Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2353

The Cast of ASH VS EVIL DEAD Preview Season Two

For horror fans, there are few things that give as much delight than the sight of Bruce Campbell as his alter-ego Ash wielding his signature chainsaw at an unruly Deadite. As Ash vs Evil Dead slashes into its second season, stars Campbell, Dana DeLorenzo, Ray Santiago, and Ted Raimi were joined by Evil Dead executive producer Rob Tapert on the Camp Conival Stage at San Diego Comic-Con to talk all things scary. This includes the decision to turn Evil Dead 4 into a TV show and why that was a better choice, explained by Campbell who exclaimed, “Sam Raimi doesn’t make cheap movies anymore!” Couple that with Tapert’s notion that with a television show they could make it “unrated,” and Ash vs. Evil Dead was born.

Looking to season two, Ted Raimi previewed his new character — an old friend from Ash’s past — and Dana DeLorenzo and Ray Santiago talked about what was in store for Kelly and Pablo. While it seems that Kelly would be making an alliance with Lucy Lawless‘s Ruby, Pablo had a more intense and slightly tortured season two. But could he be in line to be more than just a sidekick this season?

To sum up, executive producer Rob Tapert said it best: There are three rules to Evil Dead – 1) the innocent must suffer; 2) the guilty must be punished; and 3) you must taste blood to be a man. Couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

Ash vs. Evil Dead, starring Bruce Campbell, Lucy Lawless, Dana DeLorenzo, Ray Santiago, Lee Majors, and Ted Raimi, returns to Starz this October.

Featured Image Credit: Starz

MR. ROBOT Recap: Master Slave

Editor’s Note: This post contains spoilers for USA’s Mr. Robot. Proceed with caution.

Just when we thought things were a little too sane for our liking on Mr. Robot, tonight’s episode threw us for a loop. With Elliot losing it again, Angela all in with fsociety, and the rest of the world (including Dom) dealing with the Beijing terror attack, there’s a ton to discuss. So let’s waste no time and dive right in.

Buckle up, gang. It's time for the Annual Alderson Family Road Trip! #MrRobot pic.twitter.com/Yj1EULRWbZ

— Mr. Robot (@whoismrrobot) August 11, 2016

Remember when we thought Elliot had it all together last week (or was at least accepting and harnessing his illness)? Yeah, those days are over, which honestly doesn’t come as a surprise because the show is at its best when Elliot’s life is spiraling out of control (sorry, Elliot). Up to this point, we’ve seen Elliot fight his alter ego Mr. Robot in the middle of Times Square, argue with himself in public, and most recently, have cement funnelled into his mouth; it’s truly been an exciting ride. You’d think all of that would be hard to top, right? Well it was—and we’re excited because it resulted in one of the best opening scenes to date.

When the episode kicks off, we see Elliot, Darlene, their mother, and their father (a.k.a. Mr. Robot) all piled into the family car for the annual Alderson family road trip. Everybody is garbed in their 90s best, there’s a laugh track, Alf makes an appearance, and everything is awesome in that 90s family comedy way …that is until Elliot starts to wonder what’s going on, and why there’s a person trapped in the trunk. Spoiler: that person was the missing Tyrell Wellick, and we’re still wondering what it means for the character’s fate. Is he still alive, or did Elliot kill him with the gun that was hidden in the popcorn machine? Unfortunately we still don’t know the answer to that question.

During the lengthy sequence, there were several other things that were touched on. First, Elliot’s family teased him about having feelings for Angela, which was later complicated when they tried to rob the liquor store she’s working at. Despite his attempt to stop his parents, they attacked her and took her out. Also, Gideon made a brief appearance as a police officer, but was then run over by a car. His fate was a bit more clear cut than that of Tyrell. Gideon is definitely dead, and Elliot is definitely upset about it.

As Elliot’s confusion rose, his patience with Mr. Robot dwindled, and resulted in yet another confrontation between the two. But this time the debacle ended in understanding: sometimes lies can protect you, and too much honesty will kill you. The alternate reality is there to help him, and act as a buffer for the blows being dealt in Elliot’s direction. Following his abduction at the end of last week’s episode, Elliot has endured violent abuse at the hands of Ray’s men. When he finally emerged from his dream, he found himself bruised, bleeding, and barely able to breathe.

