This week's episode of SUPERGIRL explores a very deep topic about discovering the truth behind feelings that were purposely suppressed out of fear. Also, an energy sucking parasite.

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

We start off with a team of scientists doing work on climate change when they discover a dead wolf with an unusual lesion. As it's investigated a parasitic creature infects the lead scientist. The DEO finds him alive and after some questioning, Hank reluctantly lets him go to continue his research.

It isn't long until we discover that the parasite is slowly taking over.

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s 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!

Comics shipping this week

Kind of a dull week to be honest… Quite a few books that I read, but not a lot of new books or anything real exciting going on to talk about.

BLACK FLOWERS, WHITE LIES by Yvonne Ventresca (Sky Pony Press) is a creepy, psychological thriller about a girl whose life is upheaved when she learns her mother may have lied about her father’s death – and life.

Despite the fact that her father died before she was born, Ella Benton always felt a connection with him. Deeper than their shared love of animals, she believes her father has been her guardian angel ever since a mysterious voice shouted her name as a child, saving her from stepping into what became a car wreck.

On Sunday, November 13th 2016 the Syracuse Comic Con took place at the SRC Arena, drawing in hundreds of gamers, cosplayers, vendors and even a few cars! Critical Blast was there to share the experience with you, our readers.

The organizers at Syracuse Nerd must firmly believe in the mantra 'go big or go home' because targeting a 60,000 square foot arena for it's first event was certainly a bold choice. Often you find young conventions using a more intimate setting, such as what you may find at a hotel. However, they clearly had a vision on what they wanted this convention to be about: Activities.

Having bought a new amp set me on a new quest--an “audio” quest, haha!--for new speaker cables that sounded best with my new integrated, which as you may have already seen is a Sugden A21SE Signature--and it is no secret that I ended up choosing the cable I am reviewing here, the Audioquest Type 4.

This is not just a review of a speaker cable, because you could say it is biased since I did choose it. But I wanted to talk about the process of how I came to choose it, and why.

One of the few downsides to reviewing audio equipment is that when you are done reviewing it, and you find it absolutely wonderful, unless you’re “Mr. Deep Pockets” you have to give it back.

Such was the case when I finished my review of the Sugden A21SE Signature Class A Integrated. Here was a piece of audio that changed my perspective on listening and enjoying music, and I had to give it back!

If you read my original review, you know how much I love how this integrated makes music, and when I returned it, it left a void in me that my current system (at the time) couldn’t duplicate. My Naim gear made beautiful music, make no mistake about it, but this Sugden just took listening to music to a higher and importantly different plane.

With the success of the faithful live-action translation of CINDERELLA, the folks at Walt Disney Studios have moved on to yet another Disney Princess to give the real-world treatment: Belle.

Just from the stills alone, it's apparent that a brilliant casting job has been done, particularly with EMMA WATSON (HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE) as Belle and DAN STEVENS (DOWNTON ABBEY) as The Beast. Muscle-headed Gaston will be portrayed by LUKE EVANS of the upcoming PROFESSOR MARSTEN & THE WONDER WOMEN, and his comedic sidekick, Le Fou will be represented by JOSH GAD (PIXELS).

For someone like me, who has been a fan of Frank Zappa’s music for years and also a frustrated record collector who for years had been looking for an affordable copy of this LP in good condition (any of his LPs, for that matter), you can imagine my excitement to realize the end of my quest was at hand now that HOT RATS has been reissued once again, and this time on 180-gram vinyl.

I was supposed to like ARRIVAL, the new first encounter thriller starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker. I wanted to love it, and sing it’s praises in high hyperbole. I wanted to tell you to walk out of Marvel’s excellent Doctor Strange and sneak in to watch this gem. I can’t though. I can’t because it’s a bit of a chore to sit through. Unnecessary subplots were an unwanted distraction. WARNING: SPOILERS MAY BE PRESENT HEREAFTER!

If you read my concert reviews regularly you’ll notice a trend—I much prefer the older acts, the classic rock and roll bands that are now regulated to “oldies” stations. The best shows I’ve ever seen have consistently been by veteran talents. ARW, consisting of Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman of the seminal progressive rock band Yes, proved once again that terrific bands, like fine wine, only get better with age. Why Yes isn’t already in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame I can’t even begin to fathom.

It's back to the 80s for the LEGENDS OF TOMORROW team, replete with more nostalgia than you could stuff into a pair of parachute pants.

