2012 Recap: Top 5 movies of 2012

Like everything on this site it is my opinion so don't be mad if any movie on this list isn't the same as your list.

5. Cloud Atlas: Just an amazing film combining 6 different genres into one fantastic film that crosses time, gender, and race. With a handful of key cast members that keep the movie pulled together. It's a 3 hour movie, and for me, the first hour I was left wondering what's going on, second hour was 'okay, I get whats going on, but how does this all connect?', and the final hour of the film I was left thinking 'wow they made this work. This is just freaking amazing. Bravo!'

4.Moonrise Kingdom: Now I'm a sucker for Wes Anderson films, and this one is no exception. It is an adorable story that makes you feel like a kid in love for the first time again. Adorable, quirky, and full of heart. A must see, and easily one of my top Wes Anderson films too.

3. The Dark Knight Rises: Now I know that some critics are saying that this isn't a good movie, and that I say "you're effing crazy!". The Dark Knight Rises is a compelling conclusion to the Nolan Batman trilogy that ties in aspect from all the films and brings in the most continuity from the comics that we have seen thus far in the Batman movies. Further it was a great coming home story that bring Bruce Wayne's life full circle. Very few expected to see this movie do better than The Dark Knight (and from a box office stand point it didn't) but from a story aspect it did. At no point in my multiple views of this film did I ever think that the movie was 45 minutes too long, a complaint I have found to be quite common with The Dark Knight.

2. Dredd 3D: This has to be the first 3D movie I have ever enjoyed having seen it in 3D. This was a movie that made me go out and get the collected editions of Dredd just so I could get more of the character. Honestly this was a balls out amazing action film that is only surpassed by one other movie this year. As well as being an amazing action movie it has decent story, and has to be the best comic book adaptation this year.

1. Django Unchained: This has to be my top movie of the year. With over the top action and violence and taking on the subject matter of pre-cival war slavery issues in the south done with humour and humanization of all the characters I say bravo Quentin Tarantino. They casting was amazing and calls for multiple Oscar nominations for the lead cast. This was a movie that knocked it out of the park and everyone should see.

2012 Recap: Top 5 Titles of 2012

So the year is coming to an end and it time to look back over the year and see what new released titles of 2012 I really enjoyed. So lets start this off with...

5. Batman, Incorporated (DC Comics): Now this is kind of a cheat, and we wont see it on many best of lists for the year because it is the second volume of Grant Morrison's Batman, Incorporated work. I know I have said this time and time again, but I'm a big fan of Mr. Morrison's work (especially with Batman), and if I was doing a top 10 list we would see his dive into creator owned with with Image's Happy. This Batman title is continuing with a lot of what he did back in the pre-New 52 relaunch. The inclusion Chris Burnham art has just made the title ten times better. It's great and I can't wait to see this collected with the first volume of it.

4. Thor God of Thunder (Marvel): This isn't a title I've talked a lot about on here, but it is one of the most amazing and well plotted titles of Marvel NOW. The idea of watching Thor from three points in time (youth, present, and all father Thor) just strikes a cord with me. How will the events with the Butcher lead to Thor being the last in Asgard? Jason Aaron over the last 2 years has become one of my favourite comic book writers, and here he is bound to deliver an amazing story.

3. The Manhattan Project (Image): 2012 was the year of Image. They just knocked it out of the park with their twentieth anniversary of the creator owned publisher and some of the most amazing titles to come out in years. One of the titles being The Manhattan Project by Jonathan Hickman, an alternate history of the Cold War arms race is giving us an amazing story with aliens, cyborgs, alternate earths, and so much more. This is a must read title.

2. Avengers (Marvel): So far we have only seen two issues of this title, but both of them were just amazing. I am more placing this title here for the potential it has with Johnathan Hickman helming the title, and after seeing the expansiveness that he gave us in Fantastic Four and FF as well as his work over at Image this is going to be a title to watch in 2013 as it is bound to give us some amazing story telling.

