JUSTICE LEAGUE: THRONE OF ATLANTIS is the direct follow-up to JUSTICE LEAGUE: WAR, hinting that there may start being some continuity to the DC Universe Original Movie universe (and yes, I know that's a redundant use of 'universe'). With Darkseid's forces turned back, the world was introduced to a superhero team. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to tell the team that they were a team -- and as a result, when Steve Trevor (George Newbern) comes to Cyborg (Shemar Moore) with a mission to find a missing submarine carrying nuclear missiles, he is set up for a sore disappointment.

Meanwhile, on the coastal New England town of Mercy Reef, Arthur Curry (Matt Lanter) is getting drunk over the recent death of his father. He gets into a brawl with a group of heavies, and displays just how strong he is -- and is observed by an Atlantean bodyguard to Queen Atlanna.

At last night's NXT tapings, it was announced that their next special would be taking place on February 11, 2015.  They also announced three matches for the card:

WARNING!  THIS CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUT

UPCOMING NXT EPISODES!

NXT Title Match
Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn

NXT Women's Title Match
Sasha Banks vs. Bayley vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte

#1 Contender's Match
Finn Balor vs. Adrian Neville

I would also expect that they will probably add another match between Baron Corbin and Bull Dempsey.  

Match Analysis and Predictions

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn - NXT Title

Maillaro: Welcome to Open Mike Night.  Although, since this is a relaunch (new home…same creative team), maybe we should call it Ultimate All-New 52 Open Mike Night Now!  Okay, maybe not.

Just a quick introduction.  My name is Mike Maillaro.  I am a newcomer to Critical Blast, but I’ve been writing reviews and columns for various sites for a long time.  Actually, the first comic review I ever wrote was for Crossgen’s Way of the Rat #1 way back in June 2002.   

I have been reading comics regularly since my mom used to buy me Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventure issues at our local taxi stand.   

I could use clichéd terms like “mesmerizing,” “stunning,” and “incredible” to describe Clint Eastwood’s latest directorial effort, “American Sniper.” They would be fitting adjectives, but they wouldn’t quite do the film justice. You see, Clint Eastwood doesn’t make bad movies. He makes near-perfect movies, each one simple and straightforward in presentation, yet featuring complete and complex characters. The man is a living legend, just like Chris Kyle, the subject of this challenging but wholly worthwhile film was during his service to his country.

Cheryl Barnes wants you to Listen to This, her debut five years in the making and steeped in Jazz and Blues. It features a stellar list of sidemen including Brandon Fields on Sax, John Hammond on Piano, and Rickey Minor on Bass with Orchestration by John Beasley.

Kanisha K. is this multi-talented 21-year-old singer/songwriter's self-titled full-length album featuring the uplifting and empowering track "My Another Day” and new single "Bring Me Home."

With four critically-acclaimed albums already under her belt, Liz Kennedy now has a new collection of songs to share. Influenced by legendary artists like Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, Randy Newman and Carole King, Liz adds her own unique, inviting stamp of sandpaper and honey tinged vocals on Speed Bump's 14 dynamic folk/blues influenced pop/rock tracks.

Amazing X-Men #15

Written by: Christopher Yost 

Art by: Jorge Fornes 

Colored by: Rachelle Rosenberg

Lettered by: VC's Joe Caramagna 

Cover by: Kris Anka

Published by: Marvel

Cover Price: $3.99

Note: This is a review of the digital version which can be found on Comixology.

Warning! This review contains quite a few spoilers!

Let's just set the record straight before we even start here, I am far from a fashionista. But I am, however, a certified geek. I was raised on a healthy diet of comics, Star Wars, Star Trek, and wrestling. Growing up in a family of boys, I didn't have much of an opportunity for princesses and glitter. I did, though, have the X-Men and X-Factor living on the balcony of the Barbie dream house.

