One of the greatest things about an event like Wizard World is that no matter how many times you've been to a convention, there's always going to be someone new doing something new.

Such was the case when I bumped into Brian Bradley, president of Kingdom Comics and publisher of THE ANOINTED 7, a superhero team that's a combination of JUSTICE LEAGUE meets LEFT BEHIND. It's supernatural evil opposed by supernal good, as no less an entity than God Himself intervenes through human emissaries granted superhuman powers, like Samson but in four-color action.

To get the full scoop on The Anointed 7, we spoke with Brian to find out exactly who these people were, and what kind of world it is they inhabit.

Who are the Anointed 7?

The Anointed 7 are a group of seven individuals who have been anointed by God, with the purpose of standing against Lord Christopher and his violently aggressive new world order. They are a super-powered fighting force.

From Polygon:

New series, new creative teams, new directions and new beginnings, promises a short announcement video on Marvel Entertainment’s YouTube account today.

...

Probably harder to select than the Best Movie of 2017 is the Best Serial of 2017. Because let's face it -- not only do we watch a lot of shows on our devices, but there are so many new outlets creating original content. It's not like the old days of the early 21st century when your favorite shows were generated by a cable network (and don't even get me started on my antediluvian childhood woes of only having three broadcast networks to pick from, plus a UHF channel you could pick up if the weather was clear).

As a result, there were a ton of contenders vying for the spot of Best Serial of 2017. But in the end, there could be only one -- and it was a close shave! GAME OF THRONES put in a strong second place, taking 20 percent of the votes.

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s long-running 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!

February is that month where we tell those we love how much we love them. Sure, some do that on Valentine's Day, and that's important. But here at Critical Blast, we use the whole month to pass the word along to those who create the movies, shows, comics and books we all hold so dear.

After taking votes all through January from you, our readers, the votes have been tabulated and we begin our series of announcements with the BEST FILM OF 2017. And since this year, the category shares so much with the BEST ACTOR OF 2017, we're offering them to you here as a two-fer!

At Toyfair today, Hasbro announced the next series of Power Rangers will be called Beast Morphers!  The toys will be available in Spring 2019 (Hasbro takes over the license in April as we reported yesterday).  This new series will be an adaptation of the 2012 Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters...this is actually the first time they have gone backwards when they have adapted a Sentai series over to Power Rangers. 

Here is the description Hasbro released:

A few days ago, we reported that Bandai would no longer be doing the Power Rangers toys.  Today Hasbro released the following press release:

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Bombshell of the Month Sofy Frezer

From EW:

The doors of Cobra Kai have reopened in EW’s exclusive teaser trailer for the Karate Kid sequel series, named after the infamous karate dojo.

“I just don’t know why you’d ever want to bring back Cobra Kai,” Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso tells his former high school bully, William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence.

It’s been nearly 34 years since moviegoers saw these two face off at the All Valley Karate Tournament in 1984’s The Karate Kid. They met again on screen two years later with The Karate Kid Part II, and now Johnny is seeking redemption.

From Comicbook.com:

Saban Brands is making a big shift in its toy business and has decided to part ways with Bandai.

Bandai America has created the Power Rangers toys for 25 years, but Saban Brands announced today that it will not be renewing its partnership with Bandai as of April 2019. The official statement is included below.

The hit animated series on Netflix, Voltron, continues to push out seasons quickly so fans never have to wait too long for the next chapter.

After having only been out for two years, season 5 is arriving in shocking fashion. When we last left the paladins the Galra empire seemed to be in dissaray as Prince Lotor severed himself from Zarkon's command.

Now it appears he may be offering his services to the paladins of Voltron. As the rebellion begins to solidify itself as a viable threat to Zarkon's rule, the paladins wonder if Lotor can be trusted.

Get ready for some more rip-roaring action and intrigue as season 5 of Voltron comes to Netflix on Friday, March 2nd. Check out a teaser of what's to come in the trailer below.