1 Saga (Image): I've already spoken on 2012 being the year of Image, and that just is made more clear by the amazing title that is Saga. I really don't know how to put in words how great the BKV space Romeo and Juliet story has been., and it is just complimented by the beautiful Fiona Staples art. I've said this so many times before, but get your eyes reading this asap. This wasn't even a title I was going to read originally, but I tried it and I was hooked.

Top 5 Comics (12-12-12)

Been awhile since I've done one of these, it has been some crazy times for me since I last did a top 5 comics list but enough of this crazy nonsense lets get to some comics.

5. Scarlet Spider #12 (Marvel Comics): It's the beginning of a new story, with the events of Minimum Carnage behind us what does this mean for Kain? With it being the beginning of a new story this should be a great hopping on point for the comic. It has been one of the more fun titles of the last bit, and if you haven't been reading it do yourself the favour and check it out.

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #17 (IDW): This title has been on my list several times in the past, but not so much lately, but not for it dipping in quality I just have been back burnering it since it is one of those titles I really enjoy and so I've been savoring the read. So now that I'm all caught up times look exciting and interesting for the Turtles.

3. Batman #15 (DC Comics): This is the only DC Comics title I'm picking up this week. The Death of the Family story has kind of been a miss for me, but I'm still interested in how it plays out. Scott Snyder does has an extremely creepy way of writing the Joker which I do like, but over all the story since the last two issue of Court of Owls has been kinda not as exciting as I would hope. Maybe the problem is more with me and a general feeling of blah with DC in general, and thus making it hard for me to enjoy much of anything from them.

2. Avengers Assemble #10 (Marvel Comics): SCIENCE BROS!!! This is the second issue of Kelly Sue DeConnick on Avengers Assemble and if her first issue (and work on Captain Marvel) is any indicator of what to expect from this title I'm going to be on for the long haul of the title. It has just been filled with fun little character pieces that give us something exciting and fun.

1. Iron Man #4 (Marvel Comics): Iron Man has been one of my favourite titles to come out of the Marvel NOW relaunch. Up until now I've never really read any Iron Man stories out side of the Avengers titles, and now I look forward to every issue of this title that comes out. New suite and equipment every issue to help Tony hunt down Extremis. Go to your lcs or comixology and get caught up on this title, it is pure wonderful comic book story telling.

A Funko Fanboy's Dream

There are few things in pop culture and geek culture that haven't already received the Funko Pop vinyl figure treatment. DC and Marvel superheroes started this great trend off, which was made its way into Star Wars, Disney, and so much more. Now it's starting to make its way into more wonderful franchises, like; The Walking Dead, The Hobbit, Adventure Time, Sponge Bob, Game of Thrones, and even He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. So today I am going to go over some franchises I would love to see get the Funko Pop vinyl figure treatment.

So to start this off I want to talk about the franchise that inspired me to write this article, that being the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. What I would give to see the Turtles as cute little vinyl figures, but it could go on to be so much more than just our four favourite pizza eating shelled heroes. I would love to see a whole series done with Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, Splinter, Shredder, Krang, April O'Neil, Casey Jones, Bebop, Rocksteady, and a Foot Clan Ninja. Of course I would expect these to be broken up over two waves of figure release, but I would still buy up every single one of them. This would also give them plenty of other characters to use for Con exclusives like, Miyamoto Usagi, Leatherhead, Hamato Yoshi, and Venus to name a few.

Another franchise I would love to see get this treatment is of course Ghostbusters. Of course we would have Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore, but as well as Slimer (which is totally do able just from looking at the Lumpy Space Princess figure), Stay Puft Marshmallow Man (giant size or regular sized), Zuul and Vinz Clotho (both in human possession forms and in demon forms), and of course Gozer. Again this would be a series that I would buy up every one of the figures.

The final series I would like to see is one already coming, but would love to see have more built onto it. That series being the aforementioned He-Man and the Master of the Universe franchise. There are so many great He-Man characters for them to come out with, I would love to see. Unlike the other two franchises I've mentioned I'm not going to list off any characters that would make for great vinyl figures, since we all know that all the characters have made for great action figures and the vinyl treatment would just make them all cuter. But I will end this by saying they better make a Orko figure eventually.