Titanfall 2 was the Best Video-Game This Year, Even if Sales Don't Reflect That--2016 in Review

Game of the Year...That Nobody Played

If almost nobody plays the best game of 2016, is it still the best game of 2016? Yes, without a doubt, and if you're reading this, own a PC/console that can play, "Titanfall 2," and didn't buy it, I hold you personally responsible for its failing in the marketplace--you're uninvited to my tea-party.

Wait,  I take it back, you can come to my tea party. I mean, if we should blame anyone perhaps it is EA for their disastrous release schedule and shoddy marketing. It is an incredible shame however, because besides a surprisingly great single-player mode, "Titanfall 2," features more fun I've had playing online against folk than since maybe, "Overwatch," and that game sells like hotcakes so who knows what the problem is? I mean, its a game full of awesome mech-suits and soldiers fighting-it-out across action-packed landscapes. People should be begging to play a game this good, and instead it goes mostly ignored. I don't know what the problem is, but as long as enough people play to keep the servers active I'll always be eager to hop-onto a server and into a Titanfall mech.

Best New(er) Comics--2016 in Review

Relatively New

There are two books that have had some issues come out and which I feel both are starting strong. One is a mini-series that is about at its half-way point and the other is for now an ongoing, although it is up to the creative team how long they want to make it.

Black

I first heard about this comic when it had a massively successful Kickstarter campaign that also led to it being picked-up by Black Mask Studios. I wanted to check it out because it has an artist I like a lot--Jamal Igle--and has a killer concept. The idea is that a very small portion of the population happen to have super-powers, and they all also happen to only be black people. This is of course a really loaded concept, but writer Kwanza Osajyefo has pulled it off so far and Igle's artwork is of course wonderful. This title is a mini-series which just had the third issue come out and will feature a double-sized finale for issue #6, so it is about halfway done. Considering how much I've enjoyed the book so far I'm excited to see how the book finishes, and if any future stories set in this world may occur once this wraps!

Kill or Be Killed

Ed Brukaer and Sean Phillips basically are as in-sync with another as an artist and writer can be. There are not many creative teams that have worked together as much as these two, and their latest project of, "Kill or Be Killed," is a fascinating blend of crime-drama kind of like, "Criminal," but with a healthy dose of supernatural/demon aspects a bit like their work on, "Fatale." The basic plot is a college student named Dylan survives a suicide attempt but then is told by a demonic presence he has to kill people every so often or he will die. This leads to him being a murderer, but he seems to actually be killing people who it turns out are awful human beings, so is he crazy, or something else? As the book is only at issue #4 (I believe) a whole lot remains to be revealed, but for right now I'm extremely impressed with what I've read and look forward to seeing if at the end of the day our protagonist turns out to be kinda-sort a good guy, or just is flat-out evil.

Still Smells/Reads as Fresh!

Depending on where these books go during 2017 they may very well reappear when I'm going over everything at the end of the next 365 days (I know, I know, we had 366 this year). It is always good when a book starts strong, and even better when that strength can hopefully continue!

Best New Imprint--2016 in Review

Imprint?

Some past and present imprints of Marvel and DC

Comic publishers will sometimes have their own little imprint. It like a sub-company that falls under the ownership of the main entity, but also operates somewhat independently, from practically being its own company (like Boundless) to being solicited as a part of the main publisher's goods, but with its imprint-logo prominent (like Marvel's now-mostly-dead Icon stuff). This year there was an imprint announced which sounded like it was loaded with potential, and I'm pleased it seems to so far have delivered exactly what I hoped for.

Young Animal

Gerard Way is known by many for his music as part of the band, "My Chemical Romance." I have never really listened to the band but I am a big fan of his comic-work. When he started-up, "Umbrella Academy," at Dark Horse I thought it would be another comic supposedly, "Authored," by a celebrity who just slapped their name on something ghost-written by someone else. How wrong I was. Way has always loved comics and turned in something amazing with, "Umbrella Academy." He has continued to do the occasional cool piece of work but the coolest thing was learning how he was in charge on a new imprint at DC called, "Young Animal."

Basically like a new version of Vertigo (which still exists, barely), "Young Animal," is a mixture of cool older properties ("Doom Patrol") and new stuff as well ("Mother Panic"). The creative teams are quite snazzy (with Way himself providing the writing on the newly-relaunched, "Doom Patrol,") and the subject-matter has a cool and exciting edge to it in every book--after all, the imprint's slogan is, "Comics for Dangerous Humans." It is a bit early-on to say with a definitive, "Yes," if the Young Animal books will continue to be awesome and/or will last a decent amount of time. As it is now though, they are very cool comics, and I hope they keep coming out well into the foreseeable future.

