You know how you absolutely love a show, or a comic book, or a film franchise, but they eventually start to wear out their welcome? The plots become rote, the twists become predictable, and you drift apart. Call it Prequel/Sequel Fatigue, call it milking it for all its worth, call it what you will, but Hollywood has settled into a routine of turning everything that makes a respectable profit into a franchise and then squeezing every last drop out of it. Such has been the case with the Jason Bourne character. Created in the novels of the late great thriller author Robert Ludlum, Bourne had a successful film run in the big screen adaptions of THE BOURNE IDENTITY (2002), THE BOURNE SUPREMACY (2004), and THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (2007).

This week's Critical Blast Giveaway is Tommy Brandt's NUFF SAID on CD. If you're wondering what's on the album, then you'll want to check out our review of the album. And if you want to know who this Tommy Brandt fellow is, then you'll want to read the interview we did with him.

And, as always, if you haven't entered one of our contests before, then you need to be sure to inspect our rules and regulations for all the legal mumbo jumbo. But after that, just pick your option(s) below. (Hint: You can choose all of the options for more entries, and SOME of them you can choose EVERY DAY to increase your odds of winning, but you didn't hear that here!)

Back in the 90's Jim Lee took the world by storm with his Wild C.A.T.s comic book for the creator owned publishing company, Image Comics.

It didn't take long for the imaginative characters to find their way into an animated series. The personalities and character designs were unique and refreshing for the time they were introduced. Breaking off into Wildstorm Studios, Jim Lee took his idea to new heights.

Eventually in 1999 Wildstorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics and in 2010 it was shut down.

Science fiction has no shortage of Artificially Intelligent spacecraft. Coincidentally, it also doesn't have a shortage of A.I.s that enjoy the name Lucy (see HOMEWRECKER, HACKERS, and RED PLANET).

On Syfy's KILLJOYS, Tamsen McDonough provides the voice for the ship's computer, Lucy, providing personable (and smartass) dialogue to interact with the crew of the show's bounty hunters, earning her the unofficial title of the show's Fourth Killjoy. We spoke with McDonough about her role, and the role of A.I. in science fiction -- and modern life -- to get her perspective on things from the inside.

On KILLJOYS, you provide the voice of Lucy, the ship's computer. You have such a chemistry with the cast and your vocal interactions with them, I have to wonder -- even though you're not on screen, do you work physically with the other actors, or are you working solely out of a recording studio sound booth?

Yes, that's right, the next LEGO animated feature film is THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE. It focuses on the Dark Knight having to take responsibility for raising his son. And if you're thinking Damian Wayne, you couldn't be more off base.

The idea of Alfred taking charge of the man-child that is the LEGO Batman character is absolutely in character, and totally hilarious. The nod to the many costumes of Batman are a nice touch, although I cringe at the new Robin costume routine. And the trailer also offers up the most profound statement on the relationship of Batman and Bruce Wayne:

"Does Batman live in Bruce Wayne's basement?"

"No! Bruce Wayne lives in Batman's attic."

Enough philosophizing. You want to see the trailer. So here it is.

I am sort of taking off from my Cheap Pops column for the summer, but I still wanted to post my thoughts on WrestlePro's July 23 show in Union.  This was an outdoor show, which marks the first time I can ever remember going to see a wrestling show outdoors.  

Another great WrestlePro show. Huge props to everyone who made the best of a real hot night (actually it wasn't that bad for the audience by the time the show started, but it still had to be brutal in the ring) and a shaky sound system. It still ended up being one hell of a show!

Lots of great matches. My pick for match of the night was probably the triple threat with Danny Maff, Matt Macintosh, and Chris Dickinson. This was a clash of three different styles, and it amounted to a really strong match with great spots and even some humor.

