Atop the Fourth Wall

- Season 8

(2015)

More All-Star Crazy Steve. In today's issue, Linkara suffers through a battle of (dim)wits between Steve and Green Lantern.

Linkara reads another Godzilla comic. Godzilla attacks Japan, while Rodan terrorizes Russia and Anguirus spreads mayhem in Mexico, and the world leaders are too powerless, and clueless, to stop them.

Is the subject of teen romance in comics dead? According to Trouble #1, yes. Yes, it is. Linkara reviews a romance comic penned by Kick-Ass writer Mark Millar, that details four teens going off for the summer to "lose it."

Linkara reads more Comic Book Quickies. Today's mish-mash of madness includes Spider-Man slinging Hostess fruit pies, Johnny West pushing Acme boots, a young woman looking for love in all the wrong places, and Spidey once again leading the fight in a battle between good and cream-filled.

When they're not out saving the world from super-villains, the Justice League go around town lecturing people on proper energy consumption, conservation and preserving our environment by any means necessary. In other words, it's another edition of PSA Hell. This one brought to us by our friends at Con Edison. Linkara finds the whole thing energy draining.

That's right, folks. It's time for Linkara to review Youngblood #7, and there's no turning back now. This exciting, edge-of-your-seat romp features Shaft having gluttonous dreams, Badrock hitting the ski slopes and Troll showing off his 24-pack in the shower.

Linkara begins his retrospective of ROM, the toy-turned-comic-superhero epic about a robot warrior who wanders the universe for 200 years before arriving on earth, with the first 40 issues of the short-lived metallic hero's saga. Meanwhile, Pollo gets a new voice.

Linkara continues his little ROM-trospective, by showcasing the final 34 issues, featuring our robotic hero defending earth from the Dire Wraiths, a species of shape-shifting aliens who wreak untold havoc on the masses. But he won't be going at it alone. A distress call is put out, and the gang is all here.

A short time ago on a green couch not-so-far away, Linkara reviewed the comic adaptation of George Lucas' very early draft of Star Wars. General Skywalker is pitted against Darth Vader without a mask and the Emperor without a cloak. Weird and nonsensical, but he doesn't have a bad feeling about this.

Linkara reviews the final issue of Batman: Jazz, a nonsensical comic trilogy in its own right. In this one, the Caped Crusader continues his quest to investigate the attempt on jazz musician Blue Byrd's life. The genre of jazz itself depends on it.

Hilarious hijinks and important life lessons are in full swing as Mister T goes up against a car theft ring.

Linkara reviews a request comic from a series that pays homage to the Gold and Silver Age of comics. This one is about Dr. Fang, a nefarious Nazi vampire banished to America, where he wreaks untold havoc. Only the unadulterated, champion of justice, known only as Protoplasman, a man comprised entirely of protoplasm, can stop him.

Another request comic today, featuring a lost race of early humans whose story was apparently left out of the Bible. For you see, they are a race of vampires. They existed in secret for centuries, until one day, they came across a selfish teenager and made him one of them.

In a slight change of pace, but going with his current vampire theme, Linkara reviews a video game. A vampire RPG that puts the player right in the middle of the terrifying action of a battle between vampires and anarchists.

Linkara looks at an Elseworlds Teen Titans comic. He finds that because it is an Elseworlds comic, it has nothing to do with the established Teen Titans. It's an Anime comic that takes place in a strange world full of self-awareness, clichés, cyborgs, explosions, giant asteroids and scientific mumbo-jumbo jargon straight from Dr. Insano's wet dreams.

After chasing away a slew of convention cameos, Linkara kicks off another PSA Hell. This one featuring that photosynthesized femme fatale: Poison Ivy. She teams up with Dr. Jason Woodrue, who broke her out of Arkham, and has a diabolical plan of conquering the world by way of marijuana.

This batch of comic shorts consists of an Aquaman story in which he does absolutely nothing and there's a buried treasure of Hostess Twinkies. Then, Indiana Jones and his junior token sidekick encounter a strange temple that is said to be doomed; and finally, Captain America rescues Nick Fury from the Trapster by bribing him with Hostess Fruit Pies.

Orange sales have decreased dramatically in Florida. In fact, it's such a big deal that Marvel decided to release a PSA comic about it in which the Avengers join forces with Captain Citrus, an all powerful being that can shoot sunbeams from his eyes but has little to do with citrus, to battle an invasion of androids.

Worlds collide as two of Linkara's favorite franchises, Star Trek and Doctor Who, come together in an eight comic mini-series. The battle for both time and space is on as Linkara reviews all crazy eight issues while dispersing his vast knowledge of the Starfleet crews, the 12 Doctors and especially, the Cyber Men.

Because the fans won't stop giving him good comics to review, Linkara must abide by today's request: a comic strip, as opposed to a book, entitled My Cage. The story is essentially Dilbert if he were a platypus...and had a personality.

Linkara reviews a bizarre Punisher story in which Frank Castle gets the reverse Michael Jackson treatment and looks like a black man, then he teams up with Luke Cage to try and stop an impending gang war.

