Cosmic Slam #1 - Atop the Fourth Wall

Welcome to Atop the Fourth Wall, where bad comics burn. In this episode, Linkara reviews a comic where baseball players battle aliens!
atopthefourthwa...
Originally uploaded September 29th, 2014.
ORIGINAL INFO: Take me out to the ball game… take me out to the- giant alien tree attacking?
RUMINATIONS: Nothing like ending the buildup to the finale with something utterly ridiculous and riffable. But then there’s our storyline bits! The bits with Pollo and Jaeris are of course to remind people that I hadn’t forgotten about the mission to get Jaeris home. And of course it was a convenient excuse to have a Pollo vs. Sierra scene. Transferring Pollo into his travel body also gave an opportunity to explain how Pollo’s multiple bodies worked for people in order to set up the finale. Stuff like this is also a way I try to have development - basically, they learn from the mistakes of previous storylines and figure out new “foolproof” systems. Pollo’s body died from a radiation leak? Well, now he can easily transfer himself into multiple bodies!

[@Smellbringer]

"They didn't even get gardeners, they got baseball players." Okay, now I want to see Cosmic Gardeners battling evil trees.

[@parkermaltbie8583]

Mark McGwire and a few other player were credited as saving baseball during the 1998 season where he and others chased the long standing single season home run record set by Roger Marris. Attendance had been decreasing for baseball for a while and this home run chase is credited for bringing fans back. McGwire ultimately set the record with 70 home runs.

[@MrZerothejedi]

Linkara: *Plays Space Jam and rubs temples.* Me: *Jams*

[@PolarPhantom]

It's nice to see they did a comic adaptation of Barkley Shut Up And Jam: Gaiden.

[@benjaminrubin2178]

10:18 Considering that he included both soccer AND baseball on that list, that means that basically every country is safe.

[@jfdrac]

Actually he never said Baseball ...he said our national pasttime which I think you will agree is no longer baseball but trolling

[@thomaspalazzolo5902]

"I don't know baseball, just nerdy trivia and star trek!" "Death to the opposition!"

[@conradojavier]

I AM NOT GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!

[@dumbumbumbum8649]

When you started making tree jokes, I was so hoping you'd fit a tree of might joke in there, and you did not disappoint

[@taekinuru2]

be-leaf it!

[@whiterabbit75]

He's not all bark.

[@Tareltonlives]

NOBODY RAPES CHRISTMAS!

[@daelen.cclark]

The secret origin of groot!

[@AndrewBullXandrew]

Still a better story then "Marville".

[@henryt3301]

+Andrew Bull (Xandrew) Please, anything is better than Marville. Except Holy Terror, of course.

[@KidSnivy69]

+Henry T What about Avengers #200?

[@thomasjenkins7506]

+Henry T how about the superman/big barda rape comic?

[@henryt3301]

Thomas Jenkins Considering I've been reading Jack Kirby New Gods... that one is worse.

[@whatiftherewasanun]

Me eating at Taco Bell and then taking a crap is a better story than Marville.

[@TheHeroOfTomorrow]

COME ON AND SLAM!

[@Santoryu90]

AND WELCOME TO THE JAM!

[@TheHeroOfTomorrow]

HEY! YOU! WHATCHA GONNA DO?!

[@1505627]

NAH-NAH NAH-NAH

[@CX462]

Party people in the house lets go.

[@MegaDeathRay10]

If you can't jam with the best, slam like the rest

[@Nintendon85]

Am I the only one who unironically enjoys Space Jam? It had it's faults, but it was still pretty fun.

[@mitchfletcher2386]

No, I also genuinely enjoyed Space Jam.

[@Arsio12]

I don't know why, but I always love to see how you put down the comic. It speaks volumes more about how you feel about the comic than when you outright say your overall thoughts. Actions speak louder than words and all that.

[@CodecrafterArtemis]

15:15 - "You're rich, buy an army!"

[@thegayghost872]

And he would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling baseball players.

[@jojothebard6687]

+Andrew Addams And your stupid laser bats.

[@henryt3301]

+Joseph Mayes “The Bard” Atomic Bats*

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

"The joke about Mark Maguire doing steroids?" That's not so much as a joke as a thing that happened.

[@papabearlives9995]

Yes it was I think all the players mentioned in this were accused of steroid use . Sosa was implied he used them McGuire was definitely proven and basically baseball had a shadow over it for the next 5 years.

[@bwminich]

A Star Wars joke about the Death Star on the day when a movie about getting the Death Star plans? WHAT WERE THE CHANGES!