Despite being scared out of his mind, Elliot has reached a point in his illness where he has finally realized he’s been dissociating as a form of protection. This is something Mr. Robot has been trying to drive home ever since Elliot realized he wasn’t real. After being threatened/dragged to a room, Mr. Robot appears and tells Elliot that he’s just been trying to take the punches for him. The two embrace, which though sweet, probably means Elliot is going to go off the rails next week.

While Elliot was busy dealing with himself, the girls were handling the real world. Unfortunately we didn’t see much of Dom this week, and when we caught up with her, she was in a meeting with her boss who broke the news that she is required to take a month off to deal with the trauma from the terror attack. Considering the attacker’s actions, she is certain the Dark Army was involved, and tells him that they shouldn’t wait to get to the bottom of it. Sadly her attempt was for naught and she was sent on her way.

The terror attack also threw a wrench in fsociety’s plan to hack the FBI. After joining fsociety last week, Angela has been busy learning the basics of hacking to be able to carry out the plan (which involves stopping by a floor crawling with feds at E Corp without getting caught). With Mobley as her mentor, she learns what she needs to know in a day. With the Beijing event all over the news, the FBI is on high alert, and time is running out.

As Darlene pointed out, the hack needs to happen and it needs to happen soon. As expected, Angela hit a few speed bumps while she was doing her part. Her first dilemma came via an FBI agent who is either legitimately thirsty to go on a date with her, or totally on to her. My guess is it’s the latter because while Angela was busy dealing with issue #2 (getting the Wi-Fi back up), Dom showed up at her desk to ask her a question. My gut instinct says the jig is up for Angela.

In the final few moments of the episode, we were treated with a touching scene between young Elliot and his father. While the pair were in the car, Edward confided in his son regarding his illness. He also explained how he was fired from his job for missing days when he went to the doctor. His plan for the days he has left is to open a computer shop, which he is going to let Elliot name. The episode ended before baby Elliot gave his response—which was obviously “Mr. Robot”.

This show seriously keeps getting better. We can’t wait to see what happens next week! Leave your theories in the comments below, join the conversation of Facebook, or reach out to me on Twitter: @Samantha_Sofka!

Images: USA

Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart Host New Cooking Show

Bring out the brownies. Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart just got a proper TV cooking show together. That’s not the only news worth passing around. David Lynch appears on Chrysta Bell’s new EP, Janelle Monae dropped an addicting single, New Order has a beer on the way, and Bon Iver plans on debuting their new album this Friday live.

Ask your local pothead what the best food to eat is and he will probably tell you that it doesn’t matter what the food is along as there’s a little smoke beforehand. Well, that pal may have a new cooking show worth falling in love with. VH1 announced a new show will come on air this fall that stars Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart. The show, aptly titled Martha & Snoop’s Dinner Party, will “exemplify America’s fascination with food, entertaining, and celebrity,” according to Stewart. What’s Snoop Dogg think of it? “My homegirl, Martha and I have a special bond that goes back. We’re gonna be cooking, drinking, and having a good time with our exclusive friends. Can’t wait for you to see how we roll together!” Sign us up. [Pitchfork]

At the start of October, dream pop singer Chrysta Bell will release a new EP. If you aren’t familiar with her work, you now have a good reason to be. Somewhere in the Nowhere sees none other than director and musician David Lynch collaborating with her. Preview what their work sounds like with “Beat the Beat.” “The first time I saw her perform, I thought she was like an alien,” Lynch said in a press release. “The most beautiful alien ever.” Weird? A bit, yes, but that makes it all the more interesting. [Consequence of Sound]

It may have been a while since Janelle Monae last put out an album, but the rock and R&B powerhouse hasn’t been sitting idly. Monae has talked on panels, performed for the President, co-wrote a song First Lady Michelle Obama and Missy Elliott, and a few other oh-so-impressive things, too. Now, Monae offers up “Hum Along & Dance (Gotta Get Down),” a song written for the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming musical series called The Get Down. The series premieres on Netflix come August 12. If her song is any indication, it will be full of ’70s grooving, upbeat times, and the power of music=. [Consequence of Sound]

