Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2243

The Phoenix Returns For JEAN GREY In New Ongoing Series

Happy weekend to all you comics fans out there, and welcome to the first Comics Relief of the last month of 2016. In today’s edition, we have even more X-Men ResurrXion news, as one of the original mutants steps into her own ongoing series at last. Read on for all the details!

Marvel reveals creative team, details on Jean Grey solo series

This week, Marvel Comics has been releasing details on all their new X-Men titles that are hitting the “refresh” button due to ResurrXion. The latest is Jean Grey, who along with Iceman, is getting her first self-titled solo series.

For fans hoping this would be a literal resurrection, I hate to break it to you, but the adult Jean Grey is remaining dead. Instead, this series will focus on the time-displaced teenage Jean Grey, who is now becoming aware of her Phoenix potential. The creative team on the series is writer Dennis Hopeless and artist and artist Victor Ibanez.

In a statement, Hopeless said “It’s a sort of trials of Hercules story. Jean gets a premonition of sorts. She’s told the Phoenix is back in play and that the Earth is doomed unless Jean Grey can step up. Unfortunately, the Jean Grey we have is a wildly unprepared teenager. Our Jean needs to level up in a hurry. She needs to step into those huge shoes and become the full grown badass we all know she will eventually. So… she straps in and heads out to get some life experience.”

The writer also says he wants to bring in other Phoenix-related characters into the series “I have a Post-It note on my laptop with this growing Phoenix list: Quentin Quire? Hope Summers? Rachel? The Phoenix Five? I’m not 100% sure who we’ll use or how exactly, but that’s definitely part of the plan.” Jean Grey #1 will debut in spring 2017. [CBR]

Weapon X to feature Marvel’s deadliest mutants

Jean Grey isn’t the only X-Men series with details getting revealed today; as part of ResurrXion, Marvel has announced the creative team for their new Weapon X series, which features an assortment of the deadliest killer mutants in the Marvel Universe. Weapon X will be written by Greg Pak with art from Greg Land, fresh off Uncanny X-Men.

The team line-up features Old Man Logan, Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, Domino, and Warpath as they work to take down a new Weapon X program which aims to exterminate mutants instead of turning them into living weapons, as they famously did in the past.

Writer Greg Pak explained. “And the powers and abilities of this new Weapon X threat are so terrifying that you need both heroes and villains teaming up to handle it. So get ready for a blockbuster thriller of a comic book with a brutal group of heroes and anti-heroes stretched to their limits in a battle for the survival of mutantkind. And of course, we’re going to have tons of fun as our heroes drive each other crazy along the way.” Weapon X will debut in the Spring of 2017. You can see teaser art for the series above. [Newsarama]

First wave of DC Rebirth books will be available to read free via Hoopla

Were you a reader who was intrigued by all the DC Rebirth hype, but never managed to pick up a title? Well, if you’re a user of Hoopla, the digital streaming service that is completely free for movies, music, ebooks, TV shows, and more, then you are in luck. Right now, the DC Universe Rebirth #1 special is available, and Hoopla has released a timetable for the rest of the books.

With Hoopla, subscriptions are available through public libraries which lets readers “borrow” the items digitally for a short temporary period. The library pays a fee, but the library member does not, it is free for the reader. You can see the Rebirth release timetable above. [Bleeding Cool]

January’s Batman issues get new story content

DC is altering their previously solicited plans for January’s Batman #14 and #15, changing the announced contents and making the issues a two-part story where Batman will decide “what to do” with Catwoman after recent events.

Here is DC’s new description of the issues: “How do you solve a problem like Selina Kyle? Is she a hero? Is she a villain? Can Batman and Catwoman ever really work things out?

The award-winning team of Tom King and Mitch Gerads (Sheriff of Babylon) bring you ‘Rooftops,’ a story in which Batman must decide once and for all what to do about Catwoman.” The two-part “Rooftops” arc begins in January 4’s Batman #14. You can see the cover image by Stephanie Hans above. [Newsarama]

Shutter to celebrate 25 issues, 25 years of Image Comics

Image Comics series, Shutter by Joe Keatinge and Leila del Duca, is getting ready to celebrate two milestones at the same time. First off, they are hitting issue #25, which just so happens to coincide with the actual 25th anniversary of Image Comics. To celebrate this convergence of events, Shutter will get a crossover, featuring several of Image Comics’ most popular characters from the past quarter century.

