longbox of the Damned (64)
- LPEF (9)
- LPPO (9)
- Magnum (1)
- Malibu (2)
- Marvel (104)
- Maximum Press (3)
- Miller Time (11)
- MN Productions (1)
- Moment of Awesome (6)
- Monsterverse (1)
- Now (3)
- Panels (2)
- Parody Press (1)
- Platinum (1)
- podcast (39)
- Pointless Optimism (1)
- power morphicon (5)
- PSA Hell (13)
- Renegade Press (1)
- Review (1)
- Revolution of the Mask (8)
- Revolutionary Comics (2)
- rifftrax (12)
- Scholastic (1)
- Shameless Self-Promotion (3)
- Solson Publications (3)
- Special (1)
- Spider-Man (30)
- Stan Lee Media (1)
- Star Comics (5)
- Star Trek (16)
- Suburban Knights (10)
- Superhero Comics Motif (1)
- Superman (23)
- TAIS (12)
- Tandy Computers (5)
- Teen Titans (9)
- Titans (9)
- To Boldly Flee (12)
- Top 15 (3)
- Topps (3)
- Trailer (4)
- Twilight Twins Productions (1)
- Ultimate Creations (1)
- Ultimate Warrior (5)
- Unleashed (1)
- Valiant (4)
- Vertigo (6)
- Victory Comics (1)
- Viz Comics (1)
- vlog (32)
- webcomic (1)
- Whitman Publishing (1)
- Wildstorm (4)
- Wonder Woman (4)
- X-Men (1)
134 comments:
Isn't Tipper Gore the wife of Al Gore. Correct me if I'm wrong on that.
"Fresh Prince of Bel Air Theme" Nice choice man!
Is this comic bringing God into this? This is now past any redemption.
Mara Wilson got the Critic's old footage from God? Now that is pretty darn funny.
'Bout time we've had some censor bleeps.
Dude, I love the sniper for TF2, please give me your Steam name! Also keep up those great cuts to commercials. They are awesome!
*Insert joke here* Sims, MSG. Great one.
Hey, I watch Penn & Teller's Bull$*!^ too!
Nah, not even Dr. No would take this moron.
Great use of the Scrubs Medieval fantasy story that Dr. Cox was telling his son Jack. "I saved this fish from drowning!"
Nice to see what Margaret (Hope I'm spelling that right) looks like. I got a bad feeling about the home welcome with all that Holokara has done.
I was almost expecting some MetaCon footage and some cameos from the Power Ranger actors, but oh well.
I don't know if you saw this question in the To Boldly Flee part 3 video, but do you have any thoughts on Big Hero 6 or Guardians of the Galaxy (considering the upcoming Marvel film adaptations)?
I think the reason Linkara is turning evil is he's been under so much anger and stress from trying to be the savior of the universe. If you ask me, I say he should try some stress management!
And I know the right man for the job:
http://cinemassacre.com/2012/08/29/nerds-anger-management/
Man, I really connect with what Linkara's going through, and that ending really spoke to me. This is one of the best endings you've ever done.
Aww...sweet moment between you and the gun. Sort of hope you can get back and shut down Holo-kara before...well, whatever happens next.
Psychoman...hoo boy, that was ridiculous. Somehow the problem with this is it's trying so hard to avoid all superhero tropes that it just makes the "hero" just a rude butt-wipe, almost like a jerky version of Bill and Ted got the powers instead. (I'd say 90s Kid but I think it's the late 80s style of jerk and not the grungy ones that would emerge a year or more later that 90s Kid would hang out with) I think one problem that people tend to have is that there is a difference between having tropes and using them right or in a way either to satirize them or to make a compelling story even if you know in some ways what is going to happen. People know what superheroes do, both with the powers and with the stories, but you can still make them fun and compelling even if there is a ton of overlap. This was just trying too hard to avoid them all and ended up as crap.
BTW: good intro on Rock 'n Roll comics, particularly after all the discussion I helped get into back with the Vanilla Ice review.
Bah! Norman Bates doesn't *need* super powers.
Also: protagonist visited by a spectral red-haired girl? Was that an intentional OMD reference?
I'm sure I'm not the only guy to ever point this out, but actually, I have to agree with the author of the comic on one thing. Secret identities do seem kinda dumb. Or at least overused. Just because you fight crimes in some capacity doesn't mean you need to hide yourself from the public. Truth is the grand majority of soldiers and cops (who are constantly belittled, but none the less are employed to fight evil in the real world) never employ anything resembling secret identities. Sometimes it makes them a target for crime and sometimes it keeps them from becoming a target due to having guns, connections, a public image (hard to get away with crimes against high profile targets) and authority. I think some super heroes, like Superman, who have no real problem with the law most of the time, don't have much reason to hide who they are, since really, they just put themselves in a self made trap. Now the only people who know superman is Clark, are bad, and all the people who could have backed him up, he pushes away as a consequence of his secret keeping. Thus supes sacrifices connections for a completely false sense of security for those he loves.
Great review. man this comic had potential, but is totaly went down. unlikeable characters and a weak story....man it just sucks.
love the ending.....Buuuuut: wasnt the girl in the gun short-haired? and wasnt her hair black? sorry I know its kinda nitepicky, but it bugs me a bit. but S.s. lee did a really nice job nonetheless
Of Course there are some jokes you could have come up with like...
8:23 - God's explanation for why he gives the kid super-powers is very similar to the New Guardians.
11: 16 - There is no way you couldn't have seen the "666" number on the door. Possibly Satan is behind this and not God.
18: 04 - Could've made a Psychonaunts joke with the kid with psychic powers.
geez it's like a Marville beta test
So, who played Margaret at the end?
Also, something bugged me in the Future Shock review. Why didn't Harvey, I dunno, aim for the mobile light emitter while he was shooting Holokara.
This was a really stupid comic. Interesting bit about the comic company. Oh I sadly know who tipper gore was and I love how her witch hunt against music was bitch slapped. Nice little bit at the end though again I hate to be hologram linkara when real one gets home. I mean come now he is moving comic cron 1? I'm guessing the reason linkara lost communication with it because of hologram linkara shut it off on him.
I like the conversation between you and Margaret at the end. It was really heartwarming to see.
As for the comic itself, this is really bad. The main character is an idiot, his origin is based on an dumb decision (if the whole reason for this is to improve the human race, why give it to someone you know won't be able to do that?) and the reasons for why it was mad are ridiculous.
Wait a minute... I'm pretty sure you said at the beginning of the review that there WAS a second issue... Or at the very least, the author wrote one before his tragic death...
When the list came up, I knew that at least half of these entries would be grossly ignored. I didn't count, though. Also, I hate stories where everyone's stupid/ignorant/douchy.
What I love, however, are these constant jabs at your storyline.
This brings me to the storyline. So many feels. ;__; So many damn feels. And hey, we finally got to see her human form! \o/ I can't wait to see this end.
PS: Some rather hindsightly (?) thoughts about the roles everyone has in this storyline:
Margret: Pretty clear by now, even though I kinda suspected that she was the one who kept him in check.
Holokara: He's the one who truly shows Linkara what could have become of him, had Margret not stepped in. There's nothing like an evil version of yourself (no mirror universe, just yourself, with a few different choices/factors) to whack you over the head and show you where you're going. If that's going to be confirmed, I'll add it to my list of plot points I like about your show.
The Gunslinger: Not the bad guy at all. The Gunslinger was either there to trigger Linkara's realization, or to outright take him out, knowing that he was going evil. I don't know if he's from the future, or if he was, maybe, sent by the wizard himself... it's a mystery wrapped in an enigma shrouded in... uh, yeah, that.
I'll admit when I first saw this on the queue I thought it was a similar, Joker-like character from either Now Comics or Continuity Comics (I can't recall if he was called "Psychoman" or "Crazyman" or something; it's been too many years since I last saw it).
What is Holo-kara planning on doing with Comicron-1? Glad to see things patched up with Margaret.
In regards to this comic, I can only say What did I just read?
I enjoyed the review and I liked the backstory scene even better. Nicely done.
At 11:15, that is apartment 666. Why?
Very cool episode. While I don't have much to say about the comic other then it is ridiculous your on going story is out standing. I do like meeting the spirit this way and I can't wait for the show down between Holo-Linkara and Linkara. Also I figure we'll see the Gunslinger show up right after that to really mess things up. So much goodness coming.