Album of the Year That You Might Disagree With--2016 in Review

You Will Probably Disagree

I have an album of the year for 2016. There is a good chance you will disagree for a number of reasons. It became available for streaming in February of this year but then the creator kept tweaking it in ways that at times improved and at other times hurt the quality of his project. This altering of tracks introduced the idea of an album as a, "Living," thing that can keep being changed even after its release--an idea that ruffled as many feathers as it did inspire discussions. The artist also is often thought of as a loudmouth who thinks too much of himself. He also had a bit of a breakdown that people are rumoring may have been faked. So many people hate him and even I get sick of his behavior, but goddammit if you actually sit and listen to the stuff he puts out you might just have to admit the man is a genius. In case you're utterly dense, the man I'm talking about is Kanye West, and my album of the year is...

The Life of Pablo

Unless you're a diehard fan of the guy, I bet you hate Kanye. I'll admit he is a hard guy to like--I'm giving him album of 2016 and I get really mad at him for the things he does. That said, just listen to the first track, "Ultralight Beam," or put on some, "No More Parties in L.A." and tell me he doesn't know how to produce, rap, and otherwise masterfully create some hot tracks. You think he's a full-of-himself jerk? I'll agree with that. However, you think he has no talent? Fuck you, he's a genius, just a genius who too often behaves abhorrently. Kanye even knows you're sick of him and liked him more when he was just the shy polo-wearing guy putting out, "The College Dropout," with everything to lose--he says as much on, "I Love Kanye," a quick music-lacking bit of verses that make it clear Kanye knows you hate him, and he doesn't care because he'll just keep creating pure sonic-gold.

"The Life of Pablo," isn't flawless--even the best album can have some clunkers of songs. That said, it is so powerful an album, so epic, so incredibly Kanye that I have to say now what I first said in a headline when I discussed the album back in February--"Fuck You, Kanye West is Still Awesome." It's now December and despite all his trials and tribulations, countless mistakes and gaffes, his otherwise often acting like an idiot, Kanye is still Kanye, and I love Kanye just like Kanye loves Kanye.

Best Single Issues--2016 in Review

Just Takes One!

While a series can be amazing, sometimes it is one amazing issue that has you go, "Now this is an incredible book." This year two series each had issues that made me pause and go, "Wow!" to a degree I feel is worth discussing.

Best Single Issues

The Vision #11

Much of the 12th issue of, "The Vision," was a wind-down and denouement after the climax that occurred in this issue--and you can't blame the 12th issue for ending with some quiet reflection because damn was this a climax. All the warnings since the 1st issue that continued throughout the book that The Vision would turn on his friends came true--of course it is their fault he fights them because he wants revenge for the death of his son.

Many comics have pointed-out that The Vision is quite possibly one of the most powerful and dangerous beings on the planet and could wipe the floor with his whole team of Avengers if need-be. This issue takes that knowledge to heart and has Vision stomp all who get in his way, before a shocking twist that even I didn't see coming--The Vision's wife kills the Avenger who murdered his son (and through lies of the wife  that she re-programmed him the Vision to still claim to be a good guy with readers knowing the truth is a bit more gray).

Many issues of, "The Vision," were about a slowly creeping dread. The book was less a super-hero comic as opposed to a piece of suburban-horror where the fear of inevitable death and destruction stood in an almost-hilarious contrast to the seemingly pleasant picket-fences and friendly neighbors. The 11th issue of, "The Vision," is that explosion of rage, anger, and violence that the book had promised would be coming, but with that clever swerve that Vision is robbed of his revenge by his own wife (but in the process able to protest his innocence).

 For a book that started out so quiet and disturbingly mellow it is impressive just how viscous and loud this issue is with its statement of, "Why are you surprised by all this bloodshed? We told you it was coming at the start!" I wondered if, "The Vision," could keep up its quality when the first issue came out and it was announced it would run 12 issues. Well, between this and the final issue I didn't need to worry if it would impress, because it sure did.

Southern Bastards #14

I read and loved the most recent 15th issue of, "Southern Bastards," but for my money the 14th issue was one of the best of the series, and clearly one of the best single issues I read this year. After a surprise reveal early on in the series that the murdered Earl Tubbs (who attempted to bring justice and reason to Craw county but violently failed) had been calling and leaving voicemails for his biracial daughter Roberta (Earl was white) the series has followed a variety of characters, from Earl's murderer, Coach Boss, to other denizens of Craw County, we've gotten to know everyone except Roberta. I was therefore extremely pleased when in the 14th issue we finally got to get, "Inside her head," and learn more about her.

