#and there's no cast list for the rest of our misfit children

[queenofmalkier]

Day 5: Rahvin

He always chose his risks with a measure of prudence.

[drazzilder]

A Hellish Encounter

By Drazzilder 

Chapter 43: Hero Charts

It’s now been a few months since the All of One incident. The public still doesn’t trust you even though you do your best to save as many people as you can. It has gotten so bad that even Enji is starting to receive some of the hate for abusing his family even though he has clearly changed. Some of the citizens would even tell you they want another hero to save them but you still do what’s right. At the end of each day, you go home after hero work feeling defeated but you continue knowing it’s the right thing to do.

The Hero Billboard Chart JP is starting and you are getting nervous. You don’t care about your own ranking, at this point your thinking you’re near the bottom because how people perceive you. Endeavor’s ranking is more important to you, you still want him to be the Number 2 hero but your worried you’re brining him down. He says he doesn’t care about that anymore but you still want him to be the best he can be.

“I hope you keep your spot, Enji.”

“Don’t worry about it, I don’t even care about it anymore. I just care that you’re here. I know it has been rough on the both of you for the past few months.”

Standing behind both of you “We will be fine. I just wish we could find that video. I know you have been trying but I don’t think we are going to find it.”

“Every lead comes up dry. I asked the United States government myself, nothing. All Might has even been looking but nothing. I’m sorry I can’t help any further.” He says as he pulls you close with one arm.

“I know, thank you. Don’t worry about it… now shhhhh; it’s starting.”

The ceremony starts as they begin with an opening statement and the list of heroes gets announced. They start with number 10 and begin working their way down to 1. As each hero gets announced, your heart starts racing more and more. At the number 2 spot, your about to pass out from nervousness when they call Enji’s name. You sigh with relief as he walks on stage but there are boos from the crowd. You feel for him but you know he can handle it. All Might is then called to be the Number 1 but when he walks on stage, something is different. He is in his small form, something the public has never seen before. The whole country is in shock as they see All Might walking out in his hero suit. He takes the microphone and looks at the crowd.

“Good afternoon. I know this might come as a shock to all of you. It may not look like it but I am All Might. This is what I normally look like outside of hero work. I am showing this to you all because I am retiring.” The crowd collectively gasps as Enji looks to All Might in shock himself.

“Please, let me explain my reasoning. I believe there is a hero that can replace me. I know some of you might be thinking Endeavor but I have someone else in mind. Hellboy, please come on stage with Zaheer.”

You look at All Might with eyes wide open. You are in total shock from what has transpired in front of you that you didn’t hear his command. Zaheer teleports both of you on stage next to All Might. The crowd becomes loud again with boos and disapproval. All Might raises his hand to silence the them before he speaks.

“I know you all must be thinking I am crazy, but I want Hellboy to be the number 1 hero, he deserves it more than anyone. Before you cast judgement or begin to doubt my decision, I have something to show you. Dr. Lisa, the video of you don’t mind.” “

“Dr. Lisa?” You say as you turn to see her walking towards you with Jason and Greg. You rush over to them and hug them. “YOU’RE ALIVE!” You practically scream with your racing emotions.

Jason: “We heard you were having a rough time so we came to help.”

(Y/N): “What?”

Greg: “We heard about Adam.”

(Y/N): “I’m sorry I couldn’t find you. I was so worried about you every day.”

Jason: “Its ok, we understand. We know your happy now.”

“As much as I would like to have a family reunion right now, we have to show the crowd this tape. Everyone, please watch this video.”  Lisa says as she walks towards All Might.

The screen behind you flickers and a video starts playing. It is the video, or combination of tapes, of you saving everyone at the stadium. You are clearly in frame talking over the microphone to the crowd and saving everyone. Every event of that day seems to have been recorded, even you coming back to the shelter and dying in Adam’s arms. Once the video stops, you look back to the audience in front of you; completely still with deafening silence.

“You see, Hellboy has been saving people for a long time. That was when he was only 29 and still on the run from the United States when he took action to safe those in need. He didn’t care about the consequences, he died saving everyone. A true hero will sacrifice themselves in order to save those in trouble. I can’t think of a better replacement for me.” All Might then looks at you and hands you the microphone. You look out at the crowd and freeze, unsure of what to do next. Then you feel a pressure on both of your shoulders, Enji and Zaheer each have a hand on you to support you, to encourage you.

“Thank you All Might. I know many of you still don’t believe in me. Maybe that video changed your mind, maybe it didn’t. But what I can tell you is that I am going to work day and night trying to save everyone that I can. I am a hero. I know my powers come from a dark place but that doesn’t matter, how I was raised doesn’t matter, what matters is how I act. If All Might is willing to leave hero work because I am here, that should say something. Let me prove to you all what I am capable of.”

The room is quiet again. Your heart starts to race wondering if the all of this was for nothing until one person starts clapping. It’s Midnight. She stands and proudly looks at you while clapping loudly. Then more join in the clapping and more and more until the room is fulling engulfed in the sounds of clapping and cheering. You smile and look at Zaheer who also is smiling. Enji turns you around and pulls you close. In the heat of the moment, he kisses you on the lips. The crowd cheers even louder at this as you pull away. “I love you, Enji.”

“I love you too, (Y/N).”

The rest of the day was filled with excitement. The kids were home getting a small party ready, it was for Enji’s hero placement but they quickly tried to change everything to celebrate the both of you. You got to say goodbye to Jason, Greg and Lisa before they had to go. You will miss them but you understand they didn’t want to be in the public eye. You now have contact with them and they said to visit every so often. Back at the house, you are enjoying being with your family, laughing and smiling almost the whole day. You disappear for a while until Enji noticed and calls for Zaheer to take him to you. He finds you’re at the beach watching the sunset, the same beach you always go to. He just looks at you until the sun completely sets. You turn to him and he goes red with embracement realizing he was staring at you. You pat the ground next to you, signaling him to sit down and wrap his arm around you. Zaheer then sits on the opposite side to wrap his arm around the both of you.

“You know the sun always reminds me of you.

“Why is that?”

“The sun is always so warm and bright, always there when we need it, just like you.”

“And I’ll will always be there for you…. Are you ok? You have been here a while.”

“Yea…I’m just thinking.”

“Don’t worry about being number, I wouldn’t want anyone else to be ahead of me.” He says as he kisses you on the cheek.

“I’m not thinking about that. I know you said no more secrets but there is one last one I need to tell you.”

“That’s alright, you’re telling me now.”

“You know I am basically a demon now, right?”

“Yes.”

“And I have the powers of a demon, teleporting, speaking different languages, and more.”

“Ok? Is there a new power?”

“Not exactly. When I accepted the power fully, I accepted my greatest fear.”

“What are you saying?” Enji says raising an eye brow.

“I’m immortal now.”

“Ok? That’s your greatest fear?”

“Not exactly, my greatest fear is watching everyone I love die around me. It’s not a matter of if but when. And I can never see you in the afterlife. I’ll just be here alone watching the world go by as I slowly lose everyone I care for.

“I’m so sorry (Y/N), I wouldn’t want to wish that on anyone.”

“But there is something I can do. If Zaheer separates from me fully, I will die.”

“I know, but why?”

“When you pass away, I want to stay here long enough to make sure our children are ok. After that, Zaheer and I have agreed to separate so you are not alone.”

“I would wait for you no matter how long it takes.” He rests his chin on your head as he pulls you closer. “I just have one question. Do you know where we will end up?” He says looking at Zaheer.

“I cannot say for sure but I know down is not in the cards for you both.”

“What about Zaheer, he will be here by himself?”

“My last secret is that I am a demon, well… not fully.”

“You are half angel, aren’t you?”

“Wait, how did you know, Enji?”

“All for One and Brilron said something about you being a misfit and with the book Rei gave us, I did some research. No demon has gold hair or casts golden spells. Other spirits never bothered you when we went to temples so you had to be different.”

“My father was demon and my mother was an angel. I was a forbidden child, something either side didn’t want. That is why I didn’t have a name; I was abandoned by my parents. I guess All for One knew that when he found me wondering alone on this world. He treated me well for a while then he started those experiments. The only reason I ever wanted to take over someone was to kill him. This is also why I have more power than other demons, being a combination of the two gives me the powers of both. I only look like a demon because I take more after the demon side, red skin and horns…”

“It explains why you act so much different than any other demon. But why did the demonic energy try to take me over so much?” You say snuggling into him.

“My spells and curses come from my mother’s side but are fueled by the demonic energy from my father. That type of energy naturally wants to take over people. It’s only because I’m half demon that we can control it as well as we can. If I was fully demon, you would have lost control a long time ago.”

“Makes sense to me.” You say looking up at him.

“But it does mean I should be able to go wherever you both go. It might take some time but I can make it work.”

“I know this is a lot for you take in Enji, please understand I am telling you this now so it’s not a shock later.”

“I kind of figured something like this might happen. I know you’re going to be ok; we are going to be ok. Just promise to not leave too early, please protect our children.”

“Of course, I will. I love them so much.” You then pull Enji’s glasses off and kiss him on the lips for what feels like forever.

“Do you think Rei and Adam are waiting for us?” Enji asks looking into your eyes.

“I do, I know they are waiting, however long it takes.”

“Come on, let’s go home. I bet kids are getting worried.” Enji says as he gets up. You get up and hug him tight followed by Zaheer and all of you disappear into the night.

The End

Thank you to all of my readers!

Special Thanks to:

@stormcallart for her art for the cover

and

@frenchbreads-writing for some of the ideas used in the story

[winterune]

Well, that’s one more anime ticked off my 2019 watch list. I still have...I don’t know how many I have left ^^; Maybe I’ll finish those spring leftovers first haha, then maybe I’ll finally watch the part 2 of Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 (for which I would need to rewatch part 1) and Vinland Saga. Well, anyway, let’s get into it.

Hoshiai no Sora - Thoughts and Musings

This anime was...one hell of a ride. Okay, maybe not as much as Beastars was (though, Beastars wasn’t really emotional per se, but rather an anime that tackles really heavy topics), but the emotional roller coaster throughout its 12 episodes was really something to reckon with. Honestly, I wish this was a two-cour anime instead of a one-cour, because the 12-episode run doesn’t give it enough time to really flesh out all their characters and give everyone a satisfying ending. 

I mean

As long as he’s alive, we will never be free. I’m ending this.

What kind of ending is that??? *flips table* (beware of spoilers)

In its heart, this is a story about trying to find your place in a world that is trying to box you in. It’s not just your average sports anime about a weak sports club trying to gain its reputation back. It’s more than that. We have this cast of seemingly stereotypical characters, but right from the very first episode, we’re immediately given a tease of a dysfunctional family in our two main leads: Maki with his single mother as a parent and his abusive father still terrorizing them from time to time for money, and Touma who doesn’t have a good relationship with his mother for unknown reasons. And it turns out, the rest of the team member has their own issues to deal with. 

Rintaro, being a child born out of teen pregnancy and was then put up for adoption. Though he has loving parents, it still doesn’t erase the confusion and incompetence he had felt because of it. (I kind of have issues with how his parents told him he was adopted when he was still only 10? 11? I think that’s a bit too young for him to know he was adopted. I mean, an elementary school kid is suddenly being told that the parents he has always known has never been his real parents. It would get him thinking: why was he adopted? Why didn’t his mother take him? Was he unwanted? Was he a mistake? Huh, I guess that’s why I can’t do anything right. I’m a failure. I was a mistake. I shouldn’t have been born.)

Itsuki’s mother, in, probably, a bout of depression, poured hot water all over his body when he was only 1 year old.

Shingo, who doesn’t seem to have any problems, lives with a step-mother who is only protective over her daughter while dismissive over him. He doesn’t seem to be overly bothered by it. In fact, he adores his little sister. He’s probably learned to deal with his step-mother’s behavior. 

Taiyo’s parents are quite overprotective and overbearing, but at least I don’t think they’re doing any real, permanent damage to him. 

Tsubasa, though has wonderful relationship with his brothers, has a father with high expectations and will not settle for less, who won’t try to understand why he dropped soccer and took up soft tennis. Who won’t get off his case, saying that it’s stupid, that it doesn’t do him any good, that you’re better off studying instead of joining such a stupid club. And he actually slaps him, right across the face, causing Tsubasa to fall off the stairs and break his wrist, one month before his big game. And yes he looked shocked at what he had done, but he didn’t do anything; he just stood there, he didn’t even chase after him, as if he was justifying his actions to himself. Like, dammit! Don’t you know what you’re doing to your kid? You’re already hurting him emotionally and you slapped him?! I will say that Tsubasa’s story hurts me the most, because this kid, this happy-go-lucky kid who always smiles and laughs when he’s with his friends, cries as he runs out of the house. And can I just say that Toshii’s voice acting was just...spot on? To the point that I think I cried harder because of Toshii’s voice breaking when Shingo found him outside the house, when the doctor at the hospital asked him if he wasn’t pushed off the stairs, when they were talking in that park and Tsubasa hates how his father kept bragging about his time with his soccer team and never listens to a word he says, never sees him for who he is, because he’s not his brothers and he wanted so badly to play in their game. 

But then we have Nao, with that kind of negative overprotective, overbearing, emotionally abusive mother and an indifferent father. It hurts. Hearing his mother talk hurts. Imagining myself in Nao’s shoes hurts. There are the kinds like Maki’s father, who knows they’re a jerk by abusing their own kid. Then there are the kinds like Nao’s mother, who, as Maki said, doesn’t even realize they’re abusing their children, justifying their actions by saying it’s for their kids. She’s blind to Nao’s feelings. All she cares about is what she wants. It doesn’t matter what Nao wants, because I’m her mother and I know what’s best for my son. What she doesn’t know, however, is the permanent damage it’s doing to Nao. Sure at the “conclusion” to Nao’s arc, Nao seems to have find the strength and will in him to shut out his mother’s words, but we also see something different. Nao’s mother is only going to let him off the hook this time. Which means she will probably be worse than she had ever been once Nao comes home from the match. 

And finally, one of the most important of all: Yuuta’s arc, where he questions about himself, his gender, the role that is expected of him, and how he feels as if he doesn’t quite fit in with the boxes already laid down by the world. Also his desire to find an answer but also the fear of coming to terms with it, not wanting to disappoint his parents but all the while wanting to find a place he feels like he belongs in. Very realistic. Very relatable. I’m not entirely sure how it is seen in Japan, but in my country, due to strong religious beliefs and traditional values, people with “questionable” gender identities are seen as a sin, a violation, improper behavior - some might even call them a shame to the family. So, I really appreciate the director and his team writing quite a realistic portrayal of the lgbt+. I don’t hold anything against his mother, however, as I understand her feelings exactly, even as I would like Yuuta to have the freedom to learn and discover who he is and what he wants to be. 

Even Mitsue, whose family wasn’t shown much, says that her parents don’t approve of her drawing. But that’s what she wants to do. That’s what she wants to be good at. She’s not good at studying. She doesn’t have passion for it. She likes to draw, but even people on the internet says her drawing isn’t good (when in fact it’s quite good). She’s not good with people and her classmates make fun of her. She’s haunted by an inferiority complex, social anxiety, frustration that she doesn’t fit in this world. 

This entire show is like a How Not To Be A Parent 101. I do think some are stretching it a bit too far, but I understand what the director’s trying to say. A parental figure is important in a child’s life. Even if you have a crappy life, even if you’re bent on pushing your dreams and expectations to your children, even if your spouse doesn’t appreciate you any longer, that’s no reason or justification to “push the blame on your child”, to abuse them, both emotionally and/or physically. 

When you don’t have a good parental figure, a good family environment, it will scar your children for life, and these children will start looking for a place they can belong to outside of their families. Whereas Nao’s mother said that the soft tennis club is a bad influence for Nao, I’d say it’s a good thing Nao found his place inside it. With a mother like that, and a father who doesn’t care much about what happens to him, Nao could have done a lot worse. And yet there’s this sports club made up of misfit children, who are hiding all their pain behind their smile and laughter, because this club is the only place where they can be themselves. Where they don’t have to worry about overbearing/indifferent/abusive parents. In this club of misfits, everyone has everyone else’s backs. When one’s down on the low, someone else will try to lift them up. 

This club is their refuge, but in a way, I also think this is their sort of escapism. Because once they’re back in their homes, their lives return to being pressured and trapped under the expectations of their parents. Why I think it is an escape is because, neither of them really grow from it, aside from, I guess, Shingo, Rintaro, Itsuki, and Taiyo. They have either learned to live with their families or showed positive development. Nao’s mother is still a problem, Yuuta’s journey of self-discovery is still long and winding, while Tsubasa still has yet to make amends with his father. Not to mention we have Touma, whose mother just basically told him over the phone that she despises him and is getting a divorce, and Maki, who’s bent on killing his father. 

This is not a story of self-healing. This is a slice-of-life story that is trying to tell how bad parenting affects children, especially children in those early adolescence years, when they’re just beginning to learn who they are and what they want to be. It’s not a story of how these children can overcome it. The club acts as their refuge, but not a place of healing. And if their psychosocial development took on a negative turn (see Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development), especially like Maki’s case, well you can imagine what will happen next if he’s not given the proper treatment. 

As a final note, I would like to say the sports aspect is a bit weak. The soft tennis matches were too easy, too straightforward, as if the staff didn’t really care what happened in the matches. Well, the main story isn’t in the matches, so there’s that. Also, I would like to say that how they dealt with Maki’s father in episode 5 was also weak. I mean, what’s with Touma yelling at him? To me, it was a bit out of character for Maki to let Touma meet his father (I’d thought he was the type to say, no, that’s all right, I’ll deal with him myself, though I think Touma would have forced himself inside Maki’s house nonetheless). And that spontaneous outbursts about killing him? It was very cringe-worthy when I saw it, but now that I think about it, though it was probably Toma’s heat-of-the-moment outburst then, Maki certainly took it seriously with how he was holding that knife in the end. 

[genyatta-ss]

Cookie Cutter

from @melyntenshi:

Happy Holidays to D! (@dontneed-nohealing!) This was fun to write! I hope that this was fluffy and cute holiday stuff for you! 

There was something utterly unreal about the idea of their ragtag group of mercenaries deciding to do this. Even after the discussion of their pasts actions towards one another, as well as the fact that about 90% of them had some sort of criminal connection or bounty on their head (or death certificates for at least two of their members), a Christmas Celebration was in order. It did not seem to matter that some members of the group did not celebrate the season (In fact, Ana and Fareeha were the first two to drag out the ancient plastic tree hidden away in the storage room). Nor did it seem to matter that some members of the group were on a path to redemption and did not want to be bothered with trivialities such as this. (Hanzo seemed particularly off-put with the idea of socializing). It was the holidays, damn it, and they were going to have a party.

Winston was pleased with the idea of organizing and setting out tasks.  As of late, with more and more joining the cause it meant there were more personalities on base, the routine of Overwatch just did not exist. More old soldiers who believed that the old, military way Overwatch had been run before was just fine, thank-you-very-much mixed in with the new recruits who wholeheartedly believed they could change the world.  It was refreshing to see everyone join in together for the cause and Winston delighted in the fact that everyone wanted to perform well.

Tasks had been assigned to every member, such as who would be decorating the mess hall(Thank god Tracer and Emily were tasked with that) and who would be bringing what to eat. McCree had been tasked with bringing the main course (roasting both a ham and a turkey. The man wanted to show off his cooking skills and no one was going to take that away from him). D.va and Lucio were assigned entertainment (Genji was convinced that this was no accident, even if Winston claimed it was completely and totally random).

