In the past few weeks Paramount announced they were developing a remake of the THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE.  Say what you want about all of the remakes cinema churns out these days, most of them are pale copies of the originals.  Occasionally, though, you get a film that’s of comparable quality or even superior to the original.  I don’t know what the future holds for the VALANCE remake, but I’ll tell you, if the producers make a film that even approaches the original, well, look out, there’s a spectacular film in the offing.

JOURNEY TO STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS - SHATTERED EMPIRE #4

Written by: Greg Rucka
Art by: Marco Checchetto
Cover by: Marco Checchetto
Colored by: Andres Mossa
Lettered by: VC's Joe Caramagna

Published by: Marvel
Cover Price: $3.99

Warning! This review contains quite a few spoilers!

After a series of really cool teasers, Marvel has finally released the first real trailer for Netflix's Jessica Jones:

This is a real good trailer.  David Tennant seems like he's going to be absolutely terrifying as "Purple Man."  And Krysten Ritter looks like she is going to be perfect as Jessica Jones.  That has to be a real tricky role to play.  Jessica is a character with great physical strength and a strong cynical shell, but inside, she's dealt with great trauma that continues to haunt her and effect her judgement.  Ritter seems to have all that down pat, and even if this quick trailer shows that she's going to be very different from anyone else we've seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Oct. 20, 2015 – Screams.com has unveiled its 2015 list of the Top 13 Haunted Houses in America. Advanced pyrotechnics, trained actors and superior use of technology highlight the attractions, which stretch from New Hampshire to as far west west as Arizona.

“This list represents haunts that have been extensively honored by their peers and the haunted attraction industry,” said Todd James, owner of the Cutting Edge Haunted House in Texas and industry veteran. “A lot of thought and research went into creating this list, which we hope will serve as a guide to haunted house lovers across the country.”

James notes that consumers are expected to spend about $7 billion this Halloween.

Family matters on both sides of the law become the focal point of this latest episode of THE FLASH, "Family of Rogues." Joe West (Jesse L. Martin) grapples with the unexpected return of his wife, Francine (Vanessa Williams), who abandoned the family when Iris (Candice Patton) was just a child. He's told Iris that she died and painted a picture of her as a perfect mother, rather than tell her the truth -- that she was an addict who fled from rehab. Now Francine is back in Central City, and Joe has to decide whether or not to tell Iris the truth.

JOURNEY TO STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS - SHATTERED EMPIRE #3

Written by: Greg Rucka
Art by: Marco Checchetto & Angel Unzueta
Cover by: Marco Checchetto,
Colored by: Andres Mossa
Lettered by: VC's Joe Caramagna

Published by: Marvel
Cover Price: $3.99

Warning! This review contains quite a few spoilers!

by Mike Maillaro & Mike Weaver

New Avengers (2015) #1

Cartoon Network's Adult Swim knows how to blend nostalgia with cutting edge (some might even say 'inappropriate' humor). With MIKE TYSON MYSTERIES, the team has successfully mixed the opening of JONNY QUEST with the framework of SCOOBY-DOO (although I lean more toward THE FUNKY PHANTOM). And bringing the actual Mike Tyson in to voice himself was just icing on the cake. Mike Tyson: Voice Actor. There's a job description nobody saw coming.

It’s impossible to write a review of a documentary about Elliott Smith without it becoming deeply personal.  That’s apt, because his solo career was one of deeply personal lyrics and the intimacy of a man alone with only his guitar.

            I was really interested in viewing this documentary because my knowledge of Elliott Smith was rather limited.  I knew he had a rough adolescence, played in a band prior to his solo act, and had committed suicide.  Also, I was aware that he was struggling with his fame from his career.  On the album EITHER/OR, he sings, “I’m so sick and tired of all these pictures of me/Completely wrong/Totally wrong.”

SAN ANDREAS on Blu-ray and DVD is a non-stop action movie that takes place basically in San Francisco and areas along the…you guessed it, San Andreas Fault line.

There is not a lot of back story here, as the movie starts with tremors happening within the first couple of minutes. Then the basics of the story are revealed through a college classroom dissertation on seismic activity by Caltech Seismologist Lawrence Hayes (Paul Giamatti), talking about the biggest earthquakes in history, and that it is more important than ever to be able to predict where they will happen to save lives. A young associate of the professor figures out how the tremor felt at the beginning of the movie could possibly predict a larger one by using the model they developed, and while testing it at Hoover Dam…well, I don't want to spoil things, but I bet you can guess what happens next.