Linkara continues the story of Luke Cage and a black Punisher hit the streets to stop a violent gang war. Then it becomes an action-adventure, superhero version of The Odd Couple in which Cage is the moralistic hero who won't kill, and Frank Castle is the vigilante with nothing to lose, and this causes endless bickering between them.

May the farce be with you as Linkara looks at a Steam Wars comic. What's Steam Wars, you might ask? It's like Star Wars, only with steam.

For his 350th episode, Linkara finally gets around to talking about a comic artist that's been a thorn in his side for some time: Greg Land, tracer extraordinaire. Linkara reviews his Ultimate Power series that features Marvel's top heroes and universes almost literally collide.

Ask and ye shall receive. Linkara's dedicated and semi-loyal Patreon sponsors have requested he review a web comic. Not very partial to that particular medium, Linkara fulfills their request anyway and looks at Homestuck, Act 1. It's unlike any comic he's ever reviewed before, because this one is interactive.

Linkara's Patreon sponsors provide him with another good comic, but a very strange one. It follows the adventures of Atomic Robo, a man with the body of a robot, created by the great Nikola Tesla, as he, along with Charles Fort and Carl Sagan attempt to stop H.P. Lovecraft's mutated monster from devouring the entire world.

This month, Linkara looks at a mini-series that shows what it would be like if Mr. Marvel himself, Stan Lee, created the DC Universe. Today, it's his version of Superman: a man named Salden who battles terrorists in a far away galaxy, but when he winds up on earth to find his lover's killer, he finds he's developed some form of enhanced super powers.

So, how would Stan Lee alter Batman's back-story? Well, as Linkara finds out in this week's comic, the Dark Knight started out as Wayne Williams, an upstanding citizen whose father was killed by gangsters, and he finds himself framed for armed robbery and sent to prison. While in stir, Wayne befriends bats, bulks up, stops a riot and is pardoned, and after hearing his mother died of natural causes, Wayne starts his life anew by creating a bat costume, taking up wrestling and becoming a rich sellout.

So, Stan the Man, what would Wonder Woman be like if you created her? Well, when Linkara reviews his version, he discovers Wonder Woman started out in South America as a young girl named Maria Mendoza. She witnesses her father being murdered by a greedy land developer, and then stumbles upon ruins of an ancient civilization. Hidden within the ruins is a golden staff that gives her magical powers.

After seeing how Stan the Man would have created Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, Linkara closes out the month by seeing how he would've done The Flash differently: as a young girl named Mary Maxwell whose father is a naive, semi-mad scientist wanted by an evil organization for his formula on time travel. How does Mary get her powers? Some mysterious fog out at sea and a huge dose of humming bird DNA.

Never to be one to shy away from breaking format, especially when his semi-loyal Patreon sponsors demand it, Linkara reviews a few episodes from the Japanese TV series that spawned his biggest obsession - er, his favorite show and heroes of all time, The Power Rangers.

Time for more adventures of the Tandy Computer Whiz Demon Spawn. Today's tale is a step backwards, and not just in human evolution, for this is the second comic published about Alec and Shanna, in which they band together to stop terrorism...and sell Tandy Computers, making Linkara wanna crash.

More Trouble for Linkara. Those four delightful teens from the last issue have finally had sex, or rather 2 of them have, the other 2 are experiencing sexual frustrations as the girl is superstitious about not remaining celibate.

Linkara reviews a Pokémon Manga. Although he had sworn never to review a Manga, he is not someone to bite the hand that feeds him. Reburst, Chapter 1 is a cryptic, obscure Pokémon book with oddly-translated "Engrish" and is darker and more violent than the usual pocket monster adventures.

Returning to the New 52 upon request, Linkara looks at their line of "Villains Month" comics, highlighting all those intriguing D.C. super-villains the readers are always fascinated with. Today's comic is about Relic, a somewhat new Green Lantern villain.

Hope everybody got their Youngblood's Disease shots because Linkara is going to review another Youngblood comic. This isn't part of the main series, it's actually a sub-series. Issue #1 features a powerful, diabolical madman named Giger, who takes over a space station orbiting Earth, and only a ragtag group of weird superheroes can save the day.

Picking up where the last issue left off, U.S. had just finished a race with Baron Von Blimp with a blimp versus a truck. Now he's in another race, this time against another truck, being driven by Ulysses' old flame Taryn. The race takes him to a maze full of natural disasters, up to and including beings from another world.

A long time ago from a comic publisher not far enough away came The Star Wars #2, and the Force is not strong with this one. Picking up where the last one left off, General Luke Starkiller sends his son Annikin to pick up Princess Leia, and when he does, he punches her because he's a dick. Also, R2 and C-3PO show up and the little droid actually talks. Outside of all that and an awkward space battle, it's nothing to shake a gaffi stick at.