Image Credit: Moorhouse/New Order

Thirsty? There’s a new beer on the market and it sounds like it may help you get your life in order. Back in 2015, New Order released an incredible comeback album called Music Complete. One of the album’s songs, “Stray Dog,” will get a physical release in a new form: beer. Moorhouse’s Brewery in Burnley is putting out a golden ale called Stray Dog that has hints of citrus fruit and lychee with a bit of biterness. Don’t go running to their site quite yet. The beer won’t be available until the fall. [Pitchfork]

Ticketholders heading to Eaux Claires festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin this weekend are in for a big treat. The festival is run and organized by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner of The National. It’s logical for Vernon to do a big surprise with his band there, but this year looks like it will be more special than ever. Bon Iver will premiere their new album at a live performance at the festival this weekend on Friday, August 12. The title and release date haven’t been announced, but the follow-up to their 2011 self-titled LP seem to have something to do with the words “22 Days.” Check out Bon Iver’s Instagram to see how many images and graphics they’ve been posting with clues. Murals have appeared in Brooklyn suggesting the album is imminent as well. Then, of course, there is this teaser clip. Check it out above and try not to let the hype get the best of you (We’re looking at you, Frank Ocean). [Consequence of Sound]

That’s it for today. See you back here on Friday for another Music Dispatch!

Image: NBC

Is HARLEY QUINN Really the 4th Most Popular DC Comics Character?

Welcome to your mid-week edition of Comics Relief, comic book fangirls and fanboys! Lots of news to cover in today’s roundup, starting with an interesting statement from DC Comics co-publisher Jim Lee on just who is the publisher’s 4th most popular character in his eyes. Read on for the scoop…

Is Harley Quinn Really DC’s 4th Most Popular Character??

For decades, the pillars of the DC Universe in terms of recognizability and branding — both among comics fans and non comics fans alike — have always been Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. But now DC co-publisher Jim Lee has stated, in an interview with Vulture, that the “fourth pillar” of the DC icons is none other than current it-girl Harley Quinn.

But can this really be true? Well, it is true that she is currently one of DC’s most well known and well liked characters at the publisher, both in terms of comic sales and merchandise. One can make an argument that she’s at least 75% of the reason people are going to see Suicide Squad. And it seems female readers especially adore her (which is slightly disturbing given that she’s kind of defined by a male character who is abusive towards her, but that’s a whole other can of worms). But is she truly more well known that the Joker, Robin, or even Catwoman for that matter? Only time will tell, but right now that seems like a stretch for Jim Lee to say she’s the fourth pillar of the DCU. Maybe someone should ask again in ten years.

Hopefully, DC Comics’ other (somewhat more empowered) heroines like Wonder Woman and the new Superwoman –for which you can read our review of her first issue here — can catch up with Harley in popularity with the masses at some point.

[Vulture via CBR]

Walking Dead Creators’ Home Town Honors their Hometown Boys

Over a decade ago, creators Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore created black and white horror comic The Walking Dead, which stands now as one of the biggest franchises of all time, both in and out of the comics medium. Both Kirkman and Moore are from the small town of Cynthia, Kentucky, and now that town has acknowledged the pop culture giant that spawned from within their city limits.

Happy #walkingdeadday! @robertkirkman #thewalkingdead #walkingdead #tonymoore #robertkirkman pic.twitter.com/n3LBUPoU9z

— Colonel Tony Moore (@tonymoore) August 6, 2016

This past weekend the two creators were honored by their hometown with a day officially dedicated to The Walking Dead, and the unveiling of a new welcome sign which let every traveler coming into town know they were entering the birthplace of Rick Grimes, Michonne, and all those thousands of unnamed walkers. You can see the road sign the city erected in co-creator Tony Moore’s tweet above: [Comics Alliance]

Over $85,000 Worth of Comics Stolen from Florida Comics Dealer

This next item is a bit depressing — a box containing vintage comics worth an estimated $85,000 went missing over the weekend from a dealer’s booth at Tampa Bay Comic Con. Rick Whitelock, who owns New Force Comics, told the press that he locked up the box in the convention center on Thursday night, but when he returned on Friday it was gone. So what exactly was in this box? Here is where it hurts — the missing comics include two copies of the 1962 Amazing Fantasy #15 (the first appearance of Spider-Man), The Amazing Spider-Man #1, Incredible Hulk#1 and Uncanny X-Men #1, as well as several other valuable books.

