Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2285

SQUIRREL GIRL Beats Up the Whole Marvel Universe In New Graphic Novel

Hello, comic book fans, and welcome to your mid-week edition of Comics Relief! Today, we’ve got more Marvel news than you can shake a stick at, starting with the most powerful hero in the Marvel Universe getting a new original graphic novel. And no, it’s not Deadpool. Hasn’t he had enough attention lately? Read on for all the details!

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl takes on the whole Marvel Universe in new OGN

She’s been taking the world of Marvel Comics by storm these past couple of years, and now the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is taking the Marvel Universe on literally, in a new OGN called The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe. The OGN, from the regular Squirrel Girl creative team of Ryan North and Erica Henderson, is now available for purchase as either a digital download or at your local comic shop in hardcover. The new graphic novel even has its own trailer, which you can view above. [Bleeding Cool]

New Mini-Series will delve into Hellboy’s past

Mike Mignola is about to go deep into Hellboy’s past, as it’s just been announced that Dark Horse Comics is publishing The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed, which will address one of the long standing mysteries of the Hellboy universe. The five-issue series will be written by Mignola and Chris Roberson, with art by Paul Grist. It will follow up on something from the very first Hellboy mini-series, from way back in 1994.

In a statement, Chris Roberson said “In Hellboy: Seed of Destruction, readers were given a brief glimpse of a crew of strange looking aliens monitoring the supernatural doings on Earth from way out in space.We later learned that one of those aliens had been sent to Earth to kill Hellboy in 1944, but chose to spare him at the last moment. In The Visitor, we explore who those aliens are, why that assassin was sent to kill Hellboy, and just what he was doing in all of the years in between.”

The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed will launch with a prologue in the January’s Hellboy Winter Special 2017, before the debut of the five-issue series on Feb. 22. You can see a promo image for the new Dark Horse series above. [The Hollywood Reporter]

The Asgardians and the Shi’ar set to go to war in the pages of The Mighty Thor 

Forget the Kree/Skrull war, two even bigger Marvel intergalactic races are about to go at it in a huge way. Starting in January’s Mighty Thor #15, the realms of Asgard and the Shi’ar Empire are about to go to war. This epic battle will be brought to us by the regular Mighty Thor creative team of writer Jason Aaron and artist Russell Dauterman.

According to Dauterman, “A highlight of this arc is the juxtaposition between the fantasy of Thor and the sci-fi of the Shi’ar. Seeing those worlds collide is really fun – Norse longships vs. alien bug ships, magic and swords vs. blasters. It’s exciting for me to find different visual ways to depict the characters and powers for each of those genres, too.” You can see the cover for Mighty Thor #15 above. [Newsarama]

Warren Ellis details two year plan for DC’s Wildstorm reboot

Writer Warren Ellis isn’t known for returning to titles once he’s done with them, so his return to the Wildstorm universe for the recently announced reboot of the line next year is a big deal for fans, and for the writer himself. In his weekly e-mail newsletter Orbital Operations, Ellis said, “I don’t return to old grounds too much. I don’t look back. I started asking myself if that had become dogmatic. Binary thinking. And then this popped up, and I thought, well, here’s a way to test the hypothesis.”

Ellis has already written the first six issues of the flagship title The Wild Storm, adding that he has “roughly” the first two years of the line mapped out. He is contracted with DC for those full two years, but has “a notion of where the third year would go.” Hopefully fans will get something on the level of his legendary run on The Authority back in the late ’90s/early 2000s. [Newsarama]

Several long standing X-Men to receive ongoing series in 2017

In the fallout of the upcoming Inhumans Vs X-Men event, it seems that several long standing members of the X-Men are getting their own ongoing series in 2017, many with characters who have never had their own series before. Announced this week are ongoing series for Iceman, Weapon X, and for Jean Grey. It was also announced more X-Men solo series announcements were imminent.

What isn’t clear is which versions of these characters we are getting. Will it be the teenage Iceman and Jean Grey from the past who traveled to the future in All-New X-Men? Will the long dead adult Jean come back? And is Weapon X going to be Wolverine, or Old Man Logan, or neither? For more on these new mutant books, check out our full stories at the following links: [Nerdist]

Greg Rucka’s original Wonder Woman run on sale at comiXology

Many of you out there are loving Greg Rucka’s run on Wonder Woman for DC Comics’ new Rebirth initiative, which is getting high praise from almost all fans and critics alike. But this is Rucka’s second go-round with the Amazon princess, and if you want to catch up with his previous run, comiXology has got you covered, thanks to their Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Sale.

