History AtopTheFourthWall / TropesQToZ

* SoBadItsGood:[[invoked]] [[InUniverse As Linkara says]], Snowflame is either the worst villain ever created or the ''awesomest'' villain ever created. He seems to have a soft spot for this trope, treating these occasions as highlights of the comics he reviews. As far as Linkara is concerned, ''ComicBook/BruteForce'' is the "epitome" of SoBadItsGood.

* UpToEleven: Linkara has said that his video personality is his normal personality with this applied.

** His intro to ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' comic review has one at WebVideo/RedLetterMedia.

* RantInducingSlight: [[spoiler:Lian Harper's death, on the heels of her father's near-fatal maiming]] in ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueCryForJustice''. Despite everything else wrong with the comic, it is this specific moment that makes him hate it and subsequently ruins [[spoiler:all previous appearances of Lian]] for him, especially since [[spoiler:Lian's a {{Muggle}} supporting character, making her death the least likely to be retconned]].

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* SoOkayItsAverage: In-universe, his opinion of the ''[[ComicBook/StreetFighterMalibuComics Street Fighter]]'' comic.

* StrangledByTheRedString: Linkara was extremely critical in-universe of the relationship between Comicbook/{{Superman}} and Franchise/WonderWoman in ''ComicBook/JLAActOfGod''.

** In his retrospective of the ''Comicbook/BlueBeetle'' legacy, he said that Dan Garrett's [[ButNotTooBlack very white-looking]] love interest from Egypt resembled the kind of Egyptian you'd only see in an Creator/AlexProyas [[Film/GodsOfEgypt movie]].
** He takes a couple jabs at the Trump administration, such as saying he misses the times when ComicBook/LexLuthor being [[PresidentEvil president]] was unbelievable.

* ThemeInitials: How awesome a coincidence is it that a FandomVIP comic book reviewer happens to have the initials "L.L", which are so famously associated with {{Superman}}? (Bonus: He's also a big Superman fan.)

** While many criticized the ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'' [[Film/{{Watchmen}} movie]] for being too close to the source material, Linkara initially panned it in-universe for the few things they changed, like [[spoiler:Ozymandias' plan changing from an "alien invasion" to blowing up energy reactors and framing Dr. Manhattan]] and his belief that the ending was more upbeat than ambiguous. However, he eventually did acknowledge that the movie was still very good despite the changes and mentions that he made the first review too soon after having seen the movie. Whenever Linkara ''does'' complain about something being changed, he gives a good reason about ''why'' it sucks other than "it's different", or "they changed the status quo".

** For his 600th episode, he's forced to change what he's reviewing, so he randomly grabs something off the shelf behind him. Said comic happens to be ''[[ComicBook/JMSSpiderMan Spider-Man: Sins Past]]'', and then he realizes just ''what'' he grabbed, saying "Oh, God damn it!"

* TitleSequence: ''Atop the Fourth Wall'' has an opening sequence composed of assorted clips from previous reviews combined with [[LockAndLoadMontage video of Linkara putting on his signature clothing and preparing for the review]]. There have been three montages created for the sequence, with the replacement using updated and newer clips that were created in the time since the first montage was produced. The sequence includes a theme-tune composed specifically for the series by Vincent E.L. and background graphics by [=NagyMarci=]. Throughout the sequence, numerous comics are visible, primarily bad comics that are reviewed and featured on the show, but occasionally, it will feature portions of Linkara's house that are not normally seen in the show, including his personal collection of comics (presumably ''good'' comics). The three series displayed cover-to-camera and easily identifiable are ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', ''Comicbook/TheAvengers'' and ''ComicBook/BoosterGold'' (presumably the collection of Booster Gold's first series that Linkara mentioned in his ''Act of God'' review).

-->'''Linkara:''' If there’s a single story that has hung over this show since the first episode, it’s ''Comicbook/OneMoreDay''.
-->(This is followed by nineteen clips of Linkara referencing/talking/complaining/raging about ''Comicbook/OneMoreDay'', which wraps up with him looking at an image of the book and growling ''”I hate you!”'')