Whitelock told the Tampa Bay Times “I’m sick over it. In more than a decade of doing this at more than 100 shows, I’ve never had anything like this happen. I don’t know if someone stole them, or picked up the wrong box by accident while we were unloading, or if I misplaced them somehow, but this is a very unique set of books that is definitely not going to go unnoticed if someone has it, especially not around here.” Hopefully the publicity this story is getting will help the owner find his comics. [CBR]

Hellboy Returns Next Year in New OGN from Dark Horse

Although Dark Horse has been talking now for nearly a year about how their signature character, Mike Mignola’s Hellboy, is going away soon, it seems those plans might have been slightly premature. The publisher has just announced that they are going to release Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea by Gary Gianni, Mike Mignola and Dave Stewart next spring as an original graphic novel. Here’s the official description from the publisher:

Following the events of the classic story “The Island,” Hellboy sets sail from the wreckage of a deserted island only to cross paths with a ghost ship. Taken captive by the phantom crew that plans to sell him to the circus, Hellboy is dragged along by a captain who will stop at nothing in pursuit of a powerful sea creature.

“I imagine if Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea were a movie, the Hollywood hyperbole would describe it as Hellboy‘s greatest adventure,” said Gary Gianni. “Yes… it’s Hellboy as you’ve never seen him before, laughing , loving and battling his way across the stormy seas! You’ll be thrilled as he faces cosmic forces terrorizing a haunted ship manned by a desperate crew! Be sure not to miss Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea, the biggest comic book event of the year!” [Bleeding Cool]

Wonder Woman Gets New Variant Cover Artist

As we revealed in recent editions of Comics Relief, there has been some controversy over artist Frank Cho’s variant covers of Wonder Woman, with writer Greg Rucka apparently coming into conflict with Cho over them, which resulted in Cho leaving the Wonder Woman cover gig after only 6 issues of his planned 24. So who will be replace Cho? It seems none other than Jenny Frisson, who provided the cover for Sensation Comics featuring Wonder Woman once before. (You can see Frisson’s rendition of Diana above). The first issue of Wonder Woman with the Frisson cover will be issue #7. [Bleeding Cool]

Batman’s Long Uncredicted Co-Creator to Receive Documentary

For years, Batman was credited to one man, Bob Kane, although it was public knowledge for years he had a co-creator named Bill Finger, who died poor and unknown in 1974. Since that time, certain advocates have struggled to have Finger’s name alongside Kane’s as official creators of the Dark Knight, and as of late last year, they finally succeeded.

Now Hulu has announced that they are bringing Finger’s story to life in documentary form. Announced at the Television Critics Association Summer press tour by Hulu Head of Content Craig Erwich, the film will be part of a documentary film series titled Limelight. No official airdate or even title has been given to the Limelight series documentary, except that it will arrive sometime in 2017. For more info on this story, read our full story on the subject here: [Nerdist]

Dark Souls Returns in New Titan Comics Series

Earlier this year, Titan launched its first Dark Souls comic by George Mann and Alan Quah, and today the publisher has announced the creative team are reuniting for  a sequel miniseries to the video-game inspired fantasy series titled Dark Souls: Winter’s Spite, which is due for release this November. The first issue will come with five different covers, all of which you can see below in our gallery.

Images: DC Comics / Image Comics / Dark Horse Comics / Titan Comics

Bryan Fuller Discusses STAR TREK: DISCOVERY’s Female Lead, Setting, and Diversity

While official new Star Trek adventures have been the sole territory of J.J. Abrams‘ cinematic franchise reboot for the last ten years, new voyages in the original or “Prime” universe are soon on their way via CBS’ streaming platform, CBS All-Access. And according to Star Trek: Discovery executive producer Bryan Fuller, those adventures will take place ten years before the first Enterprise’s five-year mission, and center on a female lead, though she will not be the captain of Discovery‘s titular ship.

“The story that is fascinating for me is we’ve seen six series now from captains’ points of view,” said Fuller of the new lead’s rank at Wednesday’s Television Critics Association’s summer press tour. “And to see a character from a different perspective on a starship, who has a different dynamic relationship with the Captain and with subordinates, felt like it was gonna give us richer context to have different types of stories with that character; since it is ensemble. But we do have that female protagonist.”