Genji and Zenyatta were assigned a task together; bringing dessert. Cookies. Fareeha insisted on it. Nothing screamed out the holidays more than plain, simple gingerbread cookies. It was a perfect task for them, sweet and easy. Cookies were not a hard task, Genji had eaten plenty of them in his life. And Zenyatta was always so delicate with his work that the frosting and decorating the treats would be a task they both would enjoy. Then they were told they were not allowed to get that “pre-made crap” according to Fareeha. Home baked. From scratch.

Again, they were lucky enough to have a friend like Jesse McCree around. After scouring through the remaining books left over in the kitchen, Genji was quick to realize that deserts were not a necessity on a military base. Jesse McCree, on the other hand, had a liking to everything that happened in the kitchen. The man enjoyed food plus he was the best friend that anyone could ask for, and almost like a second brother to the cyborg.

Jesse was eager to honor the request, handing Genji a folded, yellowed paper. As everything else in Jesse McCree’s life, it had a sentimental story attached to it. It was his Grandmother’s recipe that went back generations. It had been perfected through the years and now, it made award-winning, sweet gingerbread cookies. While his tone had been mirthful, there was an underlying threat attached: Do not lose his gingerbread cookie recipe.

Genji had been delighted.  He was even more delighted when Jesse left a basket of ingredients outside their door, simple things that the commons already possessed like flour and baking soda. Taped to the top, in his scrawl of handwriting was a list of things that they would need to pick up on their own.

He and Zenyatta then bundled up tight and made their way into town, arm in arm, to obtain the rest of the needed elements, like frosting and molasses.

Genji smiled and leaned against the warm frame of his master, his arm linked in the crook of the other’s elbow and the managed their way through the soft cascade of snow on their way back to the base. There was a beautiful silence that always came with a snow like this, it muted out the cars and noise that usually permeated a city and instead made the whole street feel like a fairytale. The gentle crunch of the soft snow under his feet and the whir of Zenyatta’s mechanics were the only things needed, grounding him to the reality of this beautiful town.

The Gibraltar base was now under surveillance. Talon operatives managed an ambush just outside the city and the misfit group of heroes had retreated north, to the city of Lyon in France. They would return at the new year, recharged and reawaken to the cause, but for now, they were holed up here, where it felt like a Christmas he had once seen in pictures where snow fell in large flakes and frost etched into every window. The sun was low in the sky and slowly the streetlights twinkled on, casting long shadows along the empty street. It was beautiful and perfect.

Zenyatta’s arm fluidly moved around Genji’s trim waist and pulled the cyborg near and nuzzled his faceplate against the other’s jaw. “It is rather chilly out, do you not agree?”

Genji snickered and leaned further into the other, nuzzling with affection, “Of course, my master. We should get back home before we catch our death out here.”

Zenyatta let out his own, tinkering laugh and squeezed him tighter, delighted in their own joke. While the weather was less than ideal for most, Genji could hardly feel cold.  Most of his body was made of metal and wires now and the parts that weren’t made of metal were snuggly tucked inside his comfortable metal armor. Little things like the cold hardly bothered him now.

“What is the first thing we need to do when we get back?” Zenyatta’s soft, calming voice felt so near to his heart and Genji fluttered a little.  “I must admit, my student, that I have never once created a cookie in my existence. I am excited about the undertaking.”

Genji let out a soft laugh and nestled in as they approached their makeshift home.  “It is not impossible. They are cookies, people make them every day. I am sure we will manage.”

___________

The frowned set deeply on his features as he looked at the things set up before him neatly and he was momentarily thankful he had not removed his armored mask yet.Metal bowls were arranged in order according to their size, measuring cups (both kinds, for wet and dry ingredients), metal sheets for cookies and tiny little cookie cutters in the shape of tiny human beings and, of course, the recipe itself.

Zenyatta’s elegant fingers moved with precision as he tied a pink apron over his casual clothing before flattening out the front from wrinkles. Genji smiled and leaned on the counter, pulling out his phone to snap a few pictures while he removed his facemask, setting it out of the way. “Master, I doubt you will be spilling things on yourself. Those are meant only for children,” He laughed as he set aside his faceplate on the table.  

Zenyatta hummed happily as he rolled the long sleeves of his holiday sweater up his elegant arms, “I am going to follow the rules to the letter, my student. Aprons are required for cooking to keep it a sanitary work station. Now, wash your hands with soap and water.”

Genji laughed again, moving over to hug his master around the middle, resting his chin against the other’s shoulder and basking in the warmth of his frame. It surprised him how wonderfully warm the omnic could be, even in the chilliest of nights.  He was entirely grateful for Angela giving him receptors throughout his body to keep his temperature regulated (“You are still human, and you will get sick if you do not take proper care of yourself). “Master,” He let his lips dance along the thin wires of the other’s neck, feeling him shudder in his arms.  “Your hands, as well as mine, automatically sanitize themselves.  We do not have to bother with those things.”

“Genji, the instructions to any cooking project explicitly state that we must wash our hands and our workspace, especially after handling meat. I do not wish to infect any of our friends with disease.” There was a teasing tone to his words like he wanted to experience the totality of baking from a human’s perspective. Genji was more than happy to oblige.  

He stepped away to the sink and began to gingerly wash his hand in the warm water, smiling at the simple act. It felt strange, participating in this ritual that had been ingrained in him as the other watched on in fascination. “The trick to washing your hands, Master, is to make sure you get in between your fingers and make sure all the soap is completely washed off. If it is left on, it can irritate your skin and leave a disgusting taste in the food.” He turned off the water and picked up a festive reindeer towel left out by the sink as he dried his hands. “Would you like my help?”

“No, my student. My hands self-sanitize, I do not think it is necessary to wash,”  Zenyatta moved past him to the crumpled and worn recipe. “Besides, water is always so terribly difficult to dry out of my joints, I think it would be best for the recipe if I don’t waste our time with washing.” There was that teasing tone again, the one he reserved for private moments with Genji.  The omnic was endlessly fascinated with every mundane aspect of human rituals, like dressing for the weather and basic medical care, even to the point of wishing to participate, even when it was unnecessary.  Humans were so fragile and delicate, the monk would muse, it was a beautiful thing to see how much care went into their daily lives.

Zenyatta held the recipe out to Genji with reverence, like it was a sacred text bestowed on them for safe keeping, and not McCree’s Grandmother’s cookie recipe. He smiled as he took the folded, stained and yellowed paper card and unfolded it with as much reverence as Zenyatta had shown.  He laid it on the counter, running his hand over the creases to straighten it out as they both gazed at Jesse’s weathered and sloppy script. Things had been crossed off or erased, the ink bled from some long dried droplet of water, obscuring some of the tiny notes left the margins with phrases like ‘Not again’ and ‘no lime’.  Genji smiled. Jesse had tinkered with the recipe until it sat in this current state. He wondered how much of his grandmother’s original recipe actually remained and how much was Jesse’s own concoction.

Genji’s eyes darting to his left, watching as Zenyatta turned away to adjusted one of the metal bowls, aligning it with the others in a perfectly straight row before humming contently. He looked absolutely adorable in his well pressed, perfectly clean apron and perfectly neat pulled up sleeves. He looked so serious while he went about his tasks, making sure everything was in its perfect place before turning back to him “Well, Genji, what is the first step? I will take your lead here, as you are the expert and I the student.”

Genji flushed he turned back to the counter and away from his master’s eyes. Surely this could not be so difficult. The whole recipe rested on a single side of the page, fourteen easy steps. They were cookies. Simple, holiday cookies. A staple in many homes. Of course, they would not be terribly complicated, if they were, no one would make them. Hell, he could probably eliminate some of these steps and combine them together. It was just putting food items together. Did it really matter the order in which they went?

Genji felt pride swell inside him as he cleared his throat dramatically. He would be teaching his master something new, something that was completely human.  He had participated many times as a child with preparing and baking cookies. He enjoyed the simple times and now he could share them with the person the most important to him.

“The first step, Genji,” Zenyatta trilled again, his voice still even and content as it pulled him from his memories.

Genji looked at the badly written recipe and read the entire recipe over the first several steps were all about mixing things together. Easy. Jesse must have separated them into smaller steps just to make sure he did not miss anything. Well, Zenyatta was an omnic. He had a perfect, photographic memory. “In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until well blended.” He looked over the items lined up on the counter and nodded in approval.

“How small?”  Zenyatta asked. “We have seven different sizes of mixing bowls.”

A pang of anxiety ran up his artificial spine as he looked over at the bowls, that ranged from the size of an egg all the way up to one that could easily fit an infant.  Genji gave a quick shrug and looked back down. “It just says medium so…give me the third one in?”  Zenyatta held out a bowl that would have easily fit one that would have fit a bag of microwave popcorn. He nodded in approval. This was small, but not too small. It would work perfectly.

Genji looked back to the recipe. “So flour first…” He looked back up to see Zenyatta already cradling the bag to his chest in one arm, the other pulled it open so carefully not even dust flew out. Genji swelled with pride. This was going to be simple.   He picked up the measuring cup and began to liberally scoop out the two of the cups that were required, plopping them into the small bowl with a little ‘plaph’, until the flour threatened to spill over.

Genji dipped his hand back into the bag and pulled out a liberal amount for the third cup. Just a little extra flour would not hurt the recipe, he reasoned.  

“Is this to be exact?” Zenyatta hummed as he looked back to the paper. “It says three, my guess is that is more like three and three-fourths.”

“I do not think so,” he waved Zenyatta off and set the plastic measuring cup on the counter as he took the bowl from him.  “I have watched McCree bake many times and he seems to just add things as he sees fit. Why do you ask, Master?”  

“I have never baked before,” the omnic chatted as he moved back to the counter, setting the flour aside and folding over the top to close it. He turned and looked over the different measuring spoons laid out before him, from smallest to largest. “It calls for one and a half t’s of baking powder. What is a t?”

Genji blinked. “I would guess the one labeled with a ‘t’ would be the teaspoon.” It was logical. Baking was not an exact science, it was throwing things together into a bowl then cutting out shapes from the mixture and shoving it all in the oven. McCree did it all the time while dirtying up the entire kitchen. There was no way that Genji could not match him step by step.

Zenyatta grew quiet. His hand hovered above the different spoons, reaching out before recoiling.  “Genji, they are all labeled with ‘t’s.”

“Then the one labeled as 1 and the one labeled ½,” Genji shrugged. “Simple mathematics, you know? We can add things together”

Zenyatta reached out and picked up two spoons. “Genji, there are two that have 1 on them,” His voice was filled with distress. He held them out at arms reach for Genji to inspect. It was true, there was a difference in their size.  “This one says it is a teaspoon, while this one is a tablespoon.”

Genji felt the sweat break out on the back of his neck as his eyes darted between the two spoons. He had not expected there to be measuring equipment labeled as such.  “Um….the bigger one?” He shrugged. “I mean, they are cookies, adding more would only make it better, right?”

Zenyatta let out a soft hum and looked down at the spoons in his hand.“Genji, I am not convinced. There is quite a difference in size, it might change the composition of the cookies.”

Genji smiled at his master and wrapped his arm around the omnic’s shoulders and gave him a quick, reassuring squeeze as he looked down at the two spoons. It was true, the spoons were quite different in size. His stomach twisted as he gazed at the both of them.  “What is the worst that can happen? It is such a small amount of baking soda and baking powder, I am sure it will not affect the taste at all,” he lied.

Zenyatta stared down at the two spoons in both his hands one final time before setting down the larger of the two. “Then, I believe that less should be sufficient. More sugar, less of these.”

Genji gave him a quick peck on the cheek and held out the bowl of dry ingredients for him. The omnic slowly measured out one and a hand ‘t��� of baking powder and gingerly let it drop into the bowl, followed by the baking soda and salt. He looked into the bowl, at the different textures of white powder before giving a short nod. He took up a wooden spoon and began to stir the ingredients together.

Genji shrugged again as he stepped away, “They are cookies. If it doesn’t taste right, we will just add more sugar,” The words left his lips and he suddenly felt the sweat trickled down his neck more. The anxiety swelled in the pit of his stomach as he mulled over Zenyatta’s words.  How bad could the cookies be?

Genji turned back to the spices and fiddled around with the different bottles as his mind began to spiral. ‘How could you know?’ His mind asked over and over.  How could either of them know? Zenyatta was an omnic. He had never baked cookies before in his life because he had never eaten in his life.  And Genji…

After all the augmentations, the many surgeries he had to endure to replace and repair his body left him with a muted sense to taste and smell.   He frowned slightly, rolling his tongue into his mouth and wondering if he even could taste the sugar now.

He had experience though. He had been a complete human at one time in his life, and as a human, he consumed many varieties of sweets and pastries. His father had a private baker in the castle. A woman that Genji loved spending his free time with the woman, watching as she meticulously crafted sweets and treats for the castle. She would smile over to his perch at the counter and wink before handing him the spoon to lick off. She would sneak boxes of treats meant for him and his brother, making his whisper promises in the dark to not reveal who broke the brother’s strict diet.

It took years for Genji to realize that was part of the game. Father would have never stood for anyone lying under his watchful eye. He would never have allowed anyone to harm his boys especially.

But…had he ever helped the woman bake? Had he ever did more than occupy her time and taste test her creations? His mind could not remember…

“All mixed,” Zenyatta set the bowl down, his pink apron still pristine and beautiful. “What next, my sparrow?”

Genji felt the smile creep back on his face from the sweet name.  He looked back to the recipe “In the KitchenAid beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended.” He let the words hang in the air and looked over. “What is a KitchenAid?”

Zenyatta chuckled and began to unwrap the sticks of butter that was laid out before taking out a knife and cutting out the amount that was needed for the recipe. “I do not understand what it is at all, but I understand the term ‘beat’ and ‘blend’. We must add these ingredients together.”

“The butter is rather hard, Genji. How would we go about softening it so it will mix in?”

A light bulb went off in his head. The microwave. He easily slid the butter into a small, glass jar and popped the whole thing into the cooking device. “How long do you think it would take to melt it?” He asked as he rammed his fingers into the buttons. “I am thinking five minutes should do it.”

“Five minutes sounds reasonable,” He nodded as he slid a delicate finger across the top of the brown sugar, even it out in the measuring cup before dumping it into the same bowl with the flour and egg. “And humans do not consume the shell of the egg, correct?”

Genji nodded. Eggs were familiar territory. He understood how to eat eggs. He knew how to make them as well. “The shell is trash. We do not eat that part.”

“Good,” Zenyatta picked up the wooden spoon again and continued to mix the ingredients together. He could smell the ginger and cinnamon clearly now, letting it waft over his muted senses.  “I assumed so, but I wanted to make sure.” He knocked his shoulder into Genji’s and leaned over, nuzzling against the other sweetly as he gave a short hum.  

Genji flushed at the unexpected affections and let himself lean into the other’s warm frame.  It surprised him how many people just assumed that an omnic would feel

Three minutes left on the butter. He stepped back over to the ingredients. “Well, it won’t make much difference if we continued on at this point, would it? The next several parts are just mixing more in with the batter.”

“I do not see the harm,” Zenyatta stated. He gave a shrug mimicking Genji’s own as he continued on, mixing in the thick molasses, vanilla. “My student, please set the oven to three hundred and seventy-five.”

Genji nodded and moved over to the stove and fiddled with it until he was sure it was heating on the inside.  Again, dread crept into his mind.  This was the first time they had even thought to use the oven, Genji spent most of his time eating whatever was in the mess hall and Zenyatta did not need to cook.  

The loud ‘POP!’ from the microwave made him jump. The butter made another loud snap and pop as the microwave continued to whirr and spin. Genji ran over and pulled open the door and pulled out the steaming bowl. “Uh….butter is done.” He held it up. “All soft and….liquid.”

Zenyatta chuckled as he took the spoon and slowly worked the batter into a soft, brown dough as Genji slowly poured in the butter and watched as the mixture turned tackier. Was it suppose to look like that? The question came to his lips and he forced himself to bite it back.  Zenyatta was counting on him to know what to do.  “All right…the next step is to flour the counter and roll out some of the dough and cut out cookies.”

He took the bag of flour and sifted out a fine powder onto the counter as Zenyatta formed small balls of the dough and laid them out on the powder.  “Master, are you not concerned about getting it between your joins? Earlier you worried so much about the water and this would be far more troublesome.” He gave Zenyatta a quick wink.

“I never worry about that, my sparrow. Besides, why would I when I know you would gladly be there to lick it away.” The monk stated evenly, causing Genji to choke ever so slightly on the air. His cheeks burned as he turned away, trying to hide the heat from his cheeks. Zenyatta chuckled and picked up the wooden rolling pin, applying a generous amount of flour to that as well.  “Do not tease unless you are sure you want to get it in return.”

Genji floundered.  He wanted to retort again. He wanted to send another quick snip at his master, but instead, he stood, mesmerized and transfixed watching how Zenyatta slowly worked the ball of dough into an even, thin sheet.   He moved over and picked up the small, metal outline of a human and pressed it into the dough.

It wasn’t long until an army of tiny, sweet men lined the baking sheet, ready to go into the oven. Shoulder to shoulder as it were. The recipe stated five to ten men per sheet, but the sheet easily fit the fifteen men for their first batch. Genji nodded in approval. They were indeed human shaped. And they were mostly keeping their form, even if they oozed just slightly.  He assumed they would harden while baking.  

Zenyatta lifted the sheet and slid it neatly into the oven.  “How long should we bake them for?”

Genji snapped up the recipe again and let his eyes wander down the page, ignoring the underlined section where it said ‘Refrigerate batter for four or more hours’. They were in a time crunch. Besides, what good would freeze the batter do? It would just make it harder to roll out. Besides, the cookies looked fine.

“It says…”  Genji started. He squinted down at the scratch of handwriting as it got more and more sloppy as the recipe continued.  “Either seven to ten minutes or seventeen to eighteen minutes.”

“That is quite the jump,” Zenyatta lifted the hem of his apron up and wiped the remainder of the batter away as he looked down.  The omnic took it delicately in his hand and looked it over, humming.  Genji knew that sound well. It was the sound of Zenyatta contemplating.  A faint tick mark in front of the seven definitely made it seem like it was the number seventeen and not just a simple seven, but the number following it started with a one and, much to Zenyatta’s chagrin, was a circular number with a line drawn through it.  It resembled a zero more than an eight…but there was doubt.

“Seven,” Zenyatta stated and moved to pick up the egg timer, twisting the nob until landed on the seven.  “We will check on them after that time, then we will put them in for longer if need me. We can always add more time. We are incapable of retreating back in time.”

“Unless we are Lena,” Genji pointed out.

Zenyatta gave another little hum, one that said he was not amused in Genji’s smartassery.  “We have time, how should we spend it.?”

Genji looked back to the counter and the three other trays waiting out. He frowned slightly, why hadn’t they slipped in one on the top rack and one on the bottom? It would have moved that much quicker…Next time…maybe they could even manage to put in all three sheets… “Well, Master, if it is all the same to you-”

“It must be an activity that we can stop when we hear that ding,” Zenyatta interrupted, pressing a finger to Genji’s lips. “So I would let all those dirty little thoughts you keep in your mind locked far away.”

Heat rushed to Genji’s cheeks again as he followed his master into their seating area. Zenyatta neatly folded himself onto the couch and held his arms open for Genji.  Genji had to smile as he folded himself into the other’s arms and nuzzled against his neck.  There was just something positively…domestic about all of this: Zenyatta seated with the pink apron still wrapped around his thin frame, completely clear of all mess. Genji peppered sweet kisses along his jawline, listening closely for the exact moment when Zenyatta’s internal fans would kick on and need to cool him.

“Sparrow.”  Zenyatta hummed, his long fingers danced along his spine as he folded himself in more closely to his master.  “We have about four minutes. That surely is not enough time for anything more than gentle kisses.”

