Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2310

SpaceX Releases Critical Details on Recent Falcon 9 Fireball

After one of its Falcon 9 orbital class rockets erupted in a fireball on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida earlier this month, SpaceX immediately went into autopsy mode to figure out what went wrong with the vehicle. Now, according to a new “anomaly update” by those investigating the rocket failure—considered by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to be the most difficult to understand in the company’s history—it’s been determined that the initial catastrophe occurred because of “a large breach in the cryogenic helium system of the second stage liquid oxygen tank…”

Still working on the Falcon fireball investigation. Turning out to be the most difficult and complex failure we have ever had in 14 years.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 9, 2016

The anomaly update, which comes via Gizmodo, acknowledges that the private space company has still yet to determine exactly what caused the breach of the cryogenic helium system. SpaceX is still “scouring through approximately 3,000 channels of engineering data along with video, audio and imagery,” although they have determined that there is no connection between this RUD (Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly), and the one that occurred during last year’s CRS-7 “mishap,” when another one of its Falcon 9 rockets failed in midair before it could deliver its payload to orbit. Musk has noted several times that the initial catastrophe of this most recent event was not an explosion, but was in fact a very fast fireball. This is a critical distinction because although this latest Falcon 9 failure did contain a payload (a satellite co-leased by Facebook), in the future SpaceX will be ferrying astronauts to the ISS and perhaps beyond. Musk pointed out in a tweet that “Dragon,” the capsule that will contain astronauts in the future, “would have been fine.”

@scrappydog yes. This seems instant from a human perspective, but it really a fast fire, not an explosion. Dragon would have been fine. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 1, 2016

Musk nor SpaceX appear to be slowing down their plans for more space travel or space innovation due to the recent incident. SpaceX noted in the anomaly update that it is still working on future missions, including those that will be a part of the Commercial Crew Program with NASA (the missions that will take astronauts into space). Musk will also be delivering his ideas on what a colony on Mars could look like plus his ideas for making that happen at the International Astronautical Conference (IAC) in Mexico on September 26th. So far all we know about that is that the rocket Musk wants to use to take people to Mars will actually be able to travel to other planets as well, and will most likely be named the “Interplanetary Transportation System.” It was introduced by Musk with this clip:

Preview of the @SpaceX interplanetary transport system at @IAC2016https://t.co/Rz4XmeAoRw

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 18, 2016

What do you think about the recent Falcon 9 failure and the price of progress? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: Launch Report

IDW’s STAR TREK Crew Prepare to Meet the Borg

It’s finally the weekend, but that doesn’t means we don’t still have plenty of news to cover in today’s edition of Comics Relief! To begin today’s column, we have a bit of news which should excite long time Star Trek fans. Read on for all the details.

Current Movie Enterprise Crew Meets the Borg in December’s Star Trek: Boldly Go

This fall, IDW is relaunching their ongoing Star Trek title as Star Trek: Boldly Go, featuring the current movie versions of the crew, in what is now referred to as the “Kelvin timeline.” Set after the events of Star Trek Beyond, the third issue of this new comics series, which hits in December, will have Kirk, Spock, and the crew of the all-new Enterprise -A facing off against none other than the Borg.

Now, as most tride and true Trek fans now, in the original series timeline, the Federation wasn’t brought into contact with the Borg until the Next Generation era, some 100 years after the events of the original show. How will the Borg find the Enterprise this time? It’s still unknown, but maybe we’ll see “Nu-Kirk” become Locutus of Borg instead of Picard. Wouldn’t that be a trip? You can see the variant cover for issue #3, featuring Bones McCoy, above. [Bleeding Cool]

DC and IDW’s Love Is Love Adds More Creators

In the last editon of Comics Relief we told you about Love Is Love, the benefit comic from DC and IDW for the victims of June’s Orlando Pulse Massacre. Now several other creator’s names have been added to the mix, including Steve Sadowski, Paul Jenkins, Mike Carey, Matt Wagner, Marguerite Bennett, with many more yet to be announced.