If you thought the series might begin with the Romulan War, however, we’ve got some bad news for you: it’s not happening. But the springboard for the series is an incident from the series’ past.

“There’s been a few rumors going around about [when] the show is set,” explained Fuller. “One of the things that was very exciting to me as a Star Trek fan was… There had been an incident, an event in Star Trek history and the history of Starfleet that had been talked about but never fully explored. It felt like to do this series launching a chapter of this first iteration of the streaming service where we’re gonna be telling a much more serialized story and digging deep into something, that was always very tantalizing. And to tell that story through a character who is on a journey that is going to teach her how to get along with others in the galaxy — because for her to truly understand something that is alien she has to first understand herself — It felt like a journey we could all go on.”

Fuller also noted the lead character will be human, and that none of the show’s characters have been cast yet. Fuller also confirmed an increased presence of aliens—updated and modernized compared to their older TV counterparts—and that there will be at least one gay character (at the insistence, Fuller points out, of his straight co-producer Alex Kurtzman). When asked if Amanda Grayson (Spock’s mom!) could show up, Fuller would only say, “maaaaaybe,” but admitted that he loves the character. Artificial intelligence will also come into play over the course of the 13-episode first season, which is set to have more graphic content (because internet and the evolution of TV since the last series ended). And—lucky day!—we won’t have to wait that long, as new episodes will hit CBS All-Access in January 2017.

Are you looking forward to Star Trek: Discovery? Let us know below!

Image: CBS

The Dark Knight Hits the Road in ALL-STAR BATMAN #1 (Review)

If the name All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder means anything to you, it’s probably because you remember the never-finished series by Frank Miller and Jim Lee. The new All-Star Batman #1 has nothing to do with any of that beyond the title, and of course, the Dark Knight himself. This is also the easiest Batman publication to read in some time, as it feels almost continuity-free despite clearly taking place in the current DC Rebirth era.

All-Star Batman #1 marks the return of writer Scott Snyder, who really didn’t stray far from the Bat-franchise in his brief break from the adventures of Bruce Wayne. The first issue featured a noticeably less introspective version of Batman, and he even came off as goofy a few times, including a panel with a very cheesy smile and a wink. It was almost as if Adam West‘s Caped Crusader tagged in for a few pages, while still kicking ass like the modern Batmen.

The premise for this issue finds Batman on a road trip of sorts to finally deal with Two-Face. In response, Harvey Dent’s alter-ego has put out a lucrative offer for anyone who frees him from Batman’s custody. And if that doesn’t work, he’ll simply expose everyone’s darkest secrets. That led to the cliffhanger revel of the first story in this issue, which featured an apparent betrayal by someone close to Batman. Judging it from this issue alone, we’re not a fan of that twist and Snyder really needs a great explanation to justify it. He’s earned a lot of trust with us, but this is really pushing that trust to its limit.

Perhaps the only person enjoying himself more in this issue is John Romita, Jr., who is still pretty early in his DC run after spending decades at Marvel. Much like his famous father, Romita is one of the greatest sequential storytellers in comics, and he makes the wide screen action shots seem easy. Romita also rendered a few intense scenes between Batman and a hooded Harvey Dent. Plus, he got to draw Batman with a frickin’ chainsaw!

Romita’s redesigns for Firefly and Killer Moth weren’t very impressive, but his rendition of Two-Face had some genuinely intimidating moments…especially when only Harvey Dent’s deformed eye was visible underneath his hood. Inker Danny Miki and colorist Dean White also played significant roles in making the art pop in this issue. The cameo appearance of a non-Batman villain was quite funny and well-drawn.

Synder’s backup story with artist Declan Shalvey wasn’t as good as the main feature, but that’s certainly not Shalvey’s fault. His art is eye-pleasing and easy to read. Instead, Synder’s first chapter in this backup serial felt like an excuse to show off some research that he did into torture techniques. There is also the implication that someone Batman trained turned out to be a villain in the past, and the story goes out of its way to make sure that we don’t think it’s Jason Todd. Duke Thomas is the primary viewpoint character of this story, but Snyder still hasn’t committed to giving him his own superhero name as Batman’s new partner.

Even with a few minor hiccups, All-Star Batman #1 is one of the few comics that feels like it’s worth the $4.99 cover price. It’s not perfect, but it is entertaining.

