The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) has announced that Charles Brownstein has resigned as executive director of the organization, effective earlier this evening. The news comes following a weekend of mounting pressure as fourteen-year-old sexual assault allegations against Brownstein resurfaced and creators publicly pulled their support from the organization.

The CBLDF has come under much fire for protecting and promoting Brownstein in the more than a decade since the assault allegations came out. Despite Brownstein’s resignation, severe damage has already been done to the CBLDF’s reputation, and it will likely take some time — and perhaps some sweeping changes elsewhere in the organization — to rebuild trust between the organization and the larger comics community.

You can read the CBLDF’s full statement regarding Charles Brownstein below.

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has accepted the resignation of Charles Brownstein as Executive Director, effective immediately.

Our organization exists to serve the comics community and the First Amendment, and we can’t do that without an open and honest discourse. We believe our organization’s management and staff should be representative of and responsive to the community they serve. As we move forward, it will be with a renewed focus on accountability and transparency. And as we plan for the future with new leadership in place, we will work with our staff and human resources experts to continue developing policies that will make us a stronger organization.

We hear and understand the concerns of our community and recognize that this is only a first step in building greater trust and understanding regarding our mission and how it is carried out.

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DC Comics has announced a content change to the Dark Nights: Death Metal – Legends of the Dark Knights one-shot. A two-page short story written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Jim Cheung will be removed from the issue.

In a notice to retailers shared on social media by retailer Ryan Higgins, DC announced that the Ellis-written story in the Death Metal tie-in will be replaced by another story written by former Batwoman writer Marguerite Bennett and illustrated by The Wrong Earth artist Jamal Igle.

The news comes following numerous allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against Ellis earlier this week. Ellis released a statement regarding those allegations on Thursday, which has been met with mixed reactions (to say the least) online.

Ellis was reportedly recruited by Dark Nights: Death Metal writer Scott Snyder and colorist Marie Javins to write the two-page story for the Legends of the Dark Knights one-shot, which was planned to reveal the origin of Bat-Rex, the robot dinosaur housing the consciousness of an alternate universe Batman. No information yet on what Bennett and Igle’s story will feature.

The question still remains of what will happen with The Batman’s Grave, the twelve-issue series Ellis has been writing with artists Bryan Hitch, Kevin Nowlan, and Alex Sinclair. A new issue of that series is due out on Tuesday, July 7th. Order cut-off for that issue was this past Monday, so it may be too late to cancel at this point if that’s what DC intends to do.

Dark Nights: Death Metal – Legends of the Dark Knights #1 is due out in stores on Tuesday, August 25th.

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Writer Warren Ellis has released a statement regarding the many accusations of sexual misconduct that have been leveled against him this week. Spurred by accounts of the misconduct by artist Cameron Stewart, many women have come forward to accuse Ellis of predatory behavior and using his status as a much admired writer to coerce them into relationships  – only to abruptly end contact.

The allegations starter when publisher/photographer Katie West described his behavior in a now deleted Twitter thread. However she summed it up with a few tweets:

I deleted that thread. I don’t want this to ruin my life, and I don’t want it to ruin anyone else’s. This is not about one person. The people who are making it that way are missing the point. This is about a pattern of behaviour and our collective complicity in that behaviour.

Yesterday I posted about men abusing their power in the comics industry to groom, emotionally manipulate, have sex with, or serially Bluebeard young women. My intention was to protect young women from being harmed by these types of men in the future.

Brian Wood has since reached out to me to apologise and acknowledge his past behaviour. He’s proven growth and reconciliation are possible. We have had a really good conversation and I believe Brian is listening and learning and taking responsibility for his actions in the past.

I’m currently listening to 35+ women tell me of their experiences with Warren Ellis. And that number keeps growing. If you have something you want to talk about you can reach out to me or Jhayne @Foxtongue

Other Ellis associates including musician Meredith Yayanos and artist Zoetica Ebb also spoke out about past misconduct. Yayanos wrote:

Writer Jhayne Holmes has been collecting accounts from other victims and in a tweet said she now has more than 50 women who have evidence of  Ellis coercing and grooming them.