And not only will IDW and DC characters and creators be involved, but titles from other publishers will included as well, like Image’s Southern Bastards with a new story by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour. You can see the new variant cover for the one-shot special issue above.

Dark Horse to Release Reefer Madness Anthology

Publisher Dark Horse has just announced a new paperback edition of Reefer Madness, an anthology of Golden Age era “lets scare the kids away from smoking marijuana” comics, some created by legendary creators like Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, creators of Superman, Frank Frazetta, Jerry Robinson, and even Jack Kirby. There are even new retro style stories by creator Craig Yoe, who is editing and designing this new anthology.

According to the official press release from Dark Horse, “now that 3 states have legalized it for recreational use, 19 for medical use, and with legalization on the November ballot in 5, it is especially fun to relive the hysteria surrounding marijuana as a perceived gateway drug from the 1930’s to the 1950’s and beyond. With titles like Teenage Dope Slaves, Satan’s Cigarettes, and Hopped-Up Killer, the gulf in attitudes between today and the days of Reefer Madness could not be wider.” Reefer Madness goes on sale March 29, 2017. [Nerdspan]

New Marvel “Travel Guide” Gets a Cool New Trailer

The Marvel Universe is filled with all kinds of fantastic locations, from Asgard to the Savage Land, which was like Jurassic Park before Jurassic Park was even a thing. Now a new book is on the way called The Complete Marvel Cosmos, a sort of “travel guide” made in cooperation between Marvel and Insight Editions. Written by Marc Sumerak, with commentary from the Guardians of the Galaxy themselves (so to speak), the 160 book now has a nifty new trailer, which you can watch above. [CBR]

Valiant Comics’ Faith Becomes Breast Cancer Awareness Ambassador

Valiant Comics‘ #1 super-heroine, Faith will make her debut as Keep A Breast’s official “comics ambassador” at New York Comic Con 2016, with a special variant cover of her upcoming third issue. After NYCC, Faith will then be used as a character throughout a number of Keep A Breast promotional plans in 2016 and beyond. From Thursday, October 6th through Sunday, October 9th, Faith will appear on two limited-edition collectibles, specially produced to benefit Keep A Breast and which will be available exclusively at Valiant’s NYCC booth #1635.

In a statement from Keep A Breast Founder & CCO Shaney jo Darden, she said “the foundation of everything Keep A Breast does is art, and it absolutely thrills us to team up with people, like Valiant Comics, that are breaking the norm in their own industries. When we read Faith, we were so excited to see a hero that was so funny, real, and full of self-love. Art has the power to heal and impact people in the best way, and this partnership will further prove how art can put a spotlight on real issues and start important conversations that can save lives.” [Newsarama]

Venom #1 Gets 1 in 1000 “Surprise” Variant Cover

Marvel Comics is launching a new Venom series this fall, and there is nothing Marvel loves more than a variant cover for a new #1 issue. Now Marvel has added yet another variant to the November debut issue of Venom, but in order to get it, retailers have to order 1000 copies of the regular cover.

And we don’t even know what the “1 in 1000” cover looks like yet, or who is drawing it, because according to Marvel it’s still a big secret (unless it’s from Venom creator, Todd McFarlane, I can’t imagine anyone else could get a big response from fans).  All Marvel will officially say about when the artist will be revealed is “Stay tuned for an exciting announcement!” All right Marvel, officially staying tuned. [Newsarama]

U.S. Avengers #1 Gets A Variant Cover For Each State, Plus Two More

And speaking of Marvel variant covers, the new series U.S.Avengers is getting a whopping 52 variant covers when it debuts this fall (52?? How very DC of you Marvel). Actually, the 52 covers are set to represent a different state, plus Puerto Rico and Canada. Some make sense, like Luke Cage representing New York, and others less so, like Winter Soldier representing Indiana (I thought Bucky was from Brooklyn??) You can see the eight initial covers down below in our gallery. [Comics Alliance]

