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

Writer:  Mark Gatiss
Director: Justin Molotnikov

Cast

Cheap Pops - November 15, 2015 by Chris Delloiacono, Mike Maillaro and Jeff Ritter

This week!

When you hear the word “Motown” any number of names should immediately spring to mind: Barry Gordy Jr., Diana Ross and The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, The Marvelettes, Smokey Robinson, and of course, Gladys Knight & The Pips. When I found out that the Empress of Soul was coming to the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis on November 13, 2015, I was excited. When I found out she was sharing the bill with the O’Jays, the Ohio soul standouts who struck gold time and time again on Philadelphia International Records, I was over the moon. I had to be there to witness these legends for myself.  

By this point, your house and emails have already been bombarded with Super Spectacular Toy Catalogs, Door-Buster Sales Schedules, Black Friday Secret Deals and Cyber Monday Email Tips for you to get the most out of your holiday shopping. And you've probably already noticed that the toy market has already been defined as to which toys are the ones you have to go get.

Lost in the miasma of metamorphing robots and not-quite-for-real pets is one of the simplest yet most enduring type of toy: the stuffed animal. But for a market that's been super-saturated with everything from the zoological to the crytpozoological to even the microbial, it takes something unique if a plush is going pique a child's interest.

THE SNOOPY TREASURES
Written by: Nat Gertler
Thunder Bay Press
$34.95

by Mike Maillaro & Mike Weaver

All New, All Different Avengers(2015) #1

I’ve just settled down to type this review after listening to Greg Page’s “Here Comes Christmas” and I am on cloud nine! I feel so good, so happy and here is why.

I have always been a Greg Page fan since I first saw and heard him on my daughter's “Wiggles” tapes and CD’s. Greg was the original Yellow Wiggle and lead singer for the group. I always enjoyed his voice and the songs they sang. As time went by, as time does, the daughter grew and The Wiggles were replaced by other shows and music -- but I never stopped liking Greg’s singing. I just didn’t have the opportunity to listen to him anymore.

Fast forward to today. When I heard Greg was releasing a Christmas album, I was like, "So what if it may be somewhat skewed towards kids? Christmas is Christmas and everyone is a kid at Christmas."

I think the first movie that I remember being aware of Antonio Banderas was 1995’s ASSASSINS, with Sylvester Stallone. It certainly wasn’t the pinnacle of moviemaking, but it was fun for what it was. That became the Year of Antonio, as he starred in five other movies released that year: MIAMI RHAPSODY, DESPERADO, FOUR ROOMS, NEVER TALK TO STRANGERS, and TWO MUCH. Banderas hasn’t slowed down a whole lot, averaging at least a couple of films a year. From underappreciated gems such as THE 13^th WARRIOR, the underrated FEMME FATALE, and the goofy but fun retro romp of THE EXPENDABLES 3, Banderas has always been fun to watch. THE 33, directed by relative newcomer Patricia Riggen, is another strong showing by the versatile Spanish star.

(Not Quite) The Hero's Journey

Joseph Campbell helped us to define the classic Hero's Journey. It involved someone reluctant to take up the call but eventually forced into it. (It involved a bunch of other things, too, but that's the Cliff Notes of the Readers' Digest version. Just watch STAR WARS Episode IV and you'll have the gist of it all.)

I was going to say that INSIDE OUT is not your average cartoon. But then, what Disney*Pixar film ever is? Rather, then, INSIDE OUT is not your average movie, period. It's subject matter is funny, easy to relate to, and completely captivating from beginning to end. However, on an even deeper level, INSIDE OUT is a film worthy of study for a college psychology course.

The majority of the film takes place in the mind of a prepubescent girl named Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), where we meet our main characters: Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling). These are the core emotions Riley has, and their interactions form her young personality. However, there's an imbalance; Riley believes that she must be happy all the time for the sake of her parents, therefore Joy takes charge, and pushes Sadness to the fringe. After all, what good does Sadness bring? Who wants to feel that emotion?

This is the episode of THE FLASH that should have been one of the better ones. And as much as I love the show -- it's not.