Genji laughed and continued to kiss down his neck, letting his tongue gently lap at the thin wiring. “Do not worry master, I can finish in four.”

“That is a shame for me then. I thought I taught you better about patience.”  Zenyatta stroked back up his spine and moved along his shoulder blades.  “I think we will need to work more on that again.”

A shiver ran through his spine at the low tone of his master.  He nuzzled in.  “I never told you what it was that I wanted to do. I just want to enjoy the company of my favorite person. I want to kiss you and love you is all. I do not know what you are talking about.”

His hands moved up, cupping Genji’s cheeks and brought their foreheads together.  Genji closed his eyes and pressed his forehead tighter against him before he leaned in and pressed his lips gently against the seam of Zenyatta’s faceplate. His arms slowly circled around his neck and held him close. He nuzzled in closer, moving his lips slowly across this faceplate, reveling in the quiet joy that came with him just being near.

His hands moved down his back, pressing him closer.  “Master….” He gasped out.

And the timer dinged.  

Zenyatta slipped out of his arms and over the back of the couch, into the kitchen. “Ah-ah, my student. Patience.”

Genji sprawled on the couch, stretching himself out like a cat as he listened to the clang and scrape of metal from the oven.  He smiled as he heard Zenyatta hum as he slipped the next batch into the oven and clang as the door shut.  

“Genji, my love,” Zenyatta called.  “Come here please.”

Genji leaped off the couch and sauntered into the kitchen….and the great plume of smoke that came from the oven. His eyes bugged. “What…happened?!”

Zenyatta shrugged. “I came in here and…I believe that we may not have followed the recipe correctly.” He motioned over to the tray of cookies. The batter had…melted, to say the least. The cookies had spread in the heat before hardening over and becoming an ambiguous blog of burnt, brittle cookies.

Genji snickered. “Oh that is…that is bad…” He moved over and looked it over, snapping away one gingerbread man (monster?). The heat did not bother his fingers. As he twisted it in his fingers.  He looked to his master. “I think that with enough frosting they can be salvaged.” He bit into it and mulled the taste around in his mouth.

“Do they taste burnt?” Zenyatta asked.

Genji shrugged. “I think they taste fine. I can pick up cinnamon and…ginger?” He blinked and shrugged again.  

Zenyatta perked, clasping his hands together, “Splendid! I worried that they were beyond repair!”  The omnic worked carefully, snapping apart the cookies and letting them cool on the counter.  “It brings me great joy to know that we did not destroy them.”

Genji moved to the fridge and pulled out the different color frostings and laid them out while cleaning up the counter space, not once mentioning that he probably could not taste them if they were burnt or not.  It would be better that way.  

He looked over to his master again, watching as he slowly broke apart the cookies and set them aside to cool. “Look Genji, this one looks a bit like Ms. Oxton!”  Genji looked over at the reformed cookie and the way its tiny legs were spread wide.  “See, doesn’t this one look like it is running? And this one is missing an arm. We can put it back on with frosting of course…do you think we can decorate them to look like our friends?”

Genji’s heart swelled. He wrapped his arms around the other and nuzzled in.  “Of course, Master. I think they would like that.”

_____________

Genji stood in front of the tray of cookies, all neatly arranged. Zenyatta had insisted on making a cookie based on every single one of the Overwatch members and then handing out the respected cookie to each of them as a present. They had spent hours on the decorating, making sure each one fit the personality of each operative. Cookie Zenyatta and Cookie Genji sat propped against the mantle, close enough together they could have been holding hands next to a gingerbread jail cell they concocted that held the cookie version of every Talon member (made from the leftover gingerbread people.)  

Mei cooed over the tiny blue piped coat Cookie Mei was given and the white snowflake sprinkles. Genji was especially pleased with her cookie, as it looked very much like the climatologist.  He also quite liked his Soldier cookie, as the black piping for his mouth twisted and made to look like he was scowling.

“Just know that Satya went to get a glue gun and ribbon so we can make these into ornaments,” Genji insisted as he handed Angela the Cookie Mercy (complete with tiny wings). “Please do not eat it.” He emphasized the word. The cookies were safe, that much he knew.  But edible was another question entirely.  

The doctor smiled and held her cookie up, looking at the soft gold glitter spread all through it.  “Zenyatta, these are fantastic! Danke!”

McCree burst through the door with all the flair the cowboy could manage with a trayful of his own sweet treats. Sugar cookies and peanut butter blossoms and chocolate mint cookies; everything but Gingerbread. “Genji, I know you and Zen had yer hearts set on making a batch on yer own, but I couldn’t help it. I had some extra time in there so I whipped up a batch!” He cried out over the hullabaloo of the party, heading to a small table on the opposite side.

Genji slipped away, watching as Zenyatta handed Zarya the shockingly pink cookie version of herself. He made his way over to the cowboy “Thank you,” He whispered.

“Welcome,” McCree hummed back.  “I woke up this morning and remembered the damndest thing from Blackwatch. Do you remember the time you tried to make scrambled eggs and got mighty irritated with how long it took, so you threw the whole damn thing in the microwave and caught the kitchen on fire? See, I was thinking back to that, and I realized you weren’t gonna follow my recipe at all. You would throw everything into a bowl, crank the oven up and make a right old mess of everything.”

Genji did not speak. He didn’t need to.  

“See, and then I thought, well, Zenyatta there is a good guy. Very on it all, he surely would follow the directions…except he wouldn’t cause you gotta mouth on you and you wanna impress your boyfriend there with how awesome you are, so he wouldn’t follow the directions neither.”

Genji nodded.

“Then I get up and go right to my kitchen and crank these out cause who is gonna question Jesse McCree? When he gets an itch to cook, he cooks.”

Genji was eternally grateful as McCree turned and handed him a napkin with a chocolate mint cookie. “I take thank yous in the forms of bourbon or whiskey. The former over the later.”

“You will be getting that,” Genji chuckled as watched as the doors tentatively swung open and his brother joined the party.  “Just don’t mention it to Zenyatta. I told him the cookies tasted fine and after we finished decorating them to just hand them out as decorations because they were too damn cute…you know?”

McCree tipped his hat. “I hear ya.”

Genji gave him a final punch in the arm before wandering back over to where Hanzo stood in front of the omnic.

“Hn,” Hanzo frowned down at the scowling cookie in his hand as Genji moved back over, snaking an arm around Zenyatta’s form.

“Merry Christmas, Anija,” Genji stated.

“I thank you,” He mumbled out and inclined to the cookie in his hand. Hanzo was not the sentimental type. He never kept things unless they served a purpose, but to see him here, with the rest of them, it made his heart swell.

“And Look, Mr. Shimada, I have given you the tiny chicken feet your brother always talks about!”  Zenyatta sounded so impressed with himself, so utterly thrilled with the fact that he was able to make Hanzo’s cookie that he missed the massive scowl that was directed straight to Genji. “Genji said you were able to climb so easily because of your dainty ankles.”

Hanzo nodded and looked down at the cookie him, sitting in his hand again. “Genji was always very….astute.” He was always as polite and reverent as he had been taught, even if his current styling read more murder than holiday cheer.

Genji squeezed his master tighter.  “Merry Christmas,” He repeated himself, not able to think of anything else to say at this moment besides ‘Shit, sorry I told everyone here your deepest insecurities. You see, I was in a dark place after you murdered me and-’

His line of thought went out of his head as he watched Hanzo pop the entire cookie into his mouth. It took the first chew to see Hanzo’s face contort the slightest.

“Genji stated that the cookies were far too cute to eat and has been telling everyone all evening that they are adorable decorations. You, Mr. Shimada, are the first to actually try one. Tell me how it is?” Zenyatta gushed, clapping his hands in front of him.

Water pricked the edges of Hanzo’s eyes as he nodded and chewed again. And again. Each time looking much more distressed than the last. Finally, he swallowed hard. “Was that lemon?” He asked, his voice straining to stay even.

“Oh yes! The recipe called to zest a lemon. I was unsure of how one would go about zesting a lemon, so I squeezed the juices into the batter. Is it lovely?”

Hanzo covered his mouth and nodded a few more times. Genji had to do the same to keep from laughing out at his brother’s misfortune and not due to a gag reflex.

“We have more if you would like a second,” Zenyatta produced a tray of unfrosted cookies.

Hanzo shook his head violently. “No!” He looked to Genji, panic in his eyes. “I could not possibly have another-”

“Anija has a strict diet,” Genji smiled, taking pity on his poor brother.  “There is so much to eat here, I do not wish for him to reach his limit and then not be able to have any actual food.”

“Oh,” Zenyatta’s shoulders sank.

“I can…take a bag of them home though. Have them later.” Hanzo said. “They were the most…unique cookies I have ever encountered.”

“Wonderful!”

Genji curled up close as he watched Hanzo dart away to the liquor table as soon as Zenyatta’s attention was turned. He poured himself a big glass of some undefined liquid and drank it down in one gulp. Genji smiled, somehow this would be his fault. That he pranked his brother on Christmas with terrible cookies.

Hanzo would then seek retribution. He smiled and curled up to Zenyatta’s side once again. “Did you need to torture my brother so?”

“I was rather hoping that I could get him to eat more.” Zenyatta purred out.  “I am sure if you would have pressed harder he would have eaten another.”

“And then vomited all over the floor,” Genji snickered.  “You know he is going to come back at me for this. He’s going to shave my eyebrows or hide my Katana.”

Zenyatta pulled Genji in close. “Let him try. Nothing will ever hurt you, my sparrow. You are my all.”

Genji snuggled into his warm embrace. “Watching him eat that awful cookie was the best Christmas present I could have wanted.”

Actual Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder

3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 3⁄4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3⁄4 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1⁄2 cup molasses

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest(optional)

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until well blended.

In a large bowl (KitchenAid’s great for this) beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended.

Add molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest and continue to mix until well blended.

Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth.

Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 deg. Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

(Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, but in this case, it should be refrigerated. Return to room temp before using.) Preheat oven to 375°.

Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Place 1 portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface.

Sprinkle flour over dough and rolling pin.

Roll dough to a scant ¼-inch thick.

Use additional flour to avoid sticking.

Cut out cookies with desired cutter– the gingerbread man is our favorite of course.

Space cookies 1 ½-inches apart.

Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes (the lower time will give you softer cookies– very good!).

Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to stand until the cookies are firm enough to move to a wire rack.

After cookies are cool you may decorate them any way you like. I usually brush them with a powdered sugar glaze when I am in a hurry, but they look wonderful decorated with Royal icing.

[aion-rsa]

Doctor Who : Revolution of the Daleks to Air on New Year’s Day, Trailer is Here

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Series 13 may still be some way off (filming recommenced on eight new episodes earlier in November after an enforced Covid-19 break), but there’s not long to wait until Doctor Who is back on our screens. As teased at the very end of the series 12 finale, “The Timeless Children,” festive special “Revolution of the Daleks” is confirmed to air on New Year’s Day 2021 on BBC One. That’s three years in a row that the BBC has opted to see in the New Year with the Doctor.  

Revolution of the Daleks Trailer: ‘Maximum Extermination!’

Also fresh from the BBC are a bunch of new images from the special, featuring newly announced guest stars joining the already confirmed John Barrowman, who’s back as Captain Jack Harkness. Take a butcher’s at the new pics below and you’ll see that Barrowman isn’t the only returning character in the Special. Chris Noth, who played unscrupulous business tycoon Jack Robertson in Series 11’s ‘Arachnids in the UK‘, is also back. “It’s safe to say the Doctor and all those involved were less than impressed by his questionable actions,” says the press release, but “viewers will have to wait and see just what brings him back this time…”

Making her Who debut will be Dame Harriet Walter, recently seen in Killing Eve and Succession, alongside Misfits and Utopia‘s Nathan Stewart-Jarrett.

Revolution of the Daleks Images: Will an Old Villain Get His Comeuppance?

Chris Noth and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett

Dame Harriet Walter with Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Chris Noth

Revolution of the Daleks new design

The Doctor’s Fam

And back in October at the online NYCC Doctor Who panel, we got our first look at a jumpsuit-ed Doctor inside that intergalactic prison, chalking up her days. Speaking at the NYCC panel, Jodie Whittaker told fans “Clue is in the photograph that I may have been there for a while!”

The Doctor banged up abroad

And here’s her trio of companions, trying an admin-based approach to defeating space evil. Again, speaking at the NYCC panel, Mandip Gill provided a bit of context for what’s happening: “We’re back in Sheffield, not knowing where she’s gone […] We don’t know where the Doctor’s gone, we don’t know if we’re now in Sheffield forever and if our journey with the Doctor is over […] Yaz is struggling with the idea of not being on the TARDIS anymore.”

The companions stumble upon a plot that involves a Dalek, confirmed Gill and Bradley Walsh at the NYCC panel. “From way, way, way back, by the way,” teased Walsh. “What happens next is extraordinary.”

The companions

Revolution of the Daleks Air Date: January 1st 2021

We were told for months that “Revolution of the Daleks will air during the upcoming festive period on BBC One.” Now we know for sure that means New Year’s Day, the same as the previous two Jodie Whittaker-led festive episodes. The exact time slot is still to be confirmed.

Revolution of the Daleks Story: How to fight a Dalek without the Doctor?

Here’s the official BBC synopsis:

The upcoming festive special will see the return of one of the Doctor’s biggest and most feared enemies – the Daleks. The Doctor is locked away in a high-security alien prison. Isolated, alone, with no hope of escape. Far away, on Earth, her best friends, Yaz, Ryan and Graham have to pick up their lives without her. But it’s not easy. Old habits die hard. Especially when they discover a disturbing plan forming. A plan which involves a Dalek. How can you fight a Dalek, without the Doctor?

Entitled “Revolution of the Daleks,” the extended episode will see the Doctor once again go up against the mutant abominations. The race of foes last appeared in 2019 special “Resolution,” which featured guest star Charlotte Ritchie possessed by a Dalek that wreaked havoc in the city of Sheffield before it was sucked into a vacuum corridor in space. 

Previous to that, the Daleks also featured in Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffat’s goodbye episode “Twice Upon a Time,” the last in the new series’ run of regular Christmas specials. Will either of those encounters have a bearing on the Doctor’s next adventure? 

Before the Doctor can face Skaro’s most dastardly for the umpteenth time, there’s also the small matter of – spoilers – her escaping from maximum security space prison, the tricky situation in which the Doctor was left in at the end of series 12. A wave of the Sonic, some reversal of the polarity, and a winning grin could fix that, surely?

Writing about that cliffhanger in the official press release, showrunner Chris Chibnall exclaimed, “We can’t leave the Doctor there!

“Well, we did. But rest assured, the Doctor and her friends will be back for a one-off extended Special around Christmas and New Year. (I don’t know when they’re going to put it on yet, otherwise, we’d tell you!).”

Teasing what to expect from the next episode, Chibnall promised “There will be Daleks. There will be exterminations. Thrills, laughter, tears. You know. The usual.”

He later added:

“We’ve crammed this year’s Doctor Who Festive Special with an explosion of extraordinary acting talent.  Where else would you get British acting royalty, a globally renowned US screen star, an (inter)national treasure of stage and screen and one of Britain’s hottest young actors — just in the guest cast! Put those together with Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole (and Daleks! Did I mention Daleks!) — and you get a cast to be exterminated for. And things will explode. Promise.”

Revolution of the Daleks Writer and Director: Spyfall Part 2 director returns

Lee Haven Jones, who previously helmed part two of the series 12 opener “Spyfall” and “Orphan 55”, directed the festive special, from a script by showrunner Chris Chibnall.

Revolution of the Daleks Cast: Graham, Yaz and Ryan report for duty

There’ll be a complete roster of companions, with Bradley Walsh’s Graham, Tosin Cole’s Ryan, and Mandip Gill’s Yaz all returning to join the Doctor after they arrived safely back in Sheffield following their Gallifreyan adventure.

Also listed on IMDb as appearing in the episode are John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, Nicholas Briggs (obviously) as the voice of the Daleks, Dame Harriet Walter, Chris Noth, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Taggart and The Loch’s Gray O’Brien, and one Guillaume Rivaud.

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[queerbenji]

Below is a lovingly compiled list of books about girls who love girls that have happy or hopeful endings! The list currently has 106 entries and spans multiple genres. It’s alphabetized by author, and links go to the books’ Goodreads pages. Recommendations are welcome! 

Sparks: The Epic, Completely True Blue, (Almost) Holy Quest of Debbie by S.J. Adams

A wonderfully refreshing, quirky, and genuinely funny tale of coming-out to your best friend–and long-time secret love.  Three chases, three declarations of love, two heartbreaks, a break-in, and one unforgettable quest.

Taijiku by Elizabeth Andre

Angela’s juvenile detention sentence on an alien underwater ship doesn’t seem very exciting until she encounters the fearsome Taijiku or meeting her crew mate Stella, leaving Angela unable to say which is the greater challenge: giant sea monsters or falling in love.

Poppy Jenkins by Clare Ashton

Poppy is the heart of Wells, a beautiful village in mid-Wales.  She has a doting family, an errant dog and a little sister with a nose for mischief, but as the only gay girl in the village, the chance of romance is rarer than a barking sheep. That is, until her ex-BFF roars back into her life…

The Music Box by Elaine Atwell

Berlin, 1942. Caroline Reed is a newly minted American spy, eager to prove herself on her first mission: to recover vital information from behind enemy lines. But she’s not the only one. Iris and Caroline come to trust each other, or perhaps it’s something more. But what does love matter when the fate of the world is at stake?

Valhalla by Ari Bach

In the year 2330 in Northern Scotland, war is obsolete and only brilliant minds are valued, Violet emerges into adulthood with more brawn than brains, branded from childhood as a useless barbarian. With the help of a group of outcasts just like her, Violet is about to learn the world needs her exactly as she is.  

Bluebell Hall by Kayla Bashe

Headstrong, impetuous Tansy Trilby can barely sit still, let alone read–but what she lacks in academic achievement, she makes up for in magical talent, and so she is accepted to be a boarder at Bluebell Hall. Tansy’s adventures lead her to discover: is love truly the greatest magic of all?

Screaming Down Splitsville by Kayla Bashe

In an alternate 1950s, two groups of people with magical powers fight for dominance. Flip thinks her healing powers are useless, while Emma has magic but is unable to speak. The two band together to escape a torturous lab.  As the women seek to evade their pursuers, their friendship rekindles, and they are forced to confront both enemies and insecurities.

Kaleidoscope Song by Fox Benwell

Fifteen year old Neo loves music. it punctuates her life in South Africa. A life in radio is all she’s ever wanted. When Umzi Radio broadcasts live in a nearby bar Neo can’t resist. She sneaks out to see them, and she falls in love, with music, and the night, but also with a girl: Tale has a voice like coffee poured into a bright steel mug, and she commands the stage.

Dissention by Stacey Berg

For 400 years, the remnants of humanity have struggled for survival in the last inhabited city. Echo Hunter 367 is exactly what the Church created her to be: loyal, obedient, lethal. But when Echo’s mission leads her to Lia, a rebel leader who has a secret of her own, Echo must choose between the woman she loves and the purpose she was born to fulfill.

Drum Roll, Please by Lisa Jenn Bigelow

Drum Roll, Please is a contemporary middle grade novel about a drummer named Melly, whose parents announce they’re getting a divorce the day before she leaves for rock camp. She has a life-changing summer at camp as she navigates confusing feelings, changing friendships, and her first crush on a girl, and learns to find her own beat.

Starting From Here by Lisa Jenn Bigelow

Colby’s heart has been broken too many times. Her mother has been dead for almost two years, her truck driver father is always away, her almost girlfriend just dumped her, and now she’s failing chemistry. But when a stray dog lands literally at her feet, bleeding and broken on a busy road, it knocks a chink in the walls she’s built around her heart.