Agents of SHIELD #7 by Marc Guggenheim and German Peralta

Summary: The issue starts with Coulson’s team trying to recover a crashed satellite.  The Department of Defense comes to take over the operation, opening fire on Coulson’s team to get them to stand down.  Between this, and Coulson’s protocols to take down superheroes, most of his team has decided to call it quits, and the rest of the team is having a difficult time trusting Coulson.

Every election cycle, there is always a story or three about some politician running for office who picks a theme song and forgets that he has to pay the band. And it's such a simple thing to do -- you contact ASCAP or BMI and you get yourself a license. It's simple enough that every high school band director or local cheerleading camp instructor knows the drill. And after one or two lawsuits making the news, you can bet that every campaign strategist knows this as well.

So why is it that the campaign for Donald Trump is angering so many musicians? Surely they know better.

Well, the fact is, they do know better.

In 1880s Kansas, sharpshooter-turned-rancher Clay Travis (Pare) goes from happily married father of two to a man on a mission after the disappearance of his 17-year-old daughter, Lily. Determined to bring her home and to protect what little family he has left, Clay leaves his quiet ranch and heads to Wichita and on to Dodge City, where he's forced to confront Ty Stover (Adkins), an old nemesis, and put his reputation as the fastest draw in the West on the line. With the help of an unlikely companion, hardened old barkeep Billy (Kristofferson), he leaves a trail of gunsmoke and dead bodies in his wake.

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**review includes spoilers for seasons 1&2, and mild spoilers for season 3**

I’ve been a huge fan of The 100 for the last couple years. There is so much to love about this show, including a suspenseful dystopian / post-apocalyptic world, moral grayness, diverse characters, and strong and complex women.

When we last saw everyone at the end of season 2, Clarke and Bellamy just radiated Mount Weather in order to save their friends, who were being harvested for their bone marrow. Unfortunately, killing the bad guys also meant radiating a few good guys – including Jasper’s girlfriend, Maya. Clarke left camp in order to deal with her guilt, while Jaha and Murphy went on a trek in search of the mysterious “City of Light.” The Grounders violated their pact with Clarke by abandoning the “Sky People” at the last minute, fracturing the friendship/maybe more relationship between Clarke and Grounder Commander, Lexa.

Probably not since LORD OF THE RINGS have expectations for an extended edition of a film been so high as it has been with BATMAN V SUPERMAN:DAWN OF JUSTICE Ultimate Edition. With fans in a schism over their reviews on the theatrical release of the film, running the gamut from Batman's body count to Wonder Woman's too-short screen time, people are waiting to see if an extra 30 minutes of footage alters their perception of what they've already seen.

The answer? Probably not. If you liked it, there's more to like. If you hated it, there's more to hate. People are rather intractable about things once they've already made their minds up. (GHOSTBUSTERS, anybody?)

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

“Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan” from Arrow Films is a documentary directed by Gilles Penso on the storied career of undoubtedly the greatest special effects icon the world of motion pictures has ever known, and perhaps ever will know.

The video is chock full of memories and interviews with not only Ray (all the way up to his 90^th birthday!) but a veritable “Who’s Who” of great modern movie magic creators, all of whom have the same central theme running through their interview: Ray was not only instrumental in fostering their love of special effects; he was for many their initial spark, and to this day they consider what he did to be in many ways better than anything being done today.

BELLADONNA OF SADNESS is the acid dream of ASTRO BOY creator Osamu Tezuka. Directed by his collaborator, Eiichi Yamamoto, this psychedelic, psychosexual dose of cinematic psilocybin was, believe it or not, an early influence on much of the anime seen today, although in places it appears more like a violent porn version of YELLOW SUBMARINE meets WIZARDS.

The story is of Jean and Jeanne, two lovers who get married but cannot pay the tribute to the lord of the land. So he takes payment in the form of droit du seigneur. The violence of the act is probably more disturbing in its metaphorical depiction than any literal depiction could ever make it.

It is after this invasive injustice that Jeanne has a nighttime encounter with an imp (who looks like a bit of male anatomy), who seduces her and promises to give her the power she craves. She resists, but allows for just a little bit of power -- enough to save her ailing husband.