Fidget: 101 Ways to Boost Your Creativity and Decrease Your Stress by Heather Fishel

Paperback - $14.99 ($10.99 on Amazon)

At the tender age of 9, young Clod's future is already written for him. It's not just that he's overly large and clumsy, but in a world where everyone has some magic, it is determined that Clod has none. That's the decree of his teacher, the Learned Yugen, who thinks it best that Clod's mother prepare him for a life of menial labor. But the cruel headmaster is wrong: Clod does have magic, it's just magic that Yugen cannot sense, and when Yugen discovers that, things get even worse for Clod, as his label gets upgraded from "worthless" to "evil."

Bullied at school, Clod takes refuge with the clay his mother brings home daily after working. And in a fit of loneliness and longing, Clod makes a friend: literally. Ada is a small girl at first, made from clay but being so much more than that while she is alive. She lasts a while then turns to ash until Clod remakes her, each time a little better and a little bigger, and each time she lasts a little longer.

BURBANK, CA (February 13, 2018) – Prepare to witness the Dark Knight, alongside many of his most famed allies and infamous foes, in an eye-popping anime display you’ve never seen before when Warner Bros. Japan, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment present Batman Ninja. The all-new, feature-length animated film arrives on Digital starting April 24, 2018, and Blu-ray™ Steelbook ($29.98 SRP), Blu-ray™ Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP) and DVD ($19.98 SRP) on May 8, 2018.

The film will be available in 4K UHD for Digital only in a release planned for Summer 2018. 

Batman Ninja is PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and for some suggestive material.

From Marvel:

Wolverine is back… or so it seems. Ever since MARVEL LEGACY #1, we’ve gotten glimpses of what appears to be Wolverine popping up across the Marvel Universe. But is it really Logan?

For a character with as rich a history as Wolverine — even though he sometimes couldn’t remember it all himself — telling the tale of his potential return can’t be contained to just one series. In April, THE HUNT FOR WOLVERINE #1 one-shot will be released, and then in May, four different four-part series will debut that will continue the story. As Wolverine’s past comes back to haunt many a mutant, each story will harken back to an old school adventure.

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s long-running 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!

I first became aware of Bosch Fawstin's work when I reviewed TABLE FOR ONE back in 2004. I knew then that I would be seeing the name again, and when the book was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2005, I was proven correct.

It took over a dozen years for our paths to cross again, and during that time Fawstin had made the news by winning the controversial "Draw Mohammed" competition organized by Pamela Gellar and Robert Spencer. If you didn't know he won, it's probably because the more reported moments involved the attack on the event, and the editorializing that accompanied it.

Fawstin's latest work is an impassioned serial called THE INFIDEL, FEATURING PIGMAN. On its face, it seems a jingoistic, puerile response to Islamic terrorism, akin to many comments that circulated shortly after September 11, 2001 about soaking bullets in pig blood or serving bacon on all future flights. Seriously, a comic book about a man who dresses as a pig to go after Islamic extremists?

Some days, we all have a little trouble putting on our pants.

Meet Baby Monkey, Private Eye, the cutest little sleuth in the business and presented in a format that will entertain littles and literati alike. Caldecott medalist Brian Selznick (THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, WONDERSTRUCK) teams with debut children's author David Serlin to launch a wonderful set of stories that are whimsically silly and chock-full of highbrow Easter eggs.

Baby Monkey's office is brimming with a different set of artwork and knick-knick nacks for each new adventure, themed to match the story. Older readers will appreciate this, even as they chuckle at Baby Monkey preparing for each job that is brought to him, said preparation always involving the important tasks of looking for clues, taking notes, eating a snack, and putting on pants.

What can be said about Madonna Louise Ciccone, aka Madonna, that hasn’t been said, seen, or written dozens of times before? Nothing really, I suppose, so I’m just going to focus on this CD/DVD set what it is and what it does.

This set shows that despite the passage of time, Madonna at 59 is still the Queen of Pop she was in the eighties, able to put on a pop show unlike any other, still the consummate professional who knows what she is doing and what needs to be done to turn an already frenzied audience into a frenzied mob. What helps makes this possible is the technical advances enabling the “off the charts” stage show that they could only hint at back in those “dark ages.”