If you weren't happy with the liberties taken with the animated adaptation of BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE, then you're probably going to walk away sourly with this adaptation as well. BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT has little in common with the graphic novel that came before it, save that it's set in a Victorian era, and that Batman is pitted against Jack the Ripper. Two foes, one title, and nothing else bears any resemblence to the classic Elseworlds story.

Wizard World comic con returned to St. Louis this past weekend. It boasted big name celebrities such as John Barrowman and Sebastian Stan (note Stan Lee was supposed to attend but canceled after being rushed to the emergency room.) But despite some of the star power, Wizard World 2018 overall was rather lackluster.

The past couple of years the con has been shrinking, fewer vendors, fewer celebrity guests, and fewer panels, all of which contributed to lower attendance numbers. And the fact that it was Super Bowl weekend didn’t help either. (Hey Wizard World, comic con attendees like football too! Just saying.) While Wizard World brought in some guests that had never been to St. Louis before, the con itself lacked its usual excitement. Even the vendors seemed concerned about lack of attendance. That said, the cosplayers yet again came out in force and did not disappoint.

With Cain (TOM WELLING) now openly interacting with Lucifer (TOM ELLIS), it was only natural that the phrase "My Brother's Keeper" get used as an episode title. And since Lucifer's travails always must mirror somehow those going on with his associates in the LAPD, we should expect sibling issues with someone else.

In this case, the issues are with Ella Lopez (AIMEE GARCIA), whose brother has gone missing. He's a diamond authenticator, and it appears he's involved in some shady deal with a smuggler, thief or some-such. Ella is so concerned over his disappearance that she immediately hires Mazikeen (LESLEY-ANN BRANDT) to bounty-hunt him. What they find is the dead body of the diamond dealer, and it appears Ella's big brother is Suspect Numero Uno.

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!

It's seeemed a little strange to me how little we've seen of SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY considering the movie is coming out in May.  Even during the Super Bowl last night, instead of a real teaser, we got a teaser that the real teaser would be coming out the next day.  That is some INCEPTION-level logic there. 

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Bombshell of the Month Sofy Frezer

From The Los Angeles Times:

Character art for the upcoming "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" reboot has been revealed and Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo are sporting more than just brand-new looks.

Nickelodeon's "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" is a new animated show that reimagines the fan-favorite characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The series will follow the Turtles as they discover new powers and a new mystical world that exists beneath the streets of New York.

Joining the brothers in their adventures are some familiar faces, including friend and trusted ally April O'Neil as well as their sensei, Master Splinter.

...

WrestlePro’s first show of 2018 is going to be a huge one. Brace For Impact will be at WrestlePro's home base at the Rahway Recreation Center in Rahway, NJ on February 3, 2018.

With much of the focus of DC's REBIRTH has been the role that WATCHMEN quantum-god Doctor Manhattan has played, it's easy to forget the major role played by the return of Wally West, aka Kid Flash, aka The Flash (just not the Barry Allen one). Wally was ripped from history and imprisoned in the Speed Force, only to return to discover that almost ten years were stolen from just about everybody -- enough to make them all forget about him, about the Teen Titans, and who knows what other events and teams.

That theme continues in this year's THE FLASH annual. While Wally can help people remember him with a touch, he has yet to bring himself, after over a year, to let his beloved aunt, Iris West, remember who he is. And when he learns that Iris has just been forced to kill the Reverse-Flash (again, we know) with a Black Hole gun, it pushes him away from Flash and Kid Flash (also named Wally West) and toward anyone else who might remember him.

Years ago, like most of my peers, I had my hands on the greatest toy the world had ever seen: Stretch Armstrong, the hero you could flex, twist, and stretch and who would always return to his original form. Unless it was cold, in which case he might take a little longer. Eventually, I got to see the stuff inside Stretch Armstrong, shortly after which he wasn't as much fun to play with.

Now Stretch is making a comeback -- and he gets clothes in the process! IDW has licensed STRETCH ARMSTRONG AND THE FLEX FIGHTERS for comics. If you haven't heard of the team, that's okay. They're brand new, as is Stretch, all of whom will be appearing their own animated cartoon series starring SCOTT MENVILLE (TEEN TITANS GO's Robin) as the teenaged Stretch and STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION alum WIL WHEATON as their corporate sponsor, Jonathan Rook.