How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake

All Grace wants is her own life.  Emotionally trapped by her unreliable mother, Maggie, and the tiny cape on which she lives, she focuses on her best friend, her upcoming audition for a top music school in New York, and surviving Maggie’s latest boyfriend. When Grace meets Eva, who has her own share of ghosts to outrun, both girls must figure out how to love and how to move on.

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Greta is a duchess and crown princess—and a hostage to peace. This is how the game is played: if you want to rule, you must give one of your children as a hostage. Go to war and your hostage dies. As nations tip closer to war, Greta becomes a target in a new kind of game that will end up killing every hostage—unless she can find a way to break all the rules.

The Swan Riders by Erin Bow

Sequel to The Scorpion Rules.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Evie has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to her Uncle Will on the bustling streets of 1926 New York City. Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

When a plane crash strands thirteen teen beauty contestants on a mysterious island, they struggle to survive, to get along with one another, to combat the island’s other diabolical occupants, and to learn their dance numbers in case they are rescued in time for the competition. Their story is told from many points of view, multiples of which are LGBT women.

First Position by Melissa Brayden

Anastasia Mikhelson is the rising star of the New York City Ballet. She’s sacrificed creature comforts, a social life, as well as her own physical well-being for perfection in dance. Even her reputation as The Ice Queen doesn’t faze her. Though Ana’s at the peak of her career, competition from a new and noteworthy dancer puts all she’s worked for in jeopardy.

How Sweet It Is by Melissa Brayden

After losing the love of her life four years prior in a plane crash, Molly thinks she’s ready to navigate the dicey dating waters once again. However, you can’t always pick who your heart latches on to. When Jordan, the beautiful younger sister of her lost love, returns to town, Molly finds her interest piqued in a manner she wasn’t prepared for.

Waiting in the Wings by Melissa Brayden

Jenna has spent her whole life training for the stage. At graduation, she’s stunned when a chance audition lands her a prime supporting role in the hottest Broadway touring production in the country. The one thing she didn’t prepare for, however, was her new costar Adrienne. Is Jenna ready to sacrifice what she’s worked so hard for in exchange for a shot at love?

 Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown

Joanna has been out and proud for years, but when her popular radio evangelist father remarries and decides to move all three of them to the more conservative Rome, Georgia, he asks Jo to do the impossible: to lie low for the rest of her senior year. Jo reluctantly agrees, but things get infinitely more complicated when she meets Mary.

Style by Chelsea M. Cameron

Kyle Blake likes plans. So far, they’re pretty simple: Finish her senior year of high school, head off to a good college, find a cute boyfriend, graduate, get a good job, get married, the whole heterosexual shebang. Nothing is going to stand in the way of that plan. Not even Stella Lewis.

Echo After Echo by Amy Rose Capetta

Debuting on the New York stage, Zara is unprepared—for Eli, the girl who makes the world glow; for Leopold, the director who wants perfection; and for death in the theater.  In heart-achingly beautiful prose, Capetta has spun a mystery and a love story into an impossible, inevitable whole —and cast light on two girls, finding each other on a stage set for tragedy. 

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Somewhere within our crowded sky, a crew of wormhole builders hops from planet to planet, on their way to the job of a lifetime. To the galaxy at large, humanity is a minor species, and one patched-up construction vessel is a mere speck on the starchart.  But all voyages leave their mark, and even the most ordinary of people have stories worth telling.

Fat Angie by E.E. Charlton-Trujillo

Angie is broken—by her can’t-be-bothered mother, by her high-school tormenters, and by being the only one who thinks her varsity-athlete-turned-war-hero sister is still alive. She’s just trying to make it through each day. That is, until the arrival of KC Romance This darkly comic anti-romantic romance is a work of entertaining and meaningful fiction.

Debris Dreams by David Colby

Drusilla lives in the Hub, a space station used by the Chinese-American Alliance as a base to exploit Luna’s resources. When a terrorist group destroys the space elevator, space’s highway to Earth, suddenly Dru’s parents are dead and she is cut off from her girlfriend Sarah on Earth. Can Dru survive lunar terrorist attacks and find her way home to Sarah?

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire—a dangerous gift for the future queen of a kingdom where magic is forbidden. Now, Denna must learn the ways of her new home while trying to hide her growing magic.

Clancy of the Undertow by Christopher Currie

In a dead-end town like Barwen a girl has only got to be a little different to feel like a freak. And Clancy, a typical sixteen-year-old misfit with a moderately dysfunctional family, a genuine interest in Nature Club and a major crush on the local hot girl, is packing a capital F.

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power, but it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air. The only way to get her family back is to travel to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

When Cameron Post’s parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they’ll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl. This book is a stunning and unforgettable literary debut about discovering who you are and finding the courage to live life according to your own rules.

The Caphenon by Fletcher DeLancey

On a summer night like any other, an emergency call sounds in the quarters of Andira Tal: not only is there other intelligent life in the universe, but it’s landing on the planet right now. Tal leads the first responding team and ends up rescuing aliens who have a frightening story to tell. They protected Alsea from a terrible fate—but the reprieve is only temporary.

The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer

Persephone has everything a daughter of Zeus could want–except for freedom. When Persephone meets the enigmatic Hades, goddess of the underworld, she experiences something new: choice. Hades offers Persephone sanctuary in her land of the dead. But Persephone finds more than freedom in the underworld. She finds love, and herself.    

Twixt by Sarah Diemer

The people of Abeo City have forgotten their pasts, and they can trade locks of their hair to sinister women for an addictive drug. Nox will give you back a single memory–for a price. But when Lottie takes Nox, her memories remain a mystery, and the monsters who fill the sky at night refuse to snatch her. Soon, a dark truth begins to surface…

Big Big Sky by Kristyn Dunnion

Rustle is a young scout in a tight-knit female warrior group of five. They’re trained to be aggressive, quick thinking, and obedient.  But somehow the group is falling apart now. So when their StarPod is transported to the Living Lab, they all know that it’s time to make a run for it, or else they’ll be deplugged - finished, dead. 

Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis

Amara is never alone. Not when she’s protecting the cursed princess she unwillingly serves. Not when she’s punished, ordered around, or neglected. She can’t be alone, because a boy from another world experiences all that alongside her, looking through her eyes. They’ll have to work together to survive–and discover the truth about their connection.

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

Louisa longs to break free from her respectable life as a Victorian doctor’s daughter. But then Louisa is sent to Wildthorn Hall, labeled a lunatic and even deprived of her real name. As she unravels the betrayals behind her incarceration, she realizes there are many kinds of prison. She must be honest with herself and others in order to be free. And love may be the key.

The Seafarer’s Kiss by Julia Ember

Having long-wondered what lives beyond the ice shelf, nineteen-year-old mermaid Ersel learns of the life she wants when she rescues and befriends Ragna, a shield-maiden stranded on the mermen’s glacier. But when Ersel’s childhood friend and suitor catches them together, he gives Ersel a choice: say goodbye to Ragna or face justice at the hands of the glacier’s brutal king.

Unicorn Tracks by Julia Ember

Mnemba has found a place in her cousins successful safari business, where she quickly excels as a guide. When she’s employed to guide Mr. Harving and his daughter, Kara, as they study unicorns, the young women are drawn to each other. During their research, they discover a conspiracy by a group of poachers to capture the Unicorns and use their supernatural strength to build a railway. Together, they must find a way to save the creatures Kara adores.

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sarah Farizan

Leila’s Persian heritage already makes her different from her classmates; if word got out that she liked girls, life would be twice as hard. But when a sophisticated, beautiful new girl, Saskia, shows up, Leila starts to take risks she never thought she would.  Gradually, Leila begins to see that almost all her classmates are more complicated than they first appear to be.

The Cursed Queen by Sarah Fine

Sequel to The Impostor Queen, which stars a bi woman. Cursed by an enemy queen, Ansa must fight against an invisible foe—the dark magic that has embedded itself deep in her bones. The more she seeks to hide it, the more dangerous it becomes. Ansa is torn between her loyalty to her people, her love for the cheiftain’s daughter, and her own survival instincts.

Honey Girl by Lisa Freeman

The year is 1972. Fifteen-year-old Haunani “Nani” Grace Nuuhiwa is transplanted from her home to California after her father’s fatal heart attack. Now the proverbial fish-out-of-water, Nani struggles to adjust to her new life with her alcoholic white (haole) mother and the lineup of mean girls who rule State Beach. But Nani is keeping several secrets that could ruin everything.

Noble Falling by Sara Gaines

When her convoy is attacked, Duchess Aleana Melora of Eniva, future queen of Halvaria is saved by her guard, only to discover her people have turned against her and joined forces with the kingdom of Dakmor, Halvaria’s greatest enemy. After a rescue by a woman marked as a criminal, Aleana struggles to survive long enough to crowned, though her heart has other priorities.

Annie On My Mind By Nancy Garden

This groundbreaking book, published in 1992, is the story of two teenage girls whose friendship blossoms into love and who, despite pressures from family and school that threaten their relationship, promise to be true to each other and their feelings. The book has been banned from many school libraries and publicly burned in Kansas City.

Good Moon Rising by Nancy Garden

Lambda Literary Award winner “Good Moon Rising” is about two young women who fall in love while rehearsing a school play, realize they’re gay, and resist a homophobic campaign against them. 

Nora and Liz by Nancy Garden

When her rental car has a flat tire, Liz Hardy stops at the Tillot farm for a car jack. Nora Tillot walks Liz out to the barn and, as they search for the jack, the two women begin a journey neither anticipated. As their friendship turns passionate, will their happiness be shattered by rumors?

Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard

All Pen wants is to be the kind of girl she’s always been. So why does everyone have a problem with it? They think the way she looks and acts shows disrespect. But respect and loyalty, Pen discovers, are empty words. Old-world parents, disintegrating friendships, and strong feelings for other girls drive Pen to see that to be who she truly wants to be, she’ll have to man up.

The Second Mango by Shira Glassman

Queen Shulamit never expected to inherit the throne of tropical Perach so young. At twenty, grief-stricken and fatherless, she’s also coping with being the only lesbian she knows after her sweetheart ran off for an unknown reason. Her search for a royal girlfriend quickly becomes a rescue mission after finding a temple full of women turned to stone by an evil sorcerer.

The Flywheel by Erin Gough

Seventeen-year-old Del drops out of high school when her romance with another girl goes horribly wrong. Preferring chaos to bullying, Del makes it her mission to save her dad’s crumbling café, the Flywheel, while he ‘finds himself’ overseas. This book is a heart-warming debut novel about queer romance, crap parents & finding your feet when life gets messy.

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner

When Cass’s best friend Julia is killed in a sudden car accident, and while Cass is still reeling from her death, Julia’s boyfriend and her other drama friends make it their mission to bring to fruition Julia’s nearly-completed secret project: a musical about an orphaned ninja princess entitled Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad.

Eat Your Heart Out by Dayna Ingram

A breakneck tale of kick-ass, wise-ass, sexy-ass lesbians — and zombies.  The strip-mall calm of Nowhere, Ohio, is shattered by the sudden, simultaneous appearance of Renni Ramirez, hyper-competent star of the beloved Rising Evil B-movie franchise, and actual zombies, leaving Ashbee’s hapless staff and Renni trapped behind an automatic door they can’t lock.

That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston

Set in a near-future world where the British Empire never fell and the United States never rose, That Inevitable Victorian Thing is a novel of love, duty, and the small moments that can change people and the world.

The Gallery of Unfinished Girls by Lauren Karcz

Mercedes is an artist. At least, she thinks she could be, but she hasn’t been able to paint anything worthwhile since her award-winning piece Food Poisoning #1 last year. Her lack of inspiration might be because her abuela is comatose in faraway Puerto Rico after a stroke. Or the fact that Mercedes is in love with her best friend, but is too afraid to admit her true feelings.

The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz

Clara is a highly-skilled technician specializing in the popular ‘Raise’ AI companions. She sticks around just long enough to replenish her funds before she moves on Sal is a fully autonomous robot, at best out of place in society and at worst hated. When Clara stops by Sal’s shop for lunch, she doesn’t expect to find a real robot there, let alone one who might need her help.

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King

Astrid desperately wants to confide in someone, but her feel like the last people she can trust. Instead, Astrid spends hours watching airplanes fly overhead. She doesn’t know the passengers inside, but they’re the only ones who won’t judge her when she asks them her most personal questions–like what it means that she’s falling in love with a girl.

Radical by E.M. Kokie

Preppers. Survivalists. Bex prefers to think of herself as a realist who plans to survive, but regardless of labels, they’re all sure of the same thing: a crisis is coming. And when it does, Bex will be ready. But Bex isn’t prepared for Lucy, who is soft and beautiful and hates guns. This gripping new novel questions our assumptions about family, trust, and what it really takes to survive.

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met, and she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

You Know Me Well by Nina Lacour and David Levithan

Mark and Kate have sat next to each other for an entire year, but their paths have never crossed. That is, until Kate spots Mark miles away from home, out in the city for a wild, unexpected night. Kate is lost, having just run away from finally meeting the girl she’s been in love with from afar. Mark, meanwhile, is in love with his best friend Ryan, who may or may not feel the same way.

And Playing the Role of Herself by K.E. Lane

Actress Caidence Harris is living her dreams after landing a leading role in a hot new police drama shot on location in glitzy LA. Her sometimes-costar Robyn Ward is magnetic, glamorous, and devastatingly beautiful, the quintessential A-List celebrity. Soon Caid sees that all is not as it appears, but can she take a chance and risk her heart when the outcome is so uncertain?

An Unstill Life by Kate Larkindale

Livvie feels like she’s losing everything: her two best friends have abandoned her for their boyfriends, her mother continues to ignore her, while her sister, Jules, is sick again and getting worse by the day. Her only escape is in the art room, where she discovers not only a refuge from her life, but also a kindred soul in Bianca, the school “freak”.

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

Welcome to Andover, where superpowers are common, but internships are complicated. Despite her heroic lineage, Jess is resigned to a life without superpowers when she stumbles upon the perfect internship—only it turns out to be for the town’s most heinous supervillain. On the upside, she gets to work with her secret crush, Abby, who Jess thinks may have a secret of her own.  

A&B by J.C. Lillis

Barrie dreams of a career in music. When her rival Ava ropes her into a secret collaboration, it sparks feelings neither girl expected.  Can love and ambition live side by side? Is happiness an art-killer? They’ll figure it out with the help of a blue guitar named Fernando, a keyboard named Rosalinda, and a few new friends who feel like home.

Ash by Malinda Lo

In this enchanting retelling of Cinderella, Ash must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love. Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.

Huntress by Malinda Lo

Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo’s highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

Complementary and Acute by Ella Lyons

Annabell is captain of the Number Ninjas, her senior year schedule is perfect, and her best friend Jacqueline is going to be right by her side for all of it. But on the first day back, Jac throws a wrench in Anabelle’s tidy plans. Not only has she rearranged her classes and dropped Number Ninjas, she’s joined the Girls who Like Girls Program, leaving Anabelle’s entire world in upheaval.

10 Things I Can See From Here by Carrie Mac

This is the poignant and uplifting story of Maeve, who is dealing with anxiety while falling in love with a girl who is not afraid of anything. Will she be able to navigate through all the chaos to be there for the people she loves?

Colorblind by Siera Maley

Harper has a secret, and it’s not that she likes girls. She has a gift: she can see how old other people will be when they pass away. Nothing she does changes this number, which becomes especially clear when her mother dies in a car crash. Then she falls for Chloe, whose number is 16, who’ll be dead by the end of summer. An uplifting book reminiscent of The Fault in Our Stars.

Dating Sarah Cooper by Siera Maley

When a misunderstanding leads to best friends Katie and Sarah being mistaken for a couple and Sarah uses the situation to her advantage, Katie finds herself on a roller coaster ride of ambiguous sexuality and confusing feelings. How far will Sarah go to keep up the charade, and why does kissing her make Katie feel more alive than kissing her ex-boyfriend ever did?

Taking Flight by Siera Maley

Lauren is a city girl at heart. When a judge deems her father unfit to be her guardian, she’s shipped to the rural mountains of northern Georgia, where David, a personal friend of the judge, lives. Lauren’s plan is simple: to have her best friend pick her up on the day she turns eighteen, and to be as difficult as possible until then.  But her plan doesn’t account for David’s daughter.

The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse by Mabel Maney

Follow Cherry, Jackie, and girl detective Nancy Clue on their gay adventures.  Mabel Maney’s camp classic The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse has been beloved by readers since it was first published in 1993. This sparkling parody of 1950s girl adventure stories will make you laugh out loud.

The Case of the Good-For-Nothing Girlfriend by Mabel Maney

Mabel Maney’s playful parody of 1950s girl adventure books continues in The Case of the Good-for-Nothing Girlfriend. This raucous sequel also stands on its own as a swell introduction to Cherry and her pals, and a food and fashion guide to the glamorous Eisenhower years.

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

The first in an LGBT fantasy series that follows a talented necromancer who must face down a deadly nemesis who has learned how to turn her magic into a weapon. A lavish fantasy with a surprising and breathtaking romance at its core, Reign of the Fallen is a gutsy, unpredictable read that will grab readers by the throat and never let go.

Wherever the Dandelion Falls by Lily R. Mason

Riley Montgomery is a bartender, a lab assistant, and a sex worker – all in different lives. A seemingly innocuous conversation with a graduate school professor unravels Riley’s life into three separate strands. The three versions of Riley’s life are as separate as can be, yet have one common thread: falling in love with a beautiful and brave woman named Faye Nguyen. 

Parties in Congress by Colette Moody

Elated to secure her first paid political staff position, Bijal Rao is eager to focus her efforts on the election of her candidate to U.S. Congress. However, Bijal’s first unforeseen obstacle is her profound and unexpected attraction to their opponent—incumbent Congresswoman Colleen O'Bannon—who is outspoken, charismatic, and openly lesbian.

The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin by Colette Moody

The Gulf of Mexico, 1702: When Gayle and the pirates of the square-rigger Original Sin steal ashore to abduct a doctor to tend to their wounded, they end up settling for the doctor’s attractive fiancée Celia, the town seamstress. The two forge a partnership born of necessity that Gayle soon hopes will veer away from insurmountable danger and instead detour directly to her bed.

Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz

Everywhere Etta turns, someone feels she’s too fringe for the fringe. Not gay enough for the Dykes, her ex-clique, thanks to a recent relationship with a boy; not tiny and white enough for ballet; and not sick enough to look anorexic (partially thanks to recovery). Etta doesn’t fit anywhere until she meets Bianca, the straight, white, Christian, and seriously sick girl in Etta’s therapy group.

Meg & Linus by Hanna Nowinski

Meg and Linus are best friends bound by a shared love of school, a coffee obsession, and being queer. It’s not always easy to be the nerdy lesbian or gay kid in a suburban town. But they have each other. And a few Star Trek boxed sets. They’re pretty happy. Meg & Linus is a fun story about two quirky teens who must learn to get out of their comfort zones and take risks.

A Story of Now by Emily O’Beirne

Claire knows she needs a life. And some new friends.  But brittle, beautiful, and just a little bit too sassy for her own good sometimes, she no longer makes friends easily. When Robbie and Mia walk into Claire’s work they seem the least likely people to help her find a life. But despite Claire’s initial attempts to alienate them, an unexpected new friendship develops.

Future Leaders of Nowhere by Emily O’Beirne

Finn and Willa have been picked as team leaders in the future leader camp game. Fierce, competitive Willa has shaken the usually confident Finn. Soon they both realize that the hardest thing of all is balancing their clashing ideals with their unexpected connection. And finding a way to win, of course.