This very rare crossover event will feature Todd McFarlane’s Spawn, Rob Liefeld’s Glory, Marc Silvestri’s Witchblade, Erik Larsen’s Savage Dragon and Jim Valentino’s Shadowhawk. (Sadly, Wildcats had to sit this one out for obvious reasons). Robert Kirkman will be represented by his character Invincible.

Keatinge said in a statement “Image Comics is why I write comics. After a lot of soul-searching, I felt the best way to express my gratitude on the Image partners’ momentous anniversary is to unite our characters over eating eggs and drinking mimosas.” [CBR]

Jason Momoa Aquaman makes first DC Comics appearance in unlikely series

Valentine’s 2017: TEEN TITANS GO! #20 art features Jason Momoa & Amber Heard DC Films versions of Aquaman & Mera with famous DC couples! pic.twitter.com/jGgSC34fkb

— The Aquaman Shrine (@AquamanShrine) November 28, 2016

The Jason Momoa version of Aquaman and the Amber Heard version of his wife Mera are going to be making their comic book cover debut in the most unlikely of places. Nope, it’s not an issue of Aquaman or Justice League, but the the couple will appear in cutesy form on the cover of Teen Titans Go! of all things, for the Valentine’s Day issue in February. The couple was spotted by website The Aquaman Shrine, who tweeted it out. You can see their tweet with the cover image up above. [Bleeding Cool]

Valiant teases new X-O Manowar series for 2017

Valiant Comics‘ long running series X-O Manowar ended recently after 50 issues, but you all knew that was going to really be the end, right? Valiant has already confirmed a March release date for an all-new X-O Manowar series, with art by Monika Palosz. No other details except the release date are given, but expect more information soon. You can check out the teaser image above. [Comics Beat]

Images: Marvel Comics / DC Comics / Image Comics / Valiant Comics 

Collecting FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Fan Art

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them did the one thing I really needed it to: the film gave me a sense of wonder. Exploring the interior of Newt’s suitcase made me feel the same way I did when I saw Diagon Alley in Harry Potter for the first time. I was enchanted. The characters and creatures (maybe especially the creatures) pulled me into the Wizarding World and reminded me how much I’ve missed visiting. So, to honor my warm and fuzzy Fantastic Beasts emotions, I found a few pieces of art to show off in a long overdue Fan Art Friday round-up.

First up, this Newt Scamander on the move by Ashley Kincannon:

(See more of her art at Tumblr and Facebook.)

And look at this Niffler by Harleen:

Some @FantasticBeasts fan art. #FantasticBeasts #IWantToBeAWizard #FBNiffler #WizardingWednesdays #FanArt pic.twitter.com/u8u4BEOLMy

— Harleen

Bianca Bester is working on a series of galactic creatures from the film. Behold, the Bowtruckle:

And to flip to the darker side, check out this Creedence illustration by Dakota:

I am so into it *_* #FantasticBeasts #credencebarebone #EzraMiller pic.twitter.com/OBmorNdnoI

— DakotaLIAR (@MisterLIAR) November 19, 2016

Jump on down to the gallery below to see two more pieces of art—one with Queenie and Jacob and one with Newt. Take a minute to visit the portfolios of both those artists; the info is linked in the captions.

Do you create any sort of fan art? It doesn’t have to be from Fantastic Beasts, but I bet someone out there is making it his or her mission to draw all the creatures in the film–I would love to see that collection. I want to see all the fan art, actually. If you’d like to be featured in a future Fan Art Friday gallery, get in touch with me at alratcliffe@yahoo.com with examples of your work.