The private group now has nearly 50 members. Please, if you know of anyone who might have been targeted by @warrenellis, send them our way. This is so much bigger than you might guess.

— Jhayne Holmes (@Foxtongue) June 18, 2020

Amid the growing outrage, Ellis has finally released a statement via twitter and his newsletter:

The post Warren Ellis releases statement addressing sexual misconduct accusations appeared first on The Beat.

Blockbuster writer, director, and producer J.J. Abrams (Lost; Star Trek; Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) is set to produce three shows for Warner Brothers’ upcoming streaming platform, HBO Max.

Per the Hollywood Reporter’s Lesley Goldberg, these shows include a spinoff of Stephen King‘s The Shining called Overlook, an original IP called Duster, and “an untitled drama based on characters in the so-called Justice League Dark universe, details of which are being kept under wraps.”

Overlook sounds like it could be an anthology of sorts, with the Hollywood Reporter describing it as a 10-episode drama exploring “the untold, terrifying stories of the most famous haunted hotel in American fiction.” The Overlook Hotel’s gruesome past was briefly examined in King’s original 1977 novel, and hinted at in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film adaptation, so there’s plenty of frightening material for a prequel series to delve into.

Interestingly, Warner Media had already started developing a feature film entitled Overlook Hotel in 2014, with a script by The Walking Dead’s Glen Mazzara, and Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) set to direct. While an adaptation of King’s Shining sequel, Doctor Sleep, saw a 2019 release, Overlook Hotel never materialized. How much DNA Overlook will share with the abandoned film of a similar name remains to be seen. Hollywood Reporter’s sources also claim that the show has “opened a mini writers room to get a jump on scripts during the industry-wide production shutdown.”

Duster was conceived by Abrams, who will co-write the series alongside LaToya Morgan (The Walking Dead; Shameless). Little else is known at this time beyond the premise: “…set in the 1970s Southwest, (it) revolves around the life of a gutsy getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate who goes from awful to wildly, stupidly, dangerously awful.” That could describe a goofy comedy, a gritty crime drama, an action-adventure romp, or some combination of all three.

The third series in the announcement may be even more mysterious. While the DC comic book series Justice League Dark is mentioned numerous times throughout the announcement, we don’t know if “Justice League Dark” will literally be the title, or even if the upcoming streaming show Abrams is producing will feature a team of superheroes as the name suggests. The report name-checks “Zatanna, Deadman, Swamp Thing and John Constantine,” and the latter two have already been the subject of live-action films and television shows. Could Abrams’ show be a solo affair for one of DC’s horror-oriented heroes, or an ensemble showcase? We’ll have our fingers crossed for Detective Chimp either way.

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Vault Comics has announced a new science fiction tale to add to their lineup, GIGA. Co-created by writer Alex Paknadel and artist John Lê, the comic will feature colors by Rosh, letters by Aditya Bidikar, and designs by Tim Daniel.  Read the synopsis below:

“Nobody knows why the skyscraper-sized mechs known as ‘Giga’ fought their bitter, centuries’ long war. All they know is that when the fighting finally stopped, the dormant Giga became humanity’s new habitat and new gods in one. When disgraced engineer Evan Calhoun finds an apparently murdered Giga, his society and the fascistic tech-centered religious order that controls it are rapidly thrown into chaos.”

“You’ve seen giant robots battling mechs and kaiju, but what happened decades – even centuries – after the fighting stopped,” stated Paknadel. “Our book depicts a world in which the robots destroyed every metropolitan center on Earth, instantly rendering a good chunk of the human race homeless. Then, when their war inexplicably and abruptly ended, they went dormant for so long that humanity moved in. The robots that destroyed our cities became our cities, and – perhaps inevitably – objects of religious worship to boot.”