RATING: 3.5 OUT OF 5 BURRITOS

What did you think about All-Star Batman #1? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

Images: DC Comics

The BLAIR WITCH Team Visit Camp Conival for Scary Chat

No matter who you are, it’s hard to cause a stir at San Diego Comic-Con. Whether it’s film or television, comics or games, everyone in the entertainment business comes to the international convention each year looking to make a splash. This year Warner Bros. and DC premiered a trailer for Wonder Woman and showed scenes from Justice League. Marvel made some major casting announcements and showed hilarious behind-the-scenes footage. But in 2016, a big secret about a little horror movie arguably pulled off the coolest reveal of the whole con: Adam Wingard‘s The Woods was actually a sequel to The Blair Witch Project!

The premise of the movie is simple: It’s been 20 years since James’s sister, Heather, and her two friends vanished into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland while researching the legend of the Blair Witch, leaving a trail of theories and suspicions in their wake. Now, going on a lead that he found online, James and his friends will enter the woods once again to find out what happened to his sister.

Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett, Keith Calder, and Jess Woo took the stage at Camp Conival to talk about revitalizing The Blair Witch Project and making what Wingard calls his first real “horror” movie. Later, original producers Eduardo Sanchez, Daniel Myrick, and Gregg Hale joined them to weigh in on Adam and Simon being the two to bring the beloved horror movie back to the big screen.

Blair Witch, starring James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Brandon Scott, Valorie Curry, Corbin Reid, Wes Robinson, written by Simon Barrett, and directed by Adam Wingard, hits theaters on September 16, 2016.

Featured Image Credit: Lionsgate

The Pull List: ALL-STAR BATMAN #1, WONDER WOMAN #4, and NINJAK #18

Happy Wednesday! Some call it Hump Day, but we call it New Comic Book Day. You picking up your comics today? You are? You’re a good person, we knew it. Before you head to the shop, arm yourself with a few recommendations, and for you big spenders out there, we also have a complete list of this week’s releases. This week we’re all about Batman. Batman is the best, you probably already know that. Batman with Scott Snyder back in the writer’s seat? Say no more, my friend. Say no more.

ALL-STAR BATMAN #1

All-Star Batman #1 from DC Comics

Written By: Scott Snyder

Art By: Johm Romita Jr. and Danny Miki, Declan Shalvey

Colors By: Dean White and Jordie Bellaire

Letters By: Steve Wands

Everything about this book is big. It’s a huge, explosive comic that hits the ground running and never lets up. You might think you know what a Scott Snyder Batman comic book reads like, and what to expect from one. From the first incredible double-page spread, it’s clear this book is different. Snyder has taken his usual slow build formula, his wistful Batman who often recounts moments from his childhood and life in Gotham, and pushed him aside. This is Batman cranked to 11. This is action; this is a ride and you just need to hold on. Of course, it certainly helps that nobody draws action better than John Romita Jr. This comic contains some of the man’s best work in years, and considering what a master of the craft Romita Jr. is, that is really saying something. Danny Miki’s inks work wonders on these pages, giving Romita Jr.’s frantic lines a thick, hearty direct. Dean White’s colors are balanced and graceful, especially once the fight moves out into a field and chainsaws get involved. The contrast of Batman’s darkness costume against the soft brown grass is seriously perfect. It looks absolutely stunning. Oh, and there’s a whole backup feature that is equally awesome drawn by Declan Shalvey and colored by Jordie Bellaire. This comic book almost looks too good. It’s insane how much amazing stuff is packed into one issue.

WONDER WOMAN #4

Wonder Woman #4 from DC Comics

Written By: Greg Rucka

Art By: Nicola Scott

Colors By: Romulo Fajaro Jr.

Letters By: Jodi Wynne

We need to start a petition to have Nicola Scott draw Wonder Woman forever. She’s not allowed to move on to other projects. Sorry, Nicola, you are too good and this comic looks too damn beautiful. Towards the end of this issue there’s a page that’s just a shot of Wonder Woman, in her costume, walking down a flight of stairs. Romulo Fajaro Jr.’s colors pull back and highlight Wonder Woman as she is surrounded by Amazons. It is, in all seriousness, freaking perfect. You can just stare at the page and soak it in, because it’s exactly what Wonder Woman should be. The rest of the comic is a stunner, too, filled with panel after panel of Scott’s incredible art and Fajaro Jr.’s pitch perfect colors. Oh, and this guy named Greg Rucka writes this comic and he’s pretty good. Like, really, really good. That art, though—holy cow. Call me, Nicola Scott, cause I’m gonna buy all these pages from you. All of them. My kids don’t need to go to college.

