With BLACK PANTHER coming in a few weeks, and AVENGERS INFINITY WAR likely going to blow the doors off of movie theaters, it's easy to forget that there is another Marvel Cinematic Universe movie coming out this year: ANT-MAN AND THE WASP.  This morning we gfnally got a trailer, which features some really clever uses of the shrinking gimmick. I don't want to spoil them, but the effects have definitely come a long way (and I thought the original was already pretty cool effects wise).

The original ANT-MAN was far more successful critically and financially than I think anyone expected, so I am actually looking forward to the sequel.  That said, it seems to be flying very under the radar.  ANT-MAN AND THE WASP will be in theaters July 6. 

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!

TOM ELLIS kills it in a smashing episode of the FOX series, LUCIFER.

"Til Death Do Us Part" finds Lucifer (ELLIS) pairing up with Lt. Marcus Pierce (TOM WELLING) to go undercover as a married couple in a suburban utopia in order to find a killer. But there's more going on than their partner, Detective Chloe Decker (LAUREN GERMAN) realizes, because this excercise in marital bliss is more than just a cover -- it's a means for Lucifer to get to know Pierce better, his strengths and, more importantly, his weaknesses. Because Lt. Pierce is an immortal -- Cain, cursed to walk the Earth as the first murderer. And Cain wants to die.

EDIT: January 29, 2018

It is with great sadness that we report on the passing of comic strip legend Mort Walker, who passed away on January 27, 2018 at the age of 94.

To remember his achievements, we are republishing this interview with Mort, as we talked about his most famous character, Beetle Bailey, on the 50th anniversary of the strip.

* * *

In 1938, while comic books were just entering the Golden Age, Mort Walker staked his claim on the newspaper comic strip pages. He was 14 years old. The most notable of Mort's creations is undoubtedly Beetle Bailey, which celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year.

I was privileged to speak with Mort about Beetle's comic and real-life misadventures, as well as a few other interesting tidbits you may not know about.

From IGN:

The conclusion of DC Comics event Dark Nights: Metal will bring about some big changes for the Justice League comic line, IGN has learned from DC.

Following the events of Metal, which ends on March 14 with Issue #6, there will be a four-issue weekly miniseries that kicks off on May 9 called Justice League: No Justice co-written by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, and Joshua Williamson with art by Francis Manapul.

Speaking candidly during an interview for DirectTV, AT&T VIP event at the Sundance Festival, Peter Dinklage, who many know as Tyrion Lannister was asked his opinion about Game of Thrones coming to an end.

"It's time," he said.

Commenting that it's "bittersweet" but, for the lives of the people involved, he acknowledged that many of them are ready to move on. And while he enjoyed being a part of the long running drama, it was important to avoid hanging around for too long and "jumping the shark".

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

VOTE FOR THE BEST OF 2017!!!

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Avengers #677 - No Surrender Part 3

Written by: Mark Waid, Al Ewing, and Jim Zub
Art by: Pepe Larraz
Colored by: David Curiel
Lettered by: VC’s Cory Petiit
Cover by: Mark Brooks

Published by: Marvel
Cover Price: $3.99

Warning! This review contains quite a few spoilers!

Hostiles, the new film by Scott Cooper, is not what the trailers I saw would lead you to believe. The clips make it look like it's an action-packed Tombstone-style romp. It is not. It's a thinking person's western, a parable about hate, xenophobia, and ultimately acceptance. It's about broken people just trying to survive. Hostiles (incidentally a terrible name for this film, as while there are indeed many hostiles in it, it’s not about them) is not an easy film to watch, but it's an emotional and gripping film that will have you dwelling on it for days afterward.

How much darker can the RIVERDALE writers take the beloved characters of our innocent youth? They've faced down a serial killer, beaten a date rapist, and joined gangs. What's left, really?

Well, for starters, we could take the girl-next-door and turn her into an Internet Cam actor. No, really. Betty Cooper (LILI REINHART) finds her brother, Chic (HART DENTON), and brings him to live with her family. Mother Alice is fine with it, but father Hal is decidedly put out, especially when he learns what Betty already knew -- and enabled: that Chic is a cyber-trick, an online gigolo. (Betty found out from her GBFF Kevin Keller (CASEY COTT), so I guess we know how Kevin spends his online time.) Hoping that Chic can help her deal with the darkness she feels within her own self, she allows herself to be mentored in the world of click-and-fap.