Here’s the Thing by Emily O’Beirne

It’s only for a year. That’s what sixteen-year-old Zel keeps telling herself after moving to Sydney for her dad’s work. But Zel soon finds life in Sydney won’t let her hide. There’s her art teacher, who keeps forcing her to dig deeper. There’s the band of sweet, strange misfits her cousin has forced her to join for a Drama project. And then there’s the curiosity that is the always-late Stella.

Points of Departure by Emily O’Beirne

Best friends Kit and Liza have been looking forward to this trip forever. Five girls, five tickets overseas. It’s exactly what they all need after the final slog of high school. But when Kit’s suddenly forced to drop out, Liza’s left with three girls she barely knows, and they’re all learning that travel isn’t just about the places you go, but who you’re with at the time.

Because of Her by K.E. Payne

Forced to move to London thanks to her father’s new job, Seventeen-year-old Tabitha has to leave her friends, school, and, most importantly, her girlfriend Amy, far behind. To make matters worse, Tabby’s parents enroll her in the exclusive Queen Victoria Independent School for Girls, hoping that it will finally make a lady of her. But Tabby has other ideas.

Axiom by Rachel Marie Pearcy

The Assembly controls every citizen of Axiom. Everything is assigned, from their career and living quarters, to their spouse and reproduction. Ella never thought twice about it, until now. After meeting Carly, Ella realizes things aren’t as perfect as she thought. The two girls’ friendship slowly blossoms into something more, and as their love grows, so does the threat of punishment.

Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters

With a steady boyfriend, the position of Student Council President, and a chance to go to an Ivy League college, high school life is just fine for Holland. At least it seems to be. But when Cece Goddard comes to school, everything changes. Cece and Holland have undeniable feelings for each other, but how will others react to their developing relationship?

Lies My Girlfriend Told Me by Julie Anne Peters

When Alix’s girlfriend, Swanee, dies from sudden cardiac arrest, Alix is overcome with despair. Then she finds Swanee’s phone, pinging with texts from Liana, Swanee’s secret girlfriend. Brought together by Swanee’s lies, Alix and Liana become closer than they’d thought possible. But Alix is still hiding the truth from Liana. Will coming clean to Liana mean losing her, too?

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

One miscarriage too many spelled the end of Max and Zoe Baxter’s marriage. Zoe, for her part, finds healing relief in music therapy and the friendship, then romantic love with Vanessa, her counselor. After Zoe and Vanessa, now married, decide to have a baby, they realize that they must join battle with Max, who objects on both religious and financial grounds.

Like Water by Rebecca Podos

In Savannah Espinoza’s small New Mexico hometown, kids either flee after graduation or they’re trapped there forever. Vanni never planned to get stuck—but that was before her father was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease. Then she meets Leigh, who’s utterly unique. But caring about another person threatens to bring to the surface the questions she’s held under for so long.

Her Name in the Sky by Kelly Quindlen

Hannah wants to spend her senior year of high school going to football games and Mardi Gras parties with her tight-knit group of friends. The last thing she wants is to fall in love with a girl–especially when that girl is her best friend, Baker. And Baker might want to be with Hannah, too–if both girls can embrace that world-shaking, yet wondrous, possibility.

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate

Jordan’s low voice gets her shut out of the school musical, but a spot has opened up in the elite a cappella octet. Worshipped…revered…all male. Jordan dresses as a guy and  wins the audition. With her secret growing heavier every day, Jordan confronts what it means to be a girl (and a guy) in a male-dominated society, and—most importantly—what it means to be herself.

The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed

Three misfits come together to avenge the rape of a fellow classmate and in the process trigger a change in the misogynist culture at their high school, transforming the lives of everyone around them in this story that will work its way into a special place in your heart. Told in alternating perspectives, one of whom is gay and Latina, another is autistic, and all are remarkable.

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

Juliet just came out to her family and isn’t sure if her mom will ever speak to her again. But Juliet has a plan, sort of, one that’s going to help her figure out this whole “Puerto Rican lesbian” thing. She’s interning with the author of her favorite book: Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women’s bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff. 

Cherry by Lindsey Rosin

In this honest, frank, and funny debut novel, four best friends make a pact during their senior year of high school to lose their virginities—and end up finding friendship, love, and self-discovery along the way. Will everything go according to plan? Probably not. But at least the girls have each other every hilarious, heart-warming, cringe-inducing step of the way.

Unspeakable by Abbie Rushton

Megan doesn’t speak. She hasn’t spoken in months. Pushing away the people she cares about is just a small price to pay. Because there are things locked inside Megan’s head - things that she cannot, must not, let out. Then Jasmine starts at school: bubbly, beautiful, talkative Jasmine. And for reasons Megan can’t quite understand, life starts to look a bit brighter.

Sword of the Guardian by Merry Shannon

The shocking assassination of her brother causes Princess Shasta’s father to appoint Shasta’s new savior as the Princess’s bodyguard. But what Shasta doesn’t know is that her new guardian has a very well-kept secret: he is actually a she. The two grow closer than anyone, especially her father, could have predicted. Will the truth change their relationship forever?

The Light of the World by Ellen Simpson

After her grandmother’s death, Eva finds diaries detailing the magical life of a girl in the Roaring Twenties. She cannot reconcile the young girl in these diaries with the miserable old woman she loved. Eva starts to investigate the puzzle  with the help of a local historian and his assistant Olivia, they find a forgotten labyrinth under the city. But they’re not the only ones down there…  

The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrustkie

For Cassandra Leung, bossing around sea monsters is just the family business. But when the pirate queen Santa Elena swoops in on Cas’s first solo mission and snatches her from the bloodstained decks, Cas’s dream of being a full-time trainer seems dead in the water. Cas has fought pirates her entire life. But can she survive living among them?

The Edge of the Abyss by Emily Skrutskie

Sequel to The Abyss Surrounds Us.

Starring Kitty by Keris Stainton

Kitty’s keeping secrets. Like how she’s struggling to cope with her mum’s illness. And how she’s falling for the girl with the purpley-red hair… A fun film competition with her friends Sunny and Hannah seems like the perfect distraction. But then Dylan wants to be more than Kitty’s secret. Is Kitty ready to let her two worlds meet, or will she risk losing Dylan forever?

Forgive Me If I’ve Told You This Before by Karelia Stetz-Waters

Shy, intellectual, and living in rural Oregon, Triinu just doesn’t fit in. She tries to hide behind her dyed hair and black wardrobe, but it’s hard to ignore the bullying, and it’s even harder to ignore the allure of other girls. As Triinu tumbles headlong into first love and teenage independence, she realizes that the differences that make her a target are also what can set her free.

Prom and Other Hazards by Jamie Sullivan

Frankly, prom is a ridiculous concept, and Sam wants nothing to do with it. Except for the tiny fact that she’s been in love with her best friend Tash since they were ten years old, and Tash dreams of a perfect, romantic prom. Sam had given up hope, until she spotted The Suit in a shop window. Surely the perfect suit is all she needs to finally admit to Tash how she feels.

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever. Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another. This book is about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.

Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley

Fifteen-year-old Aki has a theory. And it’s mostly about sex. No, it isn’t that kind of theory. Aki already knows she’s bisexual. So far, Aki has dated only guys, and her best friend is the only person who knows she likes girls, too.  Actually, Aki’s theory is that she’s got only one shot at living an interesting life—and that means it’s time for her to actually do something. Or at least try.

The Summer I Wasn’t Me by Jessica Verdi

Lexi has a secret. She never meant for her mom to find out. And now she’s afraid that what’s left of her family is going to fall apart for good.  Lexi knows she can fix everything. She can change. She can learn to like boys. New Horizons summer camp has promised to transform her life, and all she wants is to start over. But sometimes love has its own path.

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Darcy Patel is afraid to believe all the hype. But it’s really happening - her teen novel is getting published. Instead of heading to college, she’s living in New York City, where she’s welcomed into the dazzling world of YA publishing. Told in alternating chapters is Darcy’s novel, the thrilling story of Lizzie, who wills her way into the afterworld to survive a deadly terrorist attack.

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

When BFFs Charlie, Taylor and Jamie go to SupaCon, they know it’s going to be a blast. What they don’t expect is for it to change their lives forever.  When Alyssa Huntington arrives as a surprise guest, it seems Charlie has a chance to confront her long-time crush . And in the magic of SupaCon, Taylor starts to rethink playing it safe when it comes to her secret crush on Jamie.

27 Hours by Tristina Wright

Rumor fears two things: hellhounds too strong for him to kill, and failure. Jude has two dreams: for humans to stop killing monsters, and for his strange abilities to vanish. But in no reality should a boy raised to love monsters fall for a boy raised to kill them. Nyx keeps two secrets: the moon speaks to her, and she’s in love with Dahlia, her best friend. This is the story of one 27-hour night.

Dirty London by Kelley York

All London wanted out of her senior year of high school was anonymity.  Then she discovers that Wade, one of the most popular guys in school, is gay like her, and their new-found closeness has half the student body convinced they’re hooking up. Rumors start flying, and London is pretty sure she’s developing a crush on the one girl who sees through it all.

The Gravity Between Us by Kristen Zimmer

At just 19, Kendall is Hollywood’s hottest young starlet—but behind the glamour is a girl who longs for normal. Payton is Kendall’s best friend, and the one person who reminds her of who she really is. But Payton has a secret that could make everything ten times worse. Because to her, Kendall is more than a best friend—she is the only girl that she has ever loved. 

[room666]

Top 10 Memorable Scenes Of 2016

Along with great films comes sometimes ever greater scenes. This year I broke down 10 of my favorite. These are all my personal favorite and are on this list because I haven’t stopped thinking about them since I saw them in the dark room with the giant shining light where I do my worship. These scenes are Heaven and film is God.

10. Morris From America (Car Ride) Of all the films I saw this year, Morris From America was one of the best surprises. Chad Hartigan’s coming of age tale about a young American boy growing up in Germany with his single father played brilliantly by Craig Robinson is the perfect examination of the loneliness of growing up and being grown up. In a key scene from the film Morris, played by Markees Christmas, has gone out of town with some new friends and gets stranded when he no longer wants to follow the group and starts getting taunted. His father has to come pick him up and the car ride in which Robinsons character explains to Morris all about his own loneliness and sense of sadness with being out of place in Germany is a beautiful revelation for both characters. It’s one of the best things Craig Robinson has done. The sadness and loneliness that we all feel but never can convey is brought out wonderfully in this conversation. As children we assume our parents could never understand our loneliness and as parents we aren’t sure how to connect with our kids but this scene shows that conversations can move mountains and break down barriers.

9. American Honey ( Star Grows Up) American Honey is like if Andrea Arnold was able to capture the wild excitement and the unstable emotional state of the youth of America. Throughout the film you follow Star, played by newcomer Sasha Lane, who is a young Midwestern girl who isn’t exactly living the best life. She and her younger siblings dig through trash cans for food while she also deals with sexual advances from her absent mothers boyfriend. It’s a situation you want her to get out of but what way out is there? Star comes across a van of misfits and lowlifes lead by king rat tail, Shia LaBeouf as Jake in an unusually good performance, who go door to door selling magazines. Star joins this merry band of arm pit stains and sets off on a literal journey to self discovery. The final scene displays the group dancing around a camp fire like some tribe of young stoners who worship Rihanna and it’s a mesmerizing site. Jake and Star and the rest of the group dance around the fire and sing songs as if it’s their most natural state. Jake pulls Star to the side and hands her a little turtle. Throughout the film Jake has been giving Star gifts but it’s mostly to disguise the fact that he’s really taking more away from her. The mind games he plays with himself and her are leaving Star emotionally confused and scarred. She takes the turtle and sets it back in the lake and even taking a dip in it herself. The scene plays like a baptism of sorts, allowing Star to let go of the childish games and relationships and start to become herself, whatever that may be.The scene doesn’t guarantee that Stars life gets better or that she even learned what she needed to from her interactions with Jake and the rest of the crew but it shows one persons internal growth in a masterful way.

8. Swiss Army Man (One Last Fart) Throughout Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s brilliant Swiss Army Man you are subjected to Daniel Radcliffe as a farting corpse named Manny and Paul Dano as the miserable loser Hank who finds his body washed up on the shore of a random island he choose to kill him self on. After Hank uses Manny as a speed boat he ends up in the wilderness with the need to survive and the only way he can is with the help of Manny and his many uses. He can chop wood and shot bullets out of his mouth and everything else like some ummm… Multi Purpose Dude?…. NO! Like a Swiss Army Man! Throughout the film Hank displays an unhealthy obsession with a female character named Sarah, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, we only see in flashbacks or pictures. You come to find out that, even though he has a picture of her as his screen saver, Hank has actually never talked to her and has been too scared and shy to really function as a socially expectable human being. When we get to the end and Hank ends up in Sarah’s backyard and finally on a beach where he’s already been outed as an obsessive stalker he lets out a fart and declares very proudly it was him who farted and in a lesser film Sarah’s reaction would be one of Joy and maybe she would have even entertained dating him seeing that as his self discovery but not in this film. Sarah and her husband a long with the rest of the crowd gathered on the beach watch in horror and never excuse the behavior. It throws the whole idea of all you have to do is be yourself and you’ll get the girl right out the fucking window. Sarah and the audience know Hank has a problem and regardless of how whimsical and cute it is, it’s a problem and he needs help and she or any woman of your dreams for that matter isn’t the answer and shouldn’t be forced to be your savior. Hank is off but he’s growing and watching Manny smile and fart his way up the ocean waves as everyone watches in disgust and horror and Hank,who stares and smiles knowing he saved a life,was one of the funniest and heartbreaking moments I’ve seen all year.

7. The VVitch ( Unholy bond with Black Phillip) Robert Eggers delivered one of the best horror films to come out in a long time. A slow burn of a film that deals with a family living out in the woods in 1630s New England. The family is cast out of their community and forced to live out in the woods where an evil presence lurks. The Witch is about liberation. It’s about freeing yourself from the shackles of society with all their religion and rules for how one should act. It is especially a tale of liberation concerning Anya Taylor-Joy’s character Thomasin. She’s carried down by the weight of her responsibilities within her family. A role she didn’t ask for but is expected of her since she is a growing young woman. She must watch after the kids and clean the house and cook and do all the things her families religion and society has assigned to her. Throughout the film an evil lurks in the woods in the form of a witch. You know you’re in for some fucked up shit when the film starts with a naked lady cutting open a baby and bathing in its blood. You don’t see all the gory details but you get the feeling that living out in the woods in New England during the 1630s was a pretty stupid idea. The scene I want to talk about is the ending of the film. An ending that pretty much will make or break what you thought of the film up to that point. The ending in which Thomasin pledges an alliance with Black Phillip, the goat who Thomasins younger siblings claim to be the Devil earlier in the film and Thomasin brushes it off, and follows him into the woods to find a camp fire of witches laughing and screaming until all at once they start to lift towards the sky in what is one of the best visual representations of liberation I’ve seen. Now, I’m not saying this movie got me to denounce God and start worshipping the Devil but it did.

6. Jackie ( Assassination Scene )

Pablo Larrain has knocked the biopic on its head with this amazing psychological horror film and Natalie Portman gives the performance of her career playing Jacqueline Kennedy in her most vulnerable and fragile moments. The key scene in question is the sun in which this film revolves around. The assassination scene could have been done in a very exploitive and classless way in the hands of a lesser film maker. The fact that we can actually see footage of the event only adds to pressure surrounding the scene. We all pretty much have watched the film footage. It’s morbid and violent and chaotic and it satisfies the worst of our voyeuristic tendencies. This could have been done in a way that glorifies the scene as some action set piece head shot but Larrain films the scene with a real heavy grace, dropping you in the car with a loud BANG! we are chaos and panic and we’ve landed right on Jackie and you feel as she pushes and struggles with us as we tear through the scene like a bullet creating uncertainty and dread. Every awkward movement and confused look is captured perfectly in this scene and it’s like we are seeing it for the first time and really feeling the weight of it.

5. La La Land ( Traffic Jam )

The opening scene of Damien Chazelle’s spectacular film La La Land is pretty much the opening scene to your life if you live in LA. Being stuck in traffic is hell but almost everyone of those people, honking and shouting, are here because they have a dream and trying to successfully realize that dream can make life one huge traffic jam. This glorious musical sequence is made all the more spectacular by being done in what is made to look like one unbroken long take that slips and glides up down the 105 as morning commuters dance and sing as if though Los Angeles is the casting director for Hollywoods latest big budget musical. They don’t make them like this anymore and Chazelle makes the case that as long as you know what you’re doing and you have a passion for film musicals can still be relevant and fresh but still remind us of the optimism and joy of early Hollywood. The scene encompasses everything about the film. Ambition, talent, and guts. You gotta have them to make it in La La Land and you gotta have them to think you can open a film like La La Land with a musical number as ambitious as this.

4. Captain America : Civil War ( Airport Scene )

The Russo Brothers snuck into my brain and unlocked my comic book geek dreams and wildest fantasies and used that collective knowledge to create not only one of the greatest superhero films of all time but one of the all time greatest superhero film scenes ever put on screen. I can write pages and pages about this scene and every little detail that was done correctly and with such care that it made me cry but I am just going to remind you that Spider Man is the best he’s ever been on screen in his brief moments in this film. Ant- Man and Paul Rudd as Ant Man is the superhero we didn’t know we needed. HE FUCKING TURNS INTO GIANT MAN! Just go watch the scene. As a matter of fact I’m going to stop typing and you should stop reading and just GO WATCH CIVIL WAR NOW!

3. Moonlight ( End of act 1/ Closing Shot )

What can I say about Moonlight that hasn’t already been said? It’s considered one of the best films of the year and for a very good reason. This beautiful film about self discovery and connection in a world that doesn’t give you a chance to do either of those things for yourself is a master class in subtle filmmaking. Barry Jenkins creates a giant effect with small intimate moments and although he is the cook it is his main ingredients that really bring this dish together. All the actors playing the 3 stages of Chiron’s life are pitch perfect and are supported by an array of brilliant performances. One of those performances belongs to Mahershala Ali, who plays Juan the drug dealer, and gives one of the best performances of the year. The scene in question puts us at Juans home where he lives with his girlfriend, played by Janelle Monae, and it’s the end of act one. We’ve just experienced Juan coming across a young Chiron ,who was being bullied and chased by older kids, and eventually forming a bond. This bond allows young Chiron to not have to go home to his crack addict mother, played by a fantastic Naomie Harris, and use Juans place as a safe haven from her addiction and verbal abuse but what Chiron doesn’t know is that Juan is where his mother gets the drugs that are sending her and his life spinning out of control. In an emotional gut punch of a scene young Chiron walks up to Juan who is sitting at his kitchen table and asks him if he is the one who sells drugs to his mother. What follows is one of the most heartbreaking exchanges I’ve ever seen on film and Mahershala Ali as Juan quietly figuring out in his head what to tell Chiron and eventually telling him the truth is an automatic Oscar in my opinion. Juan’s reluctance to tell Chiron and his eventual feelings of disappointment and anger towards himself are all shown in Ali’s eyes and body language. He never goes for the big scene and makes it larger than life because of it.