NINJAK #18

Ninjak #18 from Valiant Entertainment

Written By: Matt Kindt

Art By: Khari Evans and Andres Guinaldo

Colors By: Ulises Arreola and Chris Sotomayor

Letters By: Dave Sharpe

Ninjak #18 is a fantastic example of what Valiant does so well. They can take risks other superhero universes can’t. They regularly shift back and forth in time, giving us glimpses of their characters in different stages of their lives and adventures. This issue isn’t the first time we’ve seen an older, grayer Ninjak. Probably won’t be the last time either. As it is, older Ninjak is slowly becoming one of our favorite characters. Ninjak is a grumpy jerk when he’s youthful and energetic. You put some years on him and add even more bitterness and grey hairs? Oh man, good times. Matt Kindt has tapped into the voice of this character so wonderfully, he’s really come to define who Ninjak is, and I say this as somebody who has loved Ninjak since the 1990s. Khari Evans is a Valiant regular and he’s always great, every comic he touches is better for it. This issue also has a flashback to the aftermath of the previous arc and the art provided by Andres Guinaldo on those pages are awesome, too. Throw in come fantastic color work from Ulises Arreola and Chris Sotomayor and you have one killer comic book in your hands. Ninjak #18 is Valiant doing what Valiant does best, kicking ass and chewing bubble gum. And they are all out of bubble gum.

 

That’s it for us. What’s on your pull list this week? Share it with us in the comments below!

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THE COMPLETE LIST

(via PreviewsWorld.com)

DARK HORSE COMICS

APR160115 ANGEL & FAITH SEASON 10 TP VOL 05 TALE TWO FAMILIES $18.99
JUN160121 HARROW COUNTY #15 $3.99
APR160065 HELLBOY AND THE BPRD 1953 TP $19.99
JUN160122 HOUSE OF PENANCE #5 (OF 6) $3.99
JUN160035 PROMETHEUS LIFE AND DEATH #3 $3.99

DC COMICS

JUN160234 ACTION COMICS #961 $2.99
JUN160235 ACTION COMICS #961 VAR ED $2.99
JUN160203 ALL STAR BATMAN #1 $4.99
JUN160207 ALL STAR BATMAN #1 BLANK VAR ED $4.99
JUN160205 ALL STAR BATMAN #1 JOCK VAR ED $4.99
JUN160204 ALL STAR BATMAN #1 ROMITA VAR ED $4.99
JUN160206 ALL STAR BATMAN #1 SHALVEY VAR ED $4.99
SEP150341 ARROW TV BLACK CANARY AF $25.00
SEP150339 ARROW TV SEASON 3 ARROW AF $25.00
APR160414 ASTRO CITY HONOR GUARD HC $24.99
FEB160287 BATMAN RAINBOW ACTION FIGURE 6 PACK $70.00
APR160384 BATMAN SUPERMAN HC VOL 05 $24.99
MAY160306 BATMAN SUPERMAN TP VOL 04 SIEGE $16.99
MAR160262 BATMAN THE GOLDEN AGE OMNIBUS HC VOL 02 $75.00
MAY160305 BATMAN THE GOLDEN AGE TP VOL 01 $24.99
JAN160373 DC COMICS COVER GIRLS RAVEN STATUE $100.00
JAN160377 DC COMICS SUPER PETS ACE PLUSH FIGURE $15.00
JAN160376 DC COMICS SUPER PETS JUMPA PLUSH FIGURE $15.00
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Before STRANGER THINGS, the Duffer Brothers Were Cannibal Crazy

Stranger Things has taken a nostalgia-hungry pop culture world by storm, but before blending Stephen King with Steven Spielberg, the Duffer Brothers married 1980s slasher horror with 1970s prison exploitation. The writhing baby that resulted was Eater.