The writer continued, “Now, imagine what would happen if one of these gods-cum-living skyscrapers was murdered. That’s our book. That’s GIGA.”

“When approaching the art for GIGA, I thought back to the first evening I read the script that Alex had given me,” added Lê. “I remember the excitement I felt while reading and watching the story unfold – the world, the characters, and the chaos that was to come. Like lucid flashbacks, each story beat brought me back to the exact moments where I fell in love with the worlds of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Akira, Tekkon Kinkreet, and too many others to list. My passion for these stories, worlds, and visual aesthetics is the energy I wanted to bring to the world of GIGA – a love letter in the form of a comic book.”

GIGA #1 is slated to release this summer. The issue will also have a Vault Vintage B cover by Nathan Gooden and Daniel that pays homage to Herb Trimpe‘s iconic cover to Marvel Comics’ Shogun Warriors #1.

The post Vault Comics announces a new sci-fi series for your summer reading list– GIGA appeared first on The Beat.

As the stay-at-home orders to battle the COVID-19 pandemic continue indefinitely and the state of the comic industry is yet to be determined, readers need more things to occupy their time in quarantine. Don’t worry. AWA Studios has you covered. The publisher has been releasing their main titles in an easy-to-read digital format for free on their website, and now you can dive into the unsettling world of Hotell while you are stuck inside.

Written by John Lees and illustrated by Dalibor Talajić, the horror book features colors by Lee Loughridge and letters by Sal Cipriano as well as a cover by Kaare Andrews.

The comic is crafted in the same anthology style as The Twilight Zone, Black Mirror, or Creepshow, with each installment a vignette about an unfortunate guest at The Pierrot Courts Hotel. The first issue focuses on a pregnant woman desperate to get away from her past, but the mysterious roadside rest stop is probably not what the poor lady is looking for.

Just like any good horror tale, you have a mixture of sympathetic and freaky characters to set the tone. There are also plenty of disturbing images and an overarching mystery that makes you curious about what the hell is actually happening in this place.

Right now, AWA has the first episode of Hotell available as well as a teaser episode of future installments. Begin reading on their website, and while you are there get your comic fix with some of their other free titles. The company has also made the comic available on other free platforms like Webtoons.

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In 2019, Sarah Mirk undertook the intimidating task of producing zines on a daily basis, posting the completed work on her Twitter page and using the hashtag #yearofzines on instagram.

I keep thinking about how if libraries didn’t exist, many Americans would say they’re an impossible and wasteful dream. But libraries are legitimately the best-functioning institution our country has right now. This zine is about my love of libraries. pic.twitter.com/XjnxXtD46a

— Sarah Mirk (@sarahmirk) February 7, 2020

Mirk’s zines are always well researched (with the citations included right on the page). The topics cover vary wildly, from a zine that considers the prospect of public transit going fare-free to one that highlights the invaluable services provided by libraries. History is another common theme, with examples like “20,000 Nazi Friends,” which chronicles a 1939 mass Nazi demonstration in New York City. Using the format of the zine allows Mirk to explore these serious topics in bite-size pages, making the heady topics covered more manageable than they might be otherwise.

The people to blame are at the top. pic.twitter.com/uiGCeyDIyN

— Sarah Mirk (@sarahmirk) March 31, 2020

While many of the zines Mirk (a veteran of the Nib) has made have been explorations of serious topics, she has also made plenty that are more lighthearted, such as the highly relatable “I Get Crushes on Everyone,” the delightful “New Names for Vegetables,” or “Halloween Costumes I Have Known” (my favorite: the “very sad” sea otter costume she made herself at age 8).

I didn’t feel like being productive today but instead of sinking into the floor while eating a bowl of mashed potatoes, I made this zine for #quaranzinefest pic.twitter.com/GDbUymlQqx

— Sarah Mirk (@sarahmirk) April 5, 2020

Another frequent topic for the zines is practical advice. One zine offers survival advice to potential freelancers, and another offers tips for one’s first year as a vegan. Other entries are closer to diary comics, with stories about Mirk’s adventures or lists of her favorite books or snacks.