On that note, I recently decided to bring my love of pop culture to my wardrobe. I've always been a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl, but, being a teacher, I can't wear that to school. So, I've endeavored to drag myself into the 21^st century and invest in leggings. My first set of leggings, of course, had to push the boundaries. Frankly, who needs standard black leggings when you can have Marvel characters splashed across the sides?

SUM OF THE PARTS is a 90-minute documentary of the band and artists that are the group Genesis. It chronicles the band’s music from its inception up to their 2007 reunion concert, as well as detailing each member’s solo career with added interviews into present day.

Genesis is almost unique in the music world in that their popularity has stood the test of time. Despite lineup changes, butting heads, changes in musical styles and never really being known as a “rock” band, they have achieved lasting worldwide fame both as a group and as solo artists.

Twilight Zone #11

J. Michael Straczynski (writer)

Guiu Vilanova (artist)

Francesco Francavilla ©

Dynamite Entertainment

(Rod Serling voiceover): “A busy day. A man sits at a desk. With too much to do, and not enough time to do it in the previous weeks, he finally has time to relax for a moment and ponder what he should have for lunch. Also, in the subconscious of his mind, the question of how he should spend the money he received for Christmas gnaws on him without him realizing it. What should he finally spend his cash on? The answer lies in an unexpected email...”

I remember when I was a kid. I remember snap shots of my childhood. I remember some great memories, and some that were not so great. But sometimes, memories fell into both categories, and I’ve always been kind of conflicted on how to feel about them.

I could tell you about my thoughts... but you're only going to scroll down past these words and view it anyway.

Anyway, Marvel has released the latest trailer for AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, a trailer that's been almost as hotly anticipated as the movie itself. And do we learn anything new? Maybe. It appears that Ultron may have the capability of controlling some of the heroes -- or, maybe not. Who is he going to take down from the inside out? How does he get Thor to attack Tony Stark? How does he get Hulk to battle Iron Man? Is it some bizarre kind of AI nanotechnology? Is it the Soul Gem put into his possession by Thanos?

Share your favorite conspiracies in our comments section. And enjoy the trailer! It's just going to make the time between now and May 1 seem that much longer.

The story of Jake and the Neverland Pirates spins out of the story of Peter Pan and Wendy. But what happens if everyone begins to forget that story?

That's the premise of Disney Junior's JAKE AND THE NEVERLAND PIRATES: BATTLE FOR THE BOOK, as Jake, Izzy and Cubby answer a call for help from Peter Pan that takes them someplace they've never been: London. Wendy Darling still reads to her brothers Peter and Michael about their adventures they had in Neverland with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell fighting Captain Hook. But when Hook learns of the book's existence -- and of the way he's portrayed in the story -- he decides he will steal it and have it destroyed. This prompts Wendy to sing a special song that would call Peter Pan if ever they needed his help. But with Peter otherwise occupied, Tinker Bell carries the call to Jake and his crew, who have plenty of experience retrieving treasure from that sneaky shnook.

Joaquin Phoenix. Benicio Del Toro. Josh Brolin. Reese Witherspoon. Martin Short. Sounds like a cast that could be quite entertaining, doesn’t it? You have Oscar candidates and winners here, established star power. Add director Paul Thomas Anderson of “Boogie Nights” fame and a script based on a novel by popular author Thomas Pynchon. This has “can’t miss Hollywood blockbuster” written all over it, right?

For those who know their AVENGERS lore, you already know that the movie team roster isn't quite the one shown in the team's comic book origin story. Someone's missing. Someone... big.

That someone would be Hank Pym, also known as Giant Man. But Pym had another superhero identity as well. (Let's face it, he's had several, but he can never escape the fact that he smacked his wife around.) Among those identities was Ant-Man, who could not only reduce himself to ant-size, but he could also telepathically communicate with ants; which, to the unimaginative, might make him the equivalent in power to Aquaman.

Monster Underneath
Writer: Shane McKenzie
Artwork: Claudia Balboni

The notion of a monster under the bed is, perhaps, one of the oldest bogeyman tropes in horror -- specifically because it's one of the most prevalent childhood fears.