The short film focuses on a rookie cop clocking in for the night shift while a serial-killing cannibal lies locked away in his cell. At least he might still be in his cell. There’s a body in there, and it isn’t moving, but all the other officers on duty don’t seem to mind. Is the cannibal pulling an escape attempt from the Hannibal Lecter Handbook? Is this an elaborate bout of hazing? Or is something even more twisted going on?

Eater – 2007 from Dodge College on Vimeo.

Eater — which was adapted from the Peter Crowther short story and later drawn out as a 40-minute Fear Itself episode featuring Elisabeth Moss — belongs squarely in the Duffer Brothers’ universe of throwback-style rendered with high-res gear. It also lives and breathes because of dramatic irony (set up in background shots of blood that our hero can’t see), a skin-crawling sense that everything and everyone are just slightly off, and tight shots that ramp up the claustrophobia of being trapped despite being outside the cell.

It’s also basted and flavored with obsessive nods to the gruesome nature of the murders: a plump cop eating a greasy meat sandwich, the team’s professional fascination with the crime scene photos, a young wife talking about the fetus moving around inside her, and, ultimately, the overriding lesson of what it really means to be consumed.

Eater is freaky, but on a simpler level it’s also just a really cool game of cat and also-cat set in a cabin in the woods that happens to be a police precinct in the heart of the city.

Let us know what you think of this gruesome masterpiece in the comments below!

Here’s what we know about Stranger Things season 2!

Featured Image: Duffer Brothers/Dodge College Vimeo

THE STRAIN Producers Reveal They’re ‘Diverging’ from the Books

Forget what you think you know about The Strain. FX’s horror thriller may be based on Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s novels of the same name, but the TV series isn’t going to be playing out exactly how the book readers may be expecting. Executive producers del Toro, Hogan and Carlton Cuse already proved that at the end of season two when they killed off Dr. Nora Martinez (Mia Maestro), a shocking move as that character made it through to the end of the book series alive.

But why did they choose to veer so far from the source material and kill Nora?

“There was a lot of back and forth,” Hogan told the room of reporters at the 2016 Summer TCA press tour. “There’s no one reason, for sure. Things come up in the writers room all the time, some are frankly crazy but sometimes some ideas hit home. TV shows are organic and take on their own momentum and that was the case [in this situation]. I can’t un-bake the cake. It was a bold move. We don’t feel beholden to the books and we never have.”

Hogan then added, “We felt it would reenergize the show. It pays off immediately in season three.”

Cuse then explained that from the beginning of the series, they decided not to follow the story laid out in the books exactly as it was written.

“Both [Hogan] and Guillermo, we’ve all walked hand-in-hand and made the decision to diverge from the books,” Cuse said. “The books are their own thing and the show is its own thing. Our goal is not to do exactly what’s in the books.”

According to Cuse, the producers “talk all the time about this.”

“We set this thing in motion and we’re looking to tell the best version of the story and not have the books as an impediment,” Cuse said. “Collaboratively, we’ve all decided that the TV show should be its own thing. There will be things from the books as we march towards the end of this show but it will be different in the way it plays out.”

As a result of Nora’s death, the rest of the cast suddenly realized their jobs may not be as stable as they thought. Even if their character was alive at the end of the books series, they weren’t guaranteed to survive the TV series.

“With Nora dying, it put everybody on their toes,” star Kevin Durand said. “We have no idea whether the next episode is our last or not. It certainly makes it more visceral … especially if you like your job.”

In looking at the overall theme of the upcoming season three, Cuse revealed that they wanted to take a closer look at humanity in the midst of the vampirism outbreak.

“If these characters can all get together, do they have what it takes to win this battle?” Cuse said. “Fundamentally, this show is examining whether the foundational traits of humanity are enough to overcome an incredible parasitic invasion.”

And don’t worry if you haven’t seen the first two seasons: according to the producers, the season three premiere is a good jumping-off point for new viewers. There’s a quick two-minute voiceover recap of the events of the series at the beginning of the premiere, kicking off a new chapter.

“I think it’s an interesting phenomenon that’s occurred in television. People feel that if you start a show, there’s an obligation to start at the beginning. Why is that?” Cuse said. “People have trained themselves to think they’re obliged to start at the beginning. People can certainly watch the first and second seasons but we welcome people to jump into the third season. The audience can figure it out.”

The Strain season three premieres Sunday, August 28 at 10 p.m. on FX.

Image: FX