Images: DC Comics/ IDW Comics / Marvel Comics / Dark Horse Comics / Valiant Entertainment / 

INTERNATIONAL IRON MAN Reveals Tony Stark’s Real Father

It’s long been assumed that Marvel’s Iron Man, Tony Stark, inherited his genius from Howard and Maria Stark. However, writer Kieron Gillen‘s Iron Man run established that Tony was actually adopted by the Starks, leaving the identity of his true parents unrevealed until now. In the latest issue of International Iron Man, writer Brian Michael Bendis pulled the trigger and revealed Tony’s father just a short time after showing the readers Tony’s mother. The result is a new origin that ties Stark to S.H.I.E.L.D. in a much deeper way than ever before.

There are big spoilers ahead for International Iron Man #7! Stop reading now if you don’t want to know.

As mentioned above, Tony previously located his biological mother, Amanda Armstrong. Via ComicBook.com, Amanda related her story to Tony and told him that she was a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. alongside her lover, Jude. She confirmed that Jude was Tony’s father, but she also related the story of how Jude gave S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets to Hydra, leading Amanda to murder him for that betrayal. Subsequently, Amanda left S.H.I.E.L.D. and gave up her son before Howard Stark adopted Tony as his own.

Although neither Jude nor Amanda had appeared before this series, their introduction offers some interesting implications for Tony’s past and future. After the first superhero Civil War, Tony Stark was actually the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and he’s been largely cooperative with S.H.I.E.L.D. throughout his career. Perhaps the reason that Tony won’t be Iron Man after Civil War II is that he’s taking time to process this new information…or even joining S.H.I.E.L.D. full time.

Considering how much of Captain America: Civil War climax revolved around Tony’s reaction to the death of his (evidently adoptive) parents, it should be interesting to see if any of these current revelations make it to the big screen.

What do you think about Tony Stark’s true parentage? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Image: Marvel Comics

THE EXORCIST Show Stands on Its Own Creepy Two Feet in Pilot (Review)

For many people, William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel, The Exorcist, is one of the most terrifying things they’ve ever read. In addition to the author’s talent of weaving a truly terrifying tale, that fear is largely due to the fact that it was inspired by a real case of demonic possession. The same can be said of William Friedkin’s iconic film adaptation that released a few years later in 1973. Nearly 45 years later, Blatty’s world has made the surprising trek to the small screen, with Jeremy Slater at the helm. Though risky (and what remake/reinvention isn’t these days?), the pilot episode shows promise, not only because of the creep factor, but because of the star-studded cast’s grounded performances, and traumatic storylines we’re actually interested in following for the rest of the season.

Don’t be mistaken, Slater’s The Exorcist is not a remake. In fact, the plot centers on an entirely different family than the source material and is based in Chicago. Rather, think of it as an extension of the world where the tragic possession of Regan MacNeil is a fact.

In “Chapter One: And Let My Cry Come Unto Thee,” we’re introduced to veteran exorcist Father Marcus Keane (Ben Daniels); troubled mother Angela Rance (Geena Davis); Angela’s two daughters, Katharine (Brianne Howey) and Casey (Hannah Kasulka); and troubled young priest Father Tomas (Alfonso Herrera). Each character comes with their own emotional baggage, which is craftily woven together to create a strong foundation for the overarching plot.

What could have easily skipped down cliché lane has instead been given a fresh spin. By setting the show somewhere else and centering it around a different family, it avoids the risk of failing to nail the subject matter like the original. It also helps that the cast creates the illusion of a believable, albeit paranormal situation. While dealing with both her husband Henry’s (Alan Ruck) downward spiral into what appears to be dementia, and her withdrawn daughter, who is recovering from a tragedy of another kind, Angela is convinced that her home is haunted by an evil force.