[@jayarby8494]

The tree is altering the planet’s atmosphere? *ULTIMATE RICHARDS!*

[@ItsIntelligentDesign]

I could honestly watch a 10 minute video of Linkara confusedly spitballing baseball jokes

[@e1iteyoshi998]

I think this comic is making me appreciate Space Jam even less. I say that because it's possible that Space Jam could've turned into something like this.

[@TheGollddMAN]

+Frankie Reese But then doesn't that mean that this comic makes Space Jam *more* appreciable since it *didn't* turn into this? Your two sentences are oxymorons! How the hell did the 8 people upvote your comment not notice this? Your sentences make completely different meanings when they are read like this.

[@sharkhammr]

+A GollddMAN unless Frankie thinks this comic's premise is better than Space Jam's.

[@e1iteyoshi998]

rumdumconundrum Yes that's it.

[@Tareltonlives]

No, this is worse than Space Jam

[@Tareltonlives]

I remember the McGuire -Sosa contest, and I remember Sosa giving my dad and grandpa hope of the Cubs actually winning anything. That's pretty much it, although I think I got that Shortstop Squad comic once at a game.

[@Moonbeam143]

This reminds me of that one episode of "The X-Files" with the alien that fell in love with baseball.

[@williampalkow5108]

I like that episode.

[@ninjagregshow9423]

8:28, holy crap, it is the tree of might

[@Tareltonlives]

Because BASEBALL PLAYERS are the best counter to Evil Alien Ents. Oh god, I'm getting Pro Stars flashbacks

[@Tareltonlives]

At least these guys are trying to reduce collateral damage.

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

I'm calling it before the reveal comes, the players are going to be expected to bat the seeds off their collision course. *twenty seconds later Called it.

[@Xhumed]

If it's a hardwood tree flamethrowers would be... less than ideal. Giant rampaging tree is preferable to giant flaming slow-burning rampaging tree. Doesn't explain why they wouldn't just use conventional explosives though...

[@plantainsame2049]

Probably because each of the chunks can become new trees

[@joe95883]

Funny story Linkara, There is really a Comic Adaptation of the Space Jam Movie, would be interesting to cover someday.

[@christopherb501]

*YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

[@joe95883]

@@christopherb501 I feel the same way, Space Jam was one of my Favourite movies along side Jurassic Park.

[@danmount9462]

McGwire and Sosa saved baseball after the strike that wiped out the 1994 season, Linkara.

[@jonahfalcon1970]

Baseball didn't need to be "saved". And how much saving did they do when brought in front of Congress, and Sosa started going "me no speaky English!" in front of them?

[@roguishpaladin]

@@jonahfalcon1970 It is certainly true that MLB attendance was down from 70 million attendees in 1993 to 50 million attendees in 1995. While there is some increase over the intervening years, only in 1998 do you see baseball return to 70 million attendees once more. So, yes, the MLB did need saving. Whether it was McGwire/Sosa or other effects which led to the return to health of MLB in the late 90s is a question for economists to debate, but you saying something doesn't make it true, Jonah.

[@jfdrac]

@@roguishpaladin In addition to attendance ratings also saw an increase due to the Chase

[@spookyrosev6467]

Am I the only one who thinks scientist lady looks like pre-insanity Harley Quinn?

[@isenokami7810]

Nice to see the radioactive line make a comeback.

[@RaphBlade7]

Linkara making a Tree of Might joke is on point given its almost the same plot, a seed is planted that will grow a tree which threatens all life on Earth! The Tree of Might is actually a divine tree that produces divine fruit but requires the energy of an entire planet. Thus, it is normally only reserved for deities such as Kais & Supreme Kais (possibly Gods of Destruction considering how destructive planting the tree on an inhabited planet like Earth can be, though some dubs mistakenly claim it is for the Eternal Dragon but in Japan its just Fruit for the gods of the Dragon Ball universe)! Mind you the tree in this is altering the atmosphere rather than draining energy (Goku was only able to destroy the Tree of Might by drawing energy from the tree itself to form a Spirit Bomb, as the tree had drained most of EARTH's energy)!

[@kalebsantos-felgenhauer1631]

Why didn't they call in lumber jacks or something

[@BobSpotOn]

They don't like the fact that he wears women's clothing while he hangs around in bars.

[@TheBlueSkyRanger]

On the Sam And Max -- Freelance Police animated series, there was an episode where Sam and Max use a giant robot to bat away a meteor that is about to strike the earth.