Rucka wrote the adventures of Diana from 2003’s Wonder Woman Vol. 2 #195 until 2006’s #225, working with a variety of artists. All of those issues are available on Comixology right now for $0.99 apiece. Included in this run is Wonder Woman’s battle with Medusa, which she did while completely blind. For more info, click on the following link [Comics Alliance]

Monsters Unleashed one-shots coming in January from Marvel

Marvel is bringing back the old school giant Jack Kirby creatures when the Monsters Unleashed event comes out  in January, and now the publisher has revealed that there will be several one-shot spin-off titles associated with the series. Marvel has announced that eight one-shots will be released to tie-in with Monsters Unleashed, and  the first two are going to be Spider-Man/Deadpool and Avengers.

Spider-Man/Deadpool: MU #1 comes from writer Joshua Corin and artist Tigh Walker, and Avengers: MU #1  will be written by Jim Zub with art by Sean Izaakse. More Marvel MU one-shots will appear on other titles in February and March of 2017. You can see the covers for the first two in our gallery below.

Images: Marvel Comics / DC Comics / Dark Horse Comics

Inked Wednesday #108 – STAR WARS, Nightwing, and More Geeky Tattoos

Being a fan of a huge franchise can be tough when you’re trying to decide what tattoo to get. Should you go with your favorite character, the quote you like best, or a symbol that jumped out at you? You’ll likely know it when you see it, but if you’re overwhelmed by options, make a list. Use some of those brainstorming tools we all learned in high school and college and start with a broad idea and then narrow it down.

For example, maybe the Star Wars film at the top of your list is The Empire Strikes Back. List all the elements you can think of from that film–tauntauns, AT-ATs, Cloud City, “I’m your father,” etc. Then, highlight the ones that especially speak to you and go from there. If you’re not having that gut feeling, this can help you focus.

That process didn’t necessarily happen with this awesome Imperial Probe Droid tattoo but maybe it did?

Imperial Probe Droid (Star Wars) | Source: Steve Jennings, inked at Classic Tattoo

Keep on scrolling to the gallery below to see a Weeping Angel tattoo from Doctor Who, a patronus from Harry Potter, a drawing of Smaug from The Hobbit, and a Nightwing nod.

If you have geeky tattoos on your skin or you’re a tattoo artist that applies pop culture, STEM, music, or otherwise nerd-inspired ink on a regular basis, then please hit me up because I’d like to highlight you in a future Inked Wednesday gallery. You can get in touch with me via email at alratcliffe@yahoo.com. Send me photos of the tattoos you’d like me to feature and don’t forget to let me know the name of your tattoo artist if you have it, as well the name of the shop he or she works out of.

DC Brings the Weirdness in CAVE CARSON HAS A CYBERNETIC EYE #1 (Review)

Anyone who comes into Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye #1 with any knowledge about the title character has to be pretty deep into obscure DC comics. Cave Carson was one of DC’s sci-fi heroes in the early ’60s who never quite reached stardom. In fact, Gerard Way and Jon Rivera‘s new ongoing comic is the first time that Cave Carson has ever headlined his own series.

The short version of Cave’s backstory is that he was one of the foremost explorers of Earth’s hidden underground realms, but he retired to start a family. The first issue opens several years later, as Cave mourns the death of his wife, Eileen, while their daughter, Chloe, deals with their loss in her own way. Some of the most effective moments in this story deal with the collective grief of Cave and Chloe. Their pain resonates and makes them sympathetic.

As you might expect, the titular cybernetic eye does play a rather large role in this issue as well. Artist Michael Avon Oeming has a few clever page layouts that depict the eye constantly scanning things and sending information to Cave’s brain, even if he doesn’t want it. One of the best scenes in the comic revealed that Chloe can’t keep many secrets from Cave, simply because the eye picks up on everything. It’s a sensory overload, and it may be driving him crazy. Even on the first page of the series, the eye gives him a rather unsettling hallucination.