"Southern Bastards" has oftentimes been a comic about Race, the South, and almost always masculinity. Every issue up until this one was often about men doing awful things to each other in the name of proving themselves. Whether this was an attempt to make a Father proud, show others how smart and strong they were, or something else, this comic has been about men being horrible and violent to each other. Roberta changes that when she appears. She is a Veteran of Afghanistan and knows better than to engage the ignorant populace in her deceased Father's old neighborhood, but she's tired, pissed-off, and not afraid to fight. When she beats-up some racist thieves it is as big a moment of catharsis for her as it is for the reader who has so far seen only the bad-guys win. At the end of this issue she clearly learns just what happened to Earl Tubb when he left his house to head to Craw County (where he died while trying to impose fairness and justice), and it is clear that while Earl had the will, he was maybe too past his prime to truly fix-up Craw County.

Roberta is in her prime, has just as much (if not more drive) and clearly is going to raise some Hell when she gets to Craw County. With the 14th issue, "Southern Bastards," clearly isn't just about masculinity, it is about humanity in general, and how toxic things such an obsession with being what you consider, "Best," brings out misery and hatred. Shit is going to be hitting the fan very soon in this book if issue #14 and #15 are any indication. I wouldn't have it any other way.

A Singularly Good Time

I know that isn't a really good or even apt pun, but I like it. Anyways, these two books were the best single issues of what I read this year.

Television Tuesday: The Best Television Show This Year Was "American Crime Story" Beyond a Reasonable Doubt--2016 In Review

An Amazing Program

The first season of, "American Crime Story," has the full name, "American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson." The show is as jam-packed with talent and amazing storytelling as that mouthful of a title, however. I didn't talk about this debut season of, "American Crime Story," when it was coming out earlier in the year because I was busy and didn't end-up watching it all the way through until I was able to engage in a few binge-sessions of 3 episodes here and 2 episodes there up until I reached the end.

Frankly, I don't know if this series could have picked a better case to start with. I mean, the whole thing is really so over-the-top that if it were a fictional movie people might decree it is, "Too silly/absurd, to be at all believable." The wild thing is that this all happened (with dramatic flourishes for the show here-and-there) and even if everyone watching knows how the story ends that doesn't make it any less gripping.

The best story in the world would suck if the story-teller is bad, but Ryan Murphy (of "Glee," and "American Horror Story" fame among other shows) manages to fight some of his worst impulses to be overly coy (occasional Kardashian-kids bits aside) in his direction and lets the amazing cast do a jaw-dropping job. Some of the actor-portrayals border on being a bit much (Travolta and Schwimmer), but I liked those roles plenty, even if Courtney B. Vance and Sarah Paulson mostly steal the show as Johnnie Cochran and Marcia Clark (and Cuba Gooding Jr. turns in a solid OJ Simpson as well).

To say, "American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson," is the best television program this year is a statement many will agree with, but due to so much quality programming existing that I did not watch, I'm sure plenty more folk would strongly disagree and state, "But about '________' show?" To such a claim I would say, I'm sure that program was stellar, but the 10 episodes we got for this show were so good I feel little could match it. Now I just worry if season 2 and whatever subject matter it tackles relating to Hurricane Katrina will be able to measure-up to how incredible this season was.

Boundless Comics Had the Best "Cheesecake" Comics This Year That Actually Are Really Entertaining--2016 in Review

Raunchy, but Actually Quite Smart Too

This is actually the most mild of 3 different styles for one variant.

I have read and discussed a number of comics from, "Boundless," lately. An imprint/sub-company of Avatar Press, "Boundless," basically publishes new versions of the, "Bad Girl," comics Avatar used to be known for but moved away from over the years. These comics have essentially been revisiting and revising old Avatar concepts, but doing them with new writers, artists, and often a surprisingly high amount of entertainment. The books will often have a large number of variant covers, with some being extremely explicit, and the comics will just as often contain copious amounts of T&A as well, but everything generally is delivered with a slight wink at the reader as the comics almost always are extremely tongue-in-cheek.

Also, it helps that sometimes the stories in the comics are quite clever, and because readers probably go into these books expecting little, when something really smart or deep occurs it is all the more impressive. For example, the #0 issue of a series (with future issues coming, I assume), "Lookers," discusses the concept of the male gaze on its first page, and how the male gaze in 2016, "Is a webcam." I don't know about you but I didn't actually learn about the male gaze until during college when I was taking courses in the Communications Department, so this comic about a web-show girl who has a sister that beats-up internet trolls is actually coming from a intriguingly intelligent place. Plus there's boobs, so that's fun.