A little comic about how I have no idea what happens next. pic.twitter.com/QyIfmmArMj

— Sarah Mirk (@sarahmirk) March 18, 2020

Challenging topics are never off-limits as subject matter for Mirk’s zines, and many of her recent entries have concerned life during the pandemic and the struggle to maintain hope as the bad news continues to accumulate.

Over the last year, I’ve made 365 zines. Here it is, zine number 365! The final zine! pic.twitter.com/0HVn0SYKXl

— Sarah Mirk (@sarahmirk) March 11, 2020

In addition to posting each of them online, Mirk has also collected 100 of her favorite zines into a single book, which will be released on April 21^st, 2020. You can purchase the book from her website if you’d like to directly support her work!

The post A Year of Free Comics: The many zines of SARAH MIRK appeared first on The Beat.

As the coronavirus continues to keep us locked indoors, it is vital to find ways to keep your sanity while doing your part to “flatten the curve.” Black Mask Studios is offering all of their #1s for free to help out.

For a limited time, you can try out a few new books. Not only does this give you some much-needed entertainment during a crisis, but it will also give the comic industry the support it needs right now. If you like the first issue, the publisher encourages you to order a copy from your local comic shop (mail order or through their website/eBay store). You can also order directly from Black Mask, and if you do they will send 50% to your favorite comic store. Simply list the shop in the “Special Instructions” at checkout.

The company’s entire library can be test-driven. Check out synopses of a few options below and click here for the full list and to begin reading.

BLACK #1
written by Kwanza Osajyefo, designed by Tim Smith 3, illustrated by Jamal Igle, lettered by Dave Sharpe, covers by Khary Randolph, edited by Sarah Litt

In a world that already hates and fears them – what if only Black people had superpowers. After miraculously surviving being gunned down by police, a young man learns that he is part of the biggest lie in history. Now he must decide whether it’s safer to keep it a secret or if the truth will set him free.

CRITICAL HIT #1
written by Matt Miner, illustrated by Jonathan Brandon Sawyer, colored by Doug Garbark, lettered by Jim Campbell

Matt Miner rallies a brand new art team and launches Liberator fan-favorites Jeanette and Sarah in a bold new direction with their own gritty mission to stop a rogue gang of hunters – but the girls learn to their horror that these hunters have developed a new hobby: hunting people… and suddenly the rescuers become the prey.

JADE STREET PROTECTION SERVICES #1
written by Katy Rex, illustrated by Fabian Lelay, colored by Mara Jayne Carpenter, lettered by Taylor Esposito, cover by Annie Wu

In this new series that mashes The Breakfast Club with Sailor Moon, Kai, Saba, Noemi, Divya, and Emma are (bad) students at Matsdotter Academy, an elite private school for magical girls. When they all meet for the first time in a totally unfair detention, these punk rock witch delinquents cut class and discover the fates Matsdotter has in store for them are even more sinister than they suspected. With JSPS, the creative team of writer Katy Rex, penciler/inker Fabian Lelay, colorist Mara Jayne Carpenter, and series cover artists Annie Wu and Kiki Jenkins channel Black Mask’s edgy, subversive sensibility into a whipsmart adventure for delinquents young and old.

NO ANGEL #1
written by Eric & Adrianne Palicki, illustrated by Ari Syahrazad, colored by Jean-Paul Csuka, lettered by Jim Campbell, cover by Amancay Nahuelpan

Religious texts from The Bible to the Sumerian tablets speak of strange creatures descending from the heavens and mating with humans, their children the superhuman heroes of myth. None of this ever meant anything to Iraq War veteran Hannah Gregory, until she found herself in the crosshairs of a dangerous cult convinced that she’s a descendant of these mysterious bloodlines… bloodlines they’re determined to eradicate.