2. The Lobster ( David picks up on the Heartless woman while biscuit woman dies on the floor next to them ) In Yorgos Lanthimo’s brilliant relationship satire we follow David, played by Colin Farrell, as he is forced to live in a hotel for 45 days because he is single and being single is outlawed and in order to avoid being turned into an animal after 45 days he must find a partner and create a relationship with them in the hotel. Sounds like every other fucking day, am I right? In this brilliant comedy our characters find love with each other by finding certain traits that each can relate to. For example, a young woman has constant nose bleeds and instead of trying to win her over with a personality, another character decides to bang his head or stab a sharp object into his nose in order to give the impression that he also has constant nose bleeds and wins her over. It’s the perfect metaphor for the way people court each other and try to win each other over with surface and artificial things like being into the same bands or having the same fashion sense. In this key scene David decides he needs to find a partner soon and that he will also need to fake something in order to find her. David finds himself being attracted to The Heartless Woman, played by Angeliki Papoulia who was also in the directors previous film Dogtooth, who is given that nickname because she is mean and has no heart. The scene that really brought this film together and makes it stand out above the rest is a scene where one of the hotel guests has just jumped out of a window in an attempt to kill herself. She lays on the floor all crippled and screaming in pain when David sees this as an opportunity to try and court the heartless woman, he walks up behind her as she sits in a hot tub not very far from the attempted suicide and say’s out loud how he hopes that the lady will die soon so that she stops screaming because it’s really disturbing his day and with that heartless statement he gets a glance from the heartless woman and from there they are a couple. It’s doomed from the start and he knows it but with the pressure on us everyday to find a partner we are willing to go against ourselves to please others and even willing to complain about a dying woman’s screams. It’s hilarious and heartbreaking and dark in ways that give me joy beyond comprehension.

1. Green Room ( Patrick Stewart vs. Anton Yelchin )

Jeremy Saulnier’s punk rock horror film Green Room stands above the rest this year when it comes to thrills and twists you never see coming. It’s a master class in suspense and tension. This isn’t some free for all shoot ‘em up stab 'em frenzy, it’s a calculated cat and mouse game that requires our characters to think before acting. A punk rock band has just witnessed a murder in the green room of the venue they just played that just so happens to be run by a menacing skinhead gang. The bands bassist, played by the late and talented Anton Yelchin, was able to dial the cops on his cell phone before it’s grabbed from his hands and this creates a problem for both parties. Now that the band has seen what they saw the venue can’t exactly let them go but after having the cops called on the venue they can’t exactly just straight up murder these kids so they have to figure something out and they get their help in the form of their quiet but menacing leader Darcy, played by a brilliant Patrick Stewart, who figures out a way to get rid of the band and save face. At this point our band is locked up in the green room holding one of the skinheads hostage while they have his gun and figure out how the hell to get out of there. One punk suggests shooting his way out but this isn’t that movie and our characters know that they could have more guns on the other side and at this point the band believes the cops are on their way to the venue. Enter Darcy who shows up to clean the mess by promising that they will let the band go without harming them as long as they hand over the gun and the person they have in the room safely but the band as well as the audience knows that isn’t the case and it isn’t going to be that simple. What follows is one of the most tense stand offs in cinema history. It’s Anton Yelchin trying to figure out if he should unlock the door and hand over the gun to Patrick Stewart on the other side but it’s a back and forth that has both actors matching wit and verbally trying to knock the other out. It isn’t until the end of the scene that we get a burst of violence and chaos but leading up to that is a strategy game that leaves you at the edge of your seat and asking yourself “ What the fuck would I do in a situation like this?” and then showing you there is no right or wrong answer and you can’t always just go into action hero mode because the situation calls for it. For the most part you just die.

[gavinkblog]

Mongo’s Vicious Assassins (MIT Part 93)

A torrent of water buffeted them from above. Aranys looked through the porthole at the panicking men inside. She teleported through the window into their midst, shoved one aside and unlocked the door.

Rincewind fired through the doorway hitting the guy at the door with magic missiles before stepping back to avoid a mace swing. The mace wielder tried again to shut the door, pushing with all of his might, but Drogarth stood in the way so the door bounced off his plate shod chest slamming the man back.

Mongo bolstered Ulfgar’s defenses and the Dwarf pushed past Drogarth into the small room. As did so he noticed the stonework of the building was Thracian in construction.

Aranys felt a crossbow bolt pierce her midriff, she cursed before springing forward and impaling the guy still trying to shut the door, her blade ended up jutting out through his chest and he slumped to the floor dead. She then stepped back in towards the final two. As she did a Firebolt flew past and slammed into one of them. He was still screaming when Ulfgar cut him almost in half, he then turned on the one terrified survivor.

The water was sloshing over the walls of the jetty and was soon up to their ankles had reached their ankles.

"How do we turn the water off?" He demanded.

The man dropped his weapon.

"We can't once it's activated, unless you close that door we’re all going to die!"

Rincewind stepped inside and helped Aranys to haul the door closed.

"It’s for emergencies we've never tested it!"

They waited as the water outside rose. The building creaked as the pressure increased. The survivor who they found out was called Wendel  explained there was a camp in the caves below where the Maw members came to from the City, he’d not been beyond that but he knew that the way past the camp lead deeper. After a few minutes they could see the glyphs had stopped glowing and the barrier at the cave mouth was fading, after a couple more minutes the water had finished rushing out to sea and the water level was back to normal

They argued a bit about what to do with their prisoner. There were a few views on how to proceed but eventually Drogarth persuaded them not to kill him or set him off on their boat and they agreed for Drogarth to bind, gag and take him with them under the Dragonborn’s care.

They closed up the trap room again and Rincewind used Magehand to lock it from the other side. They then set off towards door at the back of the cave with Wendel in tow.

They pushed on the door and it creaked open and they peered through into the dark. They could see footprints in a damp sand path leading down through stone caves. As they made their way down they passed stalagmites and stalactites in, rock-pools sometimes on the walls torches illuminated the way.

After a short time they began to hear noises of people ahead. They took cover and could see in the gloom a camp occupied with various men women and children, some stood or sat near campfires while various foods cooked on them.

The Traders again were unsure of how to continue when faced with such a large number of people, they suspected that not all of them would be hostile, it wasn’t immediately obvious where the way down was and they didn’t fancy their chances of all of them sneaking past. 

After a few minutes of discussion they noticed Ulfgar had gotten fed up was  strolling towards the camp. The rest of the Traders hurried to catch up...Rincewind and Drogarth chasing after him while Mongo and Aranys flanked the camp, heading for the shadows.

As Ulfgar got close a man with a clipboard and pencil looked up from the fire he stood beside.

"Ahh new arrivals, we weren't expecting anyone today ... I'm Quint, . What's your name?"

"Ulfgar" came the response.

"Ahh welcome to our family... I'm in charge of organising this bunch of misfits.. I just need to note any skills you have"

Ulfgar shrugged and was about to list the various ways he could kill when Quint noticed Drogarth with a bound and gagged Wendel attached to him.

"Why have you tied that man up?"

"To stop him killing us"

"He's an enemy of the Maw?"

"Err ...Yeah"

"You're not supposed to bring people down here you know, those that would cause us harm”

"He's already been here, his name is Wendel, he was upstairs, when we arrived he killed everyone else."

Quint looked unsure how to proceed, he didn’t seem entirely convinced by the Trader’s performance.

"Errm ok.. Really?"

He called over to his companion Duran.

"I guess we better go check then, you go fetch Daranq"

They led Ulfgar, Drogarth and Rincewind with their prisoner through the camp. Now they were closer they could see a wide variety of races represented here, presumably they’d all come from the town. They approached a group of three stood talking around a large fire in the centre of the camp. The one that appeared to be Daranq had a gaunt look about him, his hair closely cropped around his sharp features, as he turned to face them they saw his eyes were dark pits of inky blackness.

Quint spoke, informing Daranq that everyone above was dead, killed by Wendel.

"Really? and what does he have to say for himself"

Wendel was unable to respond before Rincewind took a stance and made to conjure a spell.

Daranq’s two guards sprang forward with swords, one of them, a woman, slashed him across the chest with her blade, the other warned him not try and cast if he wanted to live.

As this happened Daranq waved his arms and a shadowy armour formed around him. Drogarth and Ulfgar hefted their axes and charged him.

Rincewind ignored the warning and raised his wand at Daranq. He promptly vanished as his wand of wonder randomly selected a spell and cast Invisibility on him.

The man looked to the floor and followed the Wizard, seeing footsteps in the sand, he slashed at where he thought Rincewind was and caught him a across the arm. The Wizard flinched as he concentrated to maintain his invisibility.

Mongo and Aranys were hidden amongst the rocks, they made their way  around the edge of the cave in the shadows. Suddenly they heard a commotion in the centre of the camp and broke into a sprint towards it Aranys easily outpacing Mongo.

Drogarth and Ulfgar made short work of Daranq, even with his shadowy armour. His wounds from Drogarth’s flaming axe cauterised where he’d been slashed as he was forced backwards by the Dragonborn before Ulfgar finished him off, burying his dad’s axe straight through the casters skull, splitting it open. He turned and demanded Duran and the woman stand down but they cried that enemies of the Maw must die and rushed him. His armour sung with blows from mace and sword.

Rincewind backed away from the one that has struck him and took shelter in some nearby rocks.

Mongo could see at the far side of the camp figures emerging from an entrance in the cave wall, wielding large cleavers. He got closer and could see two burly brutes armed with ugly looking cleavers protecting a magic user of some kind.

Aranys was approaching the fight, she could see Ulfgar parrying blows from a woman with a large sword, even as she approached, the fight changed as Ulfgar began pushing back with savage axe blows cutting deep into the woman's armour, leaving her reeling. Another thug armed with a mace was engaged beside him with Drogarth, off to the side another sword wielding figure searched for something.

Aranys leapt out of the dark and flung her daggers into the melee. The heroic effect was somewhat lost as they flew wide and embedded themselves into some smouldering logs on the campfire sending up a cloud of sparks.

Rincewind meanwhile was still invisible. He levelled his wand of wonder at the one hunting him, it sparked as it picked another random spell. Suddenly a circle of lush grass centred on the swordsman sprang from the ground, covering much of the centre of the camp including where Ulfgar and Drogarth were fighting their opponents.

Mongo watched the trio of new arrivals approach, they reached him he directed them towards the fight shouting eagerly. They bustled past him without giving him a second look as as they did so he dived at them and grabbed the nearest one by the ankle, he channelled Inflict wounds causing him to scream in pain and drop his cleaver as blood gushed from his mouth, nose, eyes....and other unseen places.

Aranys dodged past the bewildered looking guy with the sword now stood in the middle of a fresh grass circle and headed towards the woman fighting Ulfgar. She mercilessly took advantage of the situation and stabbed the woman fighting Ulfgar in the back. The woman screamed as daggers buried deep into her back before being she was silenced when Drogarth brought his flaming axe down, utterly destroying her. He then turned on the other man fighting Ulfgar, smacking him in the back and catching him on fire, and with that Ulfgar flourished his axe in a figure of eight movement, dispatching him too.

Rincewind was having too much fun trying the new features on his wand. He flicked it again and another random spell issued forth. This time a gust of wind blasted from the wand hitting the thug squarely in the chest and sending him tumbling backwards. Rincewind’s concentration on his invisibility was interrupted and he reappeared amongst the rocks.

Mongo’s victim had managed to break away from the Halfling’s clutches and retrieve his cleaver from the floor, his companion turned to see the commotion and joined him as the caster they were supposed to protect made his way towards the campfire in the centre where Ulfgar and Drogarth stood over their defeated foes. Mongo faced off against the two brutes alone, they moved in and attacked with their cleavers and as they did so he stepped back ducking and weaving before conjuring and area of wicked thorny bushes around himself. Undeterred they advanced towards him trying to push through thick branches hacking with their cleavers. Their progress was slow and the thorns cut deep into their flesh, soon their limbs were awash with their own blood.

As he was buffeted head over heels by the rushing wind the swordsman could see Rincewind had become visible again, he gritted his teeth and rolled sideways out of the flow, stood and charged forward trying to flank the Wizard. As he did so he failed to notice Aranys rushing after him and the first he knew of her presence was a blinding pain in his kidneys.

Drogarth had run out of foes but could see a new arrival approaching shrouded in Shadow armour similar to that cast by Daranq. Drogarth charged without pause and set about him with his flaming axe, cutting through the magical armour with ease. Ulfgar took to the air and followed Drogarth, landing infront of the caster he brought his axe down.

Undeterred the caster gestured at Drogarth and a jagged crown appeared upon his head and his eyes glazed over in madness. He turned to Ulfgar and raised his axe.

Rincewind could see from the look in his eyes that the swordsman’s one purpose in life was now to end his life and he was going to ignore Aranys as she stabbed him again and again if it meant he could achieve this purpose. So he tried his luck once more, he waved the wand of wonder and vanished again to the frustrated howls of the man.

Mongo picked his way through his thicket as careful as he could, the razor sharp thorns did not discern friend from foe. His pursuers were less careful as they tried to make up ground and catch the slippery Halfling.

With his target no longer in sight again the swordsman was so enraged he missed Aranys with both his attacks and she ducked in and sunk her daggers into his gut before dancing back out of reach.

Drogarth under the control of the crown slashed ineffectually at Ulfgar, who thanks to his thick armour, laughed off the attacks before casually decapitating the shadow-caster and launching back into sky to land in a burst of colour behind Mongo's attackers.

Rincewind tired of his game and attempted to use Hold Person on the swordsman but it was resisted and he charged in impaling the wizard on his sword. Rincewind was heavily wounded by still managed to blast him with Magic Missiles causing him to reel back. He tried to finish the Wizard but Rincewind's robes flared brightly and the guy fell back blind as his blade found nothing but air, he never saw Aranys as she reached around him from behind and slashed his throat open.

Drogarth now found himself alone on the battlefield, he saw in the distance a patch of thorns, visible above them were cleavers slashing down at something and the shouts of battle. Drogarth channelled his haste and sprinted towards them, as he reached the edge one of the brutes stumbled out bleeding heavily from hundreds of cuts, Drogarth ended him easily. Seconds later a second brute burst from the thicket, Ulfgar’s axe followed him, embedding deep into his back slamming him forward into the cave wall where he slid down into the water.

With the last foes downed they looked around, the camp was clear, everyone who could run had. Wendel was laying amongst the grass.

[mredwinsmith]

IDW Reveals SDCC Exclusive Comics, Collections and Collectibles

IDW is ready for San Diego Comic-Con International— are you? Get prepped for the biggest convention of the year with this complete list of IDW’s hottest exclusives and debuts. All of your convention must-haves in one convenient place!   Select exclusives are now available for pre-order at IDW’s webstore – http://idw.pub/conexclusives   Be on the lookout every day for unique bundle packages that will include trade paperback collections, hardcovers, rare variants and more! Every day we’ll be offering TWO title-specific bundles that include a free high-quality Tom Whalen print.   IDW will also debut brand new enamel pins, available for the first time ever! Pin availability will change each day so be sure to come back and get yours!   These convention exclusives are only available for pick up at IDW’s SDCC booth #2743 throughout the convention or at the San Diego Comic Art Gallery from July 21st through July 24th. The gallery, located in the Liberty Station Arts District in the Point Loma area of San Diego, currently features exhibits by acclaimed artists Kevin Eastman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Walter Simonson (Thor, Ragnarök).   For more information on the gallery and exhibit as well as directions, visit http://ift.tt/2sIkrca.com.

COMICS

  Clue #1 Envelope pack, Includes spot color variant plus 3 regular covers and a bonus Spot-color cover by Gabriel Rodriguez $20, Limited to 500 packs

Follow the clues and solve the mystery in IDW’s new CLUE series! We’ve put together a special pack for this convention! We start with a RARE exclusive Gabriel Rodriguez Con variant cover, ONLY available in this pack, include all 3 regular editions with the alternate endings, and finish off with a full set of RARE Clue promotional trading cards, all tucked neatly into a Clue evidence envelope! All the familiar faces from the famous board game are back, with a couple new twists.   

Darkness Visible #5, Con variant Cover by Ryan Kelly $10, Limited to 200 copies   Written by Mike Carey and Arvind Ethan David, Darkness Visible tells the story of an uneasy co-existence between humans and demons that lasted eighty years, is now spawning an endless terrorist conflict, with a cover by Ryan Kelly.   DuckTales #0, Con variant Cover by Jeff Smith $10, Limited to 500 copies   Woo-oo! Bone creator Jeff Smith drew an amazing variant cover of the DuckTales cast for our convention variant!  Featuring beloved characters like Uncle Scrooge, Donald Duck, and Huey, Dewey and Louie, this new #0 issue is the perfect jumping on point for fans old and new in anticipation of the brand-new series coming Summer 2017!     Funko Universe Bundle Pack, 5 regular Funko Universe one-shots Various artists $25, Limited to 100 packs   Pick up all 5 of our Funko Universe one-shot comics from May, each with a cover modeled after the popular Funko boxes, and get a free BONUS copy of TMNT #70 with a Funko-style cover by artist Dave Alvarez! The only way to get this variant is to BUY this bundle pack!   Ghostbusters 101 #1, Con photo variant $10, Limited to 400 copies   This time, everybody answers the call! Ghostbusters 101 features the very first appearance of the new Ghostbusters from 2016’s Answer the Call movie, as they team up with the original Ghostbusters from 1984! This convention variant features a photo cover of the original Ghostbusters on the front cover, and a photo of the new team on the back cover! Get your copy signed at the show!   Jem and the Holograms: Infinite #1, Con variant Cover by Erica Henderson $10, Limited to 250 copies   Artist Erica Henderson (Unbeatable Squirrel Girl) drew this gorgeous variant cover of Jem & the Holograms for Part 1 of The FIRST-EVER Jem/Misfits Crossover Event written by Kelly Thompson!   My Little Pony: Movie Prequel #1, Spot color variant Cover by Tony Fleecs $5, Limited to 500 copies   This fall, My Little Pony: The Movie hits theaters, and this prequel mini-series is your first look at the fantastic adventure to come, with a fabulous new cover by artist Tony Fleecs!   ROM vs. Transformers #1, Spot color variant Cover by Alex Milne $10, Limited to 250 copies   Alex Milne provides the variant cover to this crossover hundreds of years in the making! See the first interactions between ROM and the Transformers on Earth, and meet the universe’s only Cybertronian Solstar Knight!   TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo, Con variant Cover by Kevin Eastman $10, Limited to 500 copies   TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman and Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai collaborated on this gorgeous convention variant! The TMNT are teleported to a world of talking animals—the world of Usagi Yojimbo! Get your copy signed at the booth!   Wynonna Earp: Season Zero #1, Con photo cover $10, Limited to 400 copies   The stars of the hit television show will be on hand at the convention to sign a special photo variant cover available only at the show! And for the ultimate collectors a deluxe pack will be available collecting the convention variant, last year’s San Diego variant cover, and a bonus item!   Wynonna Earp Season One Yearbook, Con photo variant $10, Limited to 300 copies   This Wynonna Earp Season 1 yearbook, with a special convention photo variant cover, is filled with on-set photos, including action shots from the show and all-new behind-the-scenes goodies. This is a book all Earpers need in their motorcycle saddle bag!   Wynonna Earp #1 Deluxe Pack, 2 special photo variants featuring cast members from the hit show! $20, Limited to 150 packs   Get the last 2 Wynonna Earp Convention Variant comics with a FREE bonus item!  