Handheld Tesla Coil Gun Looks Like a Real-Life GHOSTBUSTERS Proton Pack

When it comes to the modern world, Nikola Tesla might be responsible for… everything? It feels like the answer is everything, but at the very least we can thank Tesla for almost everything. From alternating current, X-rays, and lasers, to electric motors, remote controls, and wireless communications, his inventions and contributions to science rise to a level few humans have ever come close to approaching. It’s almost unfathomable when you realize just how much the technology we rely on every day to make the world a better place is partly because of just one brilliant man.

Not to mention thanks to him we got this awesome lightning shooting gun that looks like a real life Ghostbusters proton pack.

This video is from Dustin of the YouTube channel SmarterEveryDay, and while trying to better understand Tesla coils (you’ve seen them in action before, probably at a science museum, those huge machines that generate enclosed purple lightning shows), he found someone who is not only an expert at building them, but who just so happens to own one of the world’s few Tesla coil handheld guns.

Oh. My. Science.

Our science-fiction loving brains can barely handle seeing this in action. Forget the obvious Ghostbusters/proton pack connection, or the fact that it looks like it was stolen from any number of video games, we’re wondering if we can use it to go chasing down Arnold Schwarzenegger like we’re Dynamo.

Or maybe not. We know Nikola Tesla intended for his inventions to help humanity, not to be used in a dystopian society’s murder-filled reality game show.

But he probably had no idea we’d turn his Tesla coil into the world’s coolest gun either, so he probably wouldn’t be too upset with us.

What item from pop culture does this remind you off? Fire up your thoughts in our comments below.

Images: SmarterEveryDay

Disney’s Epcot Center Will Become the Death Star for ROGUE ONE Event

If you’ve ever looked at pictures of Walt Disney World in Florida, you’ve probably seen the giant spherical shape in Epcot Center. That’s the ride known as Spaceship Earth, and it’s going to become the Death Star in just a few days!

Via the Disney Parks Blog, Spaceship Earth’s Death Star makeover will be part of an afterhours event being held on Monday, December 5, that will celebrate the upcoming release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Disney hasn’t released any artwork or images of the transformation yet, so just look at this picture of Spaceship Earth and imagine what it would look like with the Death Star in its place.

It’s almost too perfect, isn’t it? Unfortunately, all of the spots for this event have already been filled. And this appears to be just a temporary transformation that will be achieved by digital projections. However, there is a bit of good news for everyone who can’t make it out to the park in Orlando: Disney made a follow up post, which revealed that the event will be live streamed on Monday, December 5 at 10:25pm EST. We have to admit, we’re very curious to see how well the illusion comes off, and if this space station will be fully operational. Let’s see it fire off a few laser blasts!

We’d actually love to see a Death Star ride at some point in the future, but that isn’t a part of Disney’s currently announced plans for its Star Wars Land. Hopefully that will change down the line.

Are you eager to see Spaceship Earth go full Death Star? Feel the Force in the comment section below!

Images: Lucasfilm/Disney

But, like, who might die in Rogue One?

Who’s Going to Die in ROGUE ONE?

For all of it’s planetary genocide and Ewok killing sprees, Star Wars goes pretty easy on its main cast. It’s rare that you see a character you actually know and love die. But that all changes in two weeks when Rogue One hits theatres. All signs point to this being a suicide mission for our rag tag band of rebel heroes. And even though we were burned by big screen suicide squads earlier in the year, we’re guessing we might actually develop some affection for Jyn Erso and her crew. Which means we want to properly prepare ourselves for all the incoming feels when they start to get picked off. That’s why we’re giving the odds on who lives and who dies in Rogue One.

Chirrut Imwe, the blind, bad ass, rebel warrior monk. Ordinarily we’d be conflicted about a character this cool getting killed. But his death was already spoiled by a slip up at Star Wars Celebration this year. Chances of dying: 100%.

Baze Malbus, the assassin who doesn’t believe in the power of the force. This sounds like a real atheist in the death Star trenches story to us. Expect him to slowly regain his faith over the course of the film, just in time to get the ghost treatment at the end. Chances of dying: 80%.