For most of the issue, Oeming’s artwork felt oddly restrained. But his facial expressions and body language are great. His characters say a lot without actually saying anything at all. And sometimes Way and Rivera simply let Oeming’s images do the talking. The issue itself feels like a cross between a normal DC Rebirth title and a Vertigo comic that kinda shares some continuity with the larger DCU. But aside from a Superman reference and a very fun cameo from Doc Magnus and the Metal Men, it feels more like a standalone title than something that fits into a larger whole. That’s probably the correct approach to take with this book, although we’d love to see Doc Magnus’ “bootleg boom tubes.” Those little touches added a lot to this issue.

For an issue that only has 22-pages, this is a surprisingly dense read. It also gets a little crazy near the end of the issue, as Cave encounters a threat that may or may not be real. That’s where Oeming cut loose with a truly disgusting creature and the book’s only real action sequence. It’s really good, but the cliffhanger is a bit of a head-scratcher. Instead of keeping the focus on Cave, the issue jumps back to a minor character and reveals that he’s someone who is currently showing up in one of DC’s live-action adaptations. It’s such an out of place moment that it actually detracts from the rest of the issue. Cave and Chloe seem like they can handle their own story, so it’s like a special guest star is suddenly stealing their thunder right at the moment that the actual leads of the book should be stepping up.

But overall, it’s a pretty strong beginning for one of the flagship titles of the Young Animal line. Cave Carson may finally be a star after this series takes off.

RATING: 3.5 OUT OF 5 BURRITOS

What did you think about Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye #1? Unleash your thoughts in the comment section below!

Images: DC Comics

Foo Fighters End “Hiatus” to Perform at Charity Show

Apparently 11 months is a long enough break for the Foo Fighters to coin it a hiatus. The band decided they would take a much-deserved break in 2015, but now they’ve returned to play with a bunch of famous classic rock musicians. They weren’t the only ones having a great day. Chance the Rapper and Frank Ocean went to the president’s final White House dinner, Shia LaBeouf flaunted crazy tattoos of Prince and Missy Elliott on daytime TV, Bob Dylan is getting all his lyrics printed as literature, and Le Tigre dropped their first single in 10 years.

After wrapping up a long tour, Foo Fighters called it quits in 2015. Well, kind of. The rock act decided to go on a hiatus to reboot themselves and their lives. Turns out that isn’t a long time for them. The band reunited for the first time, not even 11 months later, to perform at a secret charity gig in Los Angeles. The show raised money for schools in the area. Foo Fighters seemed to be the house band for people like KISS’s Paul Stanley, Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell, Van Halen’s Sammy Hagar, The Police’s Stewart Copeland, Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones, Jason Bonham, and Lisa Loeb to sing over them. Not a bad reason to get the band back together. Watch Hagar and Bonham cover “Rock and Roll” by Led Zeppelin above and wish you got invited to this secret show. [Consequence of Sound]

Thanks Dad for raising me right. Look at us all fancy for the White House. I ain’t even wearing a hat tonight #BlackBoyJoy pic.twitter.com/cCnHJL9EFP

— Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) October 18, 2016

President Obama held his final White House State Dinner on October 18. He invited the usual guests (notable politicians, family members, and so on) as well as some unusual ones: musicians. Obama took time to invite Chance the Rapper, Frank Ocean, and more, all of whom (duh) turned up looking quite dapper. Chance brought his father. Ocean brought his mother. Only one of them (Ocean) decided wearing checkered Vans was a good move. [Consequence of Sound]

No one can out-weird Shia LaBeouf. The actor, musician, and performance artist visited Ellen recently to talk about his life. Degeneres, as she does, got fun tidbits out of the actor, including some tattoos he sports on his leg. These aren’t the usual lyrics or nod to an impactful life moment. LaBeouf has depictions of Missy Elliott, Dr. Dre, Prince, Tupac, and Biggie Smalls inked into his leg. The big deal? They’re not very good. You would think his funds could afford accurate depictions of the musicians, but then again, maybe that’s the point. Who knows? Figuring out the way his brain works will always be a difficult, if not impossible, for us mere mortals. [Consequence of Sound]

The Nobel Prize in Literature this year went to Bob Dylan. He’s the first musician to ever earn the honor and, as such, a lot of conversation has sparked about the implications of him winning it. Anyone who believes his lyrics aren’t literature now have a new document than can study over to prove (or weaken) their point: The Lyrics: 1951 – 2012. The comprehensive book examines his lyrics from the start of his career on through the current day. A different version of the book came out in 2014, but this copy features Dylan’s edits to dozens of songs. It comes out officially on November 1, but you can pre-order a copy here. [Consequence of Sound]