Out of fear, Angela turns to Father Thomas, a priest at her local Catholic Church. Though inexperienced in the exorcism department, Tomas is drawn to Father Marcus, who has grown weary and emotionally drained from his work. Tomas witnesses one such exorcism in one of the visions he had of Father Marcus while the exorcist was attending to a case in Mexico City. The moment paints the older priest as one who cares deeply about his cases, and is affected when things go wrong, so much so that he is hiding from Rome, and is prepared to warn any priest he meets to stay away from exorcisms.

Taking a film and adapting it to a television series is a difficult task to accomplish without straying too far from the subject or getting repetitive. Something similar happened to both Damien (a show based on The Omen) and Rosemary’s Baby. But the pilot of The Exorcist on its own shows a surprising number of avenues that can be explored. Is Angela’s fear of her own home all in her head and a result of the stress she’s under? Nobody else seems to notice it. In fact, both Angela’s husband and her older daughter Kat tell Tomas that she is overreacting.

There is room to play with the psychological aspect, and push it further into the season. There’s also the matter of Father Tomas’ own problem with perception. When Tomas reaches out to Father Keane for the first time, the young priest is told that there are forces at work trying to manipulate him. So, are his visions of Keane accurate? The mystery behind why he is having the visions in the first place is enough to pull viewers in. Hopefully there is a better explanation for why he has been drawn to Keane, and what it means for the Rance family.

As for whether it is actually scary, there were a few cheap jump scares, but the effects were impressive by T.V. standards, and it is sure to frighten the audience. Whether they will remain that way is yet to be seen. That said, the real draw here will be watching the characters’ respective stories and beliefs unfold, and see how that influences the family at the center of the possession case. My hope is that it doesn’t aim too high only to fall flat midseason. Only time will tell.

Rating: 4 out of 5 burritos

 

Are you planning on tuning in for the show’s premiere tonight? Let us know in the comments below!

CHVRCHES Is an Absolutely Essential Live Act (Photo Review)

Editor’s note: check out the gallery below for more photos!

It’s been almost exactly a year since Scottish indie pop group CHVRCHES released their second full-length Every Open Eye, a record that gracefully avoided the dreaded sophomore slump by utilizing what worked for the trio on the first album, and what seems like will continue to work for them forever: Catchy pop hooks, bone-rattling synths, and Lauren Mayberry’s delightfully pure vocals.

Yet, it sounds like it comes to easily to them, but Martin Doherty previously assured us that it doesn’t, saying about working on the second album, “From the middle to the end of 2015 was a really difficult period because you have all this anticipation about whether people will receive your music in the same way, whether this new career that you’ve gotten used to and you’ve begun to enjoy and love is going to continue for another year, or if it’s going to be over in six months.”

Now it’s been twelve months, and as we watched the band continue to tour behind their year-old record in Portland, Maine, it became clear that “this new career” of theirs isn’t ephemeral in the slightest, because while electronic-based music can lend itself to a sense of artifice, CHVRCHES operates with such a sense of humility and humanity that they excel even in folly.

During the opening verse of “Afterglow,” which opened the encore, Mayberry messed up the lyrics, but caught herself and offered a quick, “Sorry, that was wrong.” Still, crowds love a good Saturday Night Live-style break if they can identify with the person who made the mistake, so the audience cheered as Mayberry bashfully waved her hands in front of her face and went on to nail the rest of the song. She’s a larger-than-life performer, but those who chatted with her at the record store meet-and-greet earlier that day saw that, hey, she’s just a person, and she’s great.

Mayberry also carries a bigger burden on stage than a lot of band leaders: Doherty and Iain Cook are largely trapped behind their Disclosure-like synth and keyboard modules, so she really has to command the stage and often, at least visually, be a one-person show. It’s a task she handles with great composure and enthusiasm, but she also isn’t the only dynamic stage presence in the group.

