Sun
23
Dec

Dragon Rider: The Griffin's Feather by Cornelia Funke

Dragon Rider - The Griffin's Feather

Ben Greenbloom lives on the island of Mimameidr with his adoptive family, which includes Barnabas his father, Vita his mother, and Guinevere his sister.  On the island, the Greenblooms protect all fabulous creatures like dragons, trolls, rats, a homunculus, centaurs, ravens, geese, swans and many more.  Ben is a dragon rider for Firedrake, the dragon, and during their adventures together; they have become the best of friends.

This story takes off when a Pegasus and his three unborn foals arrive on the island.  The inhabitants of Mimameidr must aid the Pegasus and his offspring. In their travels, they encounter griffins, gibbons, krakens, crabs, lorises, jackal scorpions, and proboscis monkeys.

Sat
22
Dec

The i-Top Challenge Puts New Spin on Classic Toy

iTop Challenge

Goliath Games proves you don't have to have a completely original concept to introduce an interesting and playable toy. Sometimes, all you need to do is take something that's been around a while--and put a new spin on it.

Granted, it's not the first time someone has set out to renew interest in the basic toy that uses centripetal and centrifugal force (see, it's science!) to entertain children. There have been different takes through the years on the flying disc and the hula hoop.

 

 

 

Of course, this time we are talking about that most primal spinner, The Top!

No, not this classic supervillain from The Flash. The toy you spin and watch. Then spin again and watch again.

It's actually a lot more fun that it sounds.

Fri
21
Dec

DC's Super Team Fights Real Nazis in Freedom Fighters 1

Freedom Fighters 1 2018

I was a huge fan of the FREEDOM FIGHTERS comics in the late 1970s. These books featured the Quality Comics characters acquired by DC -- Uncle Sam, Phantom Lady, Black Condor, Doll Man, The Ray, The Human Bomb, and The Red Bee -- and formed them into a team of heroes, banded together to fight the Nazis on Earth X, a parallel dimension where Germany won World War II and conquered the United States.

There have been various attempts to revive the team with a more modern angle to them. This newest version from Robert Venditti and Eddy Barrows, however, succeeds by sticking the closest to its roots. The book opens in 1963 with what remains of the Freedom Fighters planning an assault on a Nazi robot-making factory. However, their plans are foiled by an infiltration of Plastic Men (or PlaSStic Men, with the SS done in the Nazi SS style), and they are captured and summarily executed. Only Uncle Sam remains, barely escaping the Plasstic Men by pulling a Jedi death.

Thu
20
Dec

Straight No Chaser's "One Shot" Tour Is A Holiday Tradition In St. Louis

Straight No Chaser on the "One Shot Tour" played the Fox Theatre  on December 18, 2018. Photo Credit: The Fabulous Fox

Who doesn’t love the tradition of the holidays? Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, crazy lines at department stores, Charlie Brown, the Grinch, Rudolph and Frosty…and live a cappella music to delight the mind and warm the heart. For as many years as Straight No Chaser has been coming to the Fabulous Fox Theatre to perform around the holidays, I’ve had the privilege to attend and review their show. It’s always a fun evening of new and classic pop songs and holiday favorites.   This year, Straight No Chaser is on tour to promote their seventh full length album, One Shot.

Thu
20
Dec

Aquaman A Solid Effort In The Stormy Sea Of The DC Extended Universe

Prepare yourself for a nearly three hour tour...a three hour tour...when Aquaman starts everywhere Dec 21, 2018.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name, “Aquaman?” The 1970s Super Friends cartoon, where the superhero of the seven seas was voiced by Norman Alden? The Mego action figure that had to sometimes stand in for your sister’s Ken doll when the real Ken was MIA but Barbie just couldn’t take another ladies night? Maybe all you know of the character is that he’s in the lyrics to “One Week” by the Barenaked Ladies. Thanks to Warner Brothers and DC Comics, that’s all about to change in a big way.

Tue
18
Dec

Despite Rave Reviews "Spider-Verse" is Failing at the Box Office

According to The Numbers, a website that tracks financials and rankings for movies, with a production budget of $90 million Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse may turn out to be a financial bust.

Full disclaimer: I haven't seen the animated Spider-flick at the time of this article. I'm sure it's very good. As a matter of fact, I want to see it and plan on going while it's still in theaters. That being said, it may not last much longer as this weekend marks the official opening of both Aquaman AND Bumblebee. 

Spider-Man may not have enough legs to make it's budget back from ticket sales.