Earlier this October, Kathleen Hanna hinted that Le Tigre would reunite for a single. There was no word when it would drop or what it would be about, but on the 19th, it appeared online. “I’m With Her,” the trio’s first new song in a decade, is what it sounds like: a pro-Hillary Clinton anthem. Politics aside, it’s a punchy, easy-to-learn jam reminiscent of the ’80s that doesn’t sound too far off from their other material. Check it out along with its Laura Parnes-directed music video above. [Pitchfork]

See you back here on Friday for another Music Dispatch!

Image: Hayley Madden/Nasty Little Man

ARROW Recap: ‘A Matter of Trust’ Finally Teaches Oliver How to Trust His Two Teams

Warning: this recap contains spoilers from Wednesday’s episode of Arrow, “A Matter of Trust.” This is, after all, a recap! Don’t say we didn’t warn you …

Okay, Arrow, I have a major bone to pick with you after watching tonight’s episode. “A Matter of Trust” was an epic hour of television, sure, but there was one scene that really had me yelling some obscenities at my empty apartment. It wasn’t Felicity hypocritically keeping her new boyfriend a secret from the rest of Team Arrow. It wasn’t Thea naively thinking a journalist would retract a true story just because she asked. It wasn’t even Diggle’s refusal to fight for his own innocence.

It was the fact that Deadshot was brought back from the dead, only to be taken from us once again in the very same episode. That’s right, Arrow brought back iconic DC Comics baddie Floyd Lawton as a surprise after oh-so-tragically killing him off back in season three’s Suicide Squad-centric episode, “Suicidal Tendencies.” How did this happen, you ask, when Deadshot was killed in an explosion after sacrificing his life for Diggle’s and the rest of his team? After Diggle was framed for the murder of his fellow soldiers after some of his squad turned dirty, he ended up court martialed and back stateside in jail. And to his utter shock, he was joined in his cell by none other than Deadshot.

According to Lawton, he never died in the explosion that everyone assumed had killed him. They never found his body after all, and that’s the rule when it comes to TV deaths: if you don’t see the body, the person may not be dead. Lawton lived through the explosion but was caught just a few weeks later and ended up back in jail. As luck would have it, his cell mate ended up being Diggle. The two former-enemies got to talking, and Lawton was shocked to hear Diggle tell him about how he ended up killing his brother Andy after HIVE corrupted him. After all the guilt that Diggle had put on Deadshot back when he thought Deadshot had killed Andy, Deadshot made Diggle realize that he was the one who deserved the blame for doing the actual deed.

So when Lyla came to visit her husband in jail and promise him that she would fight to prove his innocence, he dejectedly told her to forget about it. He was a killer who deserved to be punished for his sins, i.e. Andy’s death. Lyla tried to make him see reason, but he was resigned to pay for his crime. And here is where I got angry. When Diggle turned around to show Lyla that Deadshot was still alive and in his cell, he saw the other half of the cell was empty. The bed was made, the walls were bare and free of any of Deadshot’s pictures of his daughter. Turns out Deadshot was never there: Diggle had just imagined him there as an extension of his own guilt. Noooo!

Just when I thought that The Flash‘s “Flashpoint” had created another major life change for Diggle in addition to him now having a son instead of a daughter, Arrow tricked me with the lazy trope of hallucination. It would have been much more creative and compelling to resurrect Deadshot instead of just throwing Diggle a pity party. But sigh, we must deal with this plot point and move on. Because Lyla isn’t giving up on her husband — and who would expect her to? In the final moments of tonight’s episode, she showed up at the Arrow Cave to seek out Oliver’s help in breaking Diggle out of prison. This doesn’t seem like the smartest choice, but it’s definitely … a choice.

But that wasn’t the only major event that went down in “A Matter of Trust!” As the title gives away, this week’s episode was all about Oliver learning how to trust both of his teams, the one in his day job as Mayor and the one in his night job as Green Arrow. First up was Oliver coming to terms with Thea — his Mayoral Chief of Staff, because the most unqualified Mayor needs the most unqualified Chief of Staff — hiring the relapsed alcoholic, disgraced ex-cop Quentin Lance as the Deputy Mayor. It took him all episode long, and more than one exposé from the broadcast journalist Carly Pope, to back the hire and make it clear to Star City that, as the boss, he approves any decision anyone on his team makes.