Doherty has sung lead vocals on a few CHVRCHES songs over the years, so for a couple songs, he and Mayberry switched roles, and out from behind the synths, Doherty is electric as a frontman. He has the vocal aptitude for it, and he’s fascinating to watch, dancing and hopping around his stage like a more restrained Tyler, The Creator. That’s no knock on Doherty, it’s just that this is Tyler, The Creator.

Their set was packed with highlights, but “Clearest Blue” is a bonafide showstopper. When I watched the band perform it on The Late Late Show with James Corden back in December, I was genuinely moved to tears in front of my laptop, and while I didn’t cry as they played it to cap their main set, it still made a tremendous impact. When the build of the song’s opening half finally bursts open, it felt like the volume of the world was turned up just to accommodate the song’s power.

CHVRCHES is an essential live act, and as I alluded to earlier, we were fortunate enough to speak with them a few months ago, so revisit that here, and take a look at photos from the band’s live show below.

Images: Derrick Rossignol

THE SIMPSONS Embrace ADVENTURE TIME in New Couch Gag

While we’re still waiting for Adventure Time‘s eighth season to arrive, The Simpsons‘ 28th season is dropping this Sunday, September 25 with a very overt shout out to one of Cartoon Network’s signature series. Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward didn’t guest direct this new couch gag sequence, but you may recognize his voice as he sings about Bart the Human and a Dog named Homer.

Surprisingly, the early part of the clip plays it pretty close to the normal opening for The Simpsons. It isn’t until we see Moe that things take a turn for the Ooo, and Springfield’s residents are re-imagined as some of Adventure Time‘s supporting characters. Of course, Mr. Burns is the Ice King. Who else would he be? Although we wouldn’t have guessed Smithers as Tree Trunks or Marge and her sisters as citizens of the Candy Kingdom. Even some of the lesser known Simpsons characters get in on the fun, but you’ll have to repeatedly pause the video to see them all.

For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, Lisa only appears as herself and she doesn’t get a new look for the occasion. It’s weird, because even Maggie gets to be Princess Bubblegum, while she rides Santa’s Little Helper (who appears to be the Lady Rainicorn of this sequence). But perhaps the most subtle moment of humor is the way that the sword from the Adventure Time logo is replaced by the inanimate carbon rod, one of Homer’s rivals from the space program! Oh inanimate carbon rod, is there anything you can’t do?

Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that we’re getting a full episode of Simpsons and Adventure Time mash ups, but now it’s something that we want. Or a crossover, because why not?

What did you think about this new couch gag? Should there be a full on Adventure Time and The Simpsons crossover? Let us know in the comment section below!

Image: Fox

Stream My Chemical Romance’s 10th Anniversary Reissue of THE BLACK PARADE

Grab your friends and some great speakers. My Chemical Romance is streaming their special tenth anniversary reissue of The Black Parade right now. Once you finish, there’s plenty more fun things to kick off your weekend. Panic! at the Disco shared a satanic Stranger Things-inspired video, David Bowie’s unreleased record can be heard in full, Thundercat challenged Hannibal Buress to a bass battle, Regina Spektor dropped a moving single, and Nicolas Jaar finally shared details about his upcoming album.

Look, it’s safe to say most everyone was heartbroken when My Chemical Romance‘s heavily-teased news last month turned out to be neither a tour or a new album. The band said they planned on celebrating the tenth anniversary of The Black Parade with a deluxe reissue with previously unreleased material. Now, that record is here and available to stream, and it’s actually mending our hearts. Spotify is streaming both the original album and its accompanying, 11-track string of demos called Living with Ghosts, including a few live renditions of older cuts. It’s a welcome return after all. [Consequence of Sound]

