The beginning of the saga that rocked the Spiderverse! And by that I mean it pelted it with rocks.
NOTE: Due to a change in how That Guy With the Glasses videos are scheduled, new episodes of Atop the Fourth Wall will debut Monday morning instead of the afternoon. An exact time has not yet been set.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Spider-Man: Power and Responsibility
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128 comments:
I have to ask, and feel free not to respond, do you dislike Peter Parker? I am not trying to troll you or anything, but do you hate Peter Parker? The reason I ask this is because you really seem to be down on him a lot. I understand for disliking him because of this saga and OMD, but do you hate him as a whole? I myself dislike it when Peter whines constantly and of course... that comic, but I don't hate him as much. Sorry for rambling, it is just a question that I have had for a while. If you do decide to answer this, then I will accept any answer.
Characters like Judas Traveler baffle me. No real character beyond the "mysterious for the sake of being mysterious" gimmick. If you are going to create a character like him, use him well.
I have to say also that I hate it when a superhero has to have a ton of different comics. I understand Detective and Action comics existing alongside Superman and Batman respectively, but when the title is contained within the same damn narrative as the others, then what is the point? Oh, right. Money.
Wait. Wait wait wait wait wait. Is that an Avengers Academy comic? With a Battle Royale parody? BATTLE FRICKIN ROYALE?!
...I don't even. I don't even know, you guys. I love BR and Hunger Games but for the love of god, they don't need to be mixed with superhero comics. Jimminy Christmas and Christ... ><
(Also, Linkara? Brace yourself for angry fanboy bitching once this episode hits TGWTG. Battle Royale has a large number of stupid fans who spew bile at Hunger Games for daring to be more popular than BR, and they'll be reeeeaaally ticked off that you didn't recognize it. I personally don't blame you, but fair warning.)
God-damn, I didn't realize that it was the fourth year anniversary. I loved this review and hope this continues for four more years!
Congrats on 4 awesome years of horrible comics!
Happy four year anniversary Linkara!
The episode was awesome!
Early morning AT4W suits me just fine. Yes, just fine indeed.
Yes, early morning AT4W suits me just fine.
Also, the new logo is pretty awesome!
I'm confused. How were you able to grab Lord Vyce?
Damn, I've just realized that the villain in short story I'm writing is exactly like this Judas Priest dude - dark man with mysterious powers, whose motivations for seemingly random murder and torture puzzle the heroes for entire story... Well, they learn the source of his powers at least, and he'll rant about his motives in final battle, as any proper villain would, but looks like I'll have to nerf him a bit...
Boone, Chakra, Madea and mr nacht (god how sad am I for remembering them off the top of my head) showed up everytime traveller showed up during the clone saga. They faded into obscurity with traveller himself.
In their last appearance they all turned against him except for chakra
I hope Mysterior comes back!
Also, plug for my blog:
http://edrobot.blogspot.com/
in pointless Hunger Games ripoffs
Battle Royale. The image you were showing was ripped off from Battle Royale, not Hunger Games.
So.....Judas Traveller = weak sauce Dr. Strange? Yep, garbage.
You're not kidding about how many Spider-Man titles revolve around that motto. Given the similarities in the name I thought this review was going to be about the "With Great Power" miniseries from back in 2008 that Tony Harris drew were it retold Spidey's origin story but filled the time in between winning the wrestling match and letting the burglar go with lots and lots of excess backstory.
Given your disinterest in Origin Re-tellings and Expansion Pack narratives like Batman's "On the Same Night My Parents Died" backstory, I should have known that you were talking about something else.
I only have one question, Lewis:
SPOILER:
WHO designed that new, glorious logo? If you did.... you have far, FAR better skills than I!
Y'know what the whole "The Spider" nonsense reminds me of? What they seem to be doing to poor Spidey once again in January with this whole "Superior Spider-Man" bizarreness. Only this time, he's got claws and toe socks/claws.
Spidey does face mystic villains every now and then, but its mostly when he was paired with Doctor Strange (who is actually good friends with Peter). Great episode as always, but to everyone freaking out about Lewis referencing Hunger Games instead of Battle Royale, Hunger Games is more well known right now due to the movie, therefore more people would understand.
Not sure how to feel about the new logo
but hey, If I got used to DC's new logo...
You know, It's pretty ironic when you realize that Joe Quesada rescued Marvel from going bankrupt back in 2000, and that the same man is now running the very company he saved to the ground
What went wrong?
I em going to withhold judgement on Marvel Now until the first sales numbers come in, but right now it does not seem like much of a success to me, mostly because they seem to be missing all of the reasons for why the New 52 was (and still continues to be) such a huge success.
1.) price
DC lowered the price of most of their titles to 2.99, and added extra pages to the titles that remained 3.99
Marvel still has fewer pages for more money
2.) Line-Up
DC cancelled all of their titles (except for the Vertigo and kids stuff) when introducing the New 52, making sure that there was no distraction, and that the readership won't become fragmented
The Marvel Now titles are just like any other series out there (and trust me, they had plenty of other #1 issues in the past months)
3.) Timing
All New 52 titles were released in the same month.
The Marvel Now titles are spread-out through several months. The only titles that interest me from this line are Deadpool and Guardians of the Galaxy (maybe Thunderbolts, seeing how having Deadpool, Punisher, and Venom together is a wet-dream come true), and I have no idea when they are coming out (Marvel's website isn't much help)
No, I do not believe in objective good and evil, seeing how moral standards have changed over the years
The heroes of ancient Greece are murderous monsters by today's standards, and the noble knights of the medieval times come-off as arrogant zealots to the people of today
Mysterior looks awesome
Kinda makes me think of the Riddler, if he became completely consumed with his obsession
Hope he comes back, always love Phaelous' characters
And where did the Nostalgia Critic's skull appear the first time?
I do usually follow Phaelous, but I don't remember this one
Vice is going to be VERY confused today
You know, for the first time in decades, Peter Parker reacted like a real human being would
Yeah, relateable character my ass
Superman's and Batman's psyches are more realistic than his
"Ben Reilly is a much better protagonist than Peter Parker"
The most true words you ever said in the entire history of you'r show
"You used to be cool, Spiderman!"
WRONG!
Spiderman was never cool. People only love to laugh at his eternal suffering.
Really, the Peter Parker who died should have been the mainstream one, NOT the Ultimate one
Miles Morales is a good protagonist, but Ultimate Peter Parker was a far too great price to pay for his introduction
I doubt anyone would feel sorry for mainstream Parker tho (he makes Milhouse look dignified)
Love the new Opening!!!
For the episode it was awesome like always, and what is really funny is that I remember that my dad had this set of 4 comics when I was younger.
"Note to self watch out on practicing 'I am Man Punch' as it can warp space and time
Ah, another fine episode. A pity that what could have been a dual look at what made Spider-Man Spider-Man ended up being showing off a long-bearded Marty Stu who was nigh-invincible.
BTW...I don't think anybody else commented on this, but...I got where YOU got that "Thing You Do" credits bit from. It's the same thing Spoony did during his review of "The Thing" video game! Nice little shout out you did back in "The Thing from Another World" 2. Just wanted to comment on that.
Okay, I really like the title card. The little Muppet Thing in the middle makes it for me.
When I first saw the title of this issue on the list I thought we were slipping into PSA Hell for a bit.
I was never a big reader of Spider-Man but as I've watched your reviews I've come to really feel that the original idea to let Ben take over as Spider-Man and let Mary Jane and Peter be happy was the better idea that never got to happen.
Part of that is I dislike that Mary Jane's pregnancy/baby was treated as a plot point more than an event (went looking for what eventually happened since during OMD showed that they hadn't had a child/didn't have one anymore.
That's not to say the situation can't be tense or things that push the plot forward, but that to be the end all of them going to have a baby is rather bothersome
Nice use of villain(s) we'll never see again in your videos.
In reference to the I AM A MAN gag, I have to wonder, is the SPAAAACE core making Vyce(can't remember if that's how it's spelled, my apologies) a bit nuts.
Vyce, gives up revenge on Linkara just to make the corrupted core shut the hell up.
Anyway, loved the review (and the new logo is groovy) and thank you so much for giving us four years of setting ablaze the worst the comic book industry has to offer. I may have always just been a casual comic reader but there were plots that made me scratch my head and plenty of long conversations with my dad (who got me into comics) over what in the hell happened to various characters, like whatever happened to Iron Man in the late 90s to make him stop reading to find a real enjoyment beyond the fact that you've got a cool sense of comedic timing and your story lines, at least to me anyway, are completely awesome.
