This week!

• Wrestlemania 31 Reactions

• The Night After...

Mike: It’s about twelve hours before we usually post Cheap Pops, I am literally just getting home from vacation, so this week’s column is basically going to be a quick one, just covering our thoughts about Wrestlemania and the Raw after.   

My go to website for Comic Releases was down the last few days, and I am posting this long in advance because I will be away.  I got this from Comixology, and I can see one big mistake on it already.  They list Secret Six #4 as coming out, and issue 3 still hasn't come out.   So BUYER BEWARE!

It's a huge week for DC with the three weekly series ending (Batman Eternal, World's End, Future's End) and Convergence starting.  I have said a few times that it felt like these series were dragging a little to get to the end, but for the most part I've really enjoyed them.  I hope they all come to satisfying ends!

The concept of getting various fairy tale characters to interact with each other in a shared universe is always an intriguing concept (if, not necessarily, a new one, as easily attested to by ONCE UPON A TIME and, even before that, with Bill Willingham's series, FABLES). In this Disney musical, the audience enjoys an interweaving of Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Rapunzel, orbiting around an entirely new tale of the Baker and his wife who are out to lift a curse put on their family by a witch.

BEYOND THE MASK is the brainchild of writer Paul McCusker, brought to cinematic life by director Chad Burns. This is McCusker's first official screenplay, and Burns has one other film to his credit, PENDRAGON: SWORD OF HIS FATHER. One wouldn't guess their recorded lack of experience by watching this film. I found it to be exceedingly well done, with nicely choreographed action, well-crafted believable conflicts, exquisite settings and a rousing score by Jurgen Beck.

As the film opens, we are introduced to William Reynolds (Andrew Cheney), an assassin in the employ of the East India Trading Company in the mid-1700s. He's had his fill of the business, however, and turns in his notice to his employer, Charles Kemp (John Rhys-Davies, ONCE UPON A TIME). Unfortunately for Reynolds, he knows too much about Kemp's plans for the fledgling colonies to be allowed to live.

Will Farrell is one of the funniest and talented actors to ever grace the Saturday Night Live stage, but I’ve found his big screen output to be a bit of a mixed bag. I laughed a lot at “Talladega Nights: The Story of Ricky Bobby” and his somewhat absurd yet semi-dramatic “Stranger Than Fiction” is one of my favorite movies to recommend. On the other hand, I saw more of the inside of my eyelids when I attempted to sit through “Step-Brothers” and “Semi Pro.” Kevin Hart is a very funny comedian, but the film version of his stand-up routine from last year was marred by poor editing. Could these two hilarious entertainers succeed together? For me, the answer was a resounding yes.
 

Hello readers! I know we're still just getting started for Critical Blast, but it's never too early to open up with a bang.

To that end, I'd like to introduce you to our first annual Critical Blast Awards -- and you get a vote! In the future, we'll have more categories, but for this year we're limiting ourselves to Best Movie, Best Television Series, and Best Actor (from each).

In an effort to prevent ballot box stuffing (as much as we can), the form below requires a Google+ account to participate. We look forward to your input. The polls will remain open through April 6th, 2015.

The 2014-2015 US Bank Broadway Series at the Fabulous Fox Theatre come so to a close with the dazzling musical Kinky Boots. Based on a true story and the 2005 movie of the same name, the Harvey Fierstein (book) and Cyndi Lauper (score) was the darling of the 2013 Tony Awards, winning Best Musical, Best Original Score (Lauper is the first woman in history to win the Tony as a solo female composer), Best Choreography (Jerry Mitchell), Best Orchestrations (Stephen Oremus), Best Sound Design (John Shivers) and Best Lead Actor (Billy Porter). It was also nominated in 7 other categories. That’s quite an accomplishment, and it’s well deserved. Kinky Boots is a sharp, sparkly story of acceptance in the tradition of Hairspray, featuring performances that will stay with the Fox faithful all summer.

Sit back and let me tell you the legend of a singer. She came from a faraway land called Canada, and she had a voice that could tame wild animals. She was catapulted to fame, and was one of the touchpoints for when country music transitioned into from traditional to pop. And then, one day, at the height of her fame... she was gone.

Her name was Shania Twain, and she was unforgettable.

In 2012, Shania returned for a live performance at The Colosseum at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. That show, "Still The One," incorporated backup singers, dancers, a full orchestra, and interactivity with a giant video screen, delivering an eye-popping performance of music and memories, Vegas-style.