Young Mindy is an orphan who is convinced that her bed harbors a slathering creature, and the other boys in the orphanage take advantage of her fears to torment her. But when Mindy's paradigm is challenged by her older foster sister, Rose, it puts a twist into the story that changes the dynamics of the relationship between Mindy and her monster.

Shane McKenzie's story has its ups and downs. It's established as a framework, with the adult Mindy having a first date. We immediately know the guy is a boor, so his intentions are quickly telegraphed to the reader.

If you're looking for someone with the longsuffering patience needed to deal with a room full of children, Gordon Ramsay probably isn't going to be on your list. But that unexpected mix is part of what makes MASTERCHEF JUNIOR such a fun watch for viewers.

Representing my home town of Saint Louis, Missouri, is Ayla, an eleven year old whose already got a signature dish in her culinary repertoire: Corn and Pumpkin Soup. "I learned from my mom's cooking school," says Ayla. "It ws the first recipe that I had to learn and master."

But there's a distinct difference between what she does best and what she likes most. "[Pumpkin and Corn Soup] is definitely the think I make the best," says Ayla. "But my favorite thing to cook is Chocolate Souffle."

Welcome to 2015 and what I hope will be a fairly regular series on sports. I’m a baseball fan first and a basketball fan somewhere after curling and badminton, tied with soccer, so that will give you some idea what to expect.

This time of year, with snow blowing outside my window, makes me long for baseball season. Hot stove league discussions keep warm thoughts of summer days with that perfect bouquet of stadium scents helping me to forget about the notorious St. Louis humidity. It’s also the time of year where the Baseball Writers Association of America, the self-appointed arbiters of enshrinement in baseball’s Hall of Fame in bucolic Cooperstown, NY, holds their annual elections. Lately, these votes have left me cold.

Despite how it may often appear, I don't just read superhero comics. Sometimes I read superhero novels. And over the last few years, I've discovered something -- you can actually find superhero novels whose characters have not appeared in comic books!

This contest has ended. The winner is:

Angela C of Chesnee, SC.

The Army of the 12 Monkeys wants you -- to tag your scenes of viral terror with their symbol. But how can you do that if you're not a very good artist?

Syfy has the answer! This 12" x 12" static sticker is just the thing to put your mark on the world -- or on the back glass of your car.

And how can you acquire this symbol of the Army of the 12 Monkeys? That's the genius part! All you have to do is enter your information in the form below, and you'll be recruited into the army entered into this contest. One lucky winner will receive this awesome (and useful) bit of artwork, packaged with some other nifty goodies that we won't describe here (so, you know, surprise and all that, but mostly because the box fits so neatly).

Adapting the 1995 Bruce Willis film, Syfy's 12 MONKEYS sticks to the premise of a time traveler from a few decades into the future coming back to present day (and, perhaps, even years earlier) in an attempt to track down and eradicate the initial source of a plague that would wipe out nearly all of humanity in his time. However, details of the plague's origin are murky, so applying "fixes" risk breaking things even more.

Dr. Cassandra Railly (Amanda Schull, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS) is a rising star in her field -- or was, back in 2013. That was before she was carjacked by a stranger who insists he needs her help finding a man named Leland Frost. He claims he's a time traveler, and the terrified Dr. Railly believes him insane -- until the moment the police arrive and he blinks out of existence.

This understated indie film starts off slow, but develops in short order into a startling and disturbing series of twisted twists.

Sue (Mackenzie Davis, THAT AWKWARD MOMENT) is a girl of books, and she's preparing to head off to college. Her close friend Bobby (Jeremy Allen White, SHAMELESS) is going with her, but that's a secret few people in the town know. They are leaving behind the third person in their troupe, B.J. (Logan Huffman, V), who decides he's going to see the two of them off with a wild night of partying and a bundle of cash he's saved up.