What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Critical Blast Bombshell, March 2018 - Cosplay Kitti

GOTHAM returns from hiatus, but doesn't really move its story forward all that much, as this season's overarching title is "A Dark Knight," which ostensibly means we're going to see more of Bruce Wayne (DAVID MAZOUZ) on the road to becoming Batman. And, indeed, early in the season we were seeing just that. But then he became a brat, which he remains to this point in the series, firing Alfred and living a life of drunken partying and debauchery.

When you see a chance, take it. That’s what the man said, right? And why wouldn’t you? The Fabulous Fox Theatre has been host to some amazing musicians with amazingly long careers in recent years. Gladys Knight was a delight, Paul Simon was sensational, Carlos Santana was super, and John Fogerty, well, his show was in a class by itself. Return to Forever, Chick Corea’s jazz super group, was the most inspiring and indescribably beautiful music performance I’ve ever seen. That’s a mighty collection of the best of the best right there, and to join that level of talent you’d have to be pretty special. A multi-instrumentalist, a career spanning more decades than I’ve been alive (and I’m getting old), a career began at the tender age of 14, when there were apparently no child labor laws applicable to piano prodigies in Britain in the 1960s. Yes, the man said when you see a chance, take it, and a full house took the chance to enjoy Steve Winwood live on February 28, 2017.

From CBR:

DC Comics and Neil Gaiman will celebrate 30 years of the Dreaming when they launch The Sandman Universe in late-2018, a line of four different comics based on the writer’s critically and fan acclaimed Sandman series.

From Comicbook.com:

This June, Marvel will launch Amazing Spider-Man #1 from writer Nick Spencer (Secret Empire), artist Ryan Ottley (Invincible), inker Cliff Rathburn & colorist Laura Martin. The new series comes hot off the heels of former writer, Dan Slott's, historic ten year run with the series.

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Having attended my share of conventions, I can attest to the fact that cosplay is an intergenerational thing. From toddler Captain Americas to nonagenarian Harley Quinns, cosplay is something that everyone can get into.

I've also seen it become a family activity, with one of my favorite cosplays evern being a mom and dad with two kids play out a simple-yet-magnificent group of LEGO Batman characters.

This month's Critical Blast Bombshell is still barely getting started in the field, and is already gaining a skill level that will have her competing with some of the top talent in the hobby. With an assist from her mother, this high school student is bringing to life characters from manga and anime with her elaborate costumes and wigs. 

We could tell you more about her--but why, when she has already so eloqently done so? Continue on, gentle readers, as we are pleased and privileged to present to you the...

From Marvel

On Independence Day, writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and artist Leinil Yu wield the shield.

Today, Coates made the announcement in The Atlantic, where he wrote about the challenge and opportunity of crafting such an iconic Marvel—and American—character.

After a brief hiatus that felt like an eternity, THE FLASH is back, in an episode that is both good and still very critiquable.

Having realized that the body-hopping Devoe (now played by SUGAR LYN BEARD) is targeting all of the metahumans  created on the bus that got swamped by dark matter, Team Flash has created a "buddy system" to keep tabs on Ralph Dibny (HARTLEY SAWYER), aka The Elongated Man. But that still leaves them with four more metahumans to track down.

When WRECK-IT RALPH came out in 2012, I am not sure anyone realized how big it would be.  Disney managed to make a real fun homage to video games with a lot of heart to it.  It took 6 years, but we are finally getting a sequel this November.  This morning, Disney posted up a trailer for WRECK-IT RALPH 2: RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET, and we've got your first look!

From Comicbook.com

Bruce Banner is returning as Marvel’s Hulk for the company’s fresh start, but this time he’s not just incredible, he’s immortal.

The Immortal Hulk will launch in May from writer Al Ewing (Avengers: No Surrender) and artist Joe Bennett. The series follows up on Hulk’s heavily teased return in the pages of Avengers: No Surrender.

From Comicbook.com:

It turns out you can’t keep a good Multiple Man down. Marvel Comics will launch a new Multiple Man miniseries starring Jamie Madrox this July from writer Matthew Rosenberg (New Mutants: Dead Souls, Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey) and artist Andy MacDonald (Justice League of America), featuring covers by Marcos Martin.

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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!

photo by Flickr, Peter Pham

From music to film to TV to literature, poker is not just defined by the table, it resonates throughout popular culture. As fans of poker, we are always pleased to see our favorite strategic game referenced so often. Here we explore the many defining moments in pop culture where poker has been showcased.

Lucifer (TOM ELLIS) has hit a mental block. He's been trying to find a way to break Cain's curse and end his immortal life, but everything he can think of is something that Cain has already tried. The Devil isn't used to being out of ideas, and it bothers him into an unlikely sullenness that Chloe (LAUREN GERMAN) notices. However, when a murdered YA science fiction author is rumored to have written in the afterword to her latest book the cure for her writer's block, Lucifer is keenly focused on finding the killer so that he can find the stolen manuscript.

It feels a little odd in these last few days of February to say that a long year has come to a close. But that's how it feels, now that all the votes, all the announcements, and all the awards are finally out of the way. And, of course, we like to top off our Best Of awards with a very special one to all of us here at Critical Blast, the Bombshell of the Year.

Each month, Critical Blast focuses on a cosplayer and highlights what makes him or her special, a focus that goes beyond how great he or she looks in a costume. Then, at the end of the year, you the readers determine which of that year's cosplayers are to be the esteemed Bombshell of the Year. And with your help, we can now announce the latest to hold that title.

It is with great pride that Critical Blast introduces to you our 2017 Bombshell of the Year...Jennifer of Themyscira!

Take it away, Jennifer!

WONDER WOMAN was the superhero film no one expected, but we all agreed well deserved, reportedly earning more than $400,000,000, and was the 3rd highest grossing film of the year. It was tremendously well-received by audiences and critics alike, and it finally broke the DC curse of taking some of the most iconic and beloved comic book characters and producing severely underwhelming movies (the infamous Martha scene in the penultimate BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE movie arguably reached new levels of disappointing even diehard fans). It was immediately clear that WONDER WOMAN 2 had to happen. And it will.

Wonder Woman’s Unexpected Success

The Critical Blast Best of 2017 Awards are almost in the rear view mirror, as we announce the Best Game of 2017! All the usual suspects were at play, and a couple of dark horse entries, and with everything being determined by the votes of the readers, it was truly anybody's game.

Ultimately, however, it came down to a fight between the top four games: SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY and LEGEND OF ZELDA, both from Nintendo, CUPHEAD from StudioMDHR, and the DC Comics superhero fighting game, INJUSTICE 2 from NetherRealm Studios.

From IGN

Ghostbusters World is a mobile Augmented Reality (AR) game, like 2016 juggernaut Pokemon Go, in which players use smart devices to find and catch "specters, ghosts, and apparitions." The game is coming to Android and iOS this year, although a specific release date and price have not yet been revealed. More information will be announced at the Game Developers Conference next month.

In Ghostbusters World, players will be able to battle and capture hundreds of ghosts from "all dimensions of the franchise," including the films, TV shows, comic books, theme parks, and video games. There will also be new ghosts to capture created especially for the game.

There was a fun little exchange between Scott Snyder  and Jason Aaron on Twitter a few days ago:

It started with Scott Snyder saying:

Crazy excited for @jasonaaron on Avengers - going to be epic