You know, I kinda like this comic. Sure it has it's problems but it's not THAT BAD. Only two things I have wrong with this comic is one, No one was impressed this guy has Super Powers and people were complete ass holes to the "hero" trying to make sense of it all. And two the God Narration, usually comics are narrated by you know it's creator or in some of Marvel's case the use of The Watchers. I mean if their is a God, I can imagine he would probably be pissed with this comic.
Bit of a crude denunciation of the superhero genre. Then again I've seen a few people even today express distaste over it for just as stupid reasons. I'm not really friends with the guy who made a stink about it over on a forum I frequent but he complaints mirrored this comics'. Kinda made me hate it just a bit more.
Still, sad the guy had his life cut so untimely short. Even if I agree that this comic isn't very good and can see why it was cancelled it's a bit unfortunate this was the last thing he wrote.
Also, really cool that the comic company's owner gave you some background and actually talked to you man. Who knows, if some obscure independent company's head actually watches your show... maybe the big two do too in some fashion.
I know who Tipper Gore is and kudos to Revolutionary comics for sticking it to her. For those that don't know she's Al Gore's wife and she tried to blame heavy metal and rock n' roll for causing teen suicides and murders in the 80's. Along with many others things.
Any plans to track down some of those comics and feature them in longbox of the damned next month?
The ending was cute:)
Psychoman crossover with The Future Five? Why do I want to see that?!
Ok, I'm curious of this company now! I might dig deeper into them myself now! I think I've heard of this writer now somewhere! I recall hearing of a comic writer being killed like that.
Hey, you calling us dumb? I know who Tipper Gore is and what she did! It's one of the many MANY reasons I hate all politics!
I like the whole turn comic books and comic book story telling on it's head thing but this guy seemed to have a lot of malice towards comics. As I've said in the past I like Garth Ennis's works especially The Boys, but I don't think he ever went this far to write an unbelievable character!
Psycho-Man? Isn't that the name of something else already? I think a movie!?
I think the wall in the one scene was pretty thick as it seemed like a think beam of wood he threw that ball through!
I can already state that in a more realistic story or most I've read and have envisioned one of the 1st things that normally happen is that whole getting use to just suddenly having the ability to crush concrete with a single touch so that you know don't destroy everything around you. The only leap in logic I can see that might come with super strength powers-wise is maybe a degree of invulnerability.
You do gotta love the really bad mixture of religious theology and evolution here... God gives a kid super powers to act as the next stage in evolution but one of the foundations of evolution is there has to be others with the same genes for it to continue on down bloodlines! Pretty much with just this one A-hole you might get 3-4 generations of super-beings (each getting weaker and weaker) before it completely dies out. This sort of reminds me again of another cracked article in-which it talks about some other comic book with these space traveling heroes and one of them can turn into any dinosaur and they find a planet that is populated with dinosaurs and there's this virus that'll wipe out all life there and this dino-dude is immune so their master plan is to send the guy down in his dinosaur form to breed with one... just one of the locals to pass the immunity gene on... basically the story ends with him raping a raptor and them content they just saved a planet!
well, back to Psycho-Man this comic could've easily been an American style version of AKIRA with the whole punk teenage kid gains power far beyond his ability to understand and control with both military and outside forces after him... but nope we get emo-superman number 00659!
Relocating Comicron-1? So we going to be bombing the surface of the world we see!
Wow for a little girl spirit she seem awfully fully grown nearly! I was expecting like a 10 year old! And redheaded! Don't they not have souls to begin with!?
uis aryo ever going to make a video about yor thoughts on justie league #12 where superman and wonder woman become a long term couple?
Saw this on blip first, then commented here on the blog, I'm going to avoid the four letter word you're all expecting me to use in this comment and just talk about the review.
My initial thought when watching the plot segment was: "Oh god... The LinkaraXMagicGun fan art potential..."
Second: Ms Magic Gun is cute, who the hell is she?
All in all a pretty good review, and as with many of the comics you review, a potentially good idea, let down by execution, (as let's be honest there ARE some ridiculous superhero tropes).
This comic could have been a lot better. If anything, making the character a jerk is what hurt it the most.
Who was the girl that played Margaret?
Nice episode :)
Would you consider reviewing Spider Man:Reign someday? Its awful
Awesome episode as Always! I'm not sure who to be more baffled by. The asshole hero who squanders his powers, or the people who dont recognize the significance of seeing a man who can FLY!
I cant wait to see how the story goes when Linkara see's what the ELH has been up to in his absence. Or what the ELH has planned for him...
Who played margaret at the end there?
Awesome episode as Always! I'm not sure who to be more baffled by. The asshole hero who squanders his powers, or the people who dont recognize the significance of seeing a man who can FLY!
I cant wait to see how the story goes when Linkara see's what the ELH has been up to in his absence. Or what the ELH has planned for him...
I thought of a joke you could have used: "where did you learn to fly?"
Heh, this comic is definitely meant for the burnheap.
Also, rather unexpected story bit right there. Is this the end? How does this still fit in with the other gunslinger? Who was playing MagiGun and will she be appearing more often?
I hope so, she's pretty and has a nice voice.
I loved the Linkara/Margret scene! It was so adorable. :-)
rock n roll Comics is nothing but death and crime and the rage of a beast
Who was the guy with the hat and sunglasses?
On the other hand, this thing sucks.
Good man.
Why do I think this is what inspired Luther Strode?
Except Luther Strode did it better.
Great review Compadre! As aways!
Passing by just to leave behind a not usefull information: i guess the skeptic (also magician) is supposed to be James Randi, Penn & Teller's "menthor and influence".
This comic sort of reminds me of DC's Major Bummer minus the whit, humor, and charm.
Bearded skeptic guy is clearly a homage to James Randi.
"Wait a minute... I'm pretty sure you said at the beginning of the review that there WAS a second issue... Or at the very least, the author wrote one before his tragic death..."
He wrote it, but the comic itself was never made.
"uis aryo ever going to make a video about yor thoughts on justie league #12 where superman and wonder woman become a long term couple?"
I think if you've watched my show long enough, you should know my thoughts on this by now.
...that was sweet. Maggie's lovely, and that was very sweet. <3
Good review, as ever! Honestly, even if Holokara's an evil blight upon humanity and the internet alike, these last few episodes have just been really damn funny. xD Now if only he can restrain himself from using the Comicron for evil...don't worry, I won't be holding my breath.
Isn't Margaret supposed to be much younger than that, the woman we saw looked more like a teenager if anything.
"Isn't Margaret supposed to be much younger than that, the woman we saw looked more like a teenager if anything."
The spirit was 13 when she died. The actress playing her is 14.
Please tell me that Sniper Blu is going to be a new recurring character.
...the SNIPER?!
I'm not exactly sure what I expected but I thought there would be a bit more explanation to the tet on tet with Margret. Also with the glasses braces and all isn't she picking up points from you Linkara? After all I have trouble thinking of cultist parents that would kill their kid really worrying about getting their teeth straight.
As to the comic. . Um I really hope the guy who wrote it and was murdered wasn't looking at someone real for inspiration on the character because if he was I have a murder suspect.
Are you sure he wasn't trying to make it terrible on purpose and all those things in the intro were just to make it more ironic like shining lanterns on all the ways he is making this as painful as possible?
Moving Comichron one.. So ERH-kara is diverting your protection that was in position to more easily defend you while your magic is out?
Call me crazy, but wouldn't a better counter to the traditional superhero cliche, be someone who tries to do good, but ends up taking over the world to "fix" all it's problems.
That sounds like it would be a better story to tell.
I know who Tipper Gore is, but I had no idea she was one of those "rock is evil" people until I read the comments on here. Good to know... I think.
Clearly God needs a new hobby. Maybe he should try internet reviewing.
Oh BTW Chicken Rings didn't exist yet when that comic was made. Time to watch the original release version of Highlander 2 The Quickening for something much better than this comic.
Not joking I'm really watching it after I type this.
Great episode as always, but Holo-Kara wanting to move Comicron 1 scares me a bit.
Aw...Margret is adorable.
Yeah...Psychoman is a bad idea and this God must've not have foreseen how well the Guardians' plan for the New Guardians went.
The concept is there though (ordinary guy getting powers and acting like a self centered jerk(ie: A what if with Spider-Man getting the wrong lesson from Uncle Ben)).
I wonder what Holokara has cooking moving the ship.
Some recommendations to the show (I also apologize before hand if these were made already):
Image run of WILDC.A.T.s #0-4 (I find 0 complements the greater whole of the first arch)
Transformers vs G.I.JOE: 1941(Your Silent Hill reviews gave me flashbacks to this) (BTW: TF and G.I. JOE are products of Hasbro.)