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week.   Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that.  Let's get to it!

Comics shipping this week

A-FORCE #5 by Marguerite Bennett, G.Willow Wilson, and Jorge Molina

Summary: Loki broke a hole in the shield wall allowing zombies to pour into Arcadia. She-Hulk rallies A-Force to stand against them.  Nico finds herself at the end of the water, and she gets attacked by the mutated shark from the first issue.  Nico seems ready to die, but Starchild saves her.  Nico realizes her name is Singularity (I still prefer called her Starchild).  Singularity charges into the zombies, sucking them up into her pocket dimension. Nico is worried she is going to lose Singularity just like she lost her adopted sister and mother.  Singularity says goodbye and explodes, taking all the zombies with her.

Cheap Pops - October 18, 2015

by Chris Delloiacono, Mike Maillaro and Jeff Ritter

This week!

- WWE Partners with ESPN

I've loved the National Pastime since I was a little kid. So, it's kind of fun as I ponder how much joy and sadness the game of baseball has brought me in life. Right now I'm on a great stretch as the Mets just defeated the Dodgers to setup a NLCS matchup with the Cubs. A relatively unlikely matchup at season's commencement, but one that makes a lot of sense, when you realize just how loaded with exceptional youth both squads are. Breaking down the series isn't what I'm here to do. What I've got for you is an odd journey through life to a series that I simply cannot wait to watch.

DC's Super Hero Girls. A property fashioned by DC in partnership with Mattel toys. On the surface, it appears like nothing more than a way to market toys to young girls. But, when you start digging, you unearth so much more when you reach the foundation.

The theme, 'Get Your Cape On', has a music video on both YouTube and DC’s Super Hero Girls website. Accompanying the video are inspiring lyrics, written and performed by singer/songwriter, Jordyn Kane.

This month’s theme is FIGHT THE FIGHT, a box spotlighting some of the Comic Bento team’s favorites fighters.  This was a fairly random collection, but you get five books and they are a great value, so it’s real hard to complain.  You get over $80 of comics here for $25.  And I enjoyed all but one book in the box. 

I have to admit, I am much more excited about next month’s collection. It’s called “Masks” and it’s curated by Gail Simone! 

X-O MANOWAR – Vol. 2: Enter Ninjak

 The joy of seeing a theatrical show for the first time is that everything is a surprise. Such was the case with DOGFIGHT, a musical presented by Stray Dog Theatre. Based on a 1991 film starring River Phoenix (which I don’t believe I’ve ever seen), with the book by Peter Duchan and music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, DOGFIGHT was not exactly what I expected – which is kind of funny, because I really didn’t know what to expect. I guess I had decided from the title alone that it would be a gritty war story with music both rousing and melancholy. Instead, it turned out to be a funny and touching love story, and I was not at all disappointed to have my preconceived notions dashed.

The world of THE FLASH just got infinitely more diverse with the arrival of Jay Garrick (Teddy Sears, 666 PARK AVENUE), who comes from another Earth where he was called The Flash. But after his arrival on our Earth, shortly after his battle on his world with Zoom, he was brought to our world through the singularity that Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) fought at the end of Season One.

He comes with a warning, but the team doesn't know what to make of him -- and Barry certainly doesn't trust him. In fact, he's a real jerk towards Jay. So their response is to run tests on Jay -- and keep him locked up in the STAR Labs facility.

While on its 15th issue, ROBYN HOOD by Zenescope Entertainment offers a stand-alone to help draw in new readers without alienating them to the story. This is how comic books did it before other companies began rebooting titles every year.

In this, Pat Shand's latest offering of the alluring archer, Robyn and her partner Marian continue their exploits as 'Nottingham Investigations'. It gives off a SUPERNATURAL vibe, only with female protagonists, who also happen to be a witch and an archer.

Front Lines Reviews by Mike Maillaro, Mike Weaver, Grey Scherl, and Gina Maillaro

1602 WITCH HUNTER ANGELA #4 by Marguerite Bennett, Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, and Kody Chamberlain

Summary: Angela and Serah’s skull head to Faerie to finish off Enchantress.  Serah seems to have been manipulating events to distill magic to be ready to stay alive after Enchantress killed her.  All the free floating faerie magic Enchantress has been sending out should allow that to happen.  Serah returns as a ghost.  Angela promises to restore her to full life.  Enchantress arrives.