From WWE:

STAMFORD, CONN. – Professional football will be reimagined when the new XFL kicks off in early 2020, Vince McMahon announced in a live stream event today.

The XFL will deliver a fan-centric, innovative experience, including shorter, fast-paced games and a family-friendly environment, complemented by cross-platform viewing options and real-time fan engagement.

Plans for the XFL at launch include eight teams, 40-man active rosters and a 10-week regular-season schedule, with a postseason consisting of two semifinal playoff games and a championship game.

Everyone crying that there's no incentive to play Destiny 2, just got a swift kick in the codpiece.

The End-Game just got real.

Over the course of the next 45 days, players have the chance to register and compete for REAL prizes by playing Crucible. With a leaderboard that features the top 50 players across 3 platforms (XBOX, Playstation, and PC), the challenge is on.

Prizes include a Destiny 2 themed Husqvarna motorcycle, ALIENWARE merchandise, and the collector's edition of the game featuring a wearable frontier bag.

How is a movie that features a female director, and lead role, get snubbed by the very vocal Hollywood which recently crusaded for women's voices to be heard?

Just a few short days ago, women took to the streets all across America shouting claims of being treated unfairly. Just a few short weeks ago, the men and women who make up the Hollywood elite spoke to a national audience, during the Golden Globes, to praise women who have suffered abuse, just to make it in the industry.

It appears that the noise didn't equal results. How could it be that with all of the rabble rousing and table banging, the voices still weren't heard? Especially with an empowering movie such as WONDER WOMAN staring the committee down.

You can't judge a comic by its cover -- but you can certainly have the story spoiled by it.

Case in point: FLASH #39 -- or FLASH #700, if you are a purist and eschew all this "Let's start over from number 1 again" business. I opted for the variant cover by Tony Daniel, with the granite 700 behind Barry, because it goes so well with all those other variant milestone issue covers he's done. The other cover was certainly attractive, showing Flash recoiling from an attack by Gorilla Grodd with the explosive caption, "Grodd Is Back!"

Got an interesting press release from CBS today...

“MURPHY BROWN” RETURNS TO CBS

CANDICE BERGEN REPRISES STARRING ROLE

NETWORK GIVES WARNER BROS. TELEVISION-PRODUCED COMEDY

13-EPISODE SERIES PRODUCTION COMMITMENT

The first part of "Zod's Will" takes place here, as Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner investigate a planet that should be at a stone-age level but which has been observed being targeted by high-tech miners. However, what they didn't expect to find was the renegade Kryptonian, General Zod. And he's not alone: with him is the Eradicator, Ursa, and his son, Lor. That's four Superman-level beings against two Green Lanterns.

The good news? Both Hal and Kyle are equipped with the most powerful weapon in the universe.

The bad news? That's not even nearly enough. Hal attacks Zod on sight, and the battle is quickly engaged. The end result is that both Lanterns get their hind quarters handed to them and are taken captive, as Zod determines that whatever plans he had in mind must now be accelerated before the rest of the Green Lantern Corps arrive.

Where we are:

Gotham City, after Ozymandias and Rorschach II have taken Earth-Watchmen villains Mime and Marionette on board the Owlship to seek out Doctor Manhattan. Looking to confide with the two smartest men on this new Earth, Ozymandias went to consult with Lex Luthor while Rorschach II went to see Bruce Wayne. While at Lexcorp, Ozymandias is confronted by the deceased Comedian, who shoots Lex. And Rorschach II finds the Batcave after having eaten Bruce's pancakes.

Now:

It would appear that when Ozymandias threw Edward Blake, aka The Comedian, through his apartment window, his body was teleported before the impact with the sidewalk and replaced with an exact duplicate -- both things within Doctor Manhattan's capabilities. Blake's actual body landed in the water outside of Metropolis, where Doctor Manhattan gave him instructions.

Having rescued his daughters from the clutches of The 100, Jefferson Pierce (CRESS WILLIAMS) thinks his re-emergence as Black Lightning is a one-and-done. That's certainly the hope of his ex-wife, Lynn (CHRISTINE ADAMS), even though she's the one who urged him to proceed with the rescue mission, and who fears that returning to superheroing might mean a return to Jefferson's addiction to his powers (if he ever was addicted in the first place).