QUANTUM TEENS ARE GO #1
written by Magdalene Visaggio, illustrated by Eryk Donovan, colored by Claudia Aguirre, lettered by Zakk Saam

Mad science is the punkest s*** there is. Teenage sweethearts Nat & Sumesh spend their nights breaking into abandoned superlabs to steal the parts they need to build a time machine – and they’ve just found the most important part. But mysterious entities keep trying to stop them turning it on. Now all they’ve gotta do is hang on long enough to figure out why. Magdalene Visaggio (Kim & Kim) and Eryk Donovan (Memetic) bring you a high-octane adventure full of robots, muscle cars, and queer-a** skater punks.

WE ARE THE DANGER #1
written & illustrated by Fabian Lelay, colored by Claudia Aguirre, lettered by Taylor Esposito, edited by Stephanie Cooke

Starting as the new girl in your senior year of high school is never easy, and Julie Malliari is having a terrible first day- until she meets Tabitha. After a night out at a rock show, their friendship quickly grows and, before they know it, the two form a band with their sights set on a record deal… they just need to win it in a nationwide Battle of the Bands competition.
With Tabitha’s rival keen to take the prize for herself, it’s a battle not to be missed…

THE WILDS #1
written by Vita Ayala, illustrated by Emily Pearson, colored by Marissa Louise, lettered by Jim Campbell

After a cataclysmic plague sweeps across America, survivors come together to form citystate-like communities for safety. Daisy Walker is a Runner for The Compound, a mix of post-apocalyptic postal service and black market salvaging operation. It is a Runner’s job to ferry items and people between settlements, and on occasion scavenge through the ruins of the old world. Daisy is the best there is at what she does. Out beyond the settlement walls are innumerable dangers: feral animals, crumbling structures, and Abominations – those that were touched by the plague and became something other. After a decade of surviving, Daisy isn’t phased by any of it – until her lover, another Runner named Heather, goes missing on a job. Desperate to find her, Daisy begins to see that there may be little difference between the world inside the walls and the horrors beyond.

The post A Year of Free Comics: Need some new comics to read during quarantine? BLACK MASK has you covered appeared first on The Beat.

We have all heard the warnings about exposing too much about ourselves on social media platforms. Don’t reveal too many personal details like your name and address. Don’t use check-ins because criminals will use them to find you or they’ll rob your home while you are taking photos of your lunch at your favorite restaurant. Unfortunately, with “influencer” now an actual profession, posting everything at every moment is normal and expected. For Remi Do in #Killstagram, it’s also deadly.

Created by Ryoung, the web series centers on popular, pretty, and completely self-absorbed Remi Do. She has it all. A great job and a successful career as an Instagram influencer, complete with millions of followers and brand sponsorships. Her selfies gain attention in seconds and her followers aspire to be just like her, eating at the same posh restaurants and always looking perfect no matter what. The attention, of course, has gone to her head. Remi enjoys her celebrity status and mistakenly thinks that the adoration she receives all day long makes her untouchable.  Despite warnings to not post so much about herself because you never know who is watching, she opens herself up to a social media serial killer who has been knocking off influencers and now has Remi in his sights.

The thriller comic can be taken as your typical serial killer/stalker story, complete with disturbing slasher-film level gore, but it is also a cautionary tale. Do you really know who is following you on platforms like Twitter and Instagram? Even if you check out their profile, how do you know that photo is actually them? The scary thing is you really don’t know, taking Stranger Danger to a whole new level.

#Killstagram currently has a prologue and three episodes on Webtoons. It is set to update every Saturday. Catch up on the thriller series this week.

The post A Year of Free Comics: #KILLSTAGRAM is a chilling reminder to watch what you share on the socials appeared first on The Beat.

Welcome to another recap of The Walking Dead, where we’ll discuss last night’s episode, “Look At the Flowers.”