Great review. I know all too well that you are tired of deconstructions of the superhero genre that go down this route. I am surprised you wren't angrier at this.
Now on to the storyline. I felt I was somewhat unfair in my criticisms of last week and I have calmed down and am now more objective. I loved that you finally got Margaret to speak with Linkara face-to-face and she was a lot more patient and kinder that Steve last week. I don't know if it was the way he was written and acted but he rubbed me the wrong way. So this has wiped away any negative feelings I had. I also should apologize since I said one week that I was going to withhold judgement: a promise I broke almost immediately. I should have trusted you more.
Huh, maybe I'm getting superpowers, too; I could've sworn I had a dream last night where I commented to you in person about how heartfelt the latest stinger for your review today was.
On Holokara, you sure you didn't take the Richard Daystrom approach to making him and use your mental engrams to program his personality? Even if you don't want to turn evil, the Evil Overlord's Guide clearly state that downloading your brain into a machine is a bad thing; I think that would go for this scenario.
As for the comic itself... Well, let's just say I'm glad I didn't throw my hat into the comic-making ring when I had the chance, although it likely would've been better than this crap.
Actual with the Transformers I've heard of another crossover they did above anonymous poster who will probably not respond to this. It's called New Avengers/ Transformers and it gets a lot of moderate to nasty reviews. I haven't read it myself but just hearing about the fact they waste a good opportunity for Cap and Optimus to talk to one another makes it seem like a waste.
I look forward to any Transformers review in the future regardless.
On the 10:
1. Okay. He sort of follows this rule.
2. Yeah, this is consistent.
3. Um...superhero origins rarely make total "literal" sense, but they often tie into fears and concerns people have at the time. Or, sometimes, are total fantasy with no sociological underpinnings. And, again, suspension of disbelief.
4. This does almost feel like a failed humour comic, so okay.
5. Sticks to this.
6. No one here really acts "real" either. You're right that real people would be shocked, maybe even disturbed and disgusted, not apathetic, if they saw something like this.
7. Irrelevant to the actual point.
8. Well, if you wanted a "relevant lesson", you kind of failed.
9. Um...I kind of get what he's trying to say there. It's similar to a point forwarded much more lucidly in The Pro (still a bit of an unfunny mess, but nowhere close to this comic), but I guess he's saying that, although those like Batman can get let off the hook a bit, their universes should have clean cars, eternal clean energy, peace between the nations and the cure for cancer because of all the super-smart and super-fast and generally super-powered people around. It's not conveyed in this first issue, at all, but I think he's trying to say that the crime fighting and universal hijinks should be the dessert of how the super-powered people help the world, not the breakfast, lunch and dinner.
10. Yeah...but they're fun at least.
Even though it was a little abrupt, the bit at the end with Margaret was amazing! Your story segments have always been funny, and often uplifting and badass... but that's easily the best I've seen you do at genuine pathos- well done!
Out of curiosity Linkara, with the Ant-Man movie coming out, and rumors are up in the air if it's Hank Pym or Scott Lang, who would you prefer?
Anonymous 7:44: I remember an old interview where Wright said his approach was to use BOTH Pym and Lang. That MIGHT have changed, but I think it's part of what has held his movie back from the green-light.
"I'm sure I'm not the only guy to ever point this out, but actually, I have to agree with the author of the comic on one thing. Secret identities do seem kinda dumb. Or at least overused. Just because you fight crimes in some capacity doesn't mean you need to hide yourself from the public. Truth is the grand majority of soldiers and cops (who are constantly belittled, but none the less are employed to fight evil in the real world) never employ anything resembling secret identities. Sometimes it makes them a target for crime and sometimes it keeps them from becoming a target due to having guns, connections, a public image (hard to get away with crimes against high profile targets) and authority. I think some super heroes, like Superman, who have no real problem with the law most of the time, don't have much reason to hide who they are, since really, they just put themselves in a self made trap. Now the only people who know superman is Clark, are bad, and all the people who could have backed him up, he pushes away as a consequence of his secret keeping. Thus supes sacrifices connections for a completely false sense of security for those he loves."
Short list of superheroes without proper secret identities:
-all of the X-Men
-Luke Cage
-Donna Troy
-Wonder Woman
-The Martian Manhunter
-four of the "big five" Teen Titans (Starfire, Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy)
-several Power Rangers teams (Lightspeed Rescue, S.P.D., Operation Overdrive and RPM)
"love the ending.....Buuuuut: wasnt the girl in the gun short-haired? and wasnt her hair black? sorry I know its kinda nitepicky, but it bugs me a bit. but S.s. lee did a really nice job nonetheless."
The Plot Hole changed Margaret's appearance.
"geez it's like a Marville beta test"
Considering Marville is scheduled for next week, I guess that's the reason why Lewis chose this particular comic this week.
But hey, to Psychoman's credit, at least THIS comic is trying to have a point (avoiding superhero tropes). I don't think Marville had ANYTHING resembling a point.
"I mean if their is a God, I can imagine he would probably be pissed with this comic."
I think God would be more pissed at stuff like "Preacher" or the Marvel Max run of "Howard the Duck" than this comic. This comic barely flies under God's radar. But then again, God is busy enough with the Afghanistan War, the constant famine and civil War in Africa, the heavy shit going on in Syria, all the drug lords and underage prostitution in Argentina, to worry about some stupid comic book.
"Call me crazy, but wouldn't a better counter to the traditional superhero cliche, be someone who tries to do good, but ends up taking over the world to "fix" all it's problems."
*coughcough* The Authority *coughcough*
"Oh BTW Chicken Rings didn't exist yet when that comic was made. Time to watch the original release version of Highlander 2 The Quickening for something much better than this comic.
"
You know this comic is a piece of shit when people would rather watch "Highlander 2" (one of the worst sci-fi movies made in the 90s) than read it.
"their universes should have clean cars, eternal clean energy, peace between the nations and the cure for cancer because of all the super-smart and super-fast and generally super-powered people around."
Come to think of it, the Star Trek Earth has all of the things you mentioned...yet it has no superheroes at all.
Also, one last comment: Psycho-Man is the name of a Fantastic Four villain that can control emotions. JUst puzzled about Lewis not mentioning that in the review.
"Out of curiosity Linkara, with the Ant-Man movie coming out, and rumors are up in the air if it's Hank Pym or Scott Lang, who would you prefer?"
I just hope that movie has a giantess in it. If they use Hank Pym, then they should have Janet Van Dyne growing to giant size. If they use Scott Lang, then they should have Cassie Lang growing to giant size. It's about time we have a superhero movie with good giantess material.
"I'm sure I'm not the only guy to ever point this out, but actually, I have to agree with the author of the comic on one thing. Secret identities do seem kinda dumb. Or at least overused. Just because you fight crimes in some capacity doesn't mean you need to hide yourself from the public. Truth is the grand majority of soldiers and cops (who are constantly belittled, but none the less are employed to fight evil in the real world) never employ anything resembling secret identities. Sometimes it makes them a target for crime and sometimes it keeps them from becoming a target due to having guns, connections, a public image (hard to get away with crimes against high profile targets) and authority."
You seem to forget that most police that deal with the really dangerous criminals that would go after family members are undercover cops and FBI and CIA. And even then they're not operating with in the city they and their families live. There's a difference between regular cops that bust normal every day criminals and the ones that go after large scale more powerful and far reaching criminals like Mafia and gangs. If a regular cop just up and arrested a mob boss off the streets for anything bigger than a speeding ticket that cop would probably be found dead or savagely beaten later or something bad would happen to him in some form.
Yeah, I have the trade and I can see it could be better.
Heck, I wanted Spidey shoot webbing into Megs optics.
Sigh...
'If wishes were fishes, there would be no room for the sea.': Basil Stag Hare from Mattimeo
You know, I don't think Linkara getting mad at 90's kid deserved to be in the previous episode's flashback. I mean, 90's kid's actions just put everyone living in that apartment in supreme danger. Everything else (more or less) belonged I think.
I like this episode. I'd go as far as to say this is your best episode ever. I like Margaret. I wonder if she is going to have a Bankai form or something.
Durigng the ending I think you are a little too used to having only one person in shot (due to having only one actor), it makes it fairly odd given you have multiple people.
"I just hope that movie has a giantess in it. If they use Hank Pym, then they should have Janet Van Dyne growing to giant size. If they use Scott Lang, then they should have Cassie Lang growing to giant size. It's about time we have a superhero movie with good giantess material."