Cheap Pops - March 25, 2015

by Chris Delloiacono, Mike Maillaro and Jeff Ritter

This week!

This just in: The X-Files is officially returning to FOX! Thirteen years after its original run, the sci-fi series is making its comeback with a six-episode event series from creator/executive producer Chris Carter. Stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson will reprise their roles as FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.

"I think of it as a 13-year commercial break," said Carter. "The good news is the world has only gotten that much stranger, a perfect time to tell these six stories."

The series is set to start production in summer 2015, but an air date has not yet been set.

Source: TV Guide

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

This one is going to be relatively short this week.  Heading out on vacation tomorrow.

In comic books, we have this thing called "the fight scene." Some comics end up being nothing but an extended fight scene, skipping over story for wall-to-wall slugging it out.

With the end of THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, the great dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) was awakened. As THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES opens, Smaug has begun his attack on Lake-town, destroying all in his path. The humans who live there are left refugees, as Bard (Luke Evans) escapes the cell that imprisons him and tries to defend his crumbling and burning town with arrows, eventually succeeding with the enigmatic (and huge) Black Arrow and a makeshift bow.

Mark Millar's writing tends to be hit or miss for me. I think he has a ton of great ideas, but sometimes his execution leaves me a little flat. BUT, Mark Millar is actually one of my favorite people in the comic industry. He seems to love the fans and always seems to be having a good time. I met him in Columbus, Ohio at a comic convention years ago during a nasty rainy, snowy weekend. The fire alarm kept going off at the convention, and the fire department kept evacuating us out into the rain and snow. Despite this, Mark Millar stayed in good spirits, continuing to sign autographes, draw sketches (my wife asked him to draw Batman, and he did it without hesitation), and tell hilarious stories. Just for that alone, I will pretty much always give his book a fair shot.

Last year, he launched two mini-series for Image: MPH and Starlight. Both books were great. So when I heard he was doing a time travel series named Chrononauts, I had to check it out.

So the other night I’m sitting around with my best friend, and I’m gushing about the finale of Spider-verse...which isn’t as easy at it sounds. See, she’s not a regular reader, and when it comes to Spider-Man, she’s a never-reader. This means I had to break down the context for each and every individual thing I wanted to gush over. Not a problem! I do that kind of shit for fun! The real trick, and this is the accomplishment, is afterwards when she asks me for a reading order so she can get in on it.

“The Gunman” is a rare foray into an action-heavy role for Sean Penn, who wrote and produced the film as well. Directed by Pierre Morel, the man who surprised us all with the taunt and darkly comic “Taken” film (which spawned a perhaps ill-advised franchise starring Liam Neeson, who in turn cannot seem to escape that role now) this action thriller is well-crafted but feels very familiar.

Amazing Spider-Man #16.1

Written by: Gerry Conway
Penciled by: Carlo Barberi
Inked by: Juan Vlasco
Colored by: Israel Silva
Lettered by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover by: Arthur Adams and Sonia Oback

I absolutely loved Chris Eccelston as the ninth incarnation of Doctor Who. But, because he only starred in the role for one season, there weren't a lot of tie-in media that featured the Ninth Doctor. There were a handful of novels, and that was about it. I always thought this was a huge loss. The Ninth Doctor seemed to have a lot more story to tell, especially since he was the incarnation of the Doctor that had just survived the Time War. 

I was actually at the New York Comic Con panel where they announced that they would be doing rotating mini-series featuring the older versions of the Doctor. I am really glad they started with Chris Eccelston's Doctor. It was especially a bonus that Rose and Captain Jack Harkness would be featured in this mini series too. 

Cheap Pops - March 18, 2015

by Chris Delloiacono, Mike Maillaro and Jeff Ritter

This week!

From Newsarama:

Earlier this week Disney has announced via StarWars.com a new publishing intitiative that aims to bridge the gap between Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Entitled Journey to The Force Awakens, the initiative will feature books and comics that tie directly into Marvel's ongoing Star Wars comic, and will be considered in continuity and canon.

The first title, entitled Star Wars: Journey to the Force Awakens - Shattered Empire #1 was also previewed on the site Friday, with the cover by Phil Noto.

Michael Siglain, director, Creative Franchise, Lucasfilm had this to say about the upcoming titles, “The filmmakers have a lot of surprises in store, and the hints and puzzle pieces in the publishing program will keep fans guessing until the film opens. Until then, let the anticipation — and the speculation — begin,”

The others titles in the program are as follows:

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