Fri
14
Dec

A Beautiful Planet (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)

Beautiful Planet BD

With ardent narration, Jennifer Lawrence pleads with listeners with patronizing charm to stop destroying planet Earth with your stupid antics. Okay, that was harsh and unwarranted, but such sentiments are subtly sprinkled like glitter from a Christmas card throughout this IMAX documentary, “A Beautiful Planet.” In this follow-up to her “Hubble 3D” (which featured voiceover work by Leonardo DiCaprio), Toni Myers writes, directs, produces and edits another 45-minute spectacle of large-scale natural beauty and innocuous propaganda.

Fri
14
Dec

Voltron: Legendary Defender's 8th and FINAL Season Trailer Debut

Every battle. Every challenge. Every character arc. Every episode has led to this, the 8th and FINAL season of VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER!

For eight seasons we have watched this re-imagination of the classic animated series exceed expectations. The character development, while demonstrating a love for the original series, has allowed the paladins to grow into themselves organically. The trailer offers no dialogue but delivers the synthesized music we've come to love, as it flashes images across the screen to offer a glimpse of what we can expect. First shown at the New York City Comic-Con, you can now watch the trailer for the upcoming epic finale to what has been one of the best re-imagined shows in recent memory.

Thu
13
Dec

Mitch Breitweiser: Red Rooster and the State of the Comics Industry

Red Rooster

There's a new hero on the horizon, a mythic figure of folk legend who fights for justice for the common man--the flyover man. His name is Red Rooster, and his is a mantle that passes from generation to generation.

The Red Rooster is the creation of comic book creator Mitch Breitweiser, who, along with his wife, colorist Elizabeth Breitweiser (SKYBOUND), is driving hype for one of the most hotly anticipated crowdfunded comics to come down the pike.

We sat down to talk to Mitch about this project, and what it's like using the crowdfunding vehicle to bring a dream to reality, complete with its triumphs--as well as its surprising adversities.

Click below to listen to the Critical Blast Podblast.

Wed
12
Dec

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Explores Classic Hero Myth With Ultra Modern Pizazz

If you cna't find a Spider-Man you like here, you should proably stick to those lame DC movies. In theatres everywhere 12/12/18.

Marvel superheroes are beloved around the world, but perhaps none is more beloved than Spider-Man. The character is far more intricate and interesting than most, coming from humble begins to experience personal tragedy that drives bookish Peter Parker to become one of the best superheroes his world—or any other—has ever seen. Sony’s new animated feature, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, is remarkable not only for its technical prowess and excellent acting but for exploring the nuances of the hero archetype in ways both subtle and profound.

Wed
12
Dec

LES MISÉRABLES National Tour Triumphantly Returns To The Fox Theatre

The company of LES MISÉRABLES performs “One Day More" at the Fox Theatre. Photo by Matthew Murphy

Victor Hugo’s enormous novel about a failed student uprising in post-Revolution France would seem an unlikely source for a much beloved musical theatre production. Nonetheless, Les Misérables has run continuously in London’s famous West End theatre district since it premiered in 1985, and has had tremendous staying power the world over. The Les Misérables National Tour has arrived in St. Louis for a sadly too brief stay at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. Running only from December 11 through December 16, 2018, this production was a bit different from my first experience with the show and largely much better for it.

Wed
12
Dec

Notable Comic Book Writer Calls Female Journalist "Caravan of Diseases"

There are all kinds of things that the comic book industry is arguing about right now, (looking at you #comicsgate) but hopefully, they can all agree that insulting women is not okay.

In today's industry, many professionals are looking to fund their own titles to show that readers just want good books; without being inundated with political opinions. There are artists who want to draw "sexy" protagonists and those who feel that style just demeans women. There are writers who want to focus on plot-driven stories and others that want to drive a political narrative. And the only wrong answers are the books that don't sell.

Sales determine who's right and who's wrong as the consumers vote with their dollars.

Tue
11
Dec

Writer of DC Vertigo's Border Town Implicated in Sexual Assault

On Monday, December 10, 2018, Cynthia Naugle took to Twitter to announce she had sent a letter to a man she claimed had sexually abused her on multiple occasions.

While Naugle never went so far as to mention the name of her abuser, she was very clear that they worked together at the same comic shop where he was a manager, and that the abuser went on to become a current writer at DC Vertigo. With that information, coupled with the fact that the evens she described occurred in Tucson, Arizona, it did not take much detective work for the Internet to work out that the mysterious “X” of Naugle’s story was Eric M. Esquivel, currently the writer of DC Vertigo’s much-discussed comic series, BORDER TOWN.