Getting Wasp or Stature would be awesome. But I doubt Stature will be the age she's supposed to be for Stature in the film. She'd be like 10 and would make your giantess thing creepy...
For what it's worth, I think trying to compare the main character on this comic to your "reviewer alter ego" (I'm guessing that's what you're eluding to at the end of the review) doesn't make sense. Maybe the point of this arc is that Linkara is becoming a bit of a d-bag, but unlike the guy in this comic, his intentions were noble. He saved the Earth from Insano, Mechakara, Vyce and Missingo; it's just that he got an ego problem from it. Linkara to me wants to be good; this guy knows he's an ass and doesn't give a crap.
I'd even challenge the whle "we can't relate" bit. Maybe I'm looking too much into this, but it seems Linkara's character and his adventures resemble those that many of us had in our own imaginations as kids. We created our own stories mixing up the toys we had and what we read/watched. So yeah, I'd say a lot of people can relate to Linkara.
So looking forward to next week. I said it before, will holo-Linkara try to get drunk in preparation, and CAN he???
You know, that guy who mentioned Highlander 2 made me think of something... Is the Director's Cut of that (which, if I understand correctly, does NOT have the "aliens from Zeist" bullcrap and is, of course, closer to the director's vision before it got severely meddled with) any better than the original release version, or is it just as bad?
HOLY SHIT, TF2 SNIPER MADE THIS REVIEW MID-BRAKE AWESOME!!! XD
YOU'RE AWESOME LINKARA, TOTALLY AWESOME!
Sorry for the all caps, but I'm just so happy that the only way I can think to express my joy is with all caps. XD
"You seem to forget that most police that deal with the really dangerous criminals that would go after family members are undercover cops and FBI and CIA. And even then they're not operating with in the city they and their families live. There's a difference between regular cops that bust normal every day criminals and the ones that go after large scale more powerful and far reaching criminals like Mafia and gangs. If a regular cop just up and arrested a mob boss off the streets for anything bigger than a speeding ticket that cop would probably be found dead or savagely beaten later or something bad would happen to him in some form."
That's pretty much what I said about Police Quest 1.
And if you want a realistic superhero deconstruction, rent Mirageman.
I may be in the minority on this one, but now that I know exactly what age Margret was when she was killed, I think it's even more tragic. Say what you will about a 7 or 8 year old getting killed by her own parents for a cult being horrible, but a teenager seems like a much more horrific target to me. A 7 year old is not smart enough to know exactly what kind of dangers are out there and when it happens to her she would be scared out of her wits not knowing what's going to happen. However, a teenager is experienced enough to know exactly what's going to happen and, to me anyway, I would imagine that would be even more terrifying.
You see a little girl standing in front of you and automatically know its the spirit of your gun? On what grounds did you know it was her? Or is this yet another case of you being guilty of the same thing you criticize other writers of doing.
This is like Death Ray by Dan Clowes but stupid. I was never a big fan of Dan Clowes but I respect him a lot more now.
Speaking of which you should do some Clowes or at least some lit-comic stuff.
Uh-oh, moving ComiChron can't be good...I wonder if Nimoe can distinguish HoloKara from real Linkara?
And per usual, great review! Poor comic, it's like a sad younger brother to Marville... It's really cool that the comic creators saw and commented on the Vanilla Ice video, and weren't too offended by the sound of it =P
That storyline ending got one big reaction from me. SQUEEE!!! :3
Now THIS feels like the sort of comic ATFW should be reviewing more often- bad all the way through. Bad concept, bad art, bad story, bad choice of narration, etc.
The sad thing is, with a bit of work -a co-writer, maybe- something could have been made out of it. Not sure how good, but it could have made more sense. I mean it isn't that hard to imagine how the life of a loser getting superstrength could get messy real fast.
One unintentionally funny bit to me, was the flying thing. I keep having this dream where I can fly, and I keep trying to show it off to people, but nobody is ever impressed, LOL. XD
As for Linkara's story: Ohh no you didn't. You just had a character pop up, ask "how and why" to her and just have her say, "does it matter?" (In Linkara voice:) YES IT DOES! I'm sorry but, given how unconvinced I still am that Linkara's actions deserve a "let's turn off his magic so he doesn't go evil" (not yet anyway) just having Gun Ghost Girl say that just feels annoying. Sorry, but I'm not enjoying this subplot at all. I can see what you are trying to do, I just don't find it convincing. Still, nice bit of acting on both your parts. Can we at least look forth to a cool fight with Holo-Linkara?
Also, who the heck was that Australian Linkara guy? Is it a new character?
"Also, who the heck was that Australian Linkara guy? Is it a new character?"
That would be the Sniper from Team Fortress 2.
The Comic: Ugh...
Your Arc: Nice to see that you two have patched things up. Now to fix things back home before they *really* get out of hand.
Fiery Little One
Great vid, Linkara. Terrible comic, as usual, but great vid. :)
On the "secret identity" debate, it does serve a purprose, but it's often taken to an illogical extreme.
Take the Nolan Batman movies. Just about everyone who *matters* to Bruce knows he's Batman, minus Gordon. This is to protect those he loves. When Rachel asks who he is, we dont' get some waffling melodrama as he agonizes over "placing her in danger" by telling her. He just does.
Somewhere along the way, writers engaged in the fallacy that telling someone the truth somehow IMMEDIATELY puts them in danger, and that's just idiotic. If this were a vid, a Cyberman would be saying "there is logic in what he says" right about now.
Best examples of this is the Smallville TV show, which spent a RIDICULOUS amount of time having Clark hide his secret from everyone "to keep them safe." Yet most times, that lack of knowledge put his friends in greater danger. This culminated in the stupidity of the 100th Episode and the time-rewind. (I have an intense love/hate relationship with Smallville. When it's good, it's really really good, and when it's bad it's sh*t)
Or a better example for those who remember it, a Season 5 episode of Highlander, where Charlie comes back and gets his mad on to kill the guy who murdered his girlfriend, who just happens to be immortal. Duncan, insistent on "keeping his secret" refuses to tell Charlie WHY he shouldn't go on a vengeance kick. So Charlie does it, the guy doesn't die, and he kills Charlie in return. he dies in Duncan's arms who only NOW tells him the truth, and Charlie chides him for not telling him the somethign that would have saved his life.
Secret Identities are meant to protect you from the BAD GUYS. You do not, I repeat, do NOT, lie to your loved ones, under the pretense of "protecting them." It's such a load of crap, and that trope needs to DIE.
I like the history lesson at the start of the episode, was very good, and hey I learned something today!
As for the review itself, oh gods yes this comic sucked. And I do think that even if the author had lived we would have got a second issue, maybe 3 but it would have died all the same.
I have been enjoying this story arc and seeing Linkara being taught a lesson by someone who cares about him and doesn't seem to resemble him in some way. The girl cast was really good and I do hope we see more of her, even if it is just to slap Linkara in the back of the head if he does something stupid.
Cant wait for the next review and to see more of that story. In the mean while will be patiently waiting while I play me some Pokemon HeartGold.
Linkara you've got to get back home, I mean sure Holokara's going a great job reviewing...God doing the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme is up there with "Escalator of Mount Celia" in comedy to me...but I think you used the same basic programming from the EMH from Voyager, he's wasn't meant to run this long!
He's starting to turn into the Doctor from the episode Darkling. When you get home, you'll probably find holograms everywhere getting mutliated.
But most terrifying of all, he's apparently let some sort of crazed Australian into your apartment!
Also to everybody who's complaining about it...its the spirit of a 13 year old girl trapped in a magic gun, what's to stop her from appearing however she wants to? That or spirits have access to hair dye.
@William
No the creators of Luther have gone on record saying their intent is was more "Slasher film in superhero world" than "Dude wants to do what he wants to do"
http://lutherstrodecast.podomatic.com/entry/2012-06-17T03_49_41-07_00
@Linkara
Your whole rant against the list of 10 things at the beginning kinda is grating as you have no context of what he was reading to make him say that nor what he exactly meant.
1.He could be talking about how male superheroes especially with the similar thematic elements and powers who do come off with similar looks(J'onn and Clark)
2.In the real world a villain wouldn't know where to look to find someone like Clark Kent(nor would wish to in real life due to the fact ITS F***ING SUPERMAN!)