Am happy to see the white internet reviewer costume in the opening. That was one of the transformation that made me honestly cheer out loud.
I should really stop rambling all over your page.
Thanks for the four years and over 200 eps so far, here's to many more with your sanity intact and you getting enough sleep.
Happy 4 years.
Some have mention on blip Avengers Arena is Battle Royale rip off and not Hunger Games. From the image, to the bunch of teens on island to kill each other. Oh god that series is going to painful and all that people that marvel shill to will eat it up. I mean blood and guts and probably not care about characters.
Peter's parents story reminds me of the Barry allen bait and switch that went around the same time in Flash. Where you think barry was coming back it and ended up being reverse flash. To me stories like this at time made me happy. Peter gets parents back just to be a big ruse and that angered me. Now I am sort of glad they were ruse because I rather leave things alone. Yes I wish they left Barry Allen dead.
Looking back to Clone Saga and Spider-Man reminds screwed up world where we have a Scarlet Spider series. The other screwed up thing marvel pretty much promoting a new spidey series with a new spider-man who will get together with MJ again. Except spidey won't be peter. Stupid doesn't put right and I couldn't post my full reaction. Some think it will be idiot new side kick or Kaine/Scarlet Spider. If that is true I give 6 to 12 issues. Mostly because of sales. Just calling it now.
The comic story doesn't seem to bad in compared to later stories in clone saga. I know you said again about you rather had had Ben take over spidey and peter/mj happy ending. I didn't like that when tried in comics and it failed. It wasn't cause took so long for it happen it was just I never liked Ben as much Peter. To me and I liked spidey married even then and still now.
"Boone, Chakra, Madea and mr nacht (god how sad am I for remembering them off the top of my head) showed up everytime traveller showed up during the clone saga. They faded into obscurity with traveller himself.
In their last appearance they all turned against him except for chakra"
Really? I don't remember them, like, at ALL.
I was just thinking about how you hadn't doen te "I AM A MAN!" joke in a while. I get the feeling we'll see Vyce reappear before long. He's had a few cameos lately.
Also, nice job by Phelous. Funny stuff! And HA HA, the Cinema Snob's in the new AT4W opening! Not surehow I feel about the new logo, but it's not bad. Gonna take some getting used to is all.
As it has ben said Lewis... its looks more like a BR rip off then a hunger games rip off wich is a mainly based off of BR. It didnt rip it off. but the lowly thing is that Suzanne Collins refuses to admited that hungergames is mainly based off of BR. The creator of BR even said he doesn't care if hunger games took his story and refuses to credit him and is more popular. As long as people read and enjoy it, he's happy. So lets fallow his lead, and be happy that people are enjoying a book.
Pardon me if this has been asked before, but I couldn't find it in any posted comments: Where did you get that Klingon costume? I just acquired a full-size bat'leth replica and now I want the costume. Thanks in advance.
Guys, if you want to read GOOD early Clone Saga, look up "The Exile Returns." Four words: Scarlet Spider versus Venom.
(Which would finally get a spiritual sequel this year when the new Scarlet Spider meets the new Venom in "Minimum Carnage", which I unfortunately have to wait for the trade to read.)
Wow. . 27 comments already. I hope you excuse if anything is redundant. I don't want to have to write down all my thoughts as notes to go through them all first.
Happy 4th Anniversary! And have you looked back at the first video episode? You've grown allot over the years.
Great cameos by Phaelous. Kinda odd that he has Sub Zero and Scorpion face cloths but no a green one for Reptile. He could have used the third right at the end there. Good use of Black Trash Bags as well.
So many comics so little time. You have me curious about all the flipside stories that you had to skip.
Have you ever thought of doing a special that was a reviewless pure story arc event? Because with how The Thing inspired the mistrust and isolation and all I think one might not be out of place just to stick with the characters and let the mood set in for us viewers.
BTW Its been a couple weeks just thanks to the review cycle how is the food in the apartment holding out? Or Luxuriates like toilet tissue? There are just some things when you have multiple people and can't get out to the store that just tend to disappear quickly.
I know you punched through the wall of continuity and all for Vice's Cameo but there is still another plot hole there. He was in a body with NO VOICE CIRCUITRY. And has been trying to get back to Earth as the nearest planet. Did he just Grow the needed electronics?
Amazing 4th Anniversary episode again and like I said I hope I didn't repeat too much that others might have said. Looking forward to all the episodes finishing out this month.
"I know you punched through the wall of continuity and all for Vice's Cameo but there is still another plot hole there. He was in a body with NO VOICE CIRCUITRY. And has been trying to get back to Earth as the nearest planet. Did he just Grow the needed electronics?"
The voice module got installed in the Youngblood #4 review.
According to Rimmer, the name Judas is in honor of the Church of Judas, who believe that Judas was Jesus' twin brother and got crusified so Jesus could "come back from the dead" later.
Didn't you see the recent Red Dwarf season( just last episode).
Wow... Um It looks like I missed that one. I would have been rewatching all the video ones this month if it hadn't been for LOTD. So yeah going to watch it now. And maybe when things get slow this winter I'm rewatching start to finish again.
"According to Rimmer, the name Judas is in honor of the Church of Judas, who believe that Judas was Jesus' twin brother and got crusified so Jesus could "come back from the dead" later.
Didn't you see the recent Red Dwarf season( just last episode)."
...I really hope you're just trying to screw with me and not that you didn't wait until the end credits where I bring that up.
Wait I had to have watched but I don't remember the episode. My comment is right there on the Video. But even reading my comment I'm still drawing a blank. Definitely time to watch again.
Awesome new title sequence is awesome. That is all.
"..I really hope you're just trying to screw with me and not that you didn't wait until the end credits where I bring that up"
I didn't know
and I'm sorry for sounding rude Linkara
Well looks like my Monday mornings are going to get much better, thanks for making this series Linkara and happy anniversary. You ever think about doing a commentary special on your first episode?
First of all, I like the new intro, especially the addition of Comicron-One.
You made a chess joke...that is completely unexpected.
You have a minor in philosophy? Any particular reason you got that minor?
There's a degree of irony that you're running out of costumes before Halloween.
Mr. Nygma...boy DC really changed the Riddler with the New 52 there didn't they?
What video does Phaelous find this blinking skull of the Nostalgia Critic?
Hmmm, so "I am a Man" puts holes in space and time...a convenient way to escape a place if need be. Also, I'd run a sweep of all your tech since you had Lord Vyce in the house again...even if you grabbed him from behind and he was in for all of 5 seconds. Just saying, there are far less probable ways for him to come back than that.
As far as the story goes, it did have potential. Spider-Man meeting his clone would have made a great story and Spider-Man fighting an opponent who was tearing him apart psychologically could make a great story. But this is definitely a case of two great tastes not tasting great together. I am curious if there were any issues of What If? that would have dealt with having the two Spider-Men working as a team on a full time basis, maybe a buddy-cop element. Or like the Batman/Spider-man team up from ItsJustSomeRandomGuy's Marvel/DC:
Happy Hour, Peter can be Batman and Ben can be Spider-man.
Your talk about whether or not a clone is the original not mattering reminded me of the Two Doctors in The Rebel Flesh.
Really Great Episode.
"I didn't know
and I'm sorry for sounding rude Linkara"
Nah, you're fine. It's just I always try to anticipate what the big "Repeated comment" will be in the comments section and nip it in the bud.
I half-way anticipated the "It's Battle Royale, not Hunger Games" thing, but the honest to goodness truth is that I've seen neither and care about neither, so really people commenting on it is irrelevant to me.
Also, I've just never understood the need to comment BEFORE one finishes the video. To me, if you're stopping the video in order to say something, then I am not doing my job of entertaining. I should have someone so engrossed that they dare not even THINK of pausing the video.
"Well looks like my Monday mornings are going to get much better, thanks for making this series Linkara and happy anniversary. You ever think about doing a commentary special on your first episode?"
Already did a year or two ago. ^_~
"You have a minor in philosophy? Any particular reason you got that minor?"
Easy one to acquire. A major required more effort than I could afford to spend and it's said that the only thing you get with a Philosophy Major is... well, a Philosophy Teacher position. I needed five Philosophy classes classes of varying difficulty ranges to get the minor and I had three already under my belt when I decided to go for the Minor. Modern Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy, Feminism, Logic, and 20th Century Philosophers, if I recall the classes correctly (and I'm sure I'm screwing a few of those up).
Don't feel offended. I have many times rewatched so I could make comments I felt I was missing. On the second time through the Pause button is easier to find. Not always easy to use.