As for Team Arrow, even after revealing his identity to his new recruits last week, Oliver still didn’t trust them to go out in the field just yet. That irked the impatient Wild Dog, who decided to take matters into his own hands when it came to taking down the drug dealers peddling new drug Stardust on the streets. He and Evelyn found the dealer Derek Sampson (Stephen Amell’s real-life wrestler nemesis Cody Rhodes in an impressive turn as guest actor) but accidentally killed him in a fight. Wild Dog also accidentally gave Sampson superhuman strength the ability to not feel pain, making him an even more formidable opponent for Oliver. After realizing that he needed to trust his new team in order for them to be successful, Oliver let them all suit up — including Curtis, who finally got a superhero costume and mask! — and fight alongside him to take down Sampson and his goons.

However, the trust among the new Team Arrow fractured a bit when Felicity finally confessed her involvement in the Havenrock nuclear bombing to new recruit Rory aka Ragman, clueing him in that she was the one who diverted the nuke to his hometown, killing his entire family and destroying his life. He left the Arrow Cave without saying a word to her, so we’ll have to wait to see his reaction to that emotional bomb getting dropped.

Also, Felicity’s new boyfriend Detective Billy Malone made a fake 911 report to lure the Green Arrow out to warn him that a new threat named Prometheus had gone after Tobias Church to make it clear that he wanted to kill the Green Arrow himself. Seeing Felicity’s ex and current boyfriend come face-to-face without her knowledge was definitely interesting to watch, but something tells me that when Oliver and Billy come face-to-face, finally knowing who each other is to Felicity, that’s when the real sparks are going to fly. Although it’s good to know that Billy is actually a good cop trying to do good in the world, and not going to end up being some evil guy that pushes her back into Oliver’s arms. This is much more compelling to watch!

As for the flashbacks this week, Oliver learned from Anatoly that his fellow Bratva recruits that he got killed last week weren’t actual recruits. They were targets that the Bratva had promised to enact justice on for their various crimes, and they were only being used to make Oliver think that he had to be the one to ring the bell. Oliver didn’t get any innocent men killed after all! Anatoly told him he needed to trust the Bratva like they were his own brothers, and so for his second recruitment trial, he had to turn his back on armed Bratva men with knives while they cut his back, trusting that they wouldn’t just kill him. He will now move on to the third trial.

What did you think of tonight’s Arrow? Are you as upset as I am that Deadshot isn’t actually back from the dead? Tweet me your thoughts at @SydneyBucksbaum!

Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW.

Images: The CW

How AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ROANOKE Connects with COVEN and FREAK SHOW

Editor’s note: This post contains spoilers for American Horror Story. Proceed with caution if you aren’t caught up. 

Since the start of American Horror Story‘s mysterious sixth season, AHS’ creators and cast members have teased several times that there’s more to the docudrama-style Roanoke than meets the eye. According a recent remark from Ryan Murphy (via Entertainment Weekly), tonight’s episode will feature “the biggest plot twist” they’ve ever done on the show. Based on previous remarks from both Murphy and Brad Falchuk, we know that the twist will throw fans for a loop and make them question everything they know about the series. With the episode a few hours away, the showrunners revealed some pretty big spoilers about how this season connects with Coven, as well as their Freak Show-related plans for season seven.

“The season was sort of written as if the season was two different shows” explained Murphy. “Something happens where half the cast is revealed to be playing and doing something absolutely different than you’ve seen in the first five. There’s a startling announcement at the end of act 3 that resets the rest of the season up until episode 10.”

According to US Weekly, the season will pivot into an entirely different narrative during the last twenty minutes of episode six. With the change, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, and Kathy Bates will be playing entirely different characters. Whether they’ll be ones we’ve seen in the past or brand new to the series remains to be seen. The other big reveal the showrunner shared is that Lady Gaga’s witch of the woods character is the first Supreme–which is a direct tie to Coven. This makes me wonder whether Gaga’s witch took on the name Robichaux after escaping her cell and opened the Witches academy in season three, or whether the story she told Matt was even true. Based on what Murphy said, several characters have been lying this season, so anything is possible.