I blacked-out the copious nudity to keep this safe-for-work.

To give another example, the comic, "Hellina," features the titular character as one of Hell's officers over an Earth where Heaven and Hell fought, and Hell won. Her title as well as some spin-offs ("The Ravening," the upcoming, "Unholy") explore this concept in-depth and make some thoughtful statements on faith as well as our allegiance to what we may fell is, "Right," or, "Sinful." Plus there is of course a ton of sex, because these books know you're reading them for great artwork, fun stories, and detailed drawings of the naked body (both male and female, don't think it is just naked ladies).

The comics that Boundless is putting out don't try to market themselves as high-brow literature--they know the audience they want to appeal to and do so with gusto--that said, these, "Cheesecake," comics often have been quite solid in their own right and during 2016 a lot of good stuff was put out. I guess sometimes you can judge a book by its (many) covers, but despite that cover the book can also be a pretty smashing read.

The Biggest Embarrassment of This Year is Huuuuge--2016 in Review

Are we though? Because this moron actually won.

When I started planning-out these, "2016 in Review," posts I was originally going to award the biggest embarrassment of 2016 to Marvel comics for yet again having a series that was supposed to come out on a reasonable schedule ("Civil War II") and yet again screwing it up as they did with their last big event, the latest, "Secret Wars," that actually straggled into 2016 for its final issue. Comic delays are small potatoes to what I feel was the biggest embarrassment in the Nation for 2016, and which will make the United States most likely an embarrassment on the World-stage. I am of course talking about--and these are words I never thought I would actually have to say--our upcoming reign of terror brought to us by President Trump.

I honestly thought he would never truly run. Then I truly thought his campaign would fizzle-out before the primaries ended. After that I honestly, truly, 100%, without a doubt thought that Trump simply could not win the Presidential Election. I figured the American people could not be that horrifically ignorant, bigoted, and awful. I was wrong. I mean, I was kind of right about the American people because the Popular Vote AKA the majority of the population who voted (so yeah), wanted Hillary Clinton to win the Presidency. Instead, due to a centuries-old process known as the Electoral College which really today serves no purpose, Donald Trump is going to be elected our next..guh...excuse me, I vomited in my mouth a little--our next President.

What cracks me up the most is all the people who thought Trump might lose were ready to protest, throw a fit, and otherwise bring us Round 2 of, "It's a sham, it's a sham, that person can't be President due to this list of conspiracy theories!" but now are all calm and saying how we need to, "Give Trump a chance, he is our President after all and deserving of respect." To them I quite calmly and politely say, "Fuck you. You insulted Obama for more than eight years, saying he was  Kenyan Muslim Terrorist who wasn't truly President. A man who had no horrific scandals, treated people with respect, and otherwise was a beacon of what we should think of when we picture someone Presidential. You replaced him with someone who said he's rich and successful enough to grab women by the pussy."

Trump is not even a decent human being and he somehow is going to be President because enough people voted against their interests for that of a Billionaire who could care less about them. The consequences of this election may very well be catastrophic (I won't say the world is literally going to end in an explosive war, but it seems more likely than ever). I have no clue what will happen to economy, social progress, or any of that. I won't stand idly by while LGBTQ people are picked-on, women are denied a right to control their body, and Muslims are potentially told to register on an ominous-sounding list. I won't be quiet, I will loudly protest and stand against this hatred, and hope you do too. I say this because Lord knows 2016 was tough, so we sure as Hell better be ready for whatever mayhem 2017 brings.

Best Mini or Maxi-Series--2016 in Review

A Shorter-Run Doesn't Mean Limited Fun

This is about actual running and not comics,
but the sentiment still works!

A mini-series generally is six issues, and a maxi-series is twelve. These rules can be played fast-and-loose with pretty easily though because I've seen plenty of mini and maxi-series that are much shorter or longer. What you would call an 11-issue series I am unsure, as that is a really long mini or a slightly-short maxi, I guess. Anyways, the book I consider the best limited-time run was initially solicited as ongoing, but then the writer, Tom King, was signed by DC to work exclusively for them. We was allowed to finish other projects however, and stated that he had pictured this one going for 12 issues--a nice little maxi-series. It was already one of my, "Weirdest comics," of 2015 when it had just started and now that it has finished here at the end of 2016 it clearly isn't just weird, it is wonderful and amazing. What is the series, you ask?