[@MaxMercuryAnonymous]

I'm surprised you didn't go for a "Little Shop" joke

[@isenokami7810]

The secret origins of the Tree of Mana. Be honest, it's a more reasonable explanation than the tree being the protagonist's mother.

[@shadowldrago]

"Is the Earth being threatened by aliens who want to play baseball?" I mean, that WAS the premise of the third arc of an anime, except with football. By which I mean DBZ style football with a lot of screaming, technique yelling, awesomeness and general awesome stupidity. I'm not making this up.

[@Shinbu1128]

Then Dragonball Super happened, where the fate of Earth actually DID hinge on a baseball game. Anime is weird.

[@darkhero-3097]

Why am I just NOW finding this video?

[@claytongoodman9323]

Mcguire did roids, but at the time he was doing it there was no explicit rule that it was illegal. that didn't come in till later, so, he pretty much got screwed on the hall of fame thing.

[@jonahfalcon1970]

hahaha. First, spell McGwire's name right. And he was juiced so much reporters said his testicles were the size of grapes.

[@therealHLY]

wood doesn't actually burn that fast, especially not hardwood - which one would assume a giant tree is. while it would no doubt take the tree monster out eventually, it would result in a giant burning rampaging tree monster that is also on fire and spreading said fire in the meantime which would probably be a bad thing XD

[@hiropisku1078]

So....in honor of Linkara, anyone up to say...A MAN OF STEEL DEBATE!!!

[@FuelDropforthewin]

*Debates Man of Steel, taking the position that Superman was actually a chipmunk in disguise.*

[@Smartalic10]

Every time I think I’ve seen every linkara review, there’s always one popping up. Awesome!

[@johnnygyro2295]

Linkara: "Someone call Goku, the Tree of Might is back." Me: "Funny enough, there was an episode of MAD where Goku became a baseball player, so that could work in hindsight." General: "Ever since Charles Barkely defeated Godzilla we've been recruiting sports players." Me: "We call it, the SLAM intiative!" 😁

[@naotatheendlessesper]

But next week is not october.... Unless.... Time is warped and space is bendable

[@mephilisthedarkelijahramat182]

5:29 my favorite joke since I love dragon ball also wow you referenced the tree of might

[@sesfilmsllc]

Just work that body work that body make sure you don’t hurt nobody.

[@dosbilliam]

Hey, Harvey actually took a puff for once. XD

[@legomaniac213]

That should have been the first sign that he had been replaced by an imposter.

[@robinfalkner-wedge824]

the best computers in the world couldn't calculate the exact approch trajectories..... How do you know where to put the baseball players to hit them then? actually, come to think of it, if you're hitting them back into space from the ground then i'm surprised they didn't have high accurasy lasers, make a hell of a lot more sense then hitting a meteorite without being knocked back at all (we saw the size of crater they made, you'd need to be standing on diamond to avoid sinking into the ground), Nice review though :P

[@bthsr7113]

How are there two comics starring baseball players wearing futuristic armor and armed with high-tech bats "corked with missiles" fighting against a threat from outer space centered around meteors and meteor delivered monsters, which break into little versions, and neutralizing said meteors with said missile-loaded bats while aided from a turncoat advance operative who gets to to play baseball with a bat made from the remains of the monsters? Differences in the one I remember: rock monsters instead of tree monsters, one missile per bat, I don't recall a traitor human working for the aliens, no theoretical ticking clock with the atmosphere being damaged, no back-up This is basically a rip-off of another baseball superhero comic, or it's the other way around. The fact that both of these comics are using such a bizarre, yet almost identical plot and concept is shocking.

[@jfdrac]

It wasnt a traitor human at 14:48 you can clearly see he is an alien wearing a human mask (hence the Old Man Smithers Scooby Joke

[@dukespubber741]

I think this was addressed back when the episode premiered, but yea, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire are credited with bringing MLB back to popularity after the then-latest labor strike.

[@dukespubber741]

God, there are SO many steroid jokes in that Mark McGuire opening scene. DJ Gallo would have a field day with that.

[@mewthebestt1751]

S-seeds? From space? OH HECKING FUCK IT'S LEGION SOMEONE CALL GAMERA!

[@CX462]

Speaking of Space Jam. Will you ever review the space jam comic book?

[@KidSnivy69]

+John Barry Why am I not surprised that's a thing?