Not for the first time are people viewing the world through the lens of their smartphones. We've been at live appearances by our idols, yet never saw them except on the screen in our hands as we recorded them talking or singing or eating their lunch. We text while we're walking so much that some apps had to come up with transparent screen technology just so we could at least see our feet as we sent out that important "WTF? LOL, IKR?"

And now we're looking at the world through screens once again, looking for superimposed cartoon characters that we can zap into our digital prison, thanks to the widespread phenomenon of POKEMON GO.

            Buckle up – this review comes with a vent.
            By now, you’ve probably heard about Paul Feig’s summer Ghostbusters reboot, featuring the classic theme song, lots of pestering ghosts, and a quartet of newbie ghost hunters – oh yeah, did I mention that this time, the Ghostbusters are all ladies?
            Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon star as the Ghostbusters in this 2016 reboot of the 1984 classic. Three scientists and a street-smart subway worker team up to take down a man hell bent on releasing an army of ghosts all over NYC, all while proving their credibility amidst a sea of nonbelievers. Sounds awesome, right?

            Enter Ghostbros.

            What is a “Ghostbro?”

            When I spoke with my dad on the phone and told him I was going to see Ghostbusters, he responded with: “Well, I loved the original – but isn’t the new one getting really bad reviews?”

Noticing a tremendous culture shift in store traffic, the San Francisco based clothing retailer, Betabrand, has transformed it's headquarters into a massive lure for Pokémon players.

Most businesses frown upon people loitering outside their store, but Betabrand is inviting them to do so and getting increased exposure in return.

According to Betabrand founder Chris Lindland, "By Tuesday, I'd already lost my staff's attention to the game, so if you can't beat Pokémon, join Pokémon."   By Thursday, the retailer rolled out a fan photo studio, refashioned its storefront, and turned its flagship into a magnet for gamers and bemused passersby.

I use my smartphone when I'm driving. Sometimes I use it for GPS. Sometimes I use it to dictate a text. Sometimes I even use it to have a telephonic conversation. (I know, how very old school of me.)

Yesterday, I used a different form of GPS: the latest craze to sweep the world, POKEMON GO. I initially wanted just to see how many Pokestops I would drive by (Pokestops are places on the map where you can recharge your Pokeballs, so you can capture more Pokemon) and where all the gyms were. Plus, I just wanted to see the little guy on the map run at 65 miles per hour.

I passed a few Pokestops. They were also mile marker signs -- not places I would expect walking crews to pass while their on their quests to "catch 'em all." I didn't find many gyms near the Interstate, however, so that was a promising sign.

And then the phone buzzed. I didn't have an incoming call. I didn't have a text alert.

Following almost exactly a month after CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA #5 comes the totally unexpected CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA #6.

Okay, if Archie Comics will continue a proper schedule, I'll lay off the jokes about the intermittent releases of this title and it's sister, AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE. Because as much as I kid, I truly love and enjoy this twisted take on the teenagers we all grew up with in the funny pages.

But there's nothing funny about this Sabrina. In fact, this title has all the right stuff in it to have some parents going, "You know, that old Fredrick Wertham fella may have had a point." Most ironic, the title comes from the publisher helmed for the longest time by Comics Code Authority stalwart, Michael Silberkleit.

Captain America: Sam Wilson #11 by Nick Spencer and Daniel Acuna

Summary: Both Captain Marvel and Iron Man approach Sam Wilson about supporting their side in the Ulysses debate.  Sam decides that he’s with Stark, reluctantly.  He plans on giving a nuanced speech about it, but there is an emergency so he says “**** future profiling.”  The emergency is that Rage has started fighting back against the perceived racism of the Americops.  Sam is worried that this will all blow up, so rushes to intervene.  

Meanwhile, we find out USAgent is active overseas fighting terrorists. He gets a call from the US Senate…