Speaking of Coven, Murphy confirmed that American Horror Story will touch on those characters again. “At some point, we’re going to do a return to the Coven season.” While he didn’t reveal which season that would be, he doled out another juicy detail about season seven: “Next year, we will be going back to some Freak Show characters, deeper histories and mythologies. So we’re sort of still exploring season 4 in season 7.” Does that mean we’ll finally see the return of Jessica Lange? One can dream.

While we already knew Finn Wittrock was set to return, Murphy revealed that his psychotic character will make Dandy Mott look like a teddy bear by comparison. “Finn Wittrock is coming back soon, playing his most f–ked-up character of all time. To the point where he was like, ‘This is so crazy that I don’t know that I can do it, but I’ll do it,'” Murphy confirmed. Dear Finn, thank you for committing to whoever the character ends up being. I seriously can’t wait to see what the writers have in store.

Taissa Farmiga was also confirmed for season six, though it is unclear when she will make her debut. She was a major character in the Coven season, so I’m hoping the connection to the season goes even further and she is playing a previous character.

All that said, if you weren’t a fan of the secrecy this year, I have great news for you. According to Murphy there will be no more secret seasons! Things will go back to normal once they start promoting season seven. The premise for that season will be unveiled in Spring 2017.

What do you think the big twist is going to be? How do you think Taissa Farmiga and Finn Wittrock will be incorporated? Are you excited for a return to Coven and Freak Show? Let us know in the comments below, join the conversation on Facebook, or start one with me on Twitter: @Samantha_Sofka.

We’ve got plenty more American Horror Story theories on Nerdist News!
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Images: FX

SCREAM QUEENS Recap: “Halloween Blues”

Editor’s Note: This post contains spoilers for Scream Queens. Proceed with caution if you have not watched yet. 

Quit playing games with our hearts, Scream Queens! Seriously, we’re still processing the death of the beloved Chad Radwell, and now we have to cope with losing Denise Hemphill! While we’re secretly hoping she’s living it up with her best friend Shondell (who hopefully doesn’t have a knife in her throat anymore), and on again, off again flame Chad, it’s sad to see her violent exit. To find out what led to her unfortunate demise, and who else’s head was on the chopping block, keep on reading.

Before we dig in, let’s have a moment of silence for Chad and Denise.

You know who didn’t have a moment of silence? Chanel. “Halloween Blues” picked up right after Chad fell through the ceiling during the middle of his own wedding. As expected, Chanel isn’t taking the loss well. In the short period of time between Chad’s death and the beginning of the episode, Chanel dug out her old Jackie Kennedy costume so that she could mourn in style. On top of that, she showed how distraught she was by peeing in plants, and ranting about how she was the only one who cared about Chad.

But that isn’t exactly true. While she was composed during Chanel’s meltdown, Denise was a wreck as soon as she was left alone with Chad’s dead body. As she stood there above him, she recalled how she used to role play with Chad when they were lovers (i.e. acting out Brokeback Mountain). To honor him, Denise decided to dress up as Mrs. Chad Radwell.

Garbed in Chanel’s wedding dress, Denise, joined by Dean Munsch, went to speak with Hester about the murders. Hester has already made it clear that she knows who the Green Meanie is, but she won’t tell Munsch and Denise who it is unless they agree to let her free for the big Halloween party happening at the hospital. Because the killer is probably among their ranks, and prone to kill on the holiday, Hester suggested they lure him/her out with a party. Of course, the duo ignored her request (…for now).

After meeting with Hester, Munsch and Denise had another important business matter to attend to: the reading of Chad’s will. With the rest of the Radwells tragically deceased, the inheritance was passed down to Chad, which was then passed down to whoever the will named. Chanel was ready to accept the disgusting amount of money when it was revealed that the fortune was actually going to Dean Munsch and the C.U.R.E. facility. Everyone aside from Munsch thinks that decision is shady as hell, and incredibly suspicious because Chad had the will amended the day he died.

Without that huge chunk of change to worry about, Chanel had more time to focus on Chanelloween. A spoof on Taylor Swift’s famous “Swiftmas” video, Chanel uses her free time to hand out disgusting gifts to her fans, and send them charming letters like “You know I loathe you, right?” This isn’t the first time Scream Queens has parodied the video, but it was still hilarious.