"Also, I've just never understood the need to comment BEFORE one finishes the video. To me, if you're stopping the video in order to say something, then I am not doing my job of entertaining. I should have someone so engrossed that they dare not even THINK of pausing the video."
No, my reason( and I'm assuming other people's reason) why I comment before the end of the video is because we know about you gripe with repeat comments. Thus I want to be the first to tell you something you missed or a possible joke. It's more for satisfactory reasons that I'm the one who tells you about things before other people. Call me egotistical, but it makes me feel like I contributed something that no one else did, making me feel special, despite the fact that I subconsiously know that other people probably wanted to comment about it before me.
I JUST WANT TO BE LOVED, DAMMIT!*
*Making a Joke
Wait a Second. I didn't see anyone comment on this. Is that the THING alien from the other title cards this month playing the Harmonica there on the prison bench with you and Spider Man?
Is it still around because of the Story Line or was there some other way this could harken back to The Thing from another world?
I re-watched the opening to see if the Lifeld crotch attack was maintained I blinked the first time through.
Im sorry the failous thing felt like padding, putting aside that i don't find him funny and yes i spelled the name wrong on purpose, the joke was over the first time and felt way to damn long, i get that theres a lot of pointless shit in the comic but this didn't need padding.
other then that intresting review, i was a big fan of the scarlet spider as a kid, didnt know the back story but i liked his design and he didn't seem to whine as much.
The new logo's kinda... meh. It lacks the dynamic feeling of the old one and is a bit too busy for my taste.
Other than that, my god, Spiderman. His greatest enemy really seems to be character development.
Also, while AA is clearly homaging Battle Royale, they're just as clearly jumping onto the Hunger Games bandwagon. So, yeah, not complaining about that one.
Now if you excuse me, I've got to be mysterious. *pulls up hood*
Happy anniversary!
I wish you at least another four years as miserable as the previous ones!
...wait.
"I should have someone so engrossed that they dare not even THINK of pausing the video."
Geez, go a little easier on people who need to laugh jokes off first, will ya. :)
I remember finding this site thanks to the Agony Booth. It's been a interesting four years seeing Linkara fight badguys that made me tuned in beyond the credits, learning that the magic gun is more than just that and being introduced to a various cast of characters. I have the knowledge of what makes a bad comic bad. Thanks for the Four Years Dude!
Oh, yeah nice Phelous cameo and Thanks for making mondays better
And in fairness, Marvel's not exactly being discrete about Avengers Arena being inspired by Hunger Games, especially since there's a variant cover that has the Avengers logo in a similar burning design like the familiar Mockingjay emblem most associated with the Hunger Games.
Awwwww man! I was use to the old schedule!
Wow this comic was weird and annoying knowing all the backstory to its being made!
The Judas Traveller guy looks more like a Doctor Strange villain more than anything! He even looks like Strange but with opposite colors! white hair instead of black, a blur cloak instead of red!
I wonder if Marvel will pull a DC thing and bring him back and retool him into something? Bring him back as a villain for the Scarlet Spider or Venom!?
I've got a question... what did the Clone do for those years without any ID? He couldn't steal Peter's info without alerting him!
What OMD can magically bring Harry back but not Ben Riley?
Would it have been such a bad thing to allow Judas to murder all the worst killers in (just) Spidey's rouges gallery?
So are we heading back to the Thing?
Waiting a sec... complains about mysterious new villain... yet last video introduces a possible new one... XD
WHAT? It's can't be the Fourth Year Annivarsary. The Third Year Entity Arc was only... like... a year ago...
Wow time flies when you're having fun XD
Between you replying to my comment and my grandma coming home from the hospital...my days are looking a lot better.
"You ever think about doing a commentary special on your first episode?"
"Already did a year or two ago. ^_~"
It's probably in an obvious place and I'm just missing it but, where is this commentary? I searched under Commentary and Spiderman and...I'm not seeing it.
I'm curious, do you think those philosophy classes you took have influenced the way you think about life and review comics?
Say...the white woman who is one of Judas Traveller's "students" looks a lot like Zatanna...another of Marvel's dig at DC?
So, wait...you are just gonna hug and reconcile? That's it? That's how you bring closure to that plot point? You've been teasing at the "The Thing"-inspired storyline for three videos now, and you are just gonna reconcile? No alien shapeshifter taking over people, no sense of paranoia or mistrust, not even an acknowledgement of what the fuck the shadow in the wall was? You are just gonna reconciule? That's...pretty lame. What a way to flush a potentially good "The Thing" homage down the toilet...
Despite the very questionable Battle Royale tribute/parody/sendup/whatever that is coming out (I find it rather pointless, but the art looks nice), are you going to check out any of the new Marvel Now titles? New Deapool series where he fights zombie presidents and dinosaurs since I know you like Deadpool. I'll probably try out Mark Waid's Indestrucible Hulk and Matt Fraction's Fantastic Four & FF.
As for the comic itself, it feels weird. It doesn't feel like the hoping to a big event, but more a story that would take place a couple of arcs down the line. Do you get that feeling from it?
"It's probably in an obvious place and I'm just missing it but, where is this commentary? I searched under Commentary and Spiderman and...I'm not seeing it."
Was made in this post, alongside the Silent Hill: Dead/Alive #5 Commentary.
http://atopfourthwall.blogspot.com/2010/12/announcement-panels-and-commentaries.html
...Why do I get the feeling that you're not going to finish your "Thing" arc next week?
Not complaining, it's just that usually you finish your Halloween storylines right before the anniversary episodes. Well, okay, technically you didn't last year, but the Silent Hill stuff was wrapped up WITH THE SILENT HILL COMICS. You're done with the Thing comics, but this plot arc (which seems to have completely interrupted the Gunslinger arc, I might add) still hasn't been wrapped up yet.
...Okay, maybe I am complaining.
"Not complaining, it's just that usually you finish your Halloween storylines right before the anniversary episodes. Well, okay, technically you didn't last year, but the Silent Hill stuff was wrapped up WITH THE SILENT HILL COMICS. You're done with the Thing comics, but this plot arc (which seems to have completely interrupted the Gunslinger arc, I might add) still hasn't been wrapped up yet."
Yeah, Longbox kind of made things all out of control. I'm really overstressed right now to get things finished and I needed the first week of October off to get more Longbox stuff worked on and keep myself from burning out. Then I needed last week to work on Longbox and keep myself from burning out. Aaand here we are again. The October storyline will be finished the last week to keep myself from burning out and then November has no storyline stuff. I need the break before Christmas.
"So, wait...you are just gonna hug and reconcile? That's it? That's how you bring closure to that plot point? You've been teasing at the "The Thing"-inspired storyline for three videos now, and you are just gonna reconcile? No alien shapeshifter taking over people, no sense of paranoia or mistrust, not even an acknowledgement of what the fuck the shadow in the wall was? You are just gonna reconciule? That's...pretty lame. What a way to flush a potentially good "The Thing" homage down the toilet..."
I suggest you actually wait and watch.
"Some have mention on blip Avengers Arena is Battle Royale rip off and not Hunger Games. From the image, to the bunch of teens on island to kill each other. Oh god that series is going to painful and all that people that marvel shill to will eat it up. I mean blood and guts and probably not care about characters."
I'll tell you as a Runaways fan and Avengers Academy fan, I am absolutely dreading Arena. In fact, there's a massive amount of backlash against the title. When it was shown at comic con, there were a few boo's in the audience.
It's pretty obvious who they are catering the book for, and it's really sad that the fans of those titles have to suffer for it. The author even is trying to back peddle his interviews from "Yeah, we're killing a lot of characters, so we need a big cast for that!" to "We're doing a very dramatic character piece. Death does happen, but its not about death.
The book is claiming to be too much and is trying to appeal to the fans of these characters, but most people want it to sink and be all be retcon. Even the writer of Avengers Academy, Christos Gage, said the first issue was "Good, but if you hate the premise, this won't change your mind. The ending will make you mad and want to see Arcade brutally killed"
Goodie. (Sorry about the rant)
In response to the first commenter, watch the 200th episode again. I think Lewis explains his feelings on Parker there well enough. He doesn't hate him, he just wants to see him grow up.
Also to the second commenter, the Battle Royale stuff is more akin to the fact that Marvel is ripping off both it and Hunger Games and sacrificing a bunch of beloved characters with a large fan following to do it. It's like Stephanie Brown's hiatus except there's actual murder involved in their removal from canon.
Sorry, just felt like mentioning all that to them. My real comment now:
I think Ben Rilley as the new Spider-Man would've been a better idea too. Everyone just seems to win. You get a younger hipper Spider-Man with no marriage to bog him down for the writers who can't seem to make that interesting and for older fans they get to be happy to see Peter is finally gonna get a happy ending. And really who would deny him that?