K-2s0, the reprogrammed Imperial enforcer droid. He’s had his memory wiped so he can fight alongside his new Rebel besties. But if we’ve learned anything from Westworld it’s that just because a robot gets it’s memory wiped doesn’t mean it’s going to stay wiped. Those Imperial programmed commands are going to bubble to the surface at some point, forcing K-2 to turn on his crew. He’ll override them eventually, just in time for a heroic bit of self sacrifice. Chances of dying: 65%.

Jyn and Galen Erso. It just wouldn’t be Star Wars without a teary eyed family farewell. But who will die? Rebel spy girl Jyn or her Death Star building daddy? Well as interesting as it might be for Disney to buck expectations and kill Jyn it’s also never gonna happen. Chances of Jyn living and Galen dying: 100%.

But remember the future is always changing, at least until Rouge One’s release on December 16th, so our force visions could use a little tweaking. Let us know in the comments if you foresee anything different.

Classic DC Comics Villain Mr. Mxyzptlk Coming to SUPERGIRL in 2017

He’s one of Superman‘s most long standing villains, going back to the Man of Steel’s original heyday of the 1940s. He pre-dates other more well known Superman bad guys like Brainiac, General Zod, Bizarro, and many others, but has never been seriously considered to be the main bad guy in a Superman movie. I’m talking now about the imp from the 5th Dimension, Mr. Mxyzptlk. And now according to a report on ComicBook.com, Mxy is coming to the CW’s Supergirl for at least two episodes in 2017. Although not confirmed, it’s suspected that Mxyzptlk will be the baddie in the two-part Supergirl/Flash musical crossover episodes, although he will probably appear on a solo Supergirl episode first.

So what can we expect from a Mxyzptlk appearance on Supergirl? Since day one, Mxy has always been presented as a mischievous, nearly omnipotent trickster, who is not so much malevolent, but incredibly annoying (he was clearly a big influence on the character of Q on Star Trek: The Next Generation). In almost all of his appearances in the Superman family of titles, he can be stopped only by tricking him into saying or spelling his own name backwards (Kltpzyxm – “kel-tip-zix-um”), which will return him to his home in the 5th dimension and keep him there for a minimum of ninety days.

Mxyzptlk has appeared several times in animation form, starting first on the 1960s New Adventure of Superman cartoon, and then showing up on many episodes of the Saturday morning Super Friends show during the ’70s and ’80s. The most comics-accurate version of the character appeared in the ’90s Superman: The Animated Series, voiced by Gilbert Gottfried.

A comics accurate version of Mxy only ever really appeared in live-action once however, on the syndicated (and very low budget) Superboy TV series which ran from 1988-1992. The series (which was produced by the Superman: The Movie producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind) was done way on the cheap, which is why Warner Brothers has never syndicated the series in reruns since they regained TV rights to Superman in the early ’90s — they are kind of embarrassed of it. But actor Michael J. Pollard played Mxy on that show, bowler hat, goofy orange suit and all, in a very comic book accurate take on the character. It just so happened to look like it was produced for about $5 dollars. Characters named Mxyzptlk appeared on both Lois and Clark and later Smallville, but these version were really Mxyzptlk in name only.

So what Mxyzptlk stories from the comics could the producers of Supergirl draw from? Here are some of my favorites:

In in Superman #349 from 1981, “The Turnabout Trap!”, Clark Kent wakes up to a world where everyone has been gender-switched. Meaning Superwoman instead of Superman, Superboy in place of Supergirl (but still in booty shorts, because why not), and Wonder Warrior replacing Wonder Woman. It turned out the topsy-turvy world was all Mr. Mxyzptlk’s doing. Can you imagine a Supergirl episode where the same thing happens? Jimmy and Winn are women now, and maybe the gender-switching could extend to her friends on the other Earth. Female Flash and female Green Arrow anyone? (Note: Someone out there NEEDS to cosplay as the cover below).

In Alan Moore’s famous story “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow”, which ran beginning in Superman #423 and ending in Action Comics #583, and closed out the Silver Age continuity of the Man of Steel before the Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity took hold. The story explain why Superman vanished years prior, after all of his villains seemed to attack him at once. Superman realizes the only way this could all be happening is if Mxyzptlk was behind it all.