The fun came to an unfortunate end when Chanel got some sort of viral or bacterial infection. To treat the skin problem, Dr. Brock gave her a medication that wound up turning her skin blue. The good news is, now she has an instant costume. As the other Chanels suggested, she’d make a great Smurfette.

That wasn’t the only mishap that happened last night. While Denise was in the middle of decorating, she found the Green Meanie lurking about, waiting to kill her. But if one thing that’s certain by now, is that Denise Hemphill is unstoppable thanks to her Quantico training. After Denise’s run-in with the Green Meanie, Chanel decided it was the perfect time to contact him through a spirit board. Denise was game, and they got to it. When he finally contacted them, he (using Denise as a vessel) and almost revealed who the killer was.

Now that Chad’s ghost isn’t here anymore, the only way Denise is going to get information is by releasing Hester from her birdcage for a few hours (without telling anyone else or asking questions) during the Halloween party. In addition to Hester (who wound up wearing an Ivanka Trump mask), the party was filled with several new faces… which all happened to resemble Lin-Manuel Miranda in the Broadway show Hamilton. The batch of unfamiliar faces all apparently became sick after the Green Meanie showed up to their party and switched the apple-bobbing water that was tainted.

As expected, the influx of Hamilton-garbed people was a distraction for the Green Meanie. Towards the end of the episode, Chanel No. 3 narrowly escaped from her doom (as far as we know?) and took a massive knife to the back. Unfortunately, Denise heard No. 3’s shout for help and investigated. After putting up a good fight the first time, Denise wasn’t so lucky this time. The Green Meanie brought Denise  to her knees after using a defibrillator on her. At the moment, the final fate of both Denise and Chanel No. 5 is up in the air.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Do you think Denise is still alive? Leave your theories below, join the conversation on Facebook, or start one with me  on Twitter: @Samantha_Sofka.

Images: Fox

Nerdist Comics Panel #101: ESSENTIAL RUNS

Heath Corson (Detective Chimp) debates with Sterling Gates (Adventures of Supergirl) and Adam Beechen (Transformers: Robots in Disguise) about what makes an essential run of comics, how to leave a lasting mark on a character, the greatest Batman artistic team and the characters and story arcs that shaped them as writers. This week’s theme is “Break My Stride” by Matthew Wilder

Follow @BenBlacker, @HeathCorson, @sonnova, and @LenWein on Twitter!

THE FLASH Recap: “Magenta” Is the Deadliest Color

Editor’s note: This post contains spoilers for the latest episode of The Flash! Proceed with caution, speedsters. For reals, if you haven’t yet watched this week’s episode, “Magenta,” we highly suggest you do so before proceeding. Okay? We good? Let’s go.

The superhero genre isn’t always ideally suited to tackle issues like domestic abuse. Superheroes are, at their core, power fantasies intended for the young and the young at heart, so using them to comment on the most horrifying of real-world problems, especially those for which there are no easy solutions, has led to far more well-meaning misfires than meaningful treatises. That this week’s episode of The Flash manages to handle this kind of material with a fair amount of grace while also making full use of its completely restored ensemble results in the best episode of this still new season.

Alchemy is still on his mission of giving powers  to those metahumans who possessed them in Flashpoint, and his victim this week is Frankie Kane: a teenage orphan (played by indie film starlet Joey King) whose mistreatment at the hands of her abusive father has made her especially susceptible to the corrupting lure of superpowers, even as her psyche cracks beneath their weight. She essentially trades one awful dad for another, and is only saved by Barry’s growing awareness of his own flaws, which allows him to identify them in others.

The biggest reveal in “Magenta,” however, is one we’ve all seen coming for over a year. Harrison Wells returns from Earth-Two with Jesse, who is finally revealed as a metahuman in the wake of last season’s recreated particle accelerator explosion. She’s delighted, of course, though her father is terrified for her life. Meanwhile, Wally is immediately distraught that he too, having been caught in the same blast, hasn’t gone meta. Though Joe is relieved that he doesn’t have two speedster sons to worry about.