[@IdeaBox-dk5vj]

+KidSnivy96 Because Cartoon Network has given the Looney Tunes some much-needed popularity directed towards 90's kids, thus allowing for, much like "The Little Mermaid", get a comic book dedicated to the film that was most likely published by DC Comics, in the case of Space Jam. Add in the fact that DC currently has a long-running Looney Tunes series still having new releases, and, judging by only one issue of the LT comic, the whole concept has potential to be turned into a series on the aforementioned Cartoon Network, with said series being quite akin to both "The Bugs Bunny Show" & "Animaniacs", and you could probably get why such an idea as a Space Jam comic book could exist at all.

[@SiRenfield]

And 5 years later….there’s also a comic version for the sequel….in 2021….when it’s in HBO Max….what the hell?

[@mhelvens]

[11:00] Nuclear reactor? "Atomic baseball bat" simply implies that the bat contains atoms. :-) Or, more likely, that the bat is made of a single, irreducible piece.

[@SpeedyEric1]

At least is sounds better than "Laser Bat."

[@andreworders7305]

He can tell where wood came from by looking at it? It's wood!

[@MrDman21]

And yes Linkara, Mark McGwire did do steroids. Jose Canseco wrote a book exposing all the baseball players that did them 😆

[@missyshrimp222]

Was this comic actually inspired by space jam?

[@jfdrac]

@@jekblom123 Nietzche maybe.....or possibly Sarte

[@nathanyou1899]

No clip of ace beating up Daleks with a bat? for shame

[@jfdrac]

We finally learn the Secret Origin of Negan.....also 5 years on and no SS Squad...I want my Cal Ripken Jr lol

[@Merit2397]

With the UFO landing in this comic, it makes me want to rewatch Men in Black II, (while some don't like it, it's a guilty pleasure for me personally) The Blob, plus it's 1988 remake, Creepshow 1982, and while I haven't seen them, watch Armagedón and Dragon ball.

[@Ihatemysis3]

The tree of might joke was perfectly timed because I'm playing dragon Ball

[@alexjewett7455]

Wait why did the ailiens try to alter the atmosphere if they can breathe on earth

[@AT4W]

They might be able to live off of it in the short-term, but it might impede their development or slowly poison them. Or while it's OKAY, the different atmosphere is preferable to earth's natural one.

[@adamo6250]

Personally that that song in this comic go hand in hand

[@firefly4f4]

Did a quick check, didn't see it, and sure it's an old episode... About McGuire saving baseball. The popularity of the sport in terms of attendance and TV ratings had declined significantly after a lockout in the mid nineties canceled half a season and part of another. McGuire and Samy Sosa battling for the home run crown and both breaking Roger Maris' record of 61 homers in a season is often credited with revitalizing interest in the major leagues. It was only later that the steroid issue came to light, but by then the ratings and attendance figures had recovered. So, that's what that line means.

[@SweetestSweden]

I'm not going to lie, I love how stupid this is, and it's nice seeing a childhood hero of mine swatting alien tree-comets. Happy hunting, Sammy Sosa.

[@thomasjenkins7506]

11:19 LOL, did they have sammy sosa comment on how his bat was corked?!? that's awesome.

[@lorddrayvon1426]

This is an outright Power Rangers ripoff. Mentor recruits unlikely heroes, gives them power armour, and has them fight aliens. To drive home the point, this came out in 1999 one year after the revitalisation of Power Rangers and the same year as Lost Galaxy.

[@asimplethievingbat5978]

Weird plant seeds from outer space that become monsters... can someone get me Krelborn on the line, pretty sure this is his wheel house.

[@Cartoonicus]

Holy crap! At 1:54 there's a picture of the YF-23. That hadn't even been released yet.

[@MrDman21]

I'd rather read this comic than watch Space Jam 2 again 🤣

[@bkachief]

Looks like the same people who made the Amazin' Mets comic back in 2000 for a giveaway at Shea Stadium.

[@TheSefirosu200x]

What does Captain Marvel have to do with aliens? SHAZAM!!!!!

[@ChigoIEbere]

TheSefirosu200x Marvel's Captain Marvel

[@TheSefirosu200x]

Kaiso25Aeon Yes, derp me.

[@26th_Primarch]

That's a YF-23 on the cover of Shortstop Squad!

[@joe95883]

Ahh you had to play the music, Space Jam is my favourite movie, No matter what the Nostalgia Critic says about it!

[@FinestFantasyVI]

+joseph barker Agreed! I love it!

[@andreworders7305]

The name isn't trying very hard to be different from Space Jam.