Well... obviously...
I was kinda wondering if you were gonna comment on some other developments in this video but it seems you saved the mini-rant for your hatred of the Avenger Academy murder spree that's coming. Disposable Characters! Who cares if you love them? We don't.
You know for someone who follows DC more than Marvel you got a lot to say on Spidey, I guess him being the first comic book you picked up more or less is due to that. Although I really gotta wonder cause this has been bothering me and you never seem to have addressed it ever. I hope you answer this cause I do kinda wonder your thoughts on this:
Black Cat, Felicia Hardy, Spidey's Catwoman... what are your thoughts on her? Do you think she's a good love interest? A good character? You ever wonder if they should just up and let Spidey date her because they might as well at this point? I never heard you comment on her at all and considering you've mentioned both Gwen and Mary Jane in the past it's interesting she's never been mentioned by you ever. Got any future plans to do a comic starring her?
A very Happy 4th Anniversary Lewis!
I've been watching your stuff since The Brawl. My son introduced me to NC (during his feud with the AVGN). I looked up who people in the Brawl were, found you reviewed comics, and I was hooked.
You put a lot of thought into your analyses and the advanced planning you put into your story-lines (which I love, btw) is truly wonderful to see.
You got me to pull my longboxes out of the garage (and start buying new ones again), your HOPR series got me interested in Power Rangers (I'm slowly getting through them on Netflix - mid-way through Turbo - not a lot of free time with work and everything).
All-in-all, I've greatly enjoyed your last four years, and hope to see many, many more.
-Shada
Avengers Arena is already getting a lot of flack. I think what makes it worse is that Avengers Academy got cancelled just to make way for that book. A lot of people, including me, are more interested in Young Avengers, which hopefully will not be as dark, as interviews have basically built up the book as a coming of age story.
What was that event you mentioned from DC that was basically about the villains? Yeah, Marvel is really obsessed with the hero vs. hero event, but haven't they only done three of those? Civil War, World War Hulk, and Avengers vs. X-Men? I think the downside is that while it's fun to debate which hero is the best, these kind of events take the fun out of it and decide to make one of the sides outright villains. I believe Iron Man was redeemed of that in story, even if people still haven't forgiven him for it, but it's harder when it comes Cyclops.
I also have the distinct impression that you hate Peter Parker, although I think you're trying to say that you're hatred is more towards how the writers just can't write him in a consistent yet evolving manner while still telling a good story.
I'm glad that you elaborated on why you think villains like Judas or Mephisto just don't work for Spider-Man, but cited that there are exceptions like Venom. Due to the growing number of Spider-Man spinoff books, such as Venom or Morbius: The Living Vampire, I think a good way to have those stand out is to bring the more mystical or supernatural stuff to books like that, so Amazing (Or Superior, rather), Avenging, and Scarlet Spider can stick to the usual stuff people expect from Spider-Man, although due to the team-up nature of Avenging, it's possible that Spider-Man could work with someone against a different kind of villain, but that just goes back to your point of how a mystical villain works better for Spider-Man when it's in an Avengers story. Actually, now I'm curious what you think of Morlun.
I was actually hoping you would bring up Superior Spider-Man in a minor fashion, although I guess talking about Marvel NOW! through Avengers Arena suffices. I'm entirely aware that you do not care for the Ultimate Universe, which makes me sad because when I was looking for a comic to pick up to get me into the medium last year, I went with Ultimate Spider-Man. I was watching your Identity Crisis list yesterday, where you brought up how Identity Crisis was the first book a lot of people read, so I should point out that the Ultimate Universe, at least for me, served that same purpose. Is the difference that the Ultimate Universe is more like the New 52 while Identity Crisis feels more authentic?
Sorry for making two comments, since my post got rather lengthy, but I had more thoughts on this than I expected.
Anyway, I'm glad you finally got to talk about Judas Traveller, but I was surprised by how you brought up so many problems with him beyond "He's a villain who feels like he shouldn't be there." Since you asked the question "What kind of parent names their kid Judas?", my answer to that is that I think one of the plans for him was that he would be the Biblical Judas. In other words, they were going to do what DC did with the Phantom Stranger.
I liked your rant on why he's evil because he wants to understand human nature, as Orochimaru from Naruto, Vaati from The Legend of Zelda, and Master Xehanort from Kingdom Hearts all have that motivation. I believe it's a form of "Contemplate Our Navels", and while it's a fairly unique motivation as far as I'm concerned, I'm ambivalent towards it, and I'm glad that you brought up that "People are just born evil," although since I brought up Naruto, which seems intent to give every major villain a sympathetic motivation, I think the idea is that idea writers have is that people just aren't interested in villains like that and dismiss it as to dimensional, although considering how they used CARNAGE, who is my favorite Spider-Man villain, but is often criticized for being too bland, wouldn't he have been a perfect example of how Judas's theory may not be accurate? We know that he was sadistic even as a child, and if Judas can read minds, or at least read people's emotions, wouldn't he be able to delve into their subconscious and determine what exactly made them the way the are?
To close things off, the new opening was great, and I love the new logo, and I've been enjoying the Thing's cameos in the title cards this month. Looking forward to the conclusion next week.
Considering that you have been putting storyline stuff in every one of your reviews since April, I think you badly desire a break from that kind of stuff.
New logo! Neat!
I love when you rip on the Clone stuff every year and this time was no exception. The stuff regarding Judas Traveller was ridiculous and really needed to be looked at even if it was during the "good" part of the saga. I sort of do wonder if that bozo ever returns to the saga but considering it is the Clone Saga...we'll be seeing more of him in the years to come. And that Chakra woman...all I could do is stare at her airy boobs during that first scene she's astral...I think she and Vapora need to meet sometime.
But hey, we saw Spidey adn Ben kick Carnage...that was cool.
Chiming in on the Avengers Arena thing - They're not ripping off Hunger Games. They're not ripping off Battle Royale.
They're ripping off the Terror Titans miniseries from a few years back.
A Countdown crossover book from DC.
...
You may make your own conclusions.
Actually, you may not, because I'm going to make them for you. Terror Titans was absolutely awful. It was DC taking the bloodbath that the Teen Titans book had become and just running with it to an extreme.
They took every extra teen character (not currently in the Teen Titans) that they could think of and slaughtered half of them, for very little reason. I despised it to no end - and yet, the character bits about the actual Terror Titans were a fairly interesting read. Too bad they never did anything with these characters that they slaughtered a whole bunch of previously established characters to set up...
Looks like Avengers Arena is pretty much the same thing over again, just with Marvel's "extraneous kid heroes."
Blechh.
Cool video. Funny things of note:
-There is a Scarlet Spider book out about Kaine, who doesn't want to be a superhero, leaves for Dallas, and everything pulls him into being a hero. It actually is a hilarious take on Spider-Man without the Spider-Man cast. Hilarious things happen like rescuing a girl from an exploding building, deciding to sleep with her, and then finding out that she bombed the building in the first place. It's a good read.
-Everyone is becoming an Avenger now a days. They opened the flood gates and now X-Men like Rogue, Havok, Cannonball, Sunspot, and more are joining their ranks. (When everyone is an Avenger, no one is.)
-Spider-Man is getting replaced with someone else after Spider-Man 700. Guess history repeats itself.
Finally, something to the people who are upset about Avengers Arena:
Don't buy it. But DO buy Young Avengers, which Kieron Gillen is writing (Fantastic writer) and it is promoting a positive and upbeat atmosphere. The book's solicit even is telling the reader "Your time is now! Make the best of it!" It's practically screaming at you that it is the feel good book to get.
I know this sounds like an advertisement, but I think the best way to tell Marvel that we don't want teen death books is to support the book that is the complete opposite of it. Marvel is getting carried away with being too grim of late (Two X-Force books, Thunderbolts becoming a Punisher team, Arena, Darker Spider-Man, and don't get me started on the Red Skull taking out Professor Xavier's brain in the flagship book (That happened Linkara!))
Point being, buy the books that do have a positive and optimistic view on things and don't get the stuff that is getting grimmer and darker. Young Avengers and FF will be those books from Marvel's lineup.
But great work Linkara. 4 years do fly by.
Happy 4th Year Anniversary Linkara!! Just remember, you can't have the good without the bad to compare it too, and realize just how wonderful the good truly is.