It seems Stranger Things influenced everyone from directors to rappers in the first few months of it exploding the pop culture bubble. Now, it appears Panic! at the Disco are drinking the Kool-Aid, too. Directors SCANTRON and Mel Soria turned the band’s new video for “LA Devotee” into an ode to the Netflix series. Noah Schnapp himself stars in the clip as Will Byers who finds himself trapped in a satanic lair. It’s equal parts eerie and fun, just like the show, and worth watching even if you haven’t listened to Panic! at the Disco in years. Check it out above. [Nerdist]

Like the magician he is, David Bowie prepped several albums to be released after he passed away. Slowly, those posthumous releases are seeing the light of day, and the first up is one called Who Can I Be Now? (1974-1976) which includes a previously unreleased record called The Gouster. Recorded in 1974 during his “plastic soul”-era, the album leans heavily on funk, R&B, and soul and includes a few hits like “Young Americans.” Spotify is streaming the whole thing, but if you want to hear that unreleased album first, skip ahead to the 50th track in the playlist. Happy listening! [Consequnece of Sound]

The Eric Andre Show occasionally brings musical guests on the show for bizarre interviews and uncomfortable talks. This week’s episode sees none other than Thundercat coming onstage. In the episode, he gets into a bass battle with Hannibal Buress, only Buress is a robot. If that seems too normal, then you know the show well. Mid-bass battle, a naked guy runs out and hugs Thundercat. Of course. [Pitchfork]

In less than a week, Regina Spektor will release Remember Us to Life, her highly-anticipated album and her first since 2012. We’ve heard mournful numbers and jittery tracks, and now she rings in the final week of anticipation with a poppy number called “Older and Taller.” It’s playful and dramatic, the type of cheeriness the world has come to expect from Spektor. Thank god some people never change. Give it a listen above.

Image: Other People

Out of nowhere, Nicolas Jaar announced a fair share of tour dates across the US and UK. It seemed random, but now we know why. The electronic musician, composer, and DJ has a new album on the way called Sirens that drops September 30 via his own label, Other People. The six-track album clocks in at 42 minutes, guaranteeing a number of long hits to dance to while political themes pulse underneath them. Perhaps the coolest part about it all is that the vinyl version will come with a scratch-off cover made entirely of lottery paper. Plus, they give you a quarter to scratch off the white and reveal the city artwork beneath it. Pretty cool, but then again, when is Jaar not? [Consequence of Sound]

See you back here on Monday for another Music Dispatch!

Image: Chapman Baehler

Nothing Is Forgiven in Michael Fassbender’s TRESPASS AGAINST US Trailer

Living up to the expectations of family members is a hard task for anyone. Living up to ones that require you to break the law are on an entirely different level. In the upcoming Trespass Against Us, it seems Michael Fassbender is tasked with the latter of the two.

The film stars Fassbender as the reluctant criminal golden child of a family of outlaws led by the always fantastic Brendan Gleeson. Seemingly at a moral crossroad, Fassbender’s Chad is faced with the hard choice of continuing on with the family business (which appears to be rough-and-tumble smash and grabs) or going against everything he’s ever known for the sake of his wife and children.

What’s interesting is seeing how well the relationships are formed even from this short two-minute trailer. Gleeson and Fassbender truly seem like a father and son with a complicated past that runs incredibly deep, and it’s evident that Fassbender’s character shares a strong bond with his children (especially his son). So while we can expect more than a few action sequences, the heart of the film seems to be in the connections between its characters. If that weren’t enough, we’re confident this will be a film worth watching because it’s directed by Adam Smith, who we can thank for some of the more compelling Matt Smith Doctor Who episodes. The indelible mark he left on that series with “The Eleventh Hour,” “The Time of Angels,” and “Flesh and Stone” were incredible for character development and suspense so we’re sure Trespass Against Us is in good hands.

The title, likely taken from “The Lord’s Prayer,” may also hold some weight in what we’ll see in the film. “Give us this day our daily bread/and forgive us our trespasses/as we forgive those who trespass against us/and lead us not into temptation/but deliver us from evil.” Setting aside the face value religious meaning, it’s interesting to think of this passage as possible plot points for the film. There’s an obvious correlation between Gleeson’s patriarchal character and God (or perhaps the Devil), while Fassbender seems to be seeking his blessing or forgiveness for wanting to leave. Will temptation get the best of him? We can’t wait to find out.