[@SpeedyEric1]

Screw everybody who thinks Space Jam is a terrible movie. 13:12- Fuck yes, there is. If Superman did nothing to stop General Zod from terraforming Earth, I think the whole place would be a lot messier than it actually got in the Supes/Zod fight. Oh, and the casualty rate would have gone up to billions of people instead of thousands.

[@BryanShadowbuck]

15:10 Oh My God! It's Mr. Bobby Bonilla Day himself, Bobby Bonilla! Also, It's pronounced Bon-ni-a. Not Bo-Nill-A, Linkara. What is Bobby Bonilla Day you ask? Well, On July 1st every year from 2011-2035, Bobby Bonilla will get $1,193,248.20 from the New York Mets because they wanted to kick the can down the road on paying him upon releasing him in 1999. Instead of giving him $5.9 million in 1999 for the final year on his contract, They've decided to repay him that over 25 payments at an 8% interest which will see him receive $29.8 Million for the season that he never played. I wish I could get a deal like his. XD

[@bkachief]

...Bonilla...that name draws ire from many a Mets fan...

[@clawz161]

He plays tf2, yet whenever he mentions the laser bat he never talks about the tf2 laser bat, odd.

[@FuelDropforthewin]

Noone cares about the laser bat. It's not a hat!

[@SorowFame]

clawz161 he plays TF2? Did he say that in an episode I haven't watched?

[@Viccatrix]

He did, we don't care cuz everyone does.. welcome to sports..

[@bryedtan]

I remember an episode in the X-FILES in which one of the shape changing aliens became enthralled with Baseball and later shpe shifted into an Africa American Baseball player caused he loved the sport and then when his Alien Invader compatriots found out decided to kill him after killing him though he dis not bleed green acide blood as usual and bleed red and it seems he evolved and became human is that where this comic got its idea??

[@darkrider2012]

hey Linkara i really love every single episode of your show and i was wondering if you could find and review a Might Morphin' Power Rangers/VR Trooper crossover comic and the comic Power Rangers: Turbo VS. Bettleborg Metallix.

[@HeirofAzaran]

What did you think of that review?

[@transylvani600]

Some should make a Live action prostars movie

[@faigan5]

The Shortstop Squad artwork looks familiar... Holy crap, was that drawn by Paul Pope?!

[@slayertakim1]

How do you get these comics..are some from fans or did you get most of them as a kid?

[@TheCinemaniac]

+slayertakim1 Some he already owns, some he buys and some he receives as donations from fans who request him to review them.

[@bebopcola2021]

+slayertakim1 I gave this one to him at a con! The honking trees are what got me.

[@Tareltonlives]

Still a better team name than the Ravagers

[@arcylano4912]

Comment Chain Game Time. Summarize the plot of the comic with one word per comment Baseball

[@jfdrac]

Aliens

[@Tareltonlives]

Space Jam or Man of Steel? Oooh, that's a tough choice between two awful movies. I'm going with Space Jam. Not quite as awful

[@SudokuBro]

I didn't know you smoked.

[@tolchok89]

I AM NOT GROOT!!

[@andreworders7305]

Sierra is robotic?

[@thebluePrincess5904]

"The remake is Rarely better than the original, " All the Pokémon remakes would like to differ.

[@kahelemaunamedeiros2329]

i like the original design of mew better then the remake

[@thebluePrincess5904]

+Kahelemauna Medeiros k

[@dukespubber741]

+Kahelemauna Medeiros Original original or redone original?

[@MykiiMescal]

The Pokemon remakes are mostly remastered versions of the original

[@SorowFame]

The Blue Knight 590 he said rarely, not never.

[@syedyahyaabbaskazmi1904]

my god 15:00 a persona 5 reference before persona 5 came out

[@ultra6671]

Hey Linkara, can you do a Top 15 Best Comic Book Covers

[@pieridae-official]

0:17 - 0:24

[@adrianrokokujundzic7975]

Where DID you get your copy, Linkara?

[@bebopcola2021]

+Adrian Roko Kujundzic MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE (sorry, just really happy to see this!) ^__^

[@adrianrokokujundzic7975]

***** haha well i guess we have to thank you for this review :)

[@heidifedor]

This plot is dumber that the Quik’s Bunny/Superman comic.

[@elijahblechman8633]

Reverse lost media.

[@andreworders7305]

They should have called Ted Turner, not baseball players!

[@declansheehan1768]

"Mark McGwire doing steroids?" Did anyone else think he said Markiplier at first?

[@135mikerules23]

First! Oh wait no ever fricken cares lets just watch the video we came for!

[@andreworders7305]

2:47 that one looks kind of racist