The Vision

I already have said how the 11th issue was one of my favorite single issues of the year, and I mentioned that #1 and #2 came out in 2015, but the majority of the series was released in 2016 and that amazing 11th issue was also part of an overall fascinating whole. Through his taking pieces of past stories but not requiring readers to have much of any familiarity with Vision writer Tom King brings us something new and self-contained but also unquestionably linked to the main Marvel Universe at large. The artist on the (majority) of the comic's run, Gabriel Hernandez Walta also masterfully illustrates the proceedings, with an eerie calmness permeating much of the book before the later issues bring with them a great degree of disturbances and violence. A comic about a synthezoid struggling to try to be human showed us just how tragically human we can all be for the people we love--in this case Vision's family he created in a dream of a truly, "Normal life."

If there is any real downside to the book it would be that as it does exist in the general Marvel Universe nothing too big can happen, because at the end of the day The Vision still needs to be on the team with the Avengers, and even if some characters die how about we let another writer throw his daughter, Viv, into a team book and start drastically re-writing her personality? It's sad to think Tom King made something so amazing, but because of the laws of commerce his creation then gets exploited for anything usable now that he's left Marvel and has little-to-no say over what they do with his story going forward. Some people said how this comic was a bit like, "Watchmen," for a variety of reasons. It definitely is like, "Watchmen," in that Marvel couldn't wait to start picking its original ideas clean so to incorporate it into recycled concepts--so come see Viv join the latest iteration of The Champions! This time they're all teens! At least we got these stellar 12 issues.

Best Ongoing Series--2016 in Review

The Best Ongoing Titles

I started with the best cancelled comics this year, so why not move on to ones that for now seem to have no end in sight? I mean, ongoing comic titles of course can't  run forever (in theory they can, but yeah). That said, these comics are continuing for now, and I'm pleased about that because this trio of titles all provide immense entertainment! In no particular order I present my three favorite ongoing titles of 2016....

The Fix

Yes, Nick Spencer has basically been having a public rage-filled meltdown on Twitter ever since his beloved candidate Hillary Clinton lost (and I'm horribly depressed too, but Spencer takes it to a new level), but that doesn't change the fact that occasional-misfires aside, this man can write. He and Steve Lieber have created amazing stuff before (see the cancelled, "Superior Foes of Spider-Man" for proof of that) and, "The Fix," without a doubt impresses. A darkly hilarious story about two corrupt and awful--yet still somehow sympathetic--cops who get embroiled in drug trafficking, celebrity murders, and fiasco after fiasco when all they want is the simpler things in life--being rich and famous. It feels like this comic has been delayed off-and-on, but when the result is something this funny and gorgeously-drawn, I can excuse some occasional tardiness.

Deathstroke

I don't think it can be said enough times that Christopher Priest deserves a lot more respect, credit, and love from comic fans and the comic-book industry. On the scene for decades before basically quitting to do other work, Priest hadn't really been doing much with comics lately (occasional little thing here-or-there aside) and then DC came calling. As the story goes at first they offered him the chance to write Cyborg and he said, "No," because he was sick of being a creator who seemed to only be offered black characters (Priest is black). Then DC said, "How about Deathstroke?" and once he learned  Deathstroke wasn't black, he was interested. The result since then has been pure awesomesauce. Priest has taken a character I will happily tell you I never cared about and given us issue-after-issue of action, humor, drama, and the kind character-development I didn't even think Deathstroke was capable of but someone as skilled as Priest was able to deliver. Priest is one of those creators who shines on basically any property he is assigned. Whatever series that could have lured him back into working on ongoing comics was bound to great, and his stellar work upon, "Deathstroke," is proof of that.

Moon Knight

Jeff Lemire's take on, "Moon Knight," took a little bit to really get rolling, but around issue 5 it just started firing on all cylinders. Arguably one of the coolest aspects of the comic lately has been how depending on what personality/mindset/reality we are seeing for Marc Spector the artwork of the comic will change. You've got different (highly skilled) art-talents providing illustrations for as Marc handles all these different parts of him fighting for control of his conscious. Whether he's fighting werewolves on the Moon, directing a movie about Moon Knight as Steven Grant, driving as Taxi as Jake Lockley, or trying to get a grip on all these pieces of his psyche as his base-self. It has been a wild ride up through issue #9 and things don't look to be slowing down much, even if the jumping-around of art-styles maybe has concluded for a bit with the main artist earlier on--Greg Smallwood--retaking the reigns for the book. Between masterful illustration and stellar writing from Lemire, this is a good time to be an obsessive fan of Moon Knight like your's truly.

More Magic in 2017?

The question of course now is if these books can continue creating magic as we enter into 2017. I sure hope they continue to impress as much as they have and look forward to more and more stellar issues!