Mxyzptlk reveals himself, and claims credit for orchestrating the attacks, saying he has become bored with just being a “mischievous imp” and now wants to see what it would be like to be “truly evil” instead. He then reveals his true form, saying “Did you honestly believe that a 5th Dimensional sorcerer would resemble a funny little man in a derby hat?” He then  becomes a giant purple, truly five-dimensional being. Realizing the danger to the world of a truly evil and omnipotent Mxyzptlk, Superman breaks his vow to never kill and destroys him. Because of this act, Superman voluntarily exposes himself to gold kryptonite, removing his powers and living his life out as an ordinary man, married to Lois Lane.

Now, this story would be hard to adapt, because it’s a “final” story, but the Supergirl producers might want to keep it in mind for sometime down the road. After all, last season they adapted Alan Moore’s other celebrated Superman story, “For The Man Who Has Everything”, and that turned out pretty great.

A more recent Mxyzptlk story is “Emperor Joker” from 2000, where the imp grants his powers to the most insane person on Earth, who just so happen to be Batman’s #1 enemy. This one would also be hard to adapt, because Batman and all. But what if the producers transposed the Batman with the Flash, and the Joker with Mark Hamill’s Trickster? Then it could totally work.

Do you have a favorite classic Mr. Mxyzptlk story you’d like to see serve as inspiration for Supergirl? Let us know down below in the comments!

Images: DC Comics

Audio Rewind: 15 Years Without George Harrison, the Quiet Beatle

Ask a random person on the street to list The Beatles and you’ll likely hear George Harrison named third, right after some combination of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Lennon and McCartney were the principal songwriters and the most charismatic personalities in the band, after all, but to the Beatles enduring, near-sacred appeal, Harrison’s presence was more integral than either of them.

Beginning in 1965, every Beatles album had at least two of Harrison’s compositions—often poignant meditations that embodied the man himself—and he guided the band as their spiritual leader, captaining them to deeper realms. Through explorations of spirituality and eastern philosophy, Harrison shepherded the Fab Four through an unprecedented musical transition: from British pop to a sound impressed by the global musics and the quiet profundities that Harrison effused. He died 15 years ago this week, but the silvery spirit of George Harrison still lingers, and hopefully it will always.

In 1958, when Harrison was 15, he auditioned to play guitar for a Liverpool skiffle group called The Quarrymen. He’d met a guy named Paul McCartney on the school bus and they bonded over their shared love for music. Fast forward a couple years and the childhood friends, now joined by Lennon and Ringo Starr, were in the midst of Beatlemania. Harrison always seemed peripheral to the sensation, though. A quiet—albeit potent—force on the fringe.

Gradually Harrison’s energy and character did bleed through. In 1965, his allure to the folk rock of The Byrds and Bob Dylan helped shift The Beatles’ sound. Rubber Soul, Harrison’s favorite Beatles record, is something of an arrival to that place. (For comparison, the pop-inflected album, Help!, preceded Rubber Soul by mere months.) One of the record’s seminal moments comes on “Norwegian Wood (The Bird Has Flown)” when Harrison plays sitar. The Byrds’ David Crosby had introduced Harrison to Indian instrumentation and it would become a definitive moment in both the Beatle’s life and in spiritual/psychedelic music at large. Harrison eventually studied with famed sitarist Ravi Shankar, associated himself with the Hare Krishna movement, and became increasingly involved with Hindu mythology and mysticism.

Amidst this deepening spirituality, Harrison’s tastes began to diverge from the rest of the band. Tangible evidence of that transition came in 1966, when he chose to include Eastern gurus and religious leaders on the iconic cover of Sgt. Pepper. Moreover, no other Beatle contributed to Harrison’s only song on the record, “Within You Without You.” The song is sitar-heavy and mystical, and it helped solidify both the band’s new psychedelic identity and Harrison’s status as a songwriter.