The Flash has never shied away from its preoccupation with fathers and their children, and “Magenta” features this theme in spades. But despite its many heart-to-hearts the show never feels suffocating, and there’s a refreshing (for this show) lack of scenes depicting parents and their kids breaking down in tears. Instead, it lets the audience squeeze out a teardrop or two on their own, especially when Harrison finally realizes the world now needs his daughter just as much as he does, and lets her go with a bittersweet, “Run, Jesse, run.”

Iris and Barry’s new romance is also starting to grow on me. They’re not engaging in the cliched romantic tension of will-they-or-won’t-they, but they’re also not rushing into things; despite his speed being the perennial elephant in the room of their relationship. Iris, like most every member of the cast, gets a moment to shine on her own this week, when she tries to protect Frankie’s sadistic brute of a foster father from his daughter’s alter ego. While Jesse prevents a tanker from leveling the hospital in which he’s held, and Barry pulls a frightened Frankie out of Magenta’s fury. It’s that rare kind of climax that The Flash strives for but doesn’t always pull off: one that satisfies on an emotional and narrative level while offering plenty of special-effects-laden spectacle.

For once we’re not left with a threat looming over Iris and Barry’s nascent relationship, or the risk that someone they trust will soon betray them. Yet I can’t help but wonder who lurks beneath Alchemy’s mask. Julian is such an unpleasant jerk that it would be a tad too obvious to make him this season’s Big Bad. Although who else are we being asked to invest in enough for us to care if they’ve secretly gone to the dark side? For now, the answer will have to wait. A new rogue is targeting Central City next week, and Barry and a newly super-suited Jesse will face the menace of the Mirror Master.

Accelerated Particles

— Barry begins this episode in remarkably good spirits considering just last week he learned his time-traveling shenanigans resulted in the death of Cisco’s brother.

— “Really? You guys are doing ‘not’ on Earth-Two?” Ah, Harry and Cisco, together again.

— Barry’s brief impersonation of Draco’s, er, I mean Julian’s accent is uncharacteristically mean-spirited of him, but the guy really did have it coming.

— Caitlin’s concern over manifesting Killer Frost’s powers is nicely alluded to in her talk with Jesse. I’m anticipating a battle between these two new friends almost as much as I’m dreading one.

— “You’re like a second daughter. You overshare your feelings.” Best Joe-Barry talk ever.

— “I put a panic button on everyone’s phone because we kept getting kidnapped.”

— “I was always too good at forgiving myself, Allen. You were never good enough.” Man, the dialogue is on point this week.

— Pretty every word of Wells and Jesse’s reconciliation got to me. But that moment he gives her her suit? Well, that’s when I kind of lost it.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter (@JMaCabre).

Images: The CW

Practicing Ninja Moves Calms the Body and Sharpens the Mind, Says Science

Feeling stressed out about work or bills or how long you have to wait for the Rogue One theatrical release (59 days as of publication of this article)? Then you may be a perfect candidate for studying the art of ninjutsu. That is, you may want to think about… becoming a ninja. Or at least teaching yourself to have ninja hands.

RocketNews recently reported that a study conducted by the Japanese Mie University School of Medicine found practicing the “Kuji Kiri”—or the “Nine Syllables”—actually helps to reduce stress and focus concentration.

A display image associated with the study conducted by Mie University School of Medicine. The images are from a recent exhibit in Tokyo, THE NINJA. Gallery below.

According to the study—which can be found by going here (if you know Japanese)—people who do the ninja hand movements experience a change in their brain waves (which can be measured using an EEG). After performing the “Kuri Kuri,” participants experienced a decrease in their beta waves, which are usually associated with negative feelings, and an increase in their alpha waves, usually associated with positivity. These changed levels apparently remained constant for 3 to 30 minutes after the ninja hand movements.

The study also showed that people’s reactions to stressful stimuli changed. Those who performed the “Kuri Kuri” again showed increased alpha waves and decreased beta waves after being affected by some kind of stress. According to RocketNews, the “Kuri Kuri” creates a “calm-body-sharp-mind state,” which, of course, plays perfectly into being a ninja. Silently stalking your enemy in the night, knowing that you could be discovered at any moment, obviously takes incredible focus. Hopefully the “Kuri Kuri” also helps with sitting in traffic.

What do you think about these ninja-related scientific findings? Do you have any of your own hand movements that help you to focus (aside from the one you like to use in traffic)? Let us know in the comments below!

Images: Dani Vázquez/Flickr