3.I think he's talking more of "My parents were killed by a random mugger, so instead of become a cop or federal officer I choose to fight crime dressed like a bat!"(and I'm talking bob kane's not any of those redos, which a few also have this problem), he never one shuns time travel as apart of a heroes origin,which advanced tech is atleast better than *points to bruce's.
4.Noticed you skipped over
5. In a real life setting the possibility of a real life super villain to battle a real life superhero is LOWER than having a real life superhero, much less a repeating one like Batman's Rogues due to strict security measures. The fact people like the joker escape from high security AGAIN AND AGAIN is actually kind of a writer's crutch. (yes I'm saying that about detective comics vol 2 #1)
6. I think he means cybrog's reaction after that killer A.I. leaves him, it's not really emotionally shattered and paranoid about anything computer based, just kinda right back to it. The thing is alot of superheroes shrug off things that should kinda shake them as human(or human-like) beings with morals and psyches that can only take so much. I'm not saying "Cybrog should be afraid of computers from then on" but it should have effected him as more than throw away lines every time he deploys a new AI countermeasure.
7.I'd like to hear you talk about this one.
8.Not everyone can stop a room full of drug dealers or hope to pull a person out of a burning buliding with not-a-scratch. Compassion on a grand level where they give up possibly their lives to save something, doesn't translate to "hey don't be a douche,help someone find their dog at times". The respoinblity of being a superhero and a working man doesn't really match up to someone just being a working man especially as you remember the guy on the page is as fictional as Dexter(the forensics guy). Aspiring to be better than you are can be done in less extreme and more relevant ways then they were in the 80s and 90s(most the "villains" in the PSA hell comics are unrealistic takes on real problems most kids don't understand in real life to begin with.)
9.Outside of fighting crime, drugs(like CHINA CAT!)and saving people. Heroes rarely put their powers into helping their city: Batman with his resources COULD root out the dirty cops in Gotham's police using legal means to bust them all, People with healing powers(Most of Weapon X) could submit their tissues for study to help cure/repair things ranging from Bone degeneration to Babs's spinal injuries to full limb loss like Conners. Then there's stuff like Superman's Krypton science to cure some deformations and crippling diseases maybe even a cure for Pre-Flashpoint(and possibly post) Nora Fries. There are things that writers never have done in universe to help the people of their respective universe become better.
10.YEP
See if the guy wasn't dead and easy to get in touch with, I think you may have better context to what he was thinking with these 10.
"I'm already home."
Sorry sir but that was a bad line....
My suggestions for better ones:
"I'm with you partner."
"Alright let's go together."
"Yeah this has been taking a lot of time from the show."(joke I enjoy these but it would have been a good joke for those who complain)
Also the music was strangely romantic in tone to me.
"As for Linkara's story: Ohh no you didn't. You just had a character pop up, ask "how and why" to her and just have her say, "does it matter?" (In Linkara voice:) YES IT DOES! I'm sorry but, given how unconvinced I still am that Linkara's actions deserve a "let's turn off his magic so he doesn't go evil" (not yet anyway) just having Gun Ghost Girl say that just feels annoying. Sorry, but I'm not enjoying this subplot at all. I can see what you are trying to do, I just don't find it convincing."
Yeah, unfortunately i'm going to have to agree with Sijo here. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan and I like your plots but i'm not really feeling this one. I know that it's about stopping Linkara from turning evil but this scene just confuses me. Plus, I don't think Margret thought things entirely through when deciding to nullify all of Linkara's magic because it makes him and his friends an easy target for people like Insano which we see some videos ago. If the message she was trying to get across was for him to think more and be more aware of things than she's certainly the role model isn't she?
Look i'm not trying to attack you on what you can and can't do when writing a plot. All i'm saying is that this is very confusing and like Sija said, unconvincing.
The scene was just too coy for me and i'm hoping things are further explained down the line.
Also, awesome that you dressed up like the Sniper from TF2.
Anonymous said...
You see a little girl standing in front of you and automatically know its the spirit of your gun? On what grounds did you know it was her? Or is this yet another case of you being guilty of the same thing you criticize other writers of doing.
Did you ever have the feeling that you know someone who you just met? And later on you discover that you were playing together in the kindergarten at the age of... say, 3?
It's probably somewhat like that. And if I may suggest something, just in case any of the regulars asks, Lewis, here's a bit of dialogue you can use: "I realized I knew her, she felt really familiar, like she lives with us. But I've never seen her before, so there was only one conclusion."
"Secret Identities are meant to protect you from the BAD GUYS. You do not, I repeat, do NOT, lie to your loved ones, under the pretense of "protecting them." It's such a load of crap, and that trope needs to DIE."
When you bring examples of the "Masquerade" trope as opposed to the "secret identity" trope, most of the time it's NOT to protect their loved ones. Most of them times, it's to protect the hero/heroine himself/herself, or because the world is not ready to know the truth.
Take the Men in Black, for example. All of them sever their contact with their loved ones when they become MIB Agents (ie. for most of their life, they don't have loved ones), yet they still keep the fact that they are MIB Agents secret. Why? Because the world is not ready to know about the existance of life on other planets.
Or how about Buffy? Judging from both the Initiative and the reaction when people found out about vampires, it's clear that the world inb't ready to know about the existance of Slayers and Hellmouths. If Buffy's secret was uncovered, we would have a repeat of the invisible girl thing, with the Initiative capturing Slayers and forcing them to use their Slayer powers to serve as Initiative asassins.
Or how about Harry Potter/Negima? The reason they keep the existabce of the Wizarding World a secret is because muggles aren't ready to know about magic yet. The goverment would try to use Harry's powers for their own means, and they would put Evangeline in a lab and start dissecting her to see what her innards look like.
Bottom line: the reason for the Masquerade trope is because "the world isn't ready to know the truth", not to protect some loved ones.
About the secret ID thing: it can be effective if used properly, but it tends to be played for cheap drama... except when it's not. Case in point: the post-OYL Blue Beetle series. The Reyes' and Jaime's closest friends were filled in quickly, but there was some great tension between Jaime and La Dama over their mutual secret IDs. I only wish that they had been able to milk that a little more.
(Well, I wish that the series hadn't been cancelled, and that it got the treatment the Batman and GL books got during the New 52, but still...)
The scene at the end was well done. It was a little disconcerting to see the questions about Margaret's sudden appearance brushed off, but I get the feeling that we'll get an explanation sooner or later. I look forward to the confrontation with Holokara. You really don't have much luck with AI, do you? Pollo turned out just fine, but there's Mechakara and now Holokara. Nimue hasn't lost it yet, but with that name I fear it might only be a matter of time before she falls in love with you and tries to lock you in stasis. I guess that's why you stick with magic.
first of all the comic was awful
story line D'wahh at the I'm already home line
Awwww, that ending! “I'm already home.” *sniff* . Hope we see Margaret again some time.
I love the whole idea here... too often people don't try to improve themselves because they'll never completely succeed... even if its just changing some little habit or something, you think that if you don't get it right 100% of the time, you fail and its not even worth trying. I've done that. So Linkara really doesn't know what to do or what to expect of himself, and Margaret says that you don't have to be perfect all the time. I like that she backs it up by saying that even if she doesn't succeed (in saving Linkara), it counts that she tried. Nice line about friendship, too.
Someone else mentioned this, but I found it kind of jarring that Linkara instantly recognised Margaret. Then I thought maybe she somehow made him recognise her, or maybe he's actually seen her before, briefly, at the end of the Silent Hill review when she first spoke to him. We heard her voice, we saw Linkara open his eyes, but we didn't see what he saw. I kind of like the idea that he saw her then, even if he didn't actually remember until she reappeared this time. There was a little nod to that story here, I think, with Linkara gesturing with the gun to his head.
Even more jarring = I can't really explain how strange the bits before and after the ad are, when you don't have an ad (and before anyone says anything, no, I'm not using an ad-blocker – I just live in a country where most of the time the ads won't play.). Not that I don't like the idea, I actually think its a clever & fun way to frame the break, and I'm looking forward to see who/what else appears in them... its just that without a break, it's like several seconds of what-in-hell-just-happened, before my brain registers :) .
I haven't watched the episode yet, but I wanted to ask for help from you and your fans.
I'm doing a video rant about games. Long story short, I'm debunking the claim that if game designers don't stop making macho action games that they will have a crash. The example often used is comics pandered to old comic fans with deep continuity and super hero books, and as the old fans went away, there were few new fans to pick up the slack, sales bombed and comics have yet to recover.