Linkara reviews a comic featuring Power Man and Iron Fist, and it's basically the genres of blaxploitation and kung-fu getting into a head-on collision. Who requested this, the Cinema Snob? The story features our heroes investigating some mysterious occurrences going on backstage of a Broadway theater, featuring robots, time travel and an unexpected connection to the franchise of a famous time lord. Can you guess Who?

One, Two, Linkara's coming for you. That's right, he's reviewing issues #1 and 2 of Nightmares on Elm Street to welcome the Halloween season. This series serves as a prequel to the film Freddy's Dead, and hints at a possible connection between Freddy Krueger and Jack the Ripper.

Three, Four, lock'em behind a door. Linkara continues his nightmarish quest through Nightmares on Elm Street with issues 3 and 4. It's three years later, and everything from issues 1 and 2 has been rendered totally irrelevant. Don't ya hate it when that happens? This time around, Freddy is stalking Alice once again, and it turns out her son Jacob is clairvoyant, which they hope they can use against the Christmas-sweater wearing psycho. Meanwhile, Linkara seems to be trapped in a nightmare himself...while he's still awake.

Five, Six, what a bizarre mix. Linkara concludes his 3-part look at Freddy's venture into comics with Nightmares on Elm Street issues 5 and 6. Alice goes into the dreamworld to confront Freddy in order to save her son, while Divonne tries to kill Dr. Gordon. Thankfully, Nancy comes to save the day. While Freddy may have been defeated in the comics, he jumps out to terrorize Linkara in a living nightmare. The two engage in a battle of wits and magic. Who will successfully outdo the other?

Linkara wakes up after a long sleep, and a battle of wits with Freddy Krueger, in time to celebrate his 7th anniversary. And of course, the Spider-Man Clone Saga is further explored to mark the occasion. The real Spider-Man finally stands up and starts anew the Skarlett Spider.

Secret Origins Month 2015 begins with the story of Green Arrow. In this harrowing implausible first adventure, the green-clad archer and his sidekick Speedy (Roy Harper) set out to stop a killer who murders those who share surnames with famous historical figures.

Linkara explores the secret origin of Daredevil: the man without fear. Though blind, his other senses are heightened, making him a force to be reckoned with. By day, he's Matt Murdock, a well-ready attorney. How he got to this point is a very strange, yet intriguing tale as only Stan the Man could deliver.

Where did Supergirl come from? There are so many issues about her origins, her relationship to Superman, so many stories going in so many directions it's caused huge rifts in the DC universe. But Linkara believes he's found the true origin story of The Supergirl from Krypton. She's Superman's cousin, having survived Krypton's destruction through convoluted means and was sent to Earth by her parents, only to be discovered by Superman who dumps her at the orphanage.

Secret Origins Month 2015 closes out with the origin story of a villain: Black Widow. Back in the Golden Age, Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Claire Voyant, was an agent of evil sent to destroy Iron Man who threatens their plans for a top secret laser.

Linkara and his friends embark on a mission to Jupiter to save a manned spacecraft that has lost communication with Earth.

Comicron One finds the Caelestis in a debris field. But what looks like a slightly abnormal accident quickly escalates into a full-on battle as Linkara is reunited with an old enemy, who has nefarious plans for the crew.

With the ship damaged and supplies depleting, Linkara and the crew decide to head for the Eexecutor's abandoned base on Europa. Mechakara heads that way too, determined to eliminate Linkara once and for all, while on board Comicron One, the hat-wearing comic reviewer is experiencing an existential crisis from which his friends need to snap him out if they are all to survive.

After a brief battle with Mechakara in the Europa base, Linkara finally begins to get a grasp on his true lot in life.

In the explosive finale, Comicron One engages in a firefight with Caelestis, but manage to rescue the assimilated crew before the ship explodes. Then they all join Linkara down on Europa to engage in a showdown with Mechakara. An epic fight to the finish. To prove once and for all, who is a MAN.

We're in for a treat today, because not only is Linkara reviewing his first proper Deadpool comic, but Brute Force is back. Worlds are gonna collide, and it's gonna be seriously funny.

December is here, but before Linkara can properly deck the halls with howls of folly, the Powers That Be (his Patreon sponsors) implore him to review a Japanese visual novel. It's all kinds of wrong.

So many re-tellings of Charles Dickens' classic tale of A Christmas Carol, each with their own unique spin. Take Marvel for instance, who felt what this timeless story was missing was the undead. Join Linkara as he reads issues 1-3 of Zombies Christmas Carol - or The Walking Humbug.

Linkara resumes the zombie version of A Christmas Carol in which Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come - or will never come. The specter shows Scrooge a future in which zombies have taken over the world, as well as his whole house. The miser must learn to embrace Christmas and show good will to his fellow man in order to save the human race. Yep, just as Charles Dickens intended.

Linkara comes down with another case of "I should've said that" and looks back on 15 occasions when he reviewed a comic and wish he had inserted a joke, a meme or poignant observation. To close out 2015, Linkara looks back at the Top 15 Missed Opportunities of Atop the Fourth Wall. Why Top 15? He likes to go 5 steps beyond.