It feels like it's been forever in the offing, but BATMAN #86 is a breath of fresh air after the prolonged storyline that bogged down the title for the past few years.

With his longtime confidante and manservant, Alfred Pennyworth, having been laid to rest, Bruce Wayne decides to take on a new mission to honor his friend, a mission presented to him on many past occasions and always turned down: a Gotham that didn't need Batman. To that end, Bruce has dusted of his plans for a revamp of the city and fast-tracked them through all the zoning commissions. With construction already underway, however, there are forces out there that want to see their own plans for Gotham come to light.

It's been a while since I've poked my head inside the Superman universe of books, and with the news surrounding the impending release of Superman's self-reveal, I thought it might be a good idea to check in on the latest installment of the Man of Steel, by way of ACTION COMICS 1018.

To say the issue was a disappointment is to do a disservice to language.

Let's start with the cover. Advertising a guest appearance by the Justice League pretty much means that, in the background, you see their bodies strewn about as they have been clobbered. But that cover blurb is perhaps the best drawn part of the book's frontispiece. The rest of it is a sketchy mess, featuring Superman front and center and some hastily doodled Justice League members in the background -- plus what looks to be a frozen or electrocuted Starman in the lower left.

That should have been my first warning to back away, slowly, and put my wallet back in my pocket.

Enter to win all three BEVERLY HILLS COP moveis in this newly remastered release from Paramount Home Video.

The heat is on in this fast-paced collection of action-packed comedies starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, the street-smart cop from Detroit. Tracking down his best friend's killer in BEVERLY HILLS COP, Axel smashes through the local barriers in a hilarious, high-speed pursuit of justice. In BEVERLY HILLS COP II, he's deep undercover, investigating a gang of international munitions smugglers. The third installment finds Axel at the center of a roller coaster thrill ride at the wonderful amusement park! Watch all three and get hooked for the whole ride.

For your chance to win this Blu-ray collection use the form below and select one or more options of entry. Be sure to check our rules and regulations page first.

Over the last few years, the foundation of STAR WARS fandom has been a little shaky. We've seen one writer ignominiously ousted from the extended universe, several directors fired from the sequels and ancillary films, and controversy among the fandom over the way the final trilogy was handled from start to finish. Basically, if you're handed the reigns to do something with STAR WARS these days, you stand a good chance of slitting your own throat.

Holy cow, is it 2020 already? 2019 seems to have gone by in a blur, with so much happening in the world of movies, television, and comics. It's hard to believe we've reached the point where we now have the unenviable task of deciding which was the best in every category to recognize the producers of entertainment for their efforts.

So below you will find the voting form, featuring our nominations for the best film, film actor, television series (which includes streaming until we come up with a word to replace television), series actor, comic book storyline, comics writer, comics artist, and -- last but certainly not least -- the selection of our Critical Blast Bombshell of the Year from the list of 2019's Bombshell of the Month candidates.

Every month the staff at Critical Blast combs the cosplay community for up-and-coming cosplayers who deserve to have a broader audience for their work, taking into account not only costuming skills and spirit, but also how they use that ability in service to others. Through this, we've not only met some talented cosplayers, but also some fine human beings. And we could not think of a better exemplar of the spirit of cosplay than this talented fellow from Argentina, who kicks off our new year of cosplay greatness.

It's a brand new year, and Critical Blast is going to fill it with bombshells! So let's get started.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is our great pleasure to introduce you to the...

GRETA GERWIG's directorial rewrite of Louisa May Alcott's American classic is a sprawling mess of a period piece that meanders about, hopping backward and forward in time to finally get to its quiet and unsatisfactory conclusion.

An optimistic scout elf is ready to bring Christmas joy and magic to the family that has adopted him. But upon his arrival he finds a single mom with her hands full with two rambunctious boys and a sullen teenaged daughter who misses her father. When the grandfather comes to visit for the Christmas holidays, bringing the Elf on the Shelf with him to start a new family tradition, his plans never seem to hit all the right notes with the kids.