COLLECTED EDITIONS/ HARDCOVERS

  Batman TMNT Adventures Vol 1, Con variant Cover by Kevin Eastman $20, Limited to 300 copies   TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman provides a con-exclusive cover to this trade paperback! The animated worlds of the current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Nickelodeon cartoon and Batman: The Animated Series collide in this outstanding mini-series featuring fan-favorite characters from both universes!   Bloom County: Brand Spanking New Day Hardcover, First release at SDCC! Cover by Berkeley Breathed $40, 400 copies at the show   Get a special hardcover version of the latest collection of Berkeley Breathed’s recently revived Bloom County comic strip! This book, containing a bound in plate SIGNED by Breathed, features ALL-NEW strips from 2016 and 2017, that have NEVER appeared in print before (never ever!!). These newly-minted masterpieces present the continuing adventures of Opus, Bill the Cat, Steve Dallas, and the rest of the delightful denizens of Bloom County—and heaven knows how we survived all those years without you!   Jack Kirby Fantastic Four World’s Greatest Artist Edition, SDCC variant Cover by Jack Kirby $150, Limited to 100 copies   Jack Kirby was the undisputed King of Comics and IDW is proud to present the second Artist’s Edition focusing on his Fantastic Four work. And, even better, this collects his earlier, “twice up” art—it’s Kirby-sized!! This massive collection includes issues 33, 45, 47, and 60 of the Fantastic Four, plus a stellar gallery with 22 (!!) classic covers, and incredible pages, and three gigantic fold-outs–if you are a Kirby fan, this is the Artist’s Edition you’ve been waiting for!! Debuting at this year’s SDCC is the variant cover featuring Fantastic Four #72.   Jack Kirby Forever People Artist Edition, Con variant Cover by Jack Kirby $125, Limited to 100 copies   Continuing IDW’s yearlong celebration of the centennial of Jack “King” Kirby’s birth! Jack Kirby’s classic Fourth World epic told the story of a group of New Gods sent to Earth to oppose Darkseid. Featuring Beautiful Dreamer, Big Bear, Moonrider, and others, this was Kirby’s take on super-powered flower children! Included in this volume are issues, 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7, with nearly all pages scanned from the originals. Debuting at this year’s SDCC is the variant cover featuring a self-portrait of Jack Kirby, and this is limited to a scarce 100 copies.   Locke & Key: Heaven and Earth, Con variant Cover by Gabriel Rodriguez $20, Limited to 500 copies   This special deluxe release hardcover, with a new cover by series artist Gabriel Rodriguez, finally reprints the oft-requested and long-denied Eisner-winning one-shot, “Open the Moon!”, the other long-sold-out one-shot, “Grindhouse!” and the even more hard-to-find IDW 10th anniversary Locke & Key tale, “In the Can!”, along with additional covers, behind-the-scenes photos and more!   Ragnarök Volume 2 Hardcover, Con variant Cover by Walter Simonson $30, Limited to 500 copies   This convention edition hardcover, with a new cover by creator Walter Simonson, collects issues #7-12 of the Ragnarök series! After hundreds of years, a single god emerged into the post-Ragnarök world, Thor, the God of Thunder. But Angantyr, the Lord of the Dead, has discovered his reappearance, and unleashes his draugar, the undead walkers, against the Thunder God, seeking to destroy the last vestige of the former worlds, and the only hope for the present one.   Return of the Dapper Men, Show debut Cover by Janet Lee $35, 150 copies at the show   Blending clockwork whimsy with majestic art-nouveau visuals, Jim McCann and Janet Lee present a hand-crafted fairy tale that feels both familiar and entirely new in this prestige reprinting!   Sh*t My President Says, Show debut Cover by Shannon Wheeler $15, 500 copies at the show   Some people are saying, I don’t know, you tell me, but a lot of people are saying this is the greatest book of the year. This guy, Shannon Wheeler, he draws these cartoons for the New Yorker, MAD, the Onion-he’s very, very, good, okay? Now he’s illustrated the most incredible tweets. Wow! You won’t believe what he does with these tweets. I mean, these tweets changed the world, folks. It’s true! It’s very true. EVERYONE is going to want this book – even the haters and losers (Sad!).   Star Trek: Boldly Go Volume 1, Con photo variant $20, Limited to 200 copies   All-new Star Trek series following the adventures of Captain Kirk and the iconic crew! New worlds! New species! New ships! New photo cover for the con variant!   Surfside Girls, Show debut Cover by Kim Dwinell $15, 150 copies at the show   Things are getting weird in Surfside. Lately, Samantha’s best friend Jade explodes into fits of giggles whenever she sees a boy, and it’s throwing a wrench into the kick-back summer of surfing and hanging out that Sam had planned. But after swimming through a secret underwater cave, Sam starts to… see things. Like ghosts. And strange creatures. And maybe something even scarier! Can she and Jade get to the bottom of this mystery in time to save their town?   Walter Simonson’s Thor the Return of Beta Ray Bill Artist Edition, SDCC variant Cover by Walter Simonson $125, Limited to 100 copies   The fate of Earth and Asgard hang in the Balance as Thor, Beta Ray Bill, and tons of guest-stars do battle Surtur and his horde of invading demons! All with an exclusive Simonson cover just for the con variant featuring the very first drawing ever done of Beta Ray Bill!

The second Thor Artist’s Edition by the legendary comics’ creator Walter Simonson! Featuring seven complete issues of The Mighty Thor (#349 – 354, plus #380—the legendary all-splash page story!). As with all Artist’s Editions, each page of art scanned from the original art, in this case, from Simonson’s personal archives.  

COLLECTIBLES

  Disney DuckTales Lithograph $100, limited to 100 copies   We are proud to offer an Official Disney Archive print of the DuckTales #0 SDCC Variant cover by Bone creator Jeff Smith. Each print measures 11.7 by 16.5 inches, is hand-numbered from 1 to 100, and is printed on 51 pound paper. Each print is packaged in a 13″x18″ envelope with a Official Disney Archive label on the front. Get it signed by Jeff Smith and DuckTales creators during the convention!   String Divers figure, Con variant plus free Trade Paperback Designed by Ashley Wood $100, Limited to 50   This String Divers F Defender Statue is a IDW x THREEA SDCC 2017 Exclusive, designed by Ashley Wood. Limited to only 50 units, this statue stands approximately 6” tall, and features 25 points of articulation. This statue also comes with 1 Quantum Defense Suit, 1 Quantum Propulsion Pack, 3 Weapons, and 1 Stand. You will also receive a free copy of the String Divers Trade Paperback with your purchase!   Wynonna Earp Replica Necklace, plus bonus books. Limited release $100, Limited to 50   Want to wear the same style necklace as Melanie Scrofano wears on Wynonna Earp? Here’s your chance to get an authentic replica necklace! As a free bonus, we are including a comic book signed by Doc Holliday himself, Tim Rozon, a comic book signed by Katherine Barrell (Officer Haught) and the Wynonna Earp Season 1 Yearbook!   Locke & Key Teddy Key, Limited release Crafted by Israel Skelton $25, Limited to 100   Locke & Key Small World Key, Limited release Crafted by Israel Skelton $25, Limited to 100   Hasbro Enamel Pins: 9 Designs, Limited release $10, Limited to 100 for each design

Autobots shield (Transformers)

Decepticons shield (Transformers)

Bumblebee (Transformers)

Arashikage tattoo (GI Joe)

Cobra symbol (GI Joe)

ROM head

Jem and the Holograms logo

Twilight Sparkle (My Little Pony)

Songbird Sia  (My Little Pony)

  Locke & Key Enamel Pins: 4 Designs, Limited release Crafted by Israel Skelton $10, Limited to 100 for each design

Ghost Key

Head Key

Omega Key

Shadow Key

  Wynonna Earp Enamel Pins: 4 Designs, Limited release $10, Limited to 100 for each design

Wynonna Earp logo

U.S. Marshal

Special Deputy

Pride Mustache

  Tom Whalen Poster Bundles: A curated assembly of hardcovers, trade paperbacks and rare variant covers, includes a free high-quality poster! $100 each, 2 bundles per day, Each bundle limited to 50 units    

GIVEAWAYS

  Get a sneak peek at some of the most exciting titles coming this fall with these giveaways available at the IDW booth throughout the show. Get yours before they’re all gone!   Black Crown Preview book Get your first look at what’s coming from Shelly Bond’s Black Crown imprint, including Kid Lobotomy by Peter Milligan and Tess Fowler, plus more yet-to-be-announced titles.   First Strike (Hasbro) Preview book Limited to 3000 copies Get on the ground floor of this summer’s Hasbro Comic Book Event Series featuring Transformers, G.I. Joe, Rom, and more!   “Summer Insider” Preview book Limited to 3000 copies Look no further for some engaging summer reading from some of your favorite creators.   Star Wars Adventures Preview ashcan Limited to 3000 copies You don’t have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to get a look at the new all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic series   Sword of Ages Ashcan Preview book Limited to 2000 copies Writer/artist Gabriel Rodriguez (Locke & Key) welcomes you to a world unlike anything you’ve seen before in this sci-fi/fantasy epic.   TMNT Prelude Dimension X FCBD books The 5-week event series coming this August where the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles return to Dimension X starts here.   Ducktales/Tangled Flip promo poster Based on the Disney animated shows of the same names, show your enthusiasm by plastering this on your wall.   Diablo House promo poster Limited to 700 copies Those who enter the Diablo House get more than what they bargained for…   My Little Pony Movie Prequel poster Before the movie opens in theaters, snag this poster before they’re gone in a Rainbow Dash!

from AwesomeToyBlog http://ift.tt/2uMmKHt

[pastramination]

IDW brings Ducktales, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Locke & Key and More to SDCC

By Staff Reports

IDW is ready for San Diego Comic-Con International— are you? Get prepped for the biggest convention of the year with this complete list of IDW’s hottest exclusives and debuts. All of your convention must-haves in one convenient place!

Select exclusives are now available for pre-order at IDW’s webstore – idw.pub/conexclusives

Be on the lookout every day for unique bundle packages that will include trade paperback collections, hardcovers, rare variants and more! Every day we’ll be offering TWO title-specific bundles that include a free high-quality Tom Whalen print.

IDW will also debut brand new enamel pins, available for the first time ever! Pin availability will change each day so be sure to come back and get yours!

These convention exclusives are only available for pick up at IDW’s SDCC booth #2743 throughout the convention or at the San Diego Comic Art Gallery from July 21st through July 24th. The gallery, located in the Liberty Station Arts District in the Point Loma area of San Diego, currently features exhibits by acclaimed artists Kevin Eastman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Walter Simonson (Thor, Ragnarök).

For more information on the gallery and exhibit as well as directions, visit http://www.sdcomicartgallery.com.

COMICS

Clue #1 Envelope pack, Includes spot color variant plus 3 regular covers and a bonus

Spot-color cover by Gabriel Rodriguez

$20, Limited to 500 packs

Follow the clues and solve the mystery in IDW’s new CLUE series! We’ve put together a special pack for this convention! We start with a RARE exclusive Gabriel Rodriguez Con variant cover, ONLY available in this pack, include all 3 regular editions with the alternate endings, and finish off with a full set of RARE Clue promotional trading cards, all tucked neatly into a Clue evidence envelope! All the familiar faces from the famous board game are back, with a couple new twists.

Darkness Visible #5, Con variant

Cover by Ryan Kelly

$10, Limited to 200 copies

Written by Mike Carey and Arvind Ethan David, Darkness Visible tells the story of an uneasy co-existence between humans and demons that lasted eighty years, is now spawning an endless terrorist conflict, with a cover by Ryan Kelly.

DuckTales #0, Con variant

Cover by Jeff Smith

$10, Limited to 500 copies

Woo-oo! Bone creator Jeff Smith drew an amazing variant cover of the DuckTales cast for our convention variant! Featuring beloved characters like Uncle Scrooge, Donald Duck, and Huey, Dewey and Louie, this new #0 issue is the perfect jumping on point for fans old and new in anticipation of the brand-new series coming Summer 2017!

Funko Universe Bundle Pack, 5 regular Funko Universe one-shots

Various artists

$25, Limited to 100 packs

Pick up all 5 of our Funko Universe one-shot comics from May, each with a cover modeled after the popular Funko boxes, and get a free BONUS copy of TMNT #70 with a Funko-style cover by artist Dave Alvarez! The only way to get this variant is to BUY this bundle pack!

Ghostbusters 101 #1, Con photo variant

$10, Limited to 400 copies

This time, everybody answers the call! Ghostbusters 101 features the very first appearance of the new Ghostbusters from 2016’s Answer the Call movie, as they team up with the original Ghostbusters from 1984! This convention variant features a photo cover of the original Ghostbusters on the front cover, and a photo of the new team on the back cover! Get your copy signed at the show!

Jem and the Holograms: Infinite #1, Con variant

Cover by Erica Henderson

$10, Limited to 250 copies

Artist Erica Henderson (Unbeatable Squirrel Girl) drew this gorgeous variant cover of Jem & the Holograms for Part 1 of The FIRST-EVER Jem/Misfits Crossover Event written by Kelly Thompson!

My Little Pony: Movie Prequel #1, Spot color variant

Cover by Tony Fleecs

$5, Limited to 500 copies

This fall, My Little Pony: The Movie hits theaters, and this prequel mini-series is your first look at the fantastic adventure to come, with a fabulous new cover by artist Tony Fleecs!

ROM vs. Transformers #1, Spot color variant

Cover by Alex Milne

$10, Limited to 250 copies

Alex Milne provides the variant cover to this crossover hundreds of years in the making! See the first interactions between ROM and the Transformers on Earth, and meet the universe’s only Cybertronian Solstar Knight!

TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo, Con variant

Cover by Kevin Eastman

$10, Limited to 500 copies

TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman and Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai collaborated on this gorgeous convention variant! The TMNT are teleported to a world of talking animals—the world of Usagi Yojimbo! Get your copy signed at the booth!

Wynonna Earp: Season Zero #1, Con photo cover

$10, Limited to 400 copies

The stars of the hit television show will be on hand at the convention to sign a special photo variant cover available only at the show! And for the ultimate collectors a deluxe pack will be available collecting the convention variant, last year’s San Diego variant cover, and a bonus item!

Wynonna Earp Season One Yearbook, Con photo variant

$10, Limited to 300 copies

This Wynonna Earp Season 1 yearbook, with a special convention photo variant cover, is filled with on-set photos, including action shots from the show and all-new behind-the-scenes goodies. This is a book all Earpers need in their motorcycle saddle bag!

Wynonna Earp #1 Deluxe Pack, 2 special photo variants featuring cast members from the hit show!

$20, Limited to 150 packs

Get the last 2 Wynonna Earp Convention Variant comics with a FREE bonus item!

COLLECTED EDITIONS/ HARDCOVERS

Batman TMNT Adventures Vol 1, Con variant

Cover by Kevin Eastman

$20, Limited to 300 copies

TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman provides a con-exclusive cover to this trade paperback! The animated worlds of the current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Nickelodeon cartoon and Batman: The Animated Series collide in this outstanding mini-series featuring fan-favorite characters from both universes!

Bloom County: Brand Spanking New Day Hardcover, First release at SDCC!

Cover by Berkeley Breathed

$40, 400 copies at the show

Get a special hardcover version of the latest collection of Berkeley Breathed’s recently revived Bloom County comic strip! This book, containing a bound in plate SIGNED by Breathed, features ALL-NEW strips from 2016 and 2017, that have NEVER appeared in print before (never ever!!). These newly-minted masterpieces present the continuing adventures of Opus, Bill the Cat, Steve Dallas, and the rest of the delightful denizens of Bloom County—and heaven knows how we survived all those years without you!

Jack Kirby Fantastic Four World’s Greatest Artist Edition, SDCC variant

Cover by Jack Kirby

$150, Limited to 100 copies

Jack Kirby was the undisputed King of Comics and IDW is proud to present the second Artist’s Edition focusing on his Fantastic Four work. And, even better, this collects his earlier, “twice up” art—it’s Kirby-sized!! This massive collection includes issues 33, 45, 47, and 60 of the Fantastic Four, plus a stellar gallery with 22 (!!) classic covers, and incredible pages, and three gigantic fold-outs–if you are a Kirby fan, this is the Artist’s Edition you’ve been waiting for!! Debuting at this year’s SDCC is the variant cover featuring Fantastic Four #72.

Jack Kirby Forever People Artist Edition, Con variant

Cover by Jack Kirby

$125, Limited to 100 copies

Continuing IDW’s yearlong celebration of the centennial of Jack “King” Kirby’s birth! Jack Kirby’s classic Fourth World epic told the story of a group of New Gods sent to Earth to oppose Darkseid. Featuring Beautiful Dreamer, Big Bear, Moonrider, and others, this was Kirby’s take on super-powered flower children! Included in this volume are issues, 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7, with nearly all pages scanned from the originals. Debuting at this year’s SDCC is the variant cover featuring a self-portrait of Jack Kirby, and this is limited to a scarce 100 copies.

Locke & Key: Heaven and Earth, Con variant

Cover by Gabriel Rodriguez

$20, Limited to 500 copies

This special deluxe release hardcover, with a new cover by series artist Gabriel Rodriguez, finally reprints the oft-requested and long-denied Eisner-winning one-shot, “Open the Moon!”, the other long-sold-out one-shot, “Grindhouse!” and the even more hard-to-find IDW 10th anniversary Locke & Key tale, “In the Can!”, along with additional covers, behind-the-scenes photos and more!

Ragnarök Volume 2 Hardcover, Con variant

Cover by Walter Simonson

$30, Limited to 500 copies

This convention edition hardcover, with a new cover by creator Walter Simonson, collects issues #7-12 of the Ragnarök series! After hundreds of years, a single god emerged into the post-Ragnarök world, Thor, the God of Thunder. But Angantyr, the Lord of the Dead, has discovered his reappearance, and unleashes his draugar, the undead walkers, against the Thunder God, seeking to destroy the last vestige of the former worlds, and the only hope for the present one.

Return of the Dapper Men, Show debut

Cover by Janet Lee

$35, 150 copies at the show

Blending clockwork whimsy with majestic art-nouveau visuals, Jim McCann and Janet Lee present a hand-crafted fairy tale that feels both familiar and entirely new in this prestige reprinting!

Sh*t My President Says, Show debut

Cover by Shannon Wheeler

$15, 500 copies at the show

Some people are saying, I don’t know, you tell me, but a lot of people are saying this is the greatest book of the year. This guy, Shannon Wheeler, he draws these cartoons for the New Yorker, MAD, the Onion-he’s very, very, good, okay? Now he’s illustrated the most incredible tweets. Wow! You won’t believe what he does with these tweets. I mean, these tweets changed the world, folks. It’s true! It’s very true. EVERYONE is going to want this book – even the haters and losers (Sad!).

Star Trek: Boldly Go Volume 1, Con photo variant

$20, Limited to 200 copies

All-new Star Trek series following the adventures of Captain Kirk and the iconic crew! New worlds! New species! New ships! New photo cover for the con variant!

Surfside Girls, Show debut

Cover by Kim Dwinell

$15, 150 copies at the show

Things are getting weird in Surfside. Lately, Samantha’s best friend Jade explodes into fits of giggles whenever she sees a boy, and it’s throwing a wrench into the kick-back summer of surfing and hanging out that Sam had planned. But after swimming through a secret underwater cave, Sam starts to… see things. Like ghosts. And strange creatures. And maybe something even scarier! Can she and Jade get to the bottom of this mystery in time to save their town?

Walter Simonson’s Thor the Return of Beta Ray Bill Artist Edition, SDCC variant

Cover by Walter Simonson

$125, Limited to 100 copies

The fate of Earth and Asgard hang in the Balance as Thor, Beta Ray Bill, and tons of guest-stars do battle Surtur and his horde of invading demons! All with an exclusive Simonson cover just for the con variant featuring the very first drawing ever done of Beta Ray Bill!

The second Thor Artist’s Edition by the legendary comics’ creator Walter Simonson! Featuring seven complete issues of The Mighty Thor (#349 – 354, plus #380—the legendary all-splash page story!). As with all Artist’s Editions, each page of art scanned from the original art, in this case, from Simonson’s personal archives.

COLLECTIBLES

Disney DuckTales Lithograph

$100, limited to 100 copies

We are proud to offer an Official Disney Archive print of the DuckTales #0 SDCC Variant cover by Bone creator Jeff Smith. Each print measures 11.7 by 16.5 inches, is hand-numbered from 1 to 100, and is printed on 51 pound paper. Each print is packaged in a 13″x18″ envelope with a Official Disney Archive label on the front. Get it signed by Jeff Smith and DuckTales creators during the convention!