You know, I was never a huge Spiderman fan. While I used to be neutral to superheros (with an increasingly positive new opinion as of late) I just used to really despise Spiderman. I never knew why, though I used to attribute it to my hatred and fear of spiders. But looking back at your 200th episode, and this one...I realize it's Peter himself. He just seems so...whiny.
I admit, I was peeved at the tease of the continuing storyline...but then again, this along with the Longbox has GOT to be draining on you. Poor thing. My dear Lewis, take a breather man. Don't burn yourself out! :( We do not want that to happen. Put your feet up, grab some hot cocoa and relax :)
Again, happy Anniversary!
I'm going to comment again on this video.
The Thing about the Thing, and by that I mean that shadow We saw at the End of the last video doesn't appear to be anything like John Carpenter's Thing. It was waiting and watching.It's the Comiccron -1 crew that jumped to the idea that the Thing is like the movie/comic book/short story monster. A Shapeshifter. Also,I gotta feeling that the reconciling of the Comicron-1 crew won't involve tea, cookies and a scrap book of memories in it.Maybe it does,but I'll enjoy the Long box till next monday. I also like the storylines for this series. Here's to four more years or till you don't want to do it anymore!
I really have to disagree with the notion that keeping both characters around but leaving which one is real and which one isn't ambiguous would be the more preferable option.
This was actually something that was brought up during the end of the Clone Saga, regarding Baby May. The Editors wanted to keep it ambiguous whether or not Baby May survived, having it be endlessly teased with no real answer. Which is what it was- a tease. The creators pointed out how unfair it was to the readers to tease this question without every attempting to answer it.
It's the same fault you had with Traveller. Something mysterious for the sake of being mysterious isn't satisfying, especially when no one cares about the answer. It just strings the reader along needlessly. Without some form of closure, without some form of direction, it just becomes aimless and inconsequential.
Maybe it would be good for a story. But not a set status quo.
I don't know why people keep arguing that Avengers Arena is a Battle Royale ripoff and not a Hunger Games ripoff. Issue 3 will have a Hunger Games style variant.
Anyway, great review and happy anniversary.
"I don't know why people keep arguing that Avengers Arena is a Battle Royale ripoff and not a Hunger Games ripoff. Issue 3 will have a Hunger Games style variant."
Battle Royale, Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies, let's just all agree that a book that's playing Russian Roulette with Mettle, Hazmat, Reptil, X-23, Nico, Chase, Juston and his Sentinel, Cammi and Darkhawk is just plain sick.
Thought: Regarding the whole "Spidey doesn't face mystical villains" concept, what's your opinion on Madame Web? Most of her incarnations tend to favor the mystic angle (whether she's human/mutant or a cosmic being), and she's a regular in the Spidey support cast.
- - - - -
Judas Traveler seemed unnecessary in this storyline. Consider the setting. You have a facility full of Spiderman villains, many superpowered in nature, and the goal is to put Spidey in a situation over his head so Ben Reilly has to arrive and help.
Why not just use the villains themselves rather than Judas Traveller? Have the villains escape, or have a character like Judas or Scrier release the villains from their bondage (if you really have to keep them, this keeps the focus off them AND while maintaining the desired 'mysterious' visage). Spidey then has to enter the facility to stop the villains from killing the staff and/or escaping into the city, and Ben has to make the choice to risk his life to save Spidey's, since alone the collection of villains would be too much, but together nothing could stop them (Ben can still deliver that line Linkara loved). You can then make a character like Carnage the big-bad at the end that Ben and Peter must unite to take down (similar to Spidey and Venom vs Carnage in Maximum Carnage, but this time with Spidey mirroring Venom's warped view on the world while Ben mirrors Spidey's heroic view). It may mirror Maximum Carnage or Batman's Arkham Asylum (the original graphic novel) to a degree, but this time the focus is more on Peter and Spidey than the villains or scenario so it would still be fresh and interesting.
Including mystic characters into Spider-man's mythos does sometimes work, like during J. Michael Straczynski's run on Spider-man where he introduced the totem concept. It opened up some new concepts for the character and gave the writers quite a few new ways to take the story at large, plus Morlun was one of the more opposing new villains to have been created as a result of that run.
Difference here is that the concept was laid out clearly enough ahead of time and the writer knew where he wanted to take it.
Whooo, congratulations on your four year anniversary!! ...Sorry we enjoy watching your pain ;D (Also, fantastic new logo and theme montage!)
Man, every one of these Clone Saga comics just makes it more and more disappointing that Ben didn't get to become at least a major character. Especially when he's contrasted with Peter's alternating angst and RAAAAGGEEE... >.>
Happy Atop the 4th Anniversary...I'm sorry.
To make it up on the double Spider kick to Carnage I only have this to say: Spider...Jump!/Spider...Kick!/Kamen Spider/Kamen Spider/Spider, Spider.
Congratulations on your 4th anniversary, Lewis.
Yeah, gotta admit, Ben was probably my favorite character when I was a kid (first comic book ever was when he got taken over the Carnage symbiote).
However, as mentioned above in previous posts, the new Scarlet Spider series with Kaine is a really fun read. Chris Yost has done a good job bringing in little seen groups like the Rangers, the New Orleans Assassins Guild, and (during the 'Minimum Carnage' cross-over with the Flash Thompson-Agent Venom title) the characters of the Microverse. It's diffently a fun read, especially acknowledging Ben's legacy by (what else?) a blue hoodie and having Kaine see it as a reminder of his lost 'brother.'
Few other things:
1. Seeing your reaction to Avengers Arena, have you thought about reviewing two other Marvel books devotedly only to the killing of their characters (Elseworld tale or not): 'Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe' and the similar one with Deadpool? Those definitely should be used for kindling.
2. For your 'Secret Origin' review of Tales of Suspense #39: Please for the love of Kirby use the 2nd opening theme from the 90's Iron Man cartoon in some capacity. It. Is. Awesome.
Hold on a minute.
Hooolld one just ONE damn minute!
Chameleon tries to learn Spider-Man's secret identity...by making perfect robot duplicates of his parents?
...did I miss something here? If he doesn't know Spidey is Peter, why would he just use robots of Peter's parents?!
And don't tell me it's cause Harry commisioned them like that. I'm pretty sure that international super-spy Chameleon could have put THAT two and two together!
Whatever. These comics suck anyway. Though, given how well he's been doing, I don't doubt that Dan Slott could bring back Traveller as a cool, interesting character.
So wait, why bother making a "Hunger Games" reference when you don't care about the Hunger Games? Especially when it's incredibly clearly a Battle Royale reference? It'd be like me calling a Dr. Who reference a Star Trek reference of which I really care about neither while getting wrong what a basic Google search would have cleared up. Ya know, those things you routinely chastise comic creators for getting wrong?
""I don't know why people keep arguing that Avengers Arena is a Battle Royale ripoff and not a Hunger Games ripoff. Issue 3 will have a Hunger Games style variant.""
I dunno. Maybe it's because the comic he posted USES THE SAME SORT OF COVER AS BATTLE ROYALE. Hell it's barely a reference and more like using the same thing with some photoshopping involved. If it had that cool little Mockingbird logo HG uses I'd get the reference a lot clearer. But that's clearly the cover for Battle Royale with the logo and everything. So even if the stuff going on in the comic is closer to HG than BR that's what the cover shows.
Well, I feared Longbox of the Damned would be taking its toll on you. Unlike James Rofle, you have a weekly series. Coupled with you trying to have a life, watching episodes of Power Rangers to make videos about your thoughts on each season, not to mention watching a bunch of other things like Doctor Who and horror movies for fun. You might need to have someone to help you with this stuff, helping you write the script, selecting comics and so forth.
Also... darker and edgier Spider-Man? I'm sorry but like with the reboot and the upcoming Superior Spider-Man, as I keep saying to people, Spider-Man is NOT Batman. Just keep him a guy who has to go through life, deal with friendships, romance, having a life and make him jokey to hide all that stress his life goes through (And get rid of Mephisto, I don't care about the marriage save for how it ended)
Also, something I feel the need to say. I don't mind Marvel giving Spidey more villains, there's only so much you can do with Venom, Green Goblin and so forth. The problem is, as you say, they give him villains that don't fit what he deals with. That and, as shown with new villains in BND, they aren't very interesting to begin with.
Maybe Judas and Scrier were agents of Mephisto to see how they can make him do a deal? (I'm just making a theory)
"Chameleon tries to learn Spider-Man's secret identity...by making perfect robot duplicates of his parents?
...did I miss something here? If he doesn't know Spidey is Peter, why would he just use robots of Peter's parents?!"
It's been a long-standing part of the comic that the public at large either knows or believes that Peter Parker has some arrangement with Spider-Man for pictures, giving him tips where he'll be or the like.