It's up to Tatertot the scout elf to instill Christmas magic into this family once again. But that could be impossible, especially when he finds himself in a situation where is own magic is suddenly diminished after a roughhousing incident with the boys!

I love a good conjecture. Take what we know, add in a pinch of what we don't know, shake it well, and voila: conjecture, the third cousin of "What if" and "Maybe."

That's why I enjoy watching ANCIENT ALIENS -- and with twelve seasons under their belt on The History Channel, I'm apparently not the only one.

The producers of ANCIENT ALIENS never fail to intrigue and provoke, applying new interpretations to ancient lore while simultaneously keeping abreast of the most current events in ufology, and this twelfth season is no exception. From Antarctica to Canada, from early American druids to subterranean lizard people, ANCIENT ALIENS excels at drawing lines between disparate data points to make entertaining connections.

There are a handful of movie sequels that have surpassed the original: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Captain America: Civil War, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. Toy Story 2 and maybe The Godfather II could also be on that list. How about Jumanji: The Next Level which hits theaters in the US on 12/12/19?

Finally...there's something even the presence of Dwayne Johnson can't improve. It would be more accurate to call it "The Next Level Down." There was a genuine sense of fun and enery to be found in the first reboot of the Robin Williams classic. While the cast tried hard to recapture that elusive chemistry that made the previous film work so well, the sequel failed to reach the next level this time.

Many years ago, when the Earth's crust was just beginning to cool (also known as the 1980s), the ground sprang forth with the direct market. Shops that specialized only in comic books began to appear, and with them, access to titles that you simply wouldn't find in the spinner rack at your local 7-11 or discount store. Among those titles was an unassuming black and white title created by a couple of kids with access to a printer. Done as a lark--a spoof on Frank Miller's DAREDEVIL and RONIN runs--probably nobody was as surprised by its success as were its creators: Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.

One of the greatest joys of reviewing live theatre comes from seeing a show for the first time. From Gilbert and Sullivan to Andrew Lloyd Webber to Lin Manuel, you always wonder “Is this show going to live up to the hype? I can’t wait to see my favorite performer in this cast! I heard it bombed on Broadway, and since critics are always wrong I’m sure it’s gonna be great!” Most of the time there is lots to love, particularly with a large national tour. The next time that tour stops in town, you know how you felt about the production last time. Does that grade still h old up? You might be inclined to do a little people watching—spotting reactions that give an indication of how the show is going over. \But the fourth time you review a production, what do you do? You’ve explained the plot three times already. You struggled not to sing along with what are now familiar favorites. How do you keep from repeating yourself?

When Grace (SAMARA WEAVING) accepted a marriage proposal from Daniel Le Domas (ADAM BRODY), she expected her life to change. After all, the Le Domas clan was richer than Croesus, and their reputation was global. What she didn't plan for, however, was the wedding night tradition of midnight game play. The Le Domas dynasty had been built on marketing games, and it had been a long-standing tradition that upon any wedding, the new family member would be assigned a random card from a puzzle box, detailing the game to be played. It could be checkers, chess, backgammon...anything at all.

But one game required different rules than all the others: Hide and Seek. That's the game when the family knew their ages-old benefactor demanded a sacrifice be made. So when Grace pulls that card, and goes off to find a hiding place, she is completely unaware that the family is preparing to come looking for her -- armed to the teeth!

"In Treatment" is sort of a jumping-on point for new viewers of RIVERDALE. It's a nice bit of catching up done without the crutch of flashbacks or "best of" moments.

The setup is that, given the multiple tragic events in recent days plus the stress of college acceptance -- and rejections -- coming in the mail, the students of Riverdale High could all use counseling. So Principle Honey (KERR SMITH) has asked the school guidance counselor to keep extended hours to meet the students' needs.

Enter Mrs. Burble (GINA TORRES), a licensed psychologist who, at first blush, seems to be the only adult in Riverdale other than Mary Andrews who does not have an ulterior motive or sinister agenda. (This being RIVERDALE of course means that she will be revealed somewhere down the line as being a serial-murdering Satanist vigilante witch.) She has all the major players' numbers, and gets our heroes to confront the issues that have been driving them.