So much happens on this episode of RIVERDALE, not the least of which is "Black" Betty (LILI REINHART) working out her new webcam business. The town is all abuzz about the decapitation of the statue of the town's founder, General Pickens, and the pressure is on the Southside Serpents as the most likely suspects. Sheriff Keller (MARTIN CUMMINS) has made numerous visits to the community, asking the same questions over and over, but when he shows up delivering eviction notices because the trailers are behind in their rent, Jughead (COLE SPROUSE) can no longer sit idle.

February is the shortest month of the year. So to balance that out, we've made the farthest reach we can to find this month's Critical Blast Bombshell -- halfway around the world to Russia!

This month's Bombshell has been making a name for herself in the cosplay community through her Instagram photos of recognizable characters in natural, casual poses. She's also an object lesson in time management, as she has to juggle her considerable cosplay skills with the busy life of a full-time college student.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Дамы и господа, we are pleased and proud to present at this time...

Let’s do an experiment: when you’re finished reading this sentence, close your eyes, clear your mind, and then think of a cello….hear it playing in your mind…and then open your eyes and continue reading, because otherwise you’ll miss the point of all of this. (I’ll just take a quick nap while you listen to that lovely cello playing in your head….zzz…ready?) OK, now what song did you think of when I said to think of a cello? Was it “The Swan” from Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns? Perhaps Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 or a cello concerto by Elgar or Dvorak?

Action Comics #1000 will be the biggest single comic book to hit stands since Superman #75 (Death of Superman).

As information is slowly revealed to build up hype for the highly anticipated book, writer Tom King revealed a page of art from the issue.

Drawn by artists Clay Mann and Jordie Bellaire, the page depicts Superman bathed in golden light, holding what appears to be a crystal of some kind. While there's no context or text included, the page displays some truly iconic imagery.

Picking up where things left off with the murder of Lawanda at the hands of The 100, a local pastor decides to lead 100 of his own parishioners in a march to take back their streets. For reasons unknown, Tobias Whale (MARVIN 'KRONDON' JONES III) decides to send a message to this march, rather than let the protesters finish their parade and disburse unrecognized, and sends a gunman to deliver this message.

Both Inspector Henderson (DAMON GUPTON) and Jefferson Pierce (CRESS WILLIAMS) try to talk the reverend out of holding the march, but he is adamant. The return of Black Lightning has given them hope, and inspired them to take back their streets. Of course, none of them realize that Jefferson is Black Lightning.

Actor Cameron Cuffe took to his twitter account to share the official poster for the upcoming SyFy series, KRYPTON.

"There's More to the Legend"

Due to arrive on March 21st, the highly anticipated series focuses on Superman's grandfather Seg-El. With an appearance from Adam Strange, the show integrates a time and space traveling element. The "House of El" has been disgraced and someone is attempting to sabotage Superman's arrival on Earth.

"Honey, I Shrunk Team Flash" is one of those episodes that is full of amusing action and heart-warming hope that ends on a seriously dramatic note for our hero that gut-punches you because you've had your guard down for the past hour.

The show opens with Cecile Horton (DANIELLE NICOLET) talking with Joe West (JESSE L MARTIN) about their pending baby, when it is discovered that she has developed a super-power: she can read minds. Caitlin Snow (DANIELLE PANABAKER) runs tests, and confirms there is no dark matter in the amniotic fluid, and Cecile was definitely not on the bus of people struck by the second dark matter wave unleashed by the machinations of Clifford Devoe. Her theory is that she had latent dark matter in her from the first explosion, triggered by the pregnancy, and that it will likely go away once the baby is born. We'll see.

From DC:

Have you ever wanted to visit Metropolis? That bustling City of Tomorrow, known to comic book fans worldwide as one of the biggest cities in the DC Universe and home to the high-flying Man of Steel. Well, in 2019, you’ll get the next best thing—a weekly live action TV series set in Metropolis before the arrival of its most famous resident.

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.