The thing is, in researching this, the only comic crashes I could find were caused by censorship in the 50s, and the end of the speculator bubble in the 90s. Any help on this would be appreciated.
Thanks
On the one hand, the tag to this episode is possibly the most touching thing I've seen on this show. "I'm already home." *sniffle* As a standalone sequence, I thought it was beautiful.
On the other hand, I'm highly dubious about the plot logic. This entire plot was apparently kicked off by Margaret wanting to register her disapproval of Linkara, so she caused his magic to shut off as a warning (presumably using her unspecified full potential). Except now it turns out she can manifest and speak with him, because...why? Never mind why. Well, in that case, why didn't she just deliver the warning directly, instead of making Linkara go through thirteen episodes worrying about the unknown enemy lurking in wait? (And let's face it, given Linkara's previous history that was a far more reasonable assumption than that someone with his best interests at heart wanted him to consider his moral state.) When she didn't have any ability to convey her message directly and needed to compel him to seek out someone who could explain it, this seemed perhaps a little drastic, but understandable. Now it just looks petty, not to mention she endangered him, his friends, and his home to make a point. Sure, the only threat that's showed up in the intervening time is internal, but she couldn't have known that. Combine this with my skepticism that Linkara had gotten anywhere near the point where he could be described as "turning evil" and...yeah, I really think the resolution to this storyline has been pretty weak. Sorry.
This was a great review. I never even knew such a comic existed.
BTW Linkara, I thought you're God impression was kinda funny, but I never really knew that it was your type of humor.
Say, I know you've said you believe in God sometime before, but has your views changed overtime? I'm just curious...
So this is a parody of "The Doctor's Wife" episode?
"Say, I know you've said you believe in God sometime before, but has your views changed overtime? I'm just curious..."
Yeah, I still am a Christian and still believe in God. I'm just more than willing to poke fun at some really lame fictional representation of God. XD
Linkara, this is my comment on this site. I enjoy watching you videos and found that last scene to be really sweet (emotionally touching.) Out of curiosity, and I apologize if this question is intrusive but do you have a sister? And if you do, was she the person acting as Margaret? You both have similar noses (and a couple of other things.)
I love the apartment number of the first woman he attempted to Woo.
you know what's the sad thing?
this is essentially my most optimistic prediction of how a real person would act if they got superpowers
I my self thing that I would turn out to be the real-life equivalent of Yagami Light, and that's still not the worst alternative that could happen.
I had to go back a bit to find out what that sound was, though. I wasn't expecting it. Heh.
The review was entertaining as always (though it felt markedly different with the comedic commercial break [as opposed to last time in particular], the bleeps, and the lack of other personalities), and the fact that you got a reply from the Vanilla Ice comic is very cool. I really look forward to seeing the day that Linkara gets back and how he handles the changes, particularly what he keeps and what he fixes. Of course, that's not even mentioning the inevitable showdown...
The scene with Margaret was touching-it had just the right amount of sweetness and enough of Linkara's personality to make it work well. I am also a bit confused about her current look and how she appeared (and/or why now, if that's one of her abilities), but it just adds to the mysteriousness surrounding this storyline.
Thanks for the clarity. I'm a Christian too and thought your joke was pretty funny. :)
Say, since you did a review of this comic, The Godyssey, and Uncanny Xmen 423, could you perhaps review more badly executed religious themes like Bibleman or...*shutters* The Gunslinger series.
You may not know what the Gunslinger was, but it was a VHS miniseries produced by Kenneth Copeland (a dishonest televangelist) that took place in the universe within the Gospel Bill Show. The movie itself is really that obscure that the only possible resort to learn about the movies would be youtube.
Anyway, as a tie in with the movie, there was actually a comic that I remember seeing when I was about 5 years old at the time. I think at this rate, copies of it are really hard to find,
Just thought I'd fill you in just in case you decide to review some more religious-themed comics one day. ;)
"I am also a bit confused about her current look and how she appeared (and/or why now, if that's one of her abilities), but it just adds to the mysteriousness surrounding this storyline."
To be fair, we've never actually seen what she looks like until now. You could argue the Alessa-like appearance from the art in the Dead/Alive review is her, but it's also artwork and therefore open to artistic license. Not to mention I'm assuming a lot of it IS art of Alessa herself.
As for how Margaret was able to suddenly appear in front of Linkara, I'm assuming it has something to do with their connection and/or desperation on Linkara's part. She barely even said three words to him in Dead/Alive when he almost killed himself, and that was when, if I recall correctly, he didn't even KNOW Margaret was still there in the gun. And now that he knows she's there and he needs answers from her about what he's supposed to do, so there she is in the flesh (or some semblance of it, anyway.) to talk to him.
That's my interpretation of it, anyway. I'm sure there are more answers to come.
Oh, what's the music from the Margaret segment? Whether it's original or from something else I found it quite impressive- really made the scene work perfectly.
"Oh, what's the music from the Margaret segment? Whether it's original or from something else I found it quite impressive- really made the scene work perfectly."
It's another MusicLoops track. Trying to move away from copyrighted music in the videos. It's a track called "Ascension."
I actually got a little teary over Linkara and Margaret talking. But I'm an enormous sap. I did chuckle at her being a mysterious red-headed girl, though.
Holokara isn't going to try to nuke Linkara from orbit, is he? It is the only way to make sure.
I was holding my breath when Kevvy was trying to follow the woman into the building. I didn't think the author would have him follow her in and assault her, but some people have really douchey ideas about what's "edgy." The comic overall wasn't as gross towards women as I was afraid it was going to be from its opening pages. Hurray?
I'm still not sure what "God" thought he was accomplishing. If the point was to spread the genes for homo superior, wouldn't it make more sense to give the powers to someone who was likely to procreate? Or maybe He did it to demonstrate to us that humans shouldn't have powers. He truly is mysterious.
I remember the Senate hearings on offensive music and winced when you pointed out most people probably don't know who Tipper Gore is. Ye gods, I'm old.
Wow...Instead of more Grimtooth books for Flying Buffalo, Steve Crompton made this turkey for Todd Loren. He must have been really desperate for the money. Well, I'm glad Crompton finally devoted his talents to Demi the Demoness. Now there's worthwhile effort!
By the way, a couple more tidbits about Loren: the lawsuits were over unauthorized biographies, which Loren won for obvious reasons. (All the New Kids won was a ban on Loren using their logo without their permission.)
Also, Loren was a bit controversial in that he purchased all the artwork that was used in the comics he printed, a practice rare in the indies (and the mainstream at that time, for that matter).
The indies fan,
darkdriver
Okay, remember last week, when someone impersonated me and exaggerated the whole "I care about the continuity of internet review shows" thing? Well, I just realized that I do have a problem with last week's episode. Specifically, the clips used in Linkara's multiple flashback heel realization (well, with the particular set of clips used, it's more of a "Jerkass realization and a realization that he COULD do a face heel turn").
Personally, I think the biggest indication of Linkara turning evil was the part where he threatened to BEAT DR. INSANO TO DEATH WITH THE MAGIC GUN. Even if Insano IS a villain, I think Margaret would've been rather upset about that. Yet nowhere in Linkara's heel realization multiple flashbacks was that particular scene used. It just... bugs me a little. Not that the other clips weren't a good indicator of the whole "going evil" thing (though I think the part with the one con-goer getting tired of listening to Linkara's rambling doesn't really count, unless supposed to be a "you don't care, or are starting to care less about other people's feelings").
"Personally, I think the biggest indication of Linkara turning evil was the part where he threatened to BEAT DR. INSANO TO DEATH WITH THE MAGIC GUN."
Yeah, that was supposed to be one of them, but I completely forgot to include it. ^^; I had more lines of dialogue and other bits I had been planning to use for this but completely spaced out on most of them.
It's certainly going to be interesting to see where the AT4W storyline will go from here. I'm glad to see there's some hope for the human Linkara, but something bad may have to happen to the hologramatic version.
As for the comic, that was one of those "because I can" projects the guy behind it got to do, wasn't it? It's always nice to see them get through every once in awhile, just to remind the rest of us why they so rarely do. It's the unfortunate tendency they have to be bad a good 80% of the time, minimum, I'm afraid.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to more of the AT4W storyline. Things are really getting interesting there.
Just wanted to say i like this review alot better than the two catwomanreviews. Can´t wait for Marville next week.
Lewis I have a question
"what if god was one of..."just kidding... but really:
What if god really was like this take on god seen here?
*looks through comments to see if anyone's brought it up yet*
Really? No one's mentioned that your Sniper costume makes you look like Arlo P. Arlo?