On the eve of the impending Crisis, Central City has its darkest night. Bloodwork (SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY) is making fast work of turning the citizens into mindless zombies -- fast work because he has a fast friend: he's infected Barry Allen (GRANT GUSTIN), aka The Flash.

But all is not lost as Black Lantern Flash... I mean, Dark Flash... helps terrorize the city. Because it turns out, Barry had a plan all along. And while Bloodwork has infected Barry, Barry in turn has infected Bloodwork, able to resist some of the commands and surreptitiously get coded communications to Iris (CANDICE PATTON) and Cisco (CARLOS VALDES), clueing them into just what needs to be done to defeat Bloodwork and save the city. It all hinges on the particle accelerator -- which also figues into Bloodwork's plans for infecting the entire city at once -- and newcomer to the team, Allegra (KAYLA COMPTON) and her radio wave powers.

Ah, Christmastime. What fond memories does that word recall for you? Chestnuts roasting on an open fire? The long car ride to visit relatives across town, across the state, or across the country? Perhaps it’s the surprise and delight of opening presents, or the heartwarming scent of hot cider and cinnamon to wash down Grandma’s legendary Snickerdoodle cookies that you wait all year to enjoy? Maybe it’s the annual broadcasts of “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “A Christmas Carol,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” or even the needless 24 hour marathon of “A Christmas Story.” Good grief! For me, it’s the circus. “Wait…what? The circus? Explain!” Gladly! You see, it all started four years ago…

Every month the staff at Critical Blast combs the cosplay community for up and coming cosplayers who deserve to have a broader audience for their work, taking into account not only costuming skills and spirit, but also how they use that ability in service to others. Through this, we've not only met some talented cosplayers, but also some fine human beings.

As 2019 draws to a close, we thought we'd send the year out with a frosty bang of some explosive cosplay.  Ladies and gentlement, it is our great pleasure to introduce you to our...

Critical Blast Bombshell, December 2019

Maiicosplay

Allura (CRITICAL ROLE)

What is your interest in cosplay?

I will say this for Tim Janis's BUTTONS: A CHRISTMAS TALE: it's heart is in the right place, and it delivers familiar faces -- and voices -- at every turn. Beginning with narration from KATE WINSLET and ROBERT REDFORD, we waste no time in being introduced to legendary actor DICK VAN DYKE, leaving a note at the doorstep of Mr. & Mrs. Hill (PAUL GREENE, ABIGAIL SPENCER). A child is at the hospital awaiting adoption, and the Hills are too eager to rush there to fill that role.

At that same time, Emily (NOELLE PARKER) is brought to the hospital, brought to Mother Genevieve (ROMA DOWNEY), to the chagrin of the doctor (STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION's JOHN De LANCIE). He makes it clear that she can't stay past the night, as this is a private hospital for paying patients.

So the turkey is thawing (in the fridge, of course; you don't want to spend the holidays with salmonella), the family is coming together, and the Christmas cards are all written out and ready to be mailed. And it's now that you realize... you have to start Christmas shopping. Because you wait for the sales to start, right? You want the best deals.

Well the deals are easy to find. The question is, what do you get all those geeks and gamers, those Jedis and Timelords, those superheroes and shippers? That's were we come in, with this helpful list of things that will surely stuff the stockings and jingle the bells of all your fellow fanboys and geek girls. So Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and May the Force be With You.

With only two days before the predicted Crisis hits (that's two weeks for us in audience land), Ralph (HARTLEY SAWYER) finds himself suddenly confronted by Ramsey Rosso (SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY), a battle that takes them diving out a window to the street below. In the ensuing struggle, Ralph becomes infected with Rosso's sentient blood. It takes some fast action -- and some speed healing in order to save his life, thanks to a blood transfusion from The Flash (GRANT GUSTIN).