The U.S. and UK release of Trespass Against Us are both set for November 2016, with A24 (Ex Machina, Swiss Army Man) handling American distribution.

What are your thoughts on Trespass Against Us? Is it even possible for Fassbender and Gleeson to make a bad film? Not likely, but Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Image: Lionsgate/A24

Batgirl Steps into the Ring in This BATGIRL #3 Preview (Exclusive)

DC Comics’ Rebirth launch has been a huge success. It seems they have injected a new life into nearly all their books, and Batgirl is certainly one of the comics to have benefited. Writer Hope Larson and artist Rafael Albuquerque are having a blast putting the Batgirl of Burnside through the ringer, and the book seems to get better with each passing issue. We’re very, very pleased to have the opportunity to offer you, the fine reader, an exclusive peek at Batgirl #3 which hits stands next Wednesday, September 28.

If you have not been reading this series, take a look at these pages and see what you’ve been missing. First of all, we’ve got Rafael Albuquerque artwork. The man is amazing and this is some of his cleanest, most focused work to date. It certainly helps that he has the coloring of Dave McCaig giving the pages a rich, full look. Just gaze at that double page spread! Even Batgirl threatening to throw a punch is packed with energy. The texture of the shadow on page six is another highlight; the styled coloring is just one more reason you should be reading this book.

Hope Larson has been killing it, too. We love her story, and her use of thought balloons (a truly forgotten art in the world of superhero comics). She’s helped give Batgirl so much more personality beyond the one-note joke of “hipster Batgirl.” The whole Bat-family line of books has been insanely great; it’s truly a blessed time to be a comic book reader. If you aren’t reading this series, fix that now. You have messed up and your family and I are very, very disappointed. We love you and we just want you to be happy. Batgirl will make you happy.

Here’s the official synopsis!

“Beyond Burnside” part 3! After Batgirl faces off against a second villain with the mark of “The Student,” she must set off to Korea to get to the bottom of the mysterious attacks before someone close to her gets caught in the crossfire!”

IMAGE: DC Comics

ROGUE ONE: A PIXAR STORY is the Dream Mash-Up of Disney Obsessives Everywhere

If you want to defeat an evil empire you need to be Brave; you must be willing to go to infinity and beyond, to face any Monsters, Inc-luding your own, since Forces from all directions will be pulling you Inside Out. Because when a giant, deadly spacecraft is hovering overhead, you’ll know this is no Toy Story, this is Rogue One: A Pixar Story.

At least that’s what is happening in this truly terrific mash-up that takes the characters from the world of Pixar and places them into the newest Star Wars film, using the second trailer for the upcoming prequel Rogue One. Here, the leading role of Jyn Erso is filled by the young, redheaded heroine of Brave, Merida, and instead of the Death Star she and her rag-tag crew must help take out Dr. Porkchop’s spaceship.

We first came across this clever fan-made trailer at LaughingSquid, and it is the work of the YouTube channel Darth Blender. While we love everything about this—like having The Incredibles villain Syndrome as the equivalent of Ben Mendelsohn’s Director Orson Krennic, two cape loving baddies, as well as making sure to get a lovable droid in there (Wall-E!)—it’s the use of the Evil Emperor Zurg from Toy Story 2 as the replacement for the final shot of Darth Vader that is especially inspired.

This is so good we’re sure some Disney marketing executive is already trying to figure out a way to turn it into some profitable line of toys and costumes. At least, we hope they are.

While they figure that out though let’s do some fantasy casting of our own. Which Pixar characters would be the best stand-ins for Star Wars characters? Help us out by giving your best answers in the comments below.

Images: Disney Pixar