In 1969, tensions came to a head over the Lennon/McCartney songwriting domination. Harrison quit the band for 12 days in January that year, and praise the gods that he decided to return. His contributions to ’69’s Abbey Road are amongst his finest. The ebullient anthem “Here Comes the Sun.” And the inimitably moving “Something”—a track Frank Sinatra covered and called “the greatest love song of the past 50 years.”

After The Beatles did split for good, Harrison seemed to experience an immediate paroxysm of creative freedom, expounding on his luminous compositions in The Beatles’ final record. He released the excellent triple album, All Things Must Pass, in 1970, and it remains his finest solo record.

In 1971 he used music to flex his humanitarian side. Alongside Shankar, Harrison organized the Concert for Bangladesh, two benefit shows intended to raise both money and international awareness for refugees from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Today the concert is regarded as an integral precursor to large-scale relief efforts like Live Aid, and it remains as essential to Harrison’s legacy as any of his musical touchstones.

It was fitting, then, that the world held a Concert for George after he died of cancer in 2001. On November 29, 2002, dozens of artists gathered at London’s Royal Albert Hall to commemorate the fallen Beatle. The Monty Python troupe was there. Tom Hanks performed “The Lumberjack Song” with The Fred Tomlinson Singers. Members of the Shankar family played sitar. And a battery of other prominent musicians showed up to play in Harrison’s honor, too. McCartney and Ringo, of course. And Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne (Electric Light Orchestra)—both of whom played with Harrison, Dylan, and Roy Orbison in the short-lived supergroup, The Traveling Wilburys. From there the list goes on. The night’s music was directed by Lynne and Eric Clapton, who was a close friend of Harrison’s (he also married Harrison’s ex-wife, Pattie Boyd, who inspired both “Something” and Clapton’s indelible rock ballad, “Layla”).

Perhaps the most memorable moment of that night was Clapton’s stirring rendition of Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” a song for which Clapton played lead in the original White Album recording. It seems a fitting goodbye to a spiritual presence who felt so much through his music. And he’s inspired many of us to continue to weep through our guitars, gently but with salient tenor.

Image: David Hume Kennerly via Wikimedia Commons

SUPERNATURAL Recap: Lucifer Proves “Rock Never Dies”

Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Supernatural episode “Rock Never Dies.” If you haven’t watched it yet, jump into the Impala and drive away.

Nothing can keep a rocker down. Rowena banished Lucifer and his vessel, Vince Vincente, to the depths of the ocean, but he came back. If the devil’s going to go down in Supernatural, it should be at least an episode-long spectacle—maybe a half-season-long spectacle. So, no, of course Rowena’s work wasn’t a permanent solution. Lucifer/Vince came back with a vengeance in “Rock Never Dies.”

His bold return was fueled by the knowledge of Vince’s fame. He saw how he could leverage having a following into being worshipped, and then getting his fans to do whatever he said. Celebrity worship is a topic Supernatural has tackled before, and it’s a relevant one. Lucifer saw parallels between religion, celebrities, and Twitter; he said they all follow the same general rule: “If you’re not gaining followers, you’re losing followers.” He’s not exactly wrong.

Castiel, Crowley, Dean, and Sam tracked Lucifer as he traveled to Los Angeles to work with his former record company to kickstart a reunion for Vince’s band Ladyheart. Dean was less than thrilled about having to go to L.A. (the expression on his face when Sam drank cucumber water was something I didn’t know I needed in my life); in a creative and fitting move, Crowley had plenty of connections in the town. It makes complete sense for him to have made plenty of deals for souls around the city. His contacts gave them somewhere to start looking.

Seeing episodes like this make me wish these four teamed up more often. The plot was engaging here, but even if it wasn’t, the dynamic between the group and their humorous jabs at each other would have made up for it. They work well together, too. They’ve come together to face a common enemy before, but I’ve been particularly surprised by how well Cass and Crowley can function alongside each other.