Need a reminder of what went down last week? Check out my recap of that episode right here.

In this week’s episode, we see the ramifications of Alpha’s murder as well as the role that Negan played in Carol’s secret plot.

“I have your word?”

In a flashback sequence, we see how Carol and Negan’s deal came to life. Carol plainly asks him to bring her Alpha’s head. Negan, however, is hesitant to do so because he’s aware of Carol’s status as a badass; if she couldn’t do it, what happens if he fails? He doesn’t want to endanger the lives of anybody in Alexandria. Carol brutally points out that keeping Negan locked up forever isn’t going to help those people forget all the terrible things he’s done, and he needs to take action in order to become a part of the community. He accepts, and we’re now in the present day as Carol sticks Alpha’s head onto a stick in the ground.

Negan is pleading to Carol to take him back to Alexandria so he can open up another chapter of his life and just move on. Carol, despite her satisfaction in watching a zombified Alpha snarl and groan atop the stick at the Whisperer border, is furious at Negan as she said she wanted the deed done quickly. He counters that he wanted to get out of there alive, so he had to take his time and play it safe. Carol says she isn’t ready to get back to Alexandria just yet, so Negan will have to wait until she’s had her alone time.

“Look forward, not back.” 

At their safehouse, the residents of Hilltop are licking their wounds. Ezekiel is berating himself for falling unconscious and losing track of the children, but the ever-positive Jerry assures him that it wasn’t his fault and that everybody is okay. Magna walks in and Jerry is struck with joy, giving her a great big bear hug. Eugene is helping Rosita nurse a bad bruise on her abdomen, and she reminds him that he has a meeting with Stephanie that he needs to honour. She tells him that he has to tell everyone about her since he’s been keeping it from everyone. He gets up and gathers everyone’s attention; he’s awkward at first but Ezekiel backs him up. He offers an impassioned reason for what he’s doing and how he needs to find good people after all the terrible things he and the group just went through.

Yumiko approaches Magna and says that she should go with Eugene and the others to meet Stephanie. Magna appreciates the sentiment but says she likes where she currently is and wants a bit of a routine to help guide her along. She tells Yumiko that she’s the one who needs to go on this adventure. Yumiko offers up some excuses but realises that Magna’s right: it’ll be good for her.

Jerry’s playing with one of his kids when he spots Ezekiel getting a horse ready. He tells Jerry that he’s about to leave. He and Jerry share a beautiful goodbye; they’ve been through a lot together and Jerry says that he’s going to miss him.

“I silenced the Alpha.” 

Beta and two Whisperers approach the border and find Alpha’s head on the stick. One of the Whisperers tells Beta that he’s now the Alpha. He seemingly doesn’t take this news too well, as he grabs the Whisperer’s head and pushes him close enough to Alpha that she takes a bite out of his cheek.

Negan heads to where he kept Lydia strapped to a chair, only to find the chair empty. Daryl sneaks up behind him and points his crossbow in his face, asking for an explanation. Negan says that he killed Alpha. He pulls her mask from his jacket and says that Carol let him out so he can infiltrate the group and kill Alpha.

Carol is walking through the woods but she’s beginning to hear voices, someone calling her name. She turns around and finds Alpha starting at her. She tells Carol that she’s always watching.

“You can’t accept what you’ve done.” 

Beta and the cheek-less Whisperer are walking through a walker-infested town. The Whisperer’s coughing catches the attention of a nearby walker, and Beta stabs him to let the walker get to him. He reveals he’s carrying Alpha’s head in a bag, and listens intently to her groans as if she’s talking to him. He enters a house and makes some noise to draw out whatever walker may in there with him, but he’s alone. Alone with Alpha. He enters a room and spots a poster on the wall that infuriates him. He grabs a guitar and smashes it to smithereens.

Carol continues her walk but is accosted by Alpha. She says that Carol is feeling guilt, and to truly kill Alpha is to kill herself too. Alpha distracts Carol enough to let a walker sneak up behind her and nearly kill her, but she manages to stick something up its brain.