Following on the heels of last episode, "The Darkness and The Light", Barry confronts Doctor Light (Malese Jow) in her cell to probe her about Zoom. She's not very forthcoming, and when she ultimately escapes (using her power over light to render herself invisible), she hacks STAR security and high-tails it, leaving her costume behind.

Which brings up my first question: If she has the power to bend light, why can she only bend it around herself and not her costume? And if her powers were focused through the devices in her gloves, wouldn't she have needed those? And isn't she cold, running around naked?

The SPECTRE of Bond
by: Chris Delloiacono & Jeff Ritter

It’s time for the main event!

James Bond vs. Goldfinger?  Not today!

007 vs. 006?  See Goldeneye!

Blond Bond vs. Gary U.S. Bonds?  Uh, never!!!!

First, in the Bond corner, it’s Chris “Enjoys ‘em Shaken” Delloiacono!

The Nate Jones Band EP is the five-song debut release from Cleveland, Ohio native Nate Jones, a young singer/songwriter who spikes his coffeehouse folk songs with soulful vocal melodies and intricate, funky fretwork on the acoustic guitar. The collection brims with Hammond organ, bluesy guitar solos, and the breezy charm of Jones’ voice.

The EP also introduces Jones’ band, a group of likeminded musicians who, in Jones’ words, “allow me to balance my love of the softer singer/songwriter music with heavier, guitar-driven rock music, blending everything into what I think is a unique and very original sound.”

An original sound, indeed. The Nate Jones Band EP is an old-school record for modern audiences, balanced somewhere between the glory days of the Laurel Canyon sound and the recent resurgence of neo-soul music.

This contest has ended.

I have been an on-and-off fan of X-Men since real early in my comic reading. X-FORCE was basically my favorite comic as a kid, and I really enjoyed Lobdell and Nicieza’s work on the main X-MEN books. Over the years, there have been many X-Men-related titles and runs I have loved (Exiles and Peter David’s X-Factor come to mind), but for the last few years, X-Men has been kind of a mess. This all started with House of M. Marvel decided that they were a little too reliant on X-Men books, and declared NO MORE MUTANTS. It seemed like Marvel has started to slowly roll back on that decision. We had started to see new mutants, and a new status quo was established. I didn’t always love the war between Cyclops and Wolverine’s factions, but I still thought it was far more interesting than  X-Men had been for a long time.

Cheap Pops - November 10, 2015
by Chris Delloiacono, Mike Maillaro and Jeff Ritter

This week!

- Major injury shakes WWE title situation
- Batista Talks about his time with WWE
- Superstar Billy Graham signs WWE Legends deal
- How grounded in reality should wrestling be?
- NXT Results

NEW WWE CHAMPION TO BE CROWNED AT SURVIVOR SERIES

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

So, let’s start this off by mentioning I’m a seasoned art teacher who’s extremely crafty and can basically figure out anything with good instructions and supplies. However, one thing I’ve never learned (and not for lack of trying) is crocheting and knitting. I’ve bought books, I’ve watched videos, and have created nothing but a tangled mess of string and pointy, steel weapons for my cats to bat around the house. When the opportunity to review Star Wars Crochet came up, I was all hero-with-a-cape-standing-in-the-breeze! I shall take on this challenge, learn to crochet, and create adorable, pint-size Star Wars characters while doing it!

Doctor Who Series 9 – Episode 7 and 8 – The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion

Episode 7 - Written by: Peter Harness
Episode 8 – Written by Peter Harness & Steven Moffat
Both Episodes - Directed by Daniel Nettheim

For many of us, I suspect our first exposure to the bizarre, grotesque world of “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” sort of human oddity is The Elephant Man. Born Joseph Merrick but commonly referred to as John due to some confusion from his physician’s memoir, The Elephant Man is still a medical mystery. He’s been the subject of both film and stage, the latter originating in the form of a play by Bernard Pomerance. THE ELEPHANT MAN is now playing through November 15 at the charming Looking Glass Playhouse in Lebanon, Illinois, a reasonably short drive east from St. Louis. If you appreciate strong acting and stirring human drama, the show is most certainly worth the trip.