Lucifer wanted to soak up the fame, but he played it strategically. His public relations person constantly spouted social media engagement numbers at him and tried to coach him on next steps, but Lucifer didn’t listen. Side note: her comment to Dean and Sam about it being her job to make devils look like saints was disheartening because you know it happens in the entertainment industry. She arranged for Ladyheart to come back with a private, exclusive concert. Lucifer was on board but wanted fresh blood, not his old loyal fan base.

The whole exclusive concert thing meant the venue was kept secret until the last possible moment. Neither the Winchesters or the Castiel and Crowley team had any luck finding out the location in enough time to prevent the concert, but they did eventually get there. On a positive note, they managed to evacuate the crowd before Lucifer killed all of Vince’s new fans. On the other side, Lucifer killed all of Ladyheart, including Vince. Thank you, Sam, for pointing out to everyone the night was still a loss because innocent lives were lost.

Though Crowley and Cass tried to stop Lucifer, they weren’t strong enough. I haven’t exactly forgotten how powerful Lucifer is, but I was reminded of his damn near invincible status when he took down both a high-ranking angel and demon all by himself. The only reason the Winchesters & Co. escaped with their lives is because Lucifer’s vessel was deteriorating.

They weren’t able to stop Lucifer, but they did learn his plan was not to have a plan. He’s angry with God because after his dad apologized for abandoning him, he left with Amara and abandoned him again. So, yes, Lucifer’s actions stem from having daddy issues. To spite God, Lucifer is having fun and killing humans—smashing daddy’s broken toys, as he called it. The idea of a Lucifer set on nothing more than wreaking havoc is a scary one.

I admit I haven’t been sold on the idea of Rick Springfield as Lucifer, but towards the end of the episode, he delivered one heck of a performance. He brought a sense of despair and frustration to Lucifer’s comments. The emotion he added was intense enough that I almost empathized with Lucifer for a second. Almost.

Did you like Vince Vincente as a vessel for Lucifer? Share your opinion with me in the comments.

Images: The CW

THE WALKING DEAD: A NEW FRONTIER Extended Preview Brings the Terror Home

Last month, Telltale Games finally revealed that its third season of The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series would hit in just a few weeks. But at the 2016 Game Awards, Telltale made a more surprising announcement. The first two episodes of The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series – A New Frontier will make their digital debut on Tuesday, December 20th!

Telltale also unveiled an extended preview for A New Frontier, which introduced Javier, the new player controlled character. In the footage, Javier raced to his grandmother’s home to be with his family during his grandfather’s final hours, only to discover that he arrived too late. But this was apparently at the very beginning of the zombie apocalypse, as Javier and his family later discovered that their loved one wasn’t quite as dead as they thought he was. That means that more members of his family will be dead before the night ends.

In the closing seconds of the video, the action jumped ahead a few years and reintroduced Clementine from the first two Walking Dead Telltale games. And if you were hoping for good news about Clementine’s missing companions, then you’re gonna be disappointed!

If you absolutely need to get a disc, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier will be released in stores on February 14th, 2017, with a sesason pass disc for Xbox One and Playstation 4; which will include the first episode and access to the remaining episodes when they are released. There will be five episodes in total, and since the first two are coming out on the same day, it should cut down on the wait between installments.

What did you think about the new footage from The Walking Dead: A New Frontier? Let us know in the comment section below!

Image: Telltale Games/Skybound

Why GREEN LANTERN Hal Jordan Needs to Join The CW DC Heroes Family

Hal Jordan is the most famous of any hero to ever go by the name Green Lantern, and has been for nearly sixty years. Currently, he’s the only hero at DC Comics whose civilian name is above a title, in the currently running Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps series. In 75 years, there has yet to be a Bruce Wayne: Batman or Clark Kent: Superman comic for example. But no matter how beloved Hal is to comic book fans though, one poorly received movie can do a lot of damage to a character’s reputation in the mainstream, as we witnessed in the fallout of the 2011 Green Lantern flop starring Ryan Reynolds.