"So wait, why bother making a "Hunger Games" reference when you don't care about the Hunger Games? Especially when it's incredibly clearly a Battle Royale reference? It'd be like me calling a Dr. Who reference a Star Trek reference of which I really care about neither while getting wrong what a basic Google search would have cleared up. Ya know, those things you routinely chastise comic creators for getting wrong?"
Just because I don't CARE about it doesn't mean I don't KNOW about it.
Spoony makes references to Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica all the time, and he freely admits that he hates and does not regularly watch either.
"Have you thought about reviewing two other Marvel books devotedly only to the killing of their characters (Elseworld tale or not): 'Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe' and the similar one with Deadpool? Those definitely should be used for kindling."
I actually think those stories are kinda well done for different reasons. Punisher one is absolute power trip to a silly degree. It's Garth Ennis' love letter to hating super heroes.
Deadpool kills the Marvel U is actually well done as Deadpool does legitly become creepy. He actually thinks he's freeing the characters he's killing from the fate of cruel writers who will indefinitely torture them. It's a dark comedy, but the idea that Deadpool fully believes that he's trying to break the system to release everyone is kinda a cool concept.
Not to mention the fantastic line:
Deadpool to Wolverine "Your super power isn't regeneration! It's super popularity! The writers won't let you die cause the fans keep demanding you!"
There's also a sequel story where Deadpool is traveling to classical literature to kill those figures so he can undo all fictional works so that writers could stop torturing them.
Okay, I need to end this Battle Royale/Hunger games stuff once and for all! Yes, that cover is Battle Royale. But do you want to see what the third cover is?
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/8/81/Avengers_Arena_Vol_1_3.jpg
HUNGER GAMES! With a flaming A! Now stop bickering!
Also note that Judas Traveller is one of those generic designs. Remember that weird, stereotypical evil guy from the Battle for Bludhaven series reviewed on this site?
Anyway this Traveller guy might have made a credible villain if his plan was less grandiose and focused on watching how the different superhumans interacted with each other and regular humans. In other words an actual, epic experiment of the psychology of abnormal people like Spider-man, Venom or the Chameleon to see under controlled circumstances how people like that will react to certain stimuli. That might sound more Batman but I think it could have worked for a one-time, one-saga (not in the Clone saga) villain. Heck his students could even be developed by arguing over interpretations of events, some more suggesting more optimistic visions while others insist it's for more selfish reasons.
At 20:00 minutes, silly Linkara. Everyone knows that firearms can't kill a slow-moving, constantly-stopping-to-talk villain with a power that requires them to hold still for five seconds!
And you know, I wish that they would actually DO something with that 'responsibility' line. For example Civil War. Examining exactly who has the responsibility to do what and under what circumstances. For example one of the wilder heroes decides to crash a drug deal... only to learn that there was actually a cop undercover about to signal the police outside and because the hero crashed it that cop is now dead. Or a verbal clash between two politically active heroes, one pointing out that working under a government they would be held accountable to the people and their morality wouldn't get greatly out of line from the population* while the other one points out that the heroes would probably be forced into special-ops groups that might commit assassinations or attacks without caring about collateral damage?
*Has anyone ever wondered if there was a superhero who was so homophobic that they refused to help a gay man escape from some neo-nazis? Or a racist one that actually ignored crimes by whites to instead go after blacks?
"-There is a Scarlet Spider book out about Kaine, who doesn't want to be a superhero, leaves for Dallas, and everything pulls him into being a hero. It actually is a hilarious take on Spider-Man without the Spider-Man cast. Hilarious things happen like rescuing a girl from an exploding building, deciding to sleep with her, and then finding out that she bombed the building in the first place. It's a good read."
Hah, very true. It's hilarious to watch his futile effords to be an anti-hero when everything seems to force him to go straight. It's like he's permanently got "o__o" in his mind
"-Everyone is becoming an Avenger now a days. They opened the flood gates and now X-Men like Rogue, Havok, Cannonball, Sunspot, and more are joining their ranks. (When everyone is an Avenger, no one is.)"
Well, I for example for a long time already viewed membership in Avengers as a sort of rite of passage, like REAL superhero registration. If you're good enough to be a backup Avenger, then you're a true superhero. I've got this vibe from issues with Alpha too.
I know she's a minor character, but that astral chick is distracting. For some reason in the 90's, everyone from the Middle East or the Subcontinent had gray skin. Like a zombie.
Also, the first "a" in "Kafka" is pronounced like the "a" in Prague, where that famous Kafka was from, not "Calf-kuh."
Oh wow you pissed off the Battle Royale fans. Yeah that comic's logo and the greyed out class photo with the x's is specifically from the movie adaptation of Battle Royale... but BR got a huge revitalization off of the Hunger Games (heck it just recently came out on DVD and Blu-ray in North America because of the Hunger Games)... I am pretty sure Marvel is referencing both of those with their storyline... they're cashing in on on the popularity of Hunger Games and appealing to the Otaku crowd with the BR shout outs.
So I don't think it's wrong for Linkara to call this a Hunger Games reference.
Don't worry about it Linkara, a lot of BR fans just get angry at Hunger Games cause they think it's a plagiarized version of BR (it's not).
I love the eyecatch logo by the way and the shot of the ship flying by our house is freaking amazing can't wait to see it in context
"I love the eyecatch logo by the way and the shot of the ship flying by our house is freaking amazing can't wait to see it in context."
It's from To Boldly Flee. ^_~
"It's from To Boldly Flee. ^_~"
Oops, now I feel silly, haven't watched that yet; I've been waiting for a day when I can sit down and watch the whole thing. Maybe on Halloween.
I actually kind of like Power and Responsibility but Judas is indeed a huge drawback in the whole thing. I've been reading that book with multiple issues of the Clone Saga and it did a good job of making me like Ben more than Peter.
Something that really amused me was Medea (one of Judas minions) who had her looks change within mere panels away from one another to the point of making her look not the same. One thing I've found really annoying about Ben is how he keeps saying how "rusty" or "out of shape" he is during almost every single fights.
I only remember 2 other appearances of Judas Traveller : one where his abilities are powerful enough to level New York (he screws with the timeline) and another, just before the final ending of the Clone Saga where (SPOILER) a retcon explains he never had real superpowers and was actually delusional, using hypnosis to screw with the heroes minds.
That and the fact that Scrier wasn't a paranormal character but a sect led by Osborn just opened massive plot holes
Avengers Arena : I don't even care anymore. Most of Marvel or DCD title featuring teens usually kills or maims them on regular basis, just to show the audience how mature these series are. Sienkiewicz New Mutants started with Moonstar mauled by a giant bear, DC even joked about the number of Titans dying. Avengers Arena is just more honest with it.
New logo/intro : I love the design, but I still have to get used to the opening. It seems that it features Linkara more than before. I don't mind and that's normal since it's his show, but the timing is kind of funny, since the current storyline made the character face his growing selfishness.
I don't care whether Marvel rips off Hunger Games or Battle Royale. They fact this annoying habit of killing off characters in a gruesome and pointless manner has now become the central focus of a storyline is sick enough.
For all their needless retcons and bringing back dead characters, I'm baffled they never brought back Ben. He would easily solve the "married Peter vs single Peter" conflict that led to OMD Oo
Oh, and happy anniversary :D !
P.S.: Is it just me, or could this 4-parter not decide whether it's called "Ravencroft" or "Ravencraft"?
"Also, I've just never understood the need to comment BEFORE one finishes the video. To me, if you're stopping the video in order to say something, then I am not doing my job of entertaining. I should have someone so engrossed that they dare not even THINK of pausing the video."
I'll be honest, in a 40 minute video? You're going to take breaks. I tend to have several different tabs open, and I pause to check my facebook, Tumblr, and forum updates as the video goes on.
Commenting before the video ends usually means that the person wants to say something before they forget it. I mean, this is a 40 minute video.
I find it amusing that the graphics in this story didn't match JM DeMatteis' narration, especially compared to some of his other works for Marvel such as Moon Knight - Scarlet Redemption, Spiderman - Eye of the Puma, Daredevil - Inferno. Usually, his stories follow the principle "Show AND tell"
If i remember correctly, these arcs showed the inner turmoil of the characters with a powerful imagery : the Moon Knight story was build around the image of fire, the Puma story constantly referred to some "Web of life" and the reveal in the Daredevil story turned the panels into the pieces of a shattered mirror.
