Monday, December 30, 2013

Best of 2013

Yeah I know everyone does this but I love making lists. Rather than make a bunch of lists broken down by categories I've just tossed in all my favorite stuff from the past year onto one list. This includes my favorite movies, comics, TV shows and what not from 2013. What are your favs?

1. PACIFIC RIM

Guillermo Del Toro delivered the giant robot vs giant monster movie I'd been waiting my whole life to see. My favorite part? When Gypsy Danger unveils it's colossal sword out of no where! Now where's my Voltron movie?




2. THE LONE RANGER

This wasn't the Lone Ranger movie I was hoping for but it was still a blast to watch. The ending espcially got my blood pumping once that iconic William Tell Overture kicked in! Here's hoping Disney somehow decides to another film.



3. THE GRANDMASTER

My friends may not have enjoyed this one that much but I thought it was the best movie of the summer. As usual though this movie was actually edited for US audiences so I can't wait to see the uncut Chinese version.



4. SLEEPY HOLLOW

If you had told me this was going to be one of my favorite TV series of the year I would have thought you were a moron. Guess I'm the dumb one! Despite an awful trailer the show is actually pretty damn amazing. Equal parts Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Da Vinci Code this series has it all. While the horror elements are decidly spooky for me it's the historical aspects that keep me coming back.



5. ULTRAMAN GINGA

This was another surprise hit for me. Rather than being the typical Ultra series with it's crack team of monster fighters this one opted for high school students with action figures. However whereas this years other toku shows, such as Kamen Rider Wizard and Kyoryuger, felt rather bland to me this one came off as something new. What really makes this show work is it captures that spirit of justice that really makes Japanese heroes work.



6. SPOOKSVILLE

The Hub already had a great successor to Are You Afraid of the Dark in R.L.Stines the Haunting Hour but now they've added an equally "spooky" show to the lineup. What makes this one particularly fun is that the episodic horror is accompanied by an ongoing subplot and a recurring cast.



7. RIPPER STREET

I'm a sucker for turn of the century stories and anything connected with Jack the Ripper immediately peeks my interest. The real surprise about this show though is it's not really about the famous serial killer. Instead it's a police procedural set in London shortly after Jack's crime spree and follows the police as they begin using modern technology to catch criminals. Another really great show from the BBC!



8. TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

This show may have premiered in 2012 but really hit it's stride this year. Introducing such classic elements as Casey Jones and even Rahzar! Plus that theme song is almost as good as the original cartoon's!



9. DIGIMON FUSION

I forgot how much I enjoyed Digimon till this new series came on. It's been years since that last one and this was one welcome surprise. The show captures all the fun of the previous series and even has tons of cameos from them too!



10. SWAMP THING

I was very leary when it was announced that Scott Snyder would be leaving Swamp Thing. However Charles Soule's run on the book may be even better than Snyder's was! He's really managed to expand the Swamp Thing mythos and the art is pretty damn fantastic as well.



11. GODZILLA HALF CENTURY WAR

This is the Godzilla movie I've always wanted. It's an amazing story that not only builds up the world of the king of monsters but also has some great character development. The art is eqaully impressive and you can just feel the destruction come off the pages.



12. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG/MEGA MAN: WORLDS COLLIDE

The ultimate crossover I've always dreamed of and it didn't disappoint. Mega Man and Sonic team-up to take down the combined might of Dr. Wily and Dr. Robotnik. Through in just about every Sonic and Mega Man character and you've got one of the coolest comic series of the year.



13. HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE

This one was a definite surprise because I wasn't too keen on the idea of changing up my He-Man mythos. Still, much like the Wonder Woman comic, the book works because the writing is just that good. Sadly the art definitely does match up to the this but the story keeps me coming back for more.



14. BLACK BEETLE

This is the book that rekindled my love of the pulp heroes. Now half my pull list consist of the Shadow, Green Hornet, Captain Midnight and of course Black Beetle. If the story weren't good enough the amazing art by Francesco Francavilla is worth it alone.



15. SHOWA 1926-1939: A HISTORY OF JAPAN

I haven't devoured a manga this quickly since 20th Century Boys and Death Note. This is a history of nearly the last hundred years of Japan as told from the perspective of a manga artist who lived through it. The combination of historical events with moments in the authors life really bring this book to life. Can't wait for the next volume!



16. ATOM-CAT



Maybe not as intellectually significant as the Showa book but perhaps a whole lot more fun. This story reimagines the boy robot Astro Boy as a cat! What's not to love?
Full Post

No comments:

Post a Comment