* VisualPun: In his ''Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk #1'' video, he briefly stops talking about the comic to deliver a rant directed at comics writer/illustrator Tony Harris, calling him out for his sexist remarks about female cosplayers in late 2012. After the rant ends, Linkara notices he seems to be sitting on something. The item turns out to be a literal soapbox.

---> '''Linkara:'''...Okay, what the hell. Let's review [[spoiler:''[[ComicBook/OneMoreDay One More Day]]'']].

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent:
** "Ninja-style dancing".
** "We now interrupt our regularly scheduled piece of crap comic to show a bit from ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail''. You'll thank me later!" (From his Bimbos in Time review)
** Harvey Finevoice and 90's Kid are definitely not the easily-frustrated analytical comic book nerd type, as you could probably tell from their guest reviews of ''Anita Blake: The Laughing Corpse'' #1 and #2 and ''Freak Force'' #1. Liz, while a lot closer in reviewing style to Linkara, is still definitely not "Linkara with boobs".
** "And now, a public service announcement from... '''''SNOWFLAME!!!!!!!'''''"
** A few of the Patreon-requested reviews are not for comic books at all. The ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' review is for a video game, the ''ComicStrip/MyCage'' review is for a comic strip, ''VisualNovel/DengekiStryker'' is a visual novel, and he's also looked at a few episodes from ''Franchise/SuperSentai'', notably the Burai arc from ''[[Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger Zyuranger]]'' and the first episodes of ''[[Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger Gokaiger]]''.

* StealthPun: "Pollo" is Spanish for "chicken"...So in other words Linkara's RobotBuddy is a WesternAnimation/RobotChicken.

* RapidFireComedy: A relatively new trick whenever something truly baffling or ridiculous pops up that Linkara can craft multiple jokes for. The first example was in ''Comic Book Quickies #10,'' and also appears in the ''ComicBook/TheTransformers'' Retrospective, ''[[Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse Star Trek #9 (Gold Key)]]'', and the infamous [[MemeticMutation Grandma's Peach Tea]] scene in ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice''.

* SoOkayItsAverage: In-universe, his opinion of the ''[[ComicBook/MalibuComicsStreetFighter Street Fighter]]'' comic.

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: He was NOT happy about this happening to Lian Harper in ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueCryForJustice''.

** He does this in his review of ''Justice League: Cry For Justice'', regarding [[spoiler: [[StuffedIntoTheFridge Lian Harper's death.]]]] It's... unsettling.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Considers ''ComicBook/{{Trouble}}'' and ''ComicBook/TheNew52FuturesEnd'' to be ones to ''Marville'' and ''Countdown'' respectively - in fact, during 2018[[note]]where each non-Patreon review was a follow-up to a previous episode[[/note]] he explicitly chose ''Futures End''[[note]]his 500th review[[/note]] as the followup to ''Countdown'' ''because'' of this reason.

** It then comes back in a few isolated later episodes, such as ''Youngblood'' #7 (when he freaks out at the sight of Troll showering) and the 500th episode, ''The New 52: Future's End'' (when, at the end of the story, he learns that [[YouCantFightFate Brother Eye is still in control of the dark future]], and thus, the events of the 48 comics in the series were AllForNothing).

** In-universe [[InvertedTrope inversion]]: Danny Chase, regarded as one of the most hated ComicBook/TeenTitans members, happens to be Linkara's ''favourite superhero of all time''. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer He's not even kidding.]]

* WhatAnIdiot: Linkara points out in-universe that the best solution two scientists can think of to restrain an easily manipulable, NighInvulnerable super robot is to chain him up rather than disassembling him or fortifying him against enemy radio signals.

* SmallReferencePools: [[spoiler:The Entity being revealed for being Missingno]] That thing is actually one of the safest glitch Pokémon. Fans have hacked the first generation's code to see that there are a lot more dangerous glitch Pokémon out there.
** He doesn't seem aware of, or interested in, comics outside of superheroes, though he's thankfully branched out more with the Longbox of the Damned segments.
*** Since 2015, his Patreon-funded reviews usually make him take a look at things he would not review, watch, play or read otherwise.
** Linkara later said in a comment that [[spoiler:"You have so many names" is meant to reference the other glitch Pokémon. So the Missingno that appears in Atop the Fourth Wall [[CompositeCharacter represents ''every'' glitch Pokémon]].]]
** In his commentary of ''Pokemon: The Electric Tale of Pikachu'', he states that he's aware of the other glitches in the game; [[spoiler: he chose Missingno because it fit the best with his CosmicHorrorStory arc.]]