(My apologies if this is off-topic, but I have a special fondness for the writer since he reintroduced me to Spiderman after a decade-long hiatus with the conclusion of The Child Within arc)
Now that Avengers vs. X-Men is over, I'd say this might be a story you'd want to AtFW.
-Pointless scenes that add nothing to the final battle.
-Making the X-Men villainous
-Somehow the Avengers become the underdogs to the minorities running away from extinction. (There's a lot of social implications to this if you really look at this)
-Plot points that are just dropped midway through the story (We still don't know where the hell Transonic is)
-MARVEL THINKS THERE'S POLAR BEARS IN ANTARTICA!
has anyone else notice pollo's voice when Linkara punch him?
"has anyone else notice pollo's voice when Linkara punch him?"
That wasn't Pollo. That was Lord Vyce, floating in space as per what happened in the Star Trek III: The Search for Spock review.
Why are you not reding the current scarlet Spider by chris yost? Or Wolverine and the x men by Jason aaron? And how about you give a try on Miles morales in ultimate all-new spider man? Miles could be your new blue bettle!!
Incidentally, the mini-muppet Thing that's been appearing on the past few title cards may be the best new character on a show, ever.
I call him "Thingy".
Just to set the record straight:
"The Hunger Games" is a copy of "The Running Man", NOT of "Battle Royale".
Both the original Stephen King movie AND the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie came BEFORE "Battle Royale".
It pisses me off that some obscure Asian movie is taking the focus away from one of Arnold's greatest action movies (as well as oine of Stephen King's finest books).
Marvel got it wrong, and YOU got it wrong.
From now on, I expect to see less "Battle Royale" mentions and more "The Running Man" mentions.
Seriously, every time one of these internet weebos mentions "Battle Royale" in relation to "The Hunger Games", it makes me feel sick.
THE RUNNING MAN. THE FUCKING RUNNING MAN. NOT BATTLE ROYALE. THE RUNNING MAN.
"I half-way anticipated the "It's Battle Royale, not Hunger Games" thing, but the honest to goodness truth is that I've seen neither and care about neither, so really people commenting on it is irrelevant to me."
thats too bad its a good movie also love the new logo and opening
@Haddock
It seems strange to call something was a novel, manga And and several movies 'obscure'. Also unless you can actually provide some interview with the author or something of the sort it's not certain what is derived from what.
"Or Wolverine and the x men by Jason aaron?"
Milage for this title may vary.
Avengers Arena/Hunger Games/Battle Royale/Running Man... You can go on and say they ripped off The Most Dangerous Game, but one could probably find even older references. The most important is what the author does with the story.
@Captain Haddock
Someone above mentioned Lord of the Flies by William Golding, which was written in 1954.
Meanwhile, Running Man was written in 1982. That's almost a 30 year difference from Lord of the Flies.
Battle Royale (THE NOVEL: And not obscure by any means) by Koushun Takami was completed in 1996, but was finally published in 1999. The book was supposed to be a critique on the Japanese school application process. A problem we are seeing now as schools become overcrowded and people fight to get their kids into in the best schools.
Hunger Games was written and published in 2008.
All of these had movie adaptions, with Battle Royale's movie not being released on DVD in America until after the Hunger Games' movie release. Before then, you could watch it online or rent the Japanese VHS tape if people carried it. But you could still get a copy of the Battle Royale novel with no problems.
I would not be shocked if something older than the Lord of the Flies was published as well. It seems this concept comes and goes with the times.
So we will be seeing something after the Hunger Games in the future for sure.
Also notice that while those four books share that concept, they have completely different things that they are critiquing.
I would also appreciate it if you didn't use that derogatory term and apply it to about everyone who enjoys foreign movies as well.
---------------------------------
Happy 4th, Linkara!
FOOLS!
All of you!
Hunger Games, Battle Royal, Running Man...
You know nothing!
All of these are just referencing a true historical event, or rather long series of events - The Games of Ancient Rome!
You know, people being slaughtered for the amusement of the people of Rome?
Yeah...
Next time someone is going to claim that a story about genocide is ripping-off the X-Men
But seriously
The very existence of Avengers Arena proves a theory I had about the creative process at Marvel:
Take complaints about the last event as suggestions for the next one!
@Anon
Actually, Marvel Now DOES lower the prices to 2.99 as well
And the new Deadpool series is in fact coming out next month!
But yeah, they don't seem to provide much info on the other titles
I do kinda understand why Marvel is spreading-out the Marvel Now, instead of launching them all in the same month
Ever since the New 52 came out last year, DC's been raping Marvel's ass all over the sales charts. The only times when Marvel got upper hand again, was when they released a new #1 issue (most of those were Avengers VS X-Men tie-ins)
In other words, Marvel is preparing a steady supply of #1 issues for the following several months, to make it seem like they are relevant again
Which ultimately makes Marvel Now even more gimmicky than the New 52
And to be fair, I'm in a bit of dilemma here
On one hand, there are a few titles in the Marvel Now line-up that caught my attention, and the 2.99 deal is just too good to pass on. On the other hand, I'm EXTREMELY angry at Marvel.
Runaways was one of the greatest series to be ever published by Marvel. And what do they do? First put the series on hiatus (on a cliffhanger nonetheless), never to be renewed, and now they plan to kill-off the cast just to cash-in on the popularity of this year's best movie, without even understanding the reasons for why it was so good in the first place!
And honestly, my pull-list is already quite full as it is!
I already follow DC's entire "Green Lantern" "Watchmen" and "The Dark" line-ups, the majority of the "Superman" and "Batman" lines, as well as Aquaman, Wonder Woman, DC Universe Presents, Earth 2, All-Stars Western, Storm Watch, Suicide Squad, and the Ame-Comi webeseries
Then there are the Adventure Time comics by Boom! (3 series exist at this point, a 4th one is announced), and the My Little Pony comic by IDW that is starting next month.
I may boast that my disposable income is greater than that of most other people, but even I prefer to have money to put aside!
And therefore I would like YOU to help me, seeing as you are more knowledgeable than me as far as writers go.
Of all the Marvel Now titles that were announced, there caught my attention:
Deadpool by Brian Posehn
Cable by Dennis Hopeless
Thunderbolts by Daniel Way
Morbius by Joe Keatinge
Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen
and Guardians of the Galaxy by Brian Michael Bendis (ok, I at least know who this one is)
Could you please tell me whether these writers are trustworthy?
You know, whether they work is worth my money?
I already got burned with Justice League International over at DC, and I know of Marvel's horrible track-record, so I don't want to waste time and money following sub-par series
Happy fourth anniversary! I haven't been watching anywhere near that long myself (although I have looked back through most of it) but I'm looking forward to being around for the next four.
The new logo... I have to admit, I really didn't like it the first time I saw it... but then when I looked again (on the same day!), I didn't feel anywhere near as bothered by it. Not sure how that works, maybe it just took me by surprise... anyway I don't want to fall into the 'its-different-so-therefore-I-automatically-hate-it' trap, so I'll reserve judgement for now. I do like the new opening overall, and so glad you put in that awesome shot of Comicron-1!
Also glad you're taking a break from the storyline (and I'm saying this as someone who loves the storylines). For some reason, I thought the current story arc was ending in November, then when I heard Febraury... if there's that much of it left then, absolutely take a break! I'm not sure if you planned to do an installment in every episode this time, or if it had to be that way because it started later than you planned, but it must make for a crazy workload, expecially with LOTD on top of it.
So, yeah... again, Happy Fourth. Thanks for over 200 episdoes, and here's to many more!
'insanity is the only sane response'
you're right, that is a pretty good line. it was also a good line when alan moore said it in the killing joke six years prior
Lewis, I understand and you have made it very clear that you do not care about Ultimate Spider-Man, and I doubt anything will change that. But if you REALLY like the idea of two versions of Spider-Man, one experienced and one novice teaming-up, then please, please, PLEASE read Spider-Men by Brian Michael Bendis. It is glorious.
First, congratulations on the show's 4th anniversary! Love the new intro too.
However, I was disappointed that this was *yet another* Clone Saga episode. I thought you had your fill of those. Thought I will admit, I did learn something here: that (at least regarding Judas Traveler) the then-current writers and editors had NO IDEA what they were going to do with him? Seriously? Either that was an exaggeration, or the level of competency at Marvel was lower than I believed.
OR, maybe it was due to J.M. DeMatteis. At the time he still had enough cachet as a writer that he might have gotten enough of a "just let him write anything his way" from some editors. But this is an attitude that should NEVER be fomented, I don't care if your last name is Moore or Morrison or Gaiman or whatever, we are all human and can always slip sometimes.