Dear god was this comic awful. I hate when people try to claim their characters are relatable when they're just assholes. I don't want to read about assholes. I read superhero comics to see good people doing good things, and maybe the occasional anti-hero.
Didn't picture Margaret as a redhead, but it works. She's a cutie. And pretty wise for her age, too. :)
There's a fair chance a lot of the problems might have been addressed eventually as the series went on, particularly the problem of relevant themes. Odds are it would become a satire of people who use religion to con other people out of money, a subject that doesn't come up in superhero comics very often.
Regarding "Super-villains: another crutch," I like your joke on that one. Still, I think he meant that it's way too convenient for superheroes to find other beings who give them a moral reason to exist. Without super-villains, superheroes become like Dr. Manhattan, either changing normal people's world(Vietnam as the 51st state) or else just sitting around and doing nothing.
Ok, I haven't watched an At4w in a while and I have NO idea what the bit at the end was about... In what review did that storyline start?
"Ok, I haven't watched an At4w in a while and I have NO idea what the bit at the end was about... In what review did that storyline start?"
Waaay back at the end of the Batman: A Word to the Wise review. There have been storyline bits in every episode since then.
After watching how this comic went, eight words came to mind - The 90s have a lot to answer for.
One thing I am surprised at is you didn't talk about one bit of art around the ten minute mark. Ignoring that most of the woman on the right's body is flat, even by the standards of the art, most of her stomach muscles seem to have jumped up into her rib-cage.
I'll admit that this review had me laughing a lot more than the Batman Elseworlds, but that might be due to its sheer lack of quality in the source material as opposed to generic bad taste. Also the out of the blue cameo by the TF2 Sniper doing who knows what.
As for that final scene for the storyline, I don't get why so many people seemed to instantly hate it.
Even accepting the idea people thought the spirit in the gun was killed at a younger age than the actress, she's a spirit. One who has been mentally aware for who knows how long after her death - she could be opting to appear older than when she was killed.
I will agree that the delivery of the scene could have been better, but I think that's down to the actress apparently rushed pacing and introduction. If you don't mind me asking, did you have to film that scene in a hurry?
-- Unbelievable. This is just a story of a douchebag getting superpowers and deciding to be an even bigger douchebag. Part of me feels lucky there wasn't any more of this; I don't want to the Super-douche continue to sink even lower.
-- Anyway, awesome surprise appearance of the Sniper from Team Fortress 2.
-- At last, Margaret, the ghost girl in the magic gun, actually makes an appearance. Are we going to see more of Margaret in her ghost form?
-- This is a heartwarming ending to a long quest. And now for the confrontation between real Linkara and Holo-Linkara.
I note that Rock 'n' Roll Comics did Alice Cooper as well... that's both my favourites covered. And a clever combination of two of his most famous album covers, too: Welcome To My Nightmare and Trash. (With a touch of 'Goes To Hell' for colour.)
The cover makes one of the horriblest rookie mistakes in artwork - the eyes are about 3/4 of the way up the head; they're exactly halfway on most people.
'Using the same gimmicks over and over' - like, what, being 'realistig' by portraying all your characters as mean-spirited @*#&$@s? That's an over-used gimmick.
I'm pretty sure the God I know - the one who wrote the Bible - doesn't support extra-marital sex. I think it's the biggest reason most people hate him.
When you talked about the cop reacting to him smashing the wall, you reminded me at one point of a bit in Fallen Angel: Illyria smashes a guy's car, and he goes to the nearest cop: "She just smashed my car with her bare hands! Aren't you going to do something?"
Cop: "Nope."
Guy: "Why not?"
Cop: "Because she just smashed your car with her bare hands."
You have a better Australian accent than certain professional actors...
"uis aryo ever going to make a video about yor thoughts on justie league #12 where superman and wonder woman become a long term couple?"
I think if you've watched my show long enough, you should know my thoughts on this by now.
I've watched all your reviews, and I don't.
"Trying to move away from copyrighted music in the videos."
Just when I've started putting together a playlist of all the music you use that I have...
"I've watched all your reviews, and I don't."
As I said back in the Dark Knight Strikes Again reviews, it's stupid and lazy and unimaginative.
Jay from Revolutionary Comics here - thanks for once again spotlighting one of our worst comics! Out of around 300 books we published, this was probably the worst -
That was actually the last comic publisher Todd Loren scripted before he was murdered in June 1992. It was among the first published artwork by Steve Crompton, whose character Demi the Demoness (first published at Revolutionary) is now an underground comic icon (the first x-rated comic book character to be adapted as a live action film).
Steve went on to become a MUCH better artist than this book would indicate!
Only that first issue of Psychoman was ever published. A second issue was scripted and partially drawn, and a #2 cover was published in ads, and then Todd Loren was murdered.
When the RevCom office re-opened, with me in place of Todd as managing editor, I'm pretty sure I cancelled Psychoman sometime during my first hour on the job. It was that terrible.
Here's a writeup on Psychoman from the L.A. Times (?!) dated 5-22-92, PLUS the unpublished cover that would have graced Psychoman #2, had I not cancelled it, featuring our "hero" crucified on a cross!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=112984125518964&l=25412d2983
We did a few pretty good comics at Revolutionary, the best of which remain in print, in graphic novels distributed thru bookstores and in schools (Beatles Experience, Pioneering Black Athletes, etc) - this was NOT one of them!
TRUE CONFESSIONS: YES I DREW THAT TERRIBLE COMIC!!
Yep, I'm SS Crompton and I did the art for Psychoman. I knew when I did it it was pretty bad. It was the 2nd comic I got published - I think. My goal then was to get published in comics, and I had very little experience doing that sort of stuff, so I would take any assignment I could get, even if it was something really not suited to my skills. Back then, I drew cartoony Grimtooth's Traps books or technical drawings for spacships games. I remember shortly after it was out that I was on a panel with several other comic creators (This was summer of1992) One of the panelists was an editor of Justice League at DC. He thought the concept of Psychoman sounded good and asked if he could see the comic. I was so embarassed of the book, that I would only let him look at the cover! How often does an artist refuse to show their art to a "big editor" at DC?
Anyway it was fun watching the video - I haven't looked at an issue of that in 20 years...
"As I said back in the Dark Knight Strikes Again reviews, it's stupid and lazy and unimaginative."
Thanks, that DOES sound familiar now.
(Sorry, watching all your reviews means I don't remember everything about all of them.)
You know, while at times badly formulated, all of the complaints are completely true
The costumes are largely impractical, and rather baffling considering the background of the characters
Where the hell would a high school student, a reporter, or the son of a lighthouse keeper get the resources (and skills) to make such elaborate outfits, AND WHY? It just makes you a glowing bulls-eye (which might not be an issue if you are invulnerable), and takes forever to put on
When I thought about the scenario of me getting powers, and actually going out to fix what regular law enforcement cant, after taking in account my current resources and other factors, I'd just settle for a trench-coat and a wrestling mask. A trench-coat is easier to put on in a hurry than spandex (not to mention you don't have to takes off you'r street-clothes), is less suspicious if found in you'r bag, and unlike spandex, IT HAS POCKETS!
I don't thing someone who can dodge bullets, outrun cars, and punch down walls needs a flashy, "recognizable" outfit to make a reputation for him/herself
So yes, Rorschach has the best costume imaginable.
This is also the reason why I genuinely like the simple Superman outfit from the early New 52 Action Comics issues - It's EXACTLY the sort of thing a normal person would be able to put together from their resources.
The anime "Tiger & Bunny" (which is both a deconstruction and a love-letter to Amercian superheroes) had a great way to make the costumes work tho, seeing as the superheroes in that universe were essentially advertising mascots working for corporations, who also functioned legally as bounty hunters and volunteers (since by capturing criminals and helping to clean-up after natural disasters also helps improving their employer's public image). However non-corporate vigilantes wore no costumes besides cheap masks to cover their face (the only exception being The Lunatic, who did it explicitly to mock "the sell-outs")
Now to the issue of secret identities. While the protection of you'r safety and the safety of those close to you is indeed important, the comics tend to go into RIDICULOUS lengths with it. While it makes perfect sense to hide you'r powers and double life from strangers, it is inexcusable to hide it from people who have should trust in you.
If I got powers, the first thing I'd do is tell my family about it!
Once again, some avoid this mistake. Bruce has Alfred, Clark has/had his parents (who should be called the Schrödingers by this point), but then there are morons like Peter Parker...