“We always knew how this would end.” 

Eugene, Yumiko, and Ezekiel are riding on their horses when they come across a couple of caged walkers, with birds inside but just out of their reach. Yumiko wonders if it’s some kind of warning. They split up to clear the area of walkers and Ezekiel faces some trouble as his newly-developed cough gets the better of him and nearly lets a walker chomp his face. He quickly stabs it as he catches his breath.

In his fortress of solitude, Beta finds a vinyl and a record player. He blasts some tunes, and the nearby walkers begin to flock.

Daryl is walking Negan through the woods. Negan says he understands why Daryl would be pissed, since Carol went behind his back to get what she wanted. Daryl says he might be pissed about Hilltop, where his actions nearly got some children killed. Negan stops in his tracks and looks at Daryl with remorse, but Daryl pushes him forward before he can become too remorseful.

Negan leads Daryl to where Carol kept Alpha’s head but it isn’t there anymore. Daryl is frustrated and points his weapon at Negan again, but some Whisperers cock their weapons and point them at Daryl. They say that Negan killed Alpha, which makes him the new Alpha. They kneel in recognition, which gets a big laugh from Negan.

Back at Beta’s walker rave, he watches from the balcony while a horde gathers below him. He has tears in his eyes, and tears off half his mask.

The Whisperers have Daryl all tied up, and Negan falls back into Negan as we first met him; brash, quite an asshole, but a man who has a way with words. He asks for one of their shotguns and after some show-boating, he shoots one of them and dispatches the rest.

Eugene and the others are resting under a bridge with Ezekiel awake to keep watch. Out of nowhere, his horse makes noise and falls to the ground. He rushes to investigate and sees that one of the walkers he faced managed to get a bite out of the horse. Ezekiel comforts it and puts it out of its misery. Yumiko approaches him and offers her condolences, but Ezekiel isn’t having any of it. He wants to leave as he doesn’t want to endanger the both of them. Yumiko manages to convince him to stay by saying that nobody knows what their future holds.

Carol enters some kind of shack, with Alpha still on her tail. Carol tries to reach for something while on a stool but the ceiling collapses on her, trapping her under beams and debris. She spots a walker crawling its way to her. Alpha is telling her to give up and give in, to finally die so she can never hurt anybody ever again. All those people she’s hurt, from her daughter to Ezekiel, and now she can stop it all from continuing. As the walker etches ever closer, Carol finally decides what she wants. She wants to live. She manages to loosen herself and stand up, killing the walker and collapsing onto the ground.

“

Daryl and Negan are waiting at the border for Carol to show up but there’s no sign of her. Negan confesses to Daryl that joining the Whisperers felt good because for the first time in nearly ten years, he felt respected and wanted. But he admits Alpha took it too far when she attacked Hilltop. Daryl walks away, with Negan following. Later, Daryl lets Carol into Alexandria without a word spoken between them.

Eugene, Ezekiel, and Yumiko keep riding when they see a city in the distance. They enter the city and find the strangest sight: there are walkers everywhere but they’re all dressed up and handcuffed to various objects like rocking chairs and cars. Ezekiel finds this entire image incredibly funny and can’t control his laughter. They then see a woman with purple hair in the distance. She greets them extremely enthusiastically.

Back with Beta, he thanks Alpha and says that he can finally see now. He pulls out a knife and stabs her. He heads to the door where the walkers are furiously snarling, but they begin to follow him when he makes his way outside. It’s revealed that he skinned Alpha’s face and stitched half of it to his existing mask. He then leads the walkers to his next mission.

The End 

This was an odd episode. Not much went on but we got a lot of character progression. I’m looking forward to seeing Negan hopefully ingratiate himself back into Alexandrian life. He deserves it.

Catch me here next week for my recap of the penultimate episode of the season, “The Tower.”

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