Tue
11
Dec

NCBD Pull or No Pull? December 12, 2018

Pull or No Pull Dec 12 2018

No matter how fastidious you are in maintaining your comic shop pull list in your never-ending battle to make sure you don't miss anything good (or accidentally waste your money on something not so much), it never hurts to do a last minute check on what's coming out this week so you can make those fine-tuned adjustments.

Here are our looks at this week's upcoming comics, and our hot takes on whether they're a pick or a pan. Your mileage may vary.

The Batman Who Laughs #1 (DC)

If there's one thing DC fans like, it's Batman-gone-bad. From Owlman to The Wrath to Prometheus, the idea of someone capably playing the other side is of perpetual interest. And now that Scott Snyder has brought us a Dark Multiverse Batman infected with Joker toxin, fans can't get enough.

Sun
09
Dec

Await Further Instructions Awaiting Cohesive Ending

Await Further Instructions

The Milgram family is full of tensions, both open and repressed. Son Nick (SAM GITTINS) hasn't been home for years, and gives no explanation as to why. He returns for Christmas, unannounced, and brings with him his girfriend, Annji (NEERJA NAIK), into an environment that's openly racist. His sister, Kate (HOLLY WESTON) is a stereotypical airheadh and two weeks out from delivering a baby, and her husband Scott (KRIS SADDLER) is a clueless sheep with muscles. Mom and Dad are poles apart from each other, with Bet (ABIGAIL CRUTTENDEN) trying to put on a cheery holiday face and ignore the stress, while Tony (GRANT MASTERS) is a follower of rules because they are laid down by those who know better.

Thu
06
Dec

Pep Talk: Riverdale Episode 307, "The Man in Black"

Riverdale 307 Man in Black

The boys from Riverdale fled across the country, and the Man in Black followed.

Archie (KJ APA) and Jughead (COLE SPROUSE) have headed out on foot, following Archie's escape from a corrupt juvenile detention facility. Despite Archie's exoneration and reversal of the verdict, Archie still has to be on the run or run the risk of Hiram Lodge (MARK CONSUELOS) finding him. It was Hiram who set him up for a murder rap in the first place, and the mob boss isn't about to let Archie free so easily.

Thu
06
Dec

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms: A Center Stage Pop-Up Book

Nutcracker Pop Up

The Nutcracker is a well-known and beloved Christmas story performed yearly by ballerinas all across the country. This book, and the recently released movie, puts a new and different twist on Clara’s life. Clara’s mother has passed, and Clara discovers Four Realms or “otherworlds” of which her mother had been the queen. At a pageant held for Clara, a beautiful ballerina dances gracefully and elegantly, bringing the story to life. Not all the “otherworlds” are happy ones, and Clara’s goal is to make all the worlds peaceful once again. 

Wed
05
Dec

"Wonderland: Alice's Rock & Roll Adventure" Cranks Carroll's Classic Up To 11

Sankofa B. Soleil as Alice and Patrick Blindauer as Cheshire Cat. Photo Credit: Metro Theatre Company

Wonderland: Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure is a hybrid of the traditional Lewis Carroll tale of a young girl trying to make sense of her crazy world and modern rock concert. It doesn’t try to completely emulate the beloved Disney animated film that so many us remember fondly from our youth. With a modest but effective set design and a bevy of jams to give the old standards a kick in the pants, this Metro Theatre Company production turns the volume and the energy up to 11.

Wed
05
Dec

Has Red Dead Redemption 2 Revived Poker Minigames?

RDD2 Poker

Celebrated by many fans and critics as perhaps the best video game to come out in 2018, Red Dead Redemption 2 has quickly won over the gaming community. A prequel to the 2010 original Red Dead Redemption, RDR2 takes us through the Wild West, as we walk in the shoes – or rather, cowboy boots – of Arthur Morgan, a member of the infamous van der Linde gang we met in the first installment. But don't worry: John Marston is still here as the original outlaw-turned-hired-gun, as are several elements from the original game that was celebrated as Game of the Year by many critics. One of the most interesting features that made a return, much to the fans’ rejoice, is the poker minigame – could this signal that poker minigames are increasing in popularity among gamers?

Mon
03
Dec

Tap Dance Killer #3 Puts the Crazy Back into Comics

Tap Dance Killer 3

The Vaude-villains are a group of criminals unlike anything existing in comics. Created by a person or persons unknown in TAP DANCE KILLER #1, they were an innocent group of actors hired to play roles in a horror musical, transformed through chemical means into being psychologically traped in their roles. While on-stage, they performed the deed they were programmed to -- the elimination of members of the Vitalli mob family.

Pages

Subscribe to Critical Blast RSS