String Divers figure, Con variant plus free Trade Paperback

Designed by Ashley Wood

$100, Limited to 50

This String Divers F Defender Statue is a IDW x THREEA SDCC 2017 Exclusive, designed by Ashley Wood. Limited to only 50 units, this statue stands approximately 6” tall, and features 25 points of articulation. This statue also comes with 1 Quantum Defense Suit, 1 Quantum Propulsion Pack, 3 Weapons, and 1 Stand. You will also receive a free copy of the String Divers Trade Paperback with your purchase!

Wynonna Earp Replica Necklace, plus bonus books. Limited release

$100, Limited to 50

Want to wear the same style necklace as Melanie Scrofano wears on Wynonna Earp? Here’s your chance to get an authentic replica necklace! As a free bonus, we are including a comic book signed by Doc Holliday himself, Tim Rozon, a comic book signed by Katherine Barrell (Officer Haught) and the Wynonna Earp Season 1 Yearbook!

Locke & Key Teddy Key, Limited release

Crafted by Israel Skelton

$25, Limited to 100

Locke & Key Small World Key, Limited release

Crafted by Israel Skelton

$25, Limited to 100

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Arashikage tattoo (GI Joe) Pin

Autobots and Decepticons Symbol Pin

Black Crown Pin

Bumblebee Head Pin

Cobra Symbol Pin

Jem Pin

ROM Pin

Hasbro Enamel Pins: 9 Designs, Limited release

$10, Limited to 100 for each design

Autobots shield (Transformers)

Decepticons shield (Transformers)

Bumblebee (Transformers)

Arashikage tattoo (GI Joe)

Cobra symbol (GI Joe)

ROM head

Jem and the Holograms logo

Twilight Sparkle (My Little Pony)

Songbird Sia (My Little Pony)

Locke & Key Enamel Pins: 4 Designs, Limited release

Crafted by Israel Skelton

$10, Limited to 100 for each design

Ghost Key

Head Key

Omega Key

Shadow Key

Wynonna Earp Enamel Pins: 4 Designs, Limited release

$10, Limited to 100 for each design

Wynonna Earp logo

U.S. Marshal

Special Deputy

Pride Mustache

Tom Whalen Poster Bundles: A curated assembly of hardcovers, trade paperbacks and rare variant covers, includes a free high-quality poster!

$100 each, 2 bundles per day, Each bundle limited to 50 units

GIVEAWAYS

Get a sneak peek at some of the most exciting titles coming this fall with these giveaways available at the IDW booth throughout the show. Get yours before they’re all gone!

Black Crown Preview book

Get your first look at what’s coming from Shelly Bond’s Black Crown imprint, including Kid Lobotomy by Peter Milligan and Tess Fowler, plus more yet-to-be-announced titles.

First Strike (Hasbro) Preview book

Limited to 3000 copies

Get on the ground floor of this summer’s Hasbro Comic Book Event Series featuring Transformers, G.I. Joe, Rom, and more!

“Summer Insider” Preview book

Limited to 3000 copies

Look no further for some engaging summer reading from some of your favorite creators.

Star Wars Adventures Preview ashcan

Limited to 3000 copies

You don’t have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to get a look at the new all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic series

Sword of Ages Ashcan Preview book

Limited to 2000 copies

Writer/artist Gabriel Rodriguez (Locke & Key) welcomes you to a world unlike anything you’ve seen before in this sci-fi/fantasy epic.

TMNT Prelude Dimension X FCBD books

The 5-week event series coming this August where the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles return to Dimension X starts here.

Ducktales/Tangled Flip promo poster

Based on the Disney animated shows of the same names, show your enthusiasm by plastering this on your wall.

Diablo House promo poster

Limited to 700 copies

Those who enter the Diablo House get more than what they bargained for…

My Little Pony Movie Prequel poster

Before the movie opens in theaters, snag this poster before they’re gone in a Rainbow Dash!

About IDW

IDW Media Holdings, Inc. (OCTQX: IDWM) is a fully integrated media company, which includes publishing, games, entertainment, and the San Diego Comic Art Gallery.

IDW Publishing’s comic book and graphic novel catalog includes some of the world’s most popular entertainment brands, including Transformers, My Little Pony, Star Trek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, and Disney’s classic characters. At IDW’s core is its commitment to creator-owned comics including 30 Days of Night, Locke & Key, Wormwood, Ragnarök, V-Wars, and Archangel by bestselling sci-fi author William Gibson.

IDW Publishing is also home to the acclaimed and award-winning imprints; Top Shelf, The Library of American Comics, Yoe! Books, and Artist Editions, showcasing the greatest original art ever published in American comic books.

IDW Games’ diverse line-up includes the international phenomenon Machi Koro, as well as hit licensed games such as X-Files, Back to the Future, The Godfather, and TMNT.

IDW Entertainment serves as the worldwide distributor of Wynonna Earp airing on the Syfy Channel in the U.S. and is producing BBC America’s Dirk Gently, based on the bestseller by Douglas Adams starring Elijah Wood and Samuel Barnett.

  SDCC 2017 Exclusives & Debuts from IDW & Top Shelf @IDWpublishing #SDCC IDW brings Ducktales, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Locke & Key and More to SDCC By Staff Reports…

[comicsbeat]

  Two weeks to go, people. TWO WEEKS. IDW (#2743) has just released a list of their exclusives giveaways and debuts and it’s HUGE. You can order some of them here. 

Every day IDW will offer a unique bundle package that will include trade paperback collections, hardcovers, rare variants, and TWO title-specific bundles that include a free high-quality Tom Whalen print.

There will also be enamel pins. And the one I want most is that Black Crowne pin!

Everything can be picked up at the booth OR at the San Diego Comic Art Gallery in the Liberty Station Arts District from July 21st through July 24th.

And here we go!

COMICS

Clue #1 Envelope pack, Includes spot color variant plus 3 regular covers and a bonus Spot-color cover by Gabriel Rodriguez $20, Limited to 500 packs

Follow the clues and solve the mystery in IDW’s new CLUE series! We’ve put together a special pack for this convention! We start with a RARE exclusive Gabriel Rodriguez Con variant cover, ONLY available in this pack, include all 3 regular editions with the alternate endings, and finish off with a full set of RARE Clue promotional trading cards, all tucked neatly into a Clue evidence envelope! All the familiar faces from the famous board game are back, with a couple new twists.

Darkness Visible #5, Con variant Cover by Ryan Kelly $10, Limited to 200 copies

Written by Mike Carey and Arvind Ethan David, Darkness Visible tells the story of an uneasy co-existence between humans and demons that lasted eighty years, is now spawning an endless terrorist conflict, with a cover by Ryan Kelly.

DuckTales #0, Con variant Cover by Jeff Smith $10, Limited to 500 copies

Woo-oo! Bone creator Jeff Smith drew an amazing variant cover of the DuckTales cast for our convention variant!  Featuring beloved characters like Uncle Scrooge, Donald Duck, and Huey, Dewey and Louie, this new #0 issue is the perfect jumping on point for fans old and new in anticipation of the brand-new series coming Summer 2017!

Funko Universe Bundle Pack, 5 regular Funko Universe one-shots Various artists $25, Limited to 100 packs

Pick up all 5 of our Funko Universe one-shot comics from May, each with a cover modeled after the popular Funko boxes, and get a free BONUS copy of TMNT #70 with a Funko-style cover by artist Dave Alvarez! The only way to get this variant is to BUY this bundle pack!

Ghostbusters 101 #1, Con photo variant $10, Limited to 400 copies

This time, everybody answers the call! Ghostbusters 101 features the very first appearance of the new Ghostbusters from 2016’s Answer the Call movie, as they team up with the original Ghostbusters from 1984! This convention variant features a photo cover of the original Ghostbusters on the front cover, and a photo of the new team on the back cover! Get your copy signed at the show!

Jem and the Holograms: Infinite #1, Con variant Cover by Erica Henderson $10, Limited to 250 copies

Artist Erica Henderson (Unbeatable Squirrel Girl) drew this gorgeous variant cover of Jem & the Holograms for Part 1 of The FIRST-EVER Jem/Misfits Crossover Event written by Kelly Thompson!

My Little Pony: Movie Prequel #1, Spot color variant Cover by Tony Fleecs $5, Limited to 500 copies

This fall, My Little Pony: The Movie hits theaters, and this prequel mini-series is your first look at the fantastic adventure to come, with a fabulous new cover by artist Tony Fleecs!

ROM vs. Transformers #1, Spot color variant Cover by Alex Milne $10, Limited to 250 copies

Alex Milne provides the variant cover to this crossover hundreds of years in the making! See the first interactions between ROM and the Transformers on Earth, and meet the universe’s only Cybertronian Solstar Knight! TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo, Con variant Cover by Kevin Eastman $10, Limited to 500 copies

TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman and Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai collaborated on this gorgeous convention variant! The TMNT are teleported to a world of talking animals—the world of Usagi Yojimbo! Get your copy signed at the booth!

Wynonna Earp: Season Zero #1, Con photo cover $10, Limited to 400 copies

The stars of the hit television show will be on hand at the convention to sign a special photo variant cover available only at the show! And for the ultimate collectors a deluxe pack will be available collecting the convention variant, last year’s San Diego variant cover, and a bonus item!

Wynonna Earp Season One Yearbook, Con photo variant $10, Limited to 300 copies

This Wynonna Earp Season 1 yearbook, with a special convention photo variant cover, is filled with on-set photos, including action shots from the show and all-new behind-the-scenes goodies. This is a book all Earpers need in their motorcycle saddle bag!

Wynonna Earp #1 Deluxe Pack, 2 special photo variants featuring cast members from the hit show! $20, Limited to 150 packs

Get the last 2 Wynonna Earp Convention Variant comics with a FREE bonus item!

COLLECTED EDITIONS/ HARDCOVERS

Batman TMNT Adventures Vol 1, Con variant Cover by Kevin Eastman $20, Limited to 300 copies

TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman provides a con-exclusive cover to this trade paperback! The animated worlds of the current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Nickelodeon cartoon and Batman: The Animated Series collide in this outstanding mini-series featuring fan-favorite characters from both universes! Bloom County: Brand Spanking New Day Hardcover, First release at SDCC! Cover by Berkeley Breathed $40, 400 copies at the show

Get a special hardcover version of the latest collection of Berkeley Breathed’s recently revived Bloom County comic strip! This book, containing a bound in plate SIGNED by Breathed, features ALL-NEW strips from 2016 and 2017, that have NEVER appeared in print before (never ever!!). These newly-minted masterpieces present the continuing adventures of Opus, Bill the Cat, Steve Dallas, and the rest of the delightful denizens of Bloom County—and heaven knows how we survived all those years without you!

Jack Kirby Fantastic Four World’s Greatest Artist Edition, SDCC variant Cover by Jack Kirby $150, Limited to 100 copies

Jack Kirby was the undisputed King of Comics and IDW is proud to present the second Artist’s Edition focusing on his Fantastic Four work. And, even better, this collects his earlier, “twice up” art—it’s Kirby-sized!! This massive collection includes issues 33, 45, 47, and 60 of the Fantastic Four, plus a stellar gallery with 22 (!!) classic covers, and incredible pages, and three gigantic fold-outs–if you are a Kirby fan, this is the Artist’s Edition you’ve been waiting for!! Debuting at this year’s SDCC is the variant cover featuring Fantastic Four #72. Jack Kirby Forever People Artist Edition, Con variant Cover by Jack Kirby $125, Limited to 100 copies

Continuing IDW’s yearlong celebration of the centennial of Jack “King” Kirby’s birth! Jack Kirby’s classic Fourth World epic told the story of a group of New Gods sent to Earth to oppose Darkseid. Featuring Beautiful Dreamer, Big Bear, Moonrider, and others, this was Kirby’s take on super-powered flower children! Included in this volume are issues, 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7, with nearly all pages scanned from the originals. Debuting at this year’s SDCC is the variant cover featuring a self-portrait of Jack Kirby, and this is limited to a scarce 100 copies.

Locke & Key: Heaven and Earth, Con variant Cover by Gabriel Rodriguez $20, Limited to 500 copies

This special deluxe release hardcover, with a new cover by series artist Gabriel Rodriguez, finally reprints the oft-requested and long-denied Eisner-winning one-shot, “Open the Moon!”, the other long-sold-out one-shot, “Grindhouse!” and the even more hard-to-find IDW 10th anniversary Locke & Key tale, “In the Can!”, along with additional covers, behind-the-scenes photos and more!

Ragnarök Volume 2 Hardcover, Con variant Cover by Walter Simonson $30, Limited to 500 copies

This convention edition hardcover, with a new cover by creator Walter Simonson, collects issues #7-12 of the Ragnarök series! After hundreds of years, a single god emerged into the post-Ragnarök world, Thor, the God of Thunder. But Angantyr, the Lord of the Dead, has discovered his reappearance, and unleashes his draugar, the undead walkers, against the Thunder God, seeking to destroy the last vestige of the former worlds, and the only hope for the present one.

Return of the Dapper Men, Show debut Cover by Janet Lee $35, 150 copies at the show

Blending clockwork whimsy with majestic art-nouveau visuals, Jim McCann and Janet Lee present a hand-crafted fairy tale that feels both familiar and entirely new in this prestige reprinting!

Sh*t My President Says, Show debut Cover by Shannon Wheeler $15, 500 copies at the show

Some people are saying, I don’t know, you tell me, but a lot of people are saying this is the greatest book of the year. This guy, Shannon Wheeler, he draws these cartoons for the New Yorker, MAD, the Onion-he’s very, very, good, okay? Now he’s illustrated the most incredible tweets. Wow! You won’t believe what he does with these tweets. I mean, these tweets changed the world, folks. It’s true! It’s very true. EVERYONE is going to want this book – even the haters and losers (Sad!).

Star Trek: Boldly Go Volume 1, Con photo variant $20, Limited to 200 copies

All-new Star Trek series following the adventures of Captain Kirk and the iconic crew! New worlds! New species! New ships! New photo cover for the con variant!

Surfside Girls, Show debut Cover by Kim Dwinell $15, 150 copies at the show

Things are getting weird in Surfside. Lately, Samantha’s best friend Jade explodes into fits of giggles whenever she sees a boy, and it’s throwing a wrench into the kick-back summer of surfing and hanging out that Sam had planned. But after swimming through a secret underwater cave, Sam starts to… see things. Like ghosts. And strange creatures. And maybe something even scarier! Can she and Jade get to the bottom of this mystery in time to save their town?

Walter Simonson’s Thor the Return of Beta Ray Bill Artist Edition, SDCC variant Cover by Walter Simonson $125, Limited to 100 copies

The fate of Earth and Asgard hang in the Balance as Thor, Beta Ray Bill, and tons of guest-stars do battle Surtur and his horde of invading demons! All with an exclusive Simonson cover just for the con variant featuring the very first drawing ever done of Beta Ray Bill!

The second Thor Artist’s Edition by the legendary comics’ creator Walter Simonson! Featuring seven complete issues of The Mighty Thor (#349 – 354, plus #380—the legendary all-splash page story!). As with all Artist’s Editions, each page of art scanned from the original art, in this case, from Simonson’s personal archives.

COLLECTIBLES

Disney DuckTales Lithograph $100, limited to 100 copies

We are proud to offer an Official Disney Archive print of the DuckTales #0 SDCC Variant cover by Bone creator Jeff Smith. Each print measures 11.7 by 16.5 inches, is hand-numbered from 1 to 100, and is printed on 51 pound paper. Each print is packaged in a 13″x18″ envelope with a Official Disney Archive label on the front. Get it signed by Jeff Smith and DuckTales creators during the convention!

String Divers figure, Con variant plus free Trade Paperback Designed by Ashley Wood $100, Limited to 50

This String Divers F Defender Statue is a IDW x THREEA SDCC 2017 Exclusive, designed by Ashley Wood. Limited to only 50 units, this statue stands approximately 6” tall, and features 25 points of articulation. This statue also comes with 1 Quantum Defense Suit, 1 Quantum Propulsion Pack, 3 Weapons, and 1 Stand. You will also receive a free copy of the String Divers Trade Paperback with your purchase!

Wynonna Earp Replica Necklace, plus bonus books. Limited release $100, Limited to 50

Want to wear the same style necklace as Melanie Scrofano wears on Wynonna Earp? Here’s your chance to get an authentic replica necklace! As a free bonus, we are including a comic book signed by Doc Holliday himself, Tim Rozon, a comic book signed by Katherine Barrell (Officer Haught) and the Wynonna Earp Season 1 Yearbook!

Locke & Key Teddy Key, Limited release Crafted by Israel Skelton $25, Limited to 100

Locke & Key Small World Key, Limited release Crafted by Israel Skelton $25, Limited to 100 #gallery-0-13 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-13 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-13 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-13 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Hasbro Enamel Pins: 9 Designs, Limited release $10, Limited to 100 for each design

Autobots shield (Transformers)

Decepticons shield (Transformers)

Bumblebee (Transformers)

Arashikage tattoo (GI Joe)

Cobra symbol (GI Joe)

ROM head

Jem and the Holograms logo

Twilight Sparkle (My Little Pony)

Songbird Sia  (My Little Pony)

Locke & Key Enamel Pins: 4 Designs, Limited release Crafted by Israel Skelton $10, Limited to 100 for each design

Ghost Key

Head Key

Omega Key

Shadow Key

  #gallery-0-14 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-14 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-0-14 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-14 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Wynonna Earp Enamel Pins: 4 Designs, Limited release $10, Limited to 100 for each design

Wynonna Earp logo

U.S. Marshal

Special Deputy

Pride Mustache

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  Tom Whalen Poster Bundles: A curated assembly of hardcovers, trade paperbacks and rare variant covers, includes a free high-quality poster! $100 each, 2 bundles per day, Each bundle limited to 50 units

GIVEAWAYS

Get a sneak peek at some of the most exciting titles coming this fall with these giveaways available at the IDW booth throughout the show. Get yours before they’re all gone!

Black Crown Preview book Get your first look at what’s coming from Shelly Bond’s Black Crown imprint, including Kid Lobotomy by Peter Milligan and Tess Fowler, plus more yet-to-be-announced titles.

First Strike (Hasbro) Preview book Limited to 3000 copies Get on the ground floor of this summer’s Hasbro Comic Book Event Series featuring Transformers, G.I. Joe, Rom, and more!

“Summer Insider” Preview book Limited to 3000 copies Look no further for some engaging summer reading from some of your favorite creators.

Star Wars Adventures Preview ashcan Limited to 3000 copies You don’t have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to get a look at the new all-ages Star Wars Adventurescomic series

Sword of Ages Ashcan Preview book Limited to 2000 copies Writer/artist Gabriel Rodriguez (Locke & Key) welcomes you to a world unlike anything you’ve seen before in this sci-fi/fantasy epic.

TMNT Prelude Dimension X FCBD books The 5-week event series coming this August where the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles return to Dimension X starts here.

Ducktales/Tangled Flip promo poster Based on the Disney animated shows of the same names, show your enthusiasm by plastering this on your wall.

Diablo House promo poster Limited to 700 copies Those who enter the Diablo House get more than what they bargained for…

My Little Pony Movie Prequel poster Before the movie opens in theaters, snag this poster before they’re gone in a Rainbow Dash!

  ALSO these things:

  SDCC ’17: IDW unveils massive list of exclusives with bundles, Kirby, much much more Two weeks to go, people. TWO WEEKS. IDW (#2743) has just released a list of their exclusives giveaways and debuts and it's HUGE.