I do understand him not telling it to his girlfriends (at least until he knows they are completely trustworthy and loyal - which he didn't do even then), but keeping his aunt in the dark all this time and constantly lying to her for no good reason, even when it was putting her in direct danger (those many times a super-villain came unassumingly knocking on her door)
I think PP had a special place in hell reserved for himself even before the deal.
But someone as unfettered as our Psychoman here (has no friends, is poor as hell, his parents hate him), would have no reason to hide who they are
Booster Gold is a rather rare exception to the rule, not to mention that he came in a much later period than most of the well recognizable characters.
Think about it? How many heroes are out there who got their powers (or at least discovered them) in a freak accident? (whether science or magic related)
It's almost like an Adam Sandler movie.
How many were in some way motivated by the death of a close person?
And how many did BOTH?
Also, it's true that the characters in this comic did not act realistically, but that does not excuse the others.
First off, the very reaction to getting powers.
Setting out to fight evil is NOT a normal reaction.
Someone who'd do this is either already deranged in some way (like Yagami Light from Death Note), or is incredibly idealistic and naive, which will either get them killed, or they'll live long enough to see their ideals shattered and trampled upon, at which point they either snap and decide to shove their ideals down the world's throat whether they like it or not (the line from Silent Hill "Lead the world into paradise with blood-stained hands" comes to mind), give up and go into seclusion (like Dr. Manhattan), or become increasingly bitter to the point of essentially turning into a 90s anti-hero (like happened with Homura in Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and she was one of the luckiest, her quote perfectly sums this whole situation "With kindness comes naïveté. Courage becomes foolhardiness. And dedication has no reward. If you can't accept any of that, you are not fit to be a Magical Girl.")
The only way a person like that could ever hope to keep their resolve and carry-on would be with immense moral support, but most heroes have no such thing since they keep isolating themselves (like old PP)
To say something good about Spiderman for once, his initial attempts to use his power to earn money were a VERY realistic reaction to his situation
Other examples of this point directly tie into the previously discussed issues as well as to those to come
As someone already mentioned before me, super-villains are a way too convenient excuse to morally justify the superhero's presence. To excuse the presence of someone who's essentially violating several laws simply be existing, yet everyone being OK with it (and it's not even that much of an excuse, Savage Dragon from Image Comics chose to become a legitimate, alto super-powered, police officer instead of vigilantism)
Not to mention that the chances of a superhero and super-villain actually running into each other is statistically rather small. And even smaller that their encounters would repeat themselves.
Sure, some jerks may run into the streets, thinking that laws don't apply to them anymore, but after one or two such goofs are put into place either by the hero or the authorities, the others will take good care to keep a low profile.
They also have even less of a reason to put on flashy costumes and pull elaborate gimmicks, seeing how it would defy one of the criminal's most basic goals - not getting caught.
And as previously mentioned, once the super-villain is captured, there's not myuch of a chance he and the hero would encounter each other again. Even if the hero would not kill him, the authorities would be more than eager to do it for him. Or at the very least put the super-villain inside a huge steel-enforced concrete block deep underground, somewhere in the middle of the desert for the rest of their life.
Once again using "Tiger & Bunny" as an example. The only had two re-occurring super-powered villains (three, if you count The Lunatic as a villain), and both of them had very good reasons to run around freely. The other "super-villains" were just you'r common, everyday criminals, who just happened to have superpowers. The closest thing to classic comic super-villains were serial killers (because they have gimmicks), and terrorists (because they use symbols). Once captured, they were put into special prisons, never to be seen again (beyond the occasional cameo as prison inmates). The only exception was a serial killer in one episode, who's powers made it impossible for him to ever be contained in any way. He was killed in the very same episode by The Lunatic, in one of the most shining examples of why 90s anti-heroes do indeed have a point.
Another good example would be the Czech comic series Voleman ("Vole" could translate as "dude") by Jiří Grus ( brief profile in english http://www.easterneuropeancomics.com/czech-republic/jiri-grus/ , including a panel from the comic, some of his works got even published in the USA). In it the titular superhero wannabe faces a re-occurring, the inability to actually encounter any crime, as it always happens in the part of the city he's not currently in.
As for the part that superheroes never do anything good for society.
The fact is, that crime is only a symptom of far greater problems. Problems that many of the heroes COULD solve, but don't for some reason.
Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Bruce Wayne, Superman, even freaking Peter Parker! Each one of them could turn the world into an utopia if they concentrated their energies in the right direction.
Wakanda discovered the cure for cancer for crying out loud, yet they refuse to share it with the rest of the world because "they are not worthy" (a damn bunch of racists, that's what the Wakandians are)
A good example of this sort of thing DONE RIGHT would be DC's Earth 2, and their current web-series Ame-Comi.
In Earth 2, humanity has visibly advanced technologically AND culturally as a result of the superheroes mere presence.
Meanwhile in Ame-Comi, Powergirl has managed to solve the energy crisis, food crisis, and ecological crisis, and has turned Metropolis into the greatest city on Earth. The only reason why she hasn't turned the whole world into an utopia is due to the anti-alien sentiments that people in some third-world countries bear (she'd gladly help them with their problems, they just don't want it from a filthy alien woman)
All of these are VERY valid complaints, especially seeing how comics nowadays seem obsessed with wanting to appear realistic.
Now, I love superhero stuff (at least some of it), but I do often face-palm when I see how seriously people take it, while at the same ignoring the most basic holes in logic.
I say, you either deconstruct the shit out of it (like Puella Magi Madoka Magica), or you fully embrace the absurdity of the setting and go all the way (like Batman the Brave and the Bold).
Don't half-ass it.
"Not to mention that the chances of a superhero and super-villain actually running into each other is statistically rather small."
Even when every single one of them lives in New York City?
"Setting out to fight evil is NOT a normal reaction.
Someone who'd do this is either already deranged in some way ... or is incredibly idealistic and naive..."
And this kind of thinking is exactly why I'm having a really, really hard time finding comics to enjoy. Comics these days (as you point out later) are so obsessed with being 'realistic' that they've forgotten how to have fun.
I would far rather read about an idealistic hero who is idealistic than a "realistic" and gritty one.
I don't read comics about people who can punch holes in mountains by looking at them so I can get a realistic, kitchen-sink drama about divorce, death, and the joys of homosexuality.
I don't read comics about people who call themselves heroes so I can get a cynical, mean-spirited treatise about how horrible every single person in the world is.
Cynical is not the same as realistic.
Realistic is not the same as good.
Oh, I saw what you did there at the end of the Holocara comicbook review.I'm not interested in reading about some asshole Parody/Satire "Hero" . Psycho-Man,whom reminds me of Marville. They both fail at being witty and funny.
As for the Arc moment between Margaret the magic gun and Linkara the anti hero.It must be the otaku in me that got reminded of Soul Eater mixed with Shaman King. I don't think the Real Linkara is going to like how Holocara has been acting and remembers that Holocara how has been programmed. In my opinion Linkara does care about his comrades. BTW,nice Tf2 Sniper.
One thing I gotta say is that, whomever played Margaret is an excellent actress. I don't know if you were going at it in that direction, but the first appearance seemed like she was standing there with you the whole time and was waiting for you to notice.
Who's that riding into the sun? Who's the man with the itchy gun? Who's the man kills for fun? Psychoman! Psychoman! Psychoman...
I actually felt the part with Linkara and Magret was better than the review, also, the line Holokara ends with is not funny in hindsight of later episodes, but I suppose you meant that purpose.
I gotta say, I think the whole "turning evil" thing was well handled. It wasn't "shoved in your face" like many "turn to evil" stories are, though that is partially due to the whole turning evil part, meaning Linkara is not there yet, but on his way.
Anyways, I like how subtle the things are. Most of those "evil" occurrences could easily be understand as an outburst in a stressful time (yelling at 90s kid over the BFG, threatening Dr. Insano); over prideful gloating during times where the deserved amount of pride was high, thus making the gloating less noticable (the recent end of arc and mini-arc speeches); or just a silly gag ("Abusing" the ship vs Spoony and Douchy McNitpick)
Only upon further reflection have a seen that the mean spirited "one off" gags and moments have increased in frequency over the years, which is the "going evil" path. As pointed out, these have reasonable explainations so the can't be considered overtly evil actions, but as the gun girl (already forgot her name, sorry) noticed, a sign of a bad path.
Well done. I see that Linkara (the actual person) took his advice about well written "turns to evil" to heart.
Post a Comment