Ever since that ill-fated film, the character has been basically punished in the media. Or, at the very least, exiled. The excellent Green Lantern Cartoon Network animated series ended prematurely, and the Justice League movie that comes out next year doesn’t seem to have a Lantern in the initial line-up, although reliable rumors persist that a member of the Green Lantern Corps will join the team at the end of the film. However, it will more than likely be the John Stewart version, thanks to the character’s long standing association with the Justice League Unlimited animated series, not to mention adding more diversity to the film. But again, this all probably leaves out the “greatest Green Lantern ever,” as Hal Jordan will almost certainly be nowhere to be found until at least a Green Lantern Corps movie. And then only maybe.

But as I watched the alien invasion crossover on the CW this week on Supergirl, Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow, and saw all the heroes gather at the makeshift Hall of Justice from Super Friends, I realized what the CW version of the DC Universe needs right now more than anything is Hal Jordan. Not only is television the best place to rehabilitate characters that had less than stellar movie debuts (hey there Supergirl and Buffy, I’m looking at you), but Hal would be much better served by the CW DC multiverse due to his pre-existing relationships to the CW/DC characters in the comics.

Now, I’m not suggesting a Green Lantern series on the CW. A Green Lantern-centric show would require the character to spend a lot of time in space, and frankly, the CW simply can’t afford to do that. Not to throw shade, but they can barely afford to make Legends of Tomorrow not look cheap, so I really don’t need a low-rent Green Lantern series. Best to save the full-fledged GL reboot for the big screen (which is scheduled to happen in 2020 anyway). But if Hal Jordan just shows up as a recurring character (hanging out on Earth in between space missions) he could be really well utilized on almost all the CW shows, with the possible exception of Supergirl. But hey, she’s on another Earth, so it’s ok.

In the comics, Hal Jordan has two BFFs in the Justice League — Barry Allen and Oliver Queen. And who are the CW’s longest running superheroes? Hello! It’s almost pre-destined to happen! In the early-60s comics, Hal and Barry would team up all the time, and even go out on double dates with their then girlfriends, Iris West and Carol Ferris. In more recent stories of their early friendship, we find out that Hal Jordan even gave Kid Flash Wally West a power ring once and made him “Kid Lantern.” That’s something the TV show could totally play up now.

Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen share an even bigger connection in the comics. Their shared titles from the ’70s, Green Lantern/Green Arrow, showed the two heroes traveling across America and bonding. The two heroes couldn’t have been more different as characters, but that’s why the match was made in heaven (that, and they both have Green in their names, let’s not forget).

They shared a comic book for almost a decade, and for an entire generation, the two heroes became synonymous with each other. In fact, prior to his pairing with Hal Jordan, Oliver Queen was pretty much just a Robin Hood-themed Batman knock-off. (Not saying the Arrow TV version is that… Or am I??) But let’s be honest — after five seasons, Arrow needs a shot in the arm. The ratings aren’t what they once were, and shows like Flash and Supergirl keep stealing the show’s thunder, having semi-frequent team-ups with Hal, or maybe a half season adaptation of “Hard Travelling Heroes” would surely spice the show up.

And even Legends of Tomorrow has a Hal Jordan connection, as Ray Palmer, aka the Atom, and Martin Stein, aka Firestorm, also have deep comic book ties to Hal. A little less than Barry and Oliver, been enough for him to be showing up on the Waverider from time to time.

This year Arrow producers shot down the appearance of Hal Jordan on the show, but that’s for this season — season six is still to come. And both Hal Jordan’s hometown of Coast City and even Hal himself have been hinted at several times on The Flash. If WB can allow an alternate version of Superman to exist on occasion on Supergirl and in the movie universe, not to mention the Flash having a TV version and a movie version at the same time, then why on Oa not Hal Jordan? That’s even assuming he’s one of the Lanterns to appear in any of the future Justice League or Green Lantern Corps films. Here’s hoping that when all the heroes unite next year for the inevitable big CW crossover epic, Hal Jordan is standing next to them, ring glowing and ready to fight the bad guys with his buddies. It’s long overdue.

Do you feel Hal Jordan fits into the CW/DC Universe more than the films? Let us know what you think down below in the comments.

Image: DC Comics/CW Network