** A minor one springs up in "15 Things That Are Wrong With Identity Crisis", when discussing ComicBook/{{Firestorm}}[[spoiler:'s death]] after he got stabbed through the chest with a sword:

* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Pointed out in his review of Spider-Man, ComicBook/{{Storm}}, and [[ComicBook/LukeCageHeroForHire Cage]]. We already have Spider-Man and Luke Cage working to get the track star to stop smoking, and Spider-Man decides that they need a mega powerful member of the X-Men who can bring a massive storm down on your head to help them out too. As he pointed out, "Geez, overkill much, Spidey?!"

* RealityEnsues: When Lewis and Viga moved into a new house, Lewis used this to explain the new place InUniverse: as it turns out, when super villains and creatures are constantly attacking you at home, people aren't going to want you to live their building, so the landlord hiked up the price of Linkara's rent, forcing him to move out.
** Same thing happens the second time they move (this time due to a botched test of the security systems that resulted in a self-destruct sequence): since that house was a rental, word spread about the shenanigans Linkara gets into, so now no one will let him rent, so he and Viga had to buy a house, under the former's name, since it's gotten to the point that no one trusts him with a loan.
** The movie shows that the US government did not just overlook the fact that a private citizen just so happens to have an alien warship armed with advanced weaponry in orbit, and initially wanted to have him taken out and try to claim the ship for themselves. The only reason that didn't happen is that Allen realized that Linkara frequently takes care of problems they have no understanding of themselves and it was more pragmatic to leave him to deal with them than try to interfere.
** In the 2020 year-end recap Allen releases a scathing TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to President Trump after putting up with him for four years. Of course, he's fired for ranting at his boss, pointing out his various character flaws and his failures during the COVID pandemic. But Allen's pretty blasé about it, treating it like he's on holiday for the next month until Joe Biden is sworn in.

** As with the AprilFoolsDay ''WebVideo/HistoryOfPowerRangers'' review of the revision of ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', he kicked himself for forgetting Scorpina in his original ''[=HoPR=]'' review of ''MMPR'' Season 1 in his Patreon-sponsered review of ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger'' when her ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' counterpart Lamy is introduced.

* TakeThatUs: ''Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers #1'' has a scene early on where Mechakara starts ranting about how horrible Linkara's voice is, describing as a cat dying. He insults Linkara's voice again in WebVideo/ToBoldlyFlee.

** The current page quote for this is from his review of ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueCryForJustice'', noting he thought the idea of Congorilla fighting robots was a better premise that the actual story of a "proactive" League. Given the quotes page for the subject, he also thought the idea of Captain America and Thor fighting in Hel was a better idea than the main plot of the series that gave us that scene, ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}''.

* ThemeTuneCameo: Ever since getting his own theme song, he is prone to humming or singing a few lines behind the scenes.

* RearrangeTheSong: Starting with ''Maximum Clonage'', his theme song was given a fuller orchestration and better production.

* ShockingSwerve:[[invoked]] Who is the master mind behind ''Amazons Attack''? [[MemeticMutation GRANNY GOODNESS!!!]]
** He has this feeling towards [[spoiler: Bob's FaceHeelTurn]] in ''Countdown to Final Crisis''.
** Has since become one of his staple running gags.

** In his review for ''ComicBook/ThePunisherPurgatory'', he argued that the idea of the Punisher dying and coming back with as an undead avenger with supernatural weapons in and of itself is not a bad idea -- if it was more akin to the ''ComicBook/TheCrow'' and thus while Frank has supernatural weapons, he was still dealing with ordinary criminals and ''maybe'' even some people who wielded ''some'' magic, as opposed to what the story actually did with having Frank fight demons [[spoiler:and retcon that until that point, Frank was an unwitting pawn of one himself the whole time.]]