I was surprised that there was no "Linkara Paranoia" segment this week, I guess "Mysterior" took over it. That's OK. It helped make your point, it was funny. But I still look forward to the former's resolution!
"harmonicajay said...
I have to ask, and feel free not to respond, do you dislike Peter Parker? I am not trying to troll you or anything, but do you hate Peter Parker? The reason I ask this is because you really seem to be down on him a lot. I understand for disliking him because of this saga and OMD, but do you hate him as a whole? I myself dislike it when Peter whines constantly and of course... that comic, but I don't hate him as much. Sorry for rambling, it is just a question that I have had for a while. If you do decide to answer this, then I will accept any answer."
I think he answered this question when he reviewed OMD: despite the "great power and great responsibility" schtick, he actually never really takes responsibility for any of his actions, instead blaming others for his misgivings and making everything out to be about him instead of considering other people. He hates the character, I think, as a whole because of that, and strongly believes that if Peter actually practiced what the comics claimed he preaches, he'd have given up his Spiderman identity long ago.
Congratulations on four years of beating down horrible comic books -- Superman At Earth's End, Amazons Attack, Warrior, DC Countdown, those bad Silent Hill comics, JLA Act of God, Justice League Cry for Justice and Rise of Arsenal, Marville, and your most hated comic, Spider-Man One More Day -- as well as battling bad guys trying to take over the world. Here's to another year.
Excellent review. This could have been a decent start for the Clone Saga, if not for the presence of the "mysterious solely for being mysterious" Judas Traveller. It's amazing how such a great story could have gone downhill thanks to greedy marketers.
Loved Phelous's cameo for Mysterior and Mr. Enigma (which is basically the same guy). Looking forward to the finale of the Thing storyline and for the inevitable beatdown against Frank Miller's Holy Terror.
So, have you ever considered doing the horrible Avengers storyline, the Crossing?
I'll keep my opinions about Avengers Arena to myself here, or this post will go on too long.
For everyone in the comics freaking out about Hunger Games ripping off Battle Royal ripping off the Running Man...
"The Most Dangerous Game" beat all of them, written in the 1920s. And the story, Theseus and the Minotaur and the very real Gladiatorial Arenas of ancient times beats that.
Being hunted down like an animal is NOT a new story. It's been around as long as, say, making a superhero story. It's a CONCEPT. And just because they have the same concept does not make it a ripoff. Each of these stories have put their own UNIQUE twist on it, and I hope Avengers Arena does the same.
"However, I was disappointed that this was *yet another* Clone Saga episode. I thought you had your fill of those. Thought I will admit, I did learn something here: that (at least regarding Judas Traveler) the then-current writers and editors had NO IDEA what they were going to do with him? Seriously? Either that was an exaggeration, or the level of competency at Marvel was lower than I believed."
Erm, no. The anniversary episode is ALWAYS a Clone Saga episode since my very first episode was a look at a Clone Saga comic. I will continue to do the Clone Saga for the anniversary until I run out of Clone Saga stories.
What many of the "the idea is older than the Running Man" weebos don't get is that I'm not talking about the general idea of people forced to fight to the death against their will.
I'm talking, SPECIFICALLY, about the idea of a television show (or a televised event) revolving around people being forced to fight to the death.
Those are the key words here: television show, televised event.
Television didn't exist in Ancient Rome. "The Most Dangerous Game" wasn't a television show. Neither was "Lord of the Flies" or whatever else you can come up with.
True, while the idea itself is very old, "The Running Man" was the first to apply to to the world of television.
That's why "The Hunger Games" is a "Running Man" remake and not a "Battle Royale" remake: the actual Hunger Games are a televised event, just like the Running Man show.
There was no television aspect in "Battle Royale". "Battle Royale" wasn't a televised event.
That's why "Hunger Games" is more connected with "The Running Man" than with "Battle Royale".
The real irony about that Hunger Games - Battle Royale - Running man discussion is the theme of the current AT4W vids : the point of the episodes this month is to show how much variations one story (Who goes there) can get when treated by various authors or medias.
Anyway, I wonder what's next on the Clone Saga reviews... Its real ending ?
"Could you please tell me whether these writers are trustworthy?"
Kieron Gillen is becoming Marvel's Grant Morrison. I said it.
Funy thing you mention Traveller as a better Silver Surfer vilian. guess what's the only non Spider-man comics his buddy Scier ever appeared?
Bonus points for who he fought in that comics: Mephisto.
"Deadpool by Brian Posehn
Cable by Dennis Hopeless
Thunderbolts by Daniel Way
Morbius by Joe Keatinge
Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen
and Guardians of the Galaxy by Brian Michael Bendis (ok, I at least know who this one is)
Could you please tell me whether these writers are trustworthy? "
Daniel Way is horrible, Bendis is good, but not on team books, Hopeless is also the guy who writes Avengers Arena so I wouldn't trust him. Gillen is worth your money.
I have a Spiderman book that explains Judas Traveler very well. He seem all powerful but he actually is a mutant with a powerful perception warping ability. He uses this power, his strong mind, and his knowledge of psychiatry and psychology to manipulate anyone and everyone into seeing whatever he wants them to see.
Have to make a comment about the ending music.
"Something's Always Wrong" just became Ben Reilly's theme song.
The Traveller's companions look a lot like Psionex*, especially with that Mark Bagley art.
* New Warriors villains / allies. Whatevers.
"'insanity is the only sane response'
you're right, that is a pretty good line. it was also a good line when alan moore said it in the killing joke six years prior "
Yes, and I'm kinda surprised you didn't mention it, Linkara.
Reminds me of a book I read, where in it somebody wrote on a thesis they were marking 'This contains much that is original, and much that is good. Unfortunately, that which is original is not good, and that which is good is not original.'
It was the only good line in the book, and it was plagiarised.
BTW, 'Traveller' is a perfectly cromulent spelling - in the UK, and Australia.
Could you review Sins Past? Is that Spiderman storyline where he goes to Paris to meet the secret children of Gwen and Norman Osborn.
you may wish Ben Reilly is alive but one comic I would recommend to you is Scarlet Spider. Kaine Parker has been growing into his own character and Chris Yost is definitely bring the postive aspect of the clone saga. It's good story with good art for the first 6 issues by Ryan Stegman and you see Kaine who used to be a cold blooded killer growing into a likible hero. and it takes place in Houston and his supporting cast is interesting.
In the opening sequence, I count Batman 3-D, Duke Nukem Glorious Bastard, Street Fighter: The Battle For Shadoloo, Gold Key's Happy Days #2, Raver #1, Metal Bikini #2 (Academy Comics series), Popples #3, WWF: Wait Till I Get My Hands On..., Street Poet Ray, NFL SuperPro Special Edition, TMNT Meet The Conservation Corps, Thunderstrike #1, Ravage 2099 #1, California Raisins 3-D #5, James Bond Jr. #7.
Lewis I believe you mean Battle Royale, since that's what the picture rips off when you say "hunger games rip off" http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3367607808/tt0266308
I'm a little late to the response party but I just had to say that I loved this episode of AT4W! That "Mysterior" guy was hilarious! The only thing missing
was a Fedora--you guys DID mean to allude to other Ditko characters like The Question and Mr.A? Of course you did! I'm surprised no one else noticed it--unless I missed a comment or three!
Hope to see more of him in future "Skewered Spidey" sequences!
(He also kinda reminds me of Alec Baldwin's pathetic "Shadow" portrayal!)
I dunno about the Ben Riley as Spidey thing. I recently re-read the original "Groan Saga" and found that it was a great story way-back-when but I just couldn't get behind the idea of having him "replace" Parker. That would have been a deal breaker for me then as OMD has now become.
SPIDER-MAN has become like DICK TRACY to me--a strip that's still being published but its greatness has long since passed. I recently celebrated his "50Th Anniversary" by reading the ESSENTIALS volume which reprinted the first Spider-Man stories I ever read (from the mid-70s, as mentioned above) and that's how I get my "Spidey-fix" these days.
I understand the JMS stories may be back in "canon"-- does this mean that OMD was reversed? Or are they still playing the "These stories happened but without the marriage" B.S.-game?
aahh, Marvel--the givers who keep on giving--even when you don't want them to!
ENDNOTE: Maybe it's just me but this "Judas Traveller" character looks like someone gave The Stranger a frequent shopper card to URBAN OUTFITTERS!
-LEADER DESSLOK-
Nice take that to the idea of a pointless mysterious character. If anybody wants to see a case of an all-powerful being trying to understand humanity done right, try checking out Persona 4 (maybe an LP because it's a hard game) or it's excellent anime adaption.
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