We open with our long-lived villain, Damien Darhk (NEAL MCDONOUGH) engaging in a drug deal in exchange for an artifact, an ancient fasces. (No clues were dropped that I could find as to whether this was a DC Comics Easter egg, as the Isis amulet was recently). Darhk is doing Don Johnson better than Don Johnson did, and when the police arrive he's prepared. But then he's rescued by a speeding Eobard Thawne (MATT LETSCHER), whom Darhk has not seen since 1942 when Thawne hired him to nuke New York City. Of course, for the time-traveling Thawne, it was just moments ago. Thawne reveals that he knows Darhk's future, and reveals part of the plan we saw come together in ARROW, and he offers Darhk actual power rather than symbols of it.

When I picked up KOOKABUK SHARES HIS SHOVEL by Kevin Howard and Jesse Howard (illustrated by Lorian Dean), I was expecting a didactic book for children that teaches about sharing. As someone who hated “lesson” books as a child, I was a bit hesitant.

However, this book is way more than that. Half picture book, half parenting guide, KOOKABUK demonstrates how to navigate difficult situations when your child is on the autism spectrum or has a developmental disability.

In this story, Emily – a neuro-typical child (a child without developmental disabilities) – befriends Kookabuk, a child on the autism spectrum, at the park. But they struggle when Kookabuk won’t share his shovel with Emily. Kookabuk’s mother implements several strategies, and soon all three are playing happily together.

I've got to truly hope that the ending of this episode is an obvious mislead. The alternative would be terribly, terribly disappointing.

The entirety of the present-day focus of "So It Begins" is on Prometheus, the new big bad in town who has it out for Green Arrow [STEPHEN AMELL]. As Oliver and Diggle (DAVID RAMSEY) track him, Oliver is adamant with Felicity (EMILY BETT RICKARDS) that he does not want the new recruits brought into this investigation until the threat level has been assessed. And apparently the threat level is pretty high, because Prometheus is a master of killing people with ninja throwing stars, and has now begun killing seemingly random civilians.

From Director LUC BESSON comes this film adaptation of VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS, and the trailer for it is a mental whorligog of clashing environments, impossible physics, and illusory moments.

Set to The Beatles' "Because," this trailer immediately starts to put me in the frame of mind I was in when watching films like BLADE RUNNER, BRAZIL, and other scifidelic cinema treats (and a few not-so-treats, like JUPITER ASCENDING). It has all the right elements of "I don't know WTF I'm watching, but I want to see more of it!"

I’ve seen STRAIGHT NO CHASER so many times now I’ve lost count—it’s either been five or six after their last performance at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis on Sunday, November 6, 2016. That show was a bit unusual in that they historically have played here much closer to the holiday and that the show started mid-afternoon. Of course, watching STRAIGHT NO CHASER is a joy any day, anytime.

After the Alien Amnesty has been pretty much accepted, there comes even more reason for people to distrust aliens--their technology.

"Crossfire" begins with Kara (our Best TV Actress of 2015 Winner, MELISSA BENOIST) trying her best to acclimate a naive Mon-El (CHRIS WOOD) to life among human beings. She's gotten him a job at CATCO under the name of plain old Mike Matthews. She's even given him glasses to complete the look, just in case he ever decides to put on a cape. Unfortunately, Mon-El must have skipped his Orientation to Earth Culture training, because he's unfamiliar with everything, like telephones and especially work. Throughout the episode, Kara catches him unloading his work onto the twitterpated executive assistant Eve Tesmacher (ANDREA BROOKS), or canoodling in the supply room.

On this election day in the United States, people on both sides of the political aisle are conjuring up visions of a dystopian America should "the other side" win the vote. What better day than this, then, to release THE HUNGER GAMES on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc?

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s 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!

Comics shipping this week

When a person from the real world shows up in your favorite comic book reality, it used to be a pretty big deal. For the past few elections, the candidates themselves have been doing cameos here or there in superhero titles, such as when Spider-Man got the opportunity to meet Barack Obama.

This year is no exception, as Valiant Comics puts out the nick-of-time appearance of Hillary Clinton in FAITH #5. The appearance is central to the second story of the issue, "Faith in Politics," written by Louise Simonson and drawn by Pere Perez. In the story, Faith is sent by her editor (who knows her secret identity) to cover a Hillary Clinton appearance in her superhero guise. She's not keen on doing it -- covering politics for an entertainment blog -- and I can keenly sympathize with her as I write this.

Jughead #10

Written by: Ryan North
Art by: Derek Charm
Lettered by: Jack Morelli

Published by: Archie
Cover Price:  $3.99