2008 - Year of Living Dangerously

2008 went by pretty quickly, it seems like I just woke up with my first hangover of the year on January 1st last week. So much happened in such a short time, more beer than the year previous, new opportunities and now preparing for 2009. But before that happens, I want to take a look back at the last 12 months and pick out my favorite things. You may disagree with me, but hey, that's why they call me Steve Danger (it's not like I picked that name myself or anything).

Best Comic Series
WINNER: Action Comics
This one was a huge toss up between Green Lantern and Action Comics; like no other year before was I so engrossed by the story lines. But in the end I had to give it to Action Comics; The GL team hit it huge with Sinestro Corps War, but lost me a bit afterwards until Secret Origins, while Action Comics kept me coming back month after month starting with Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes, through the single shot villains revamps, right into the current New Krypton this book has just been better and better each of these 12 issues.

Honorable Mentions

• Green Lantern - DC
• Thor - Marvel
• Invincible - Image

Best Single Comic
WINNER: Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #1
I re-read this one three times the day I got it. It's still not to far away from me at anytime just so I can grab it again and re-read it. Why is it the best for me? Under Geoff John's pen any virgin to the Legion or DC Comics reader for that matter can pick this one up and follow along, it sets everything up neatly and there are no less than four holy shit! moments. Not to mention George Perez's awesome artwork.

Honorable Mentions

• Final Crisis #1
• Green Lantern #25
• Blue Beetle #24

Best Comic Company
WINNER: DC COMICS
Anyone who knows me knows there is no other answer. The honest truth is that I've picked up at least six DC books per month, plus a pile of trades this year, while others I might have only picked up one or two books per month. As well as their Vertigo and ABC line of books that I absolutely love.

Honorable Mentions

• Marvel Comics
• Image Comics
• Archie Comics (yes, I still read Archie)

Best Comic Movie
WINNER: The Dark Knight
This movie was just too good to award it to anyone else. The only other real contender was Iron Man in level of "good movie" or "done right". Ok, that's a lie, I really only enjoyed the Joker and Two-Face parts, but even if you were to cut out absolutely everything else out and left just the villain parts it still would have beat the pants off of the other movies this summer.

Honorable Mentions

• Iron Man
• Hellboy 2
• Incredible Hulk

Best Action Movie
WINNER: Pineapple Express
You don't think this is an action movie? Check out the body count, the explosions, the flying bullets and the ever epic move "DEATH FROM ABOVE!" There were three movies this summer I watched more than once in theaters, Dark Knight, Hancock and this one, but to be fair the second viewing of Hancock wasn't my choice of movie but I wasn't paying for the ticket so I had no problems with seeing it again.

Honorable Mentions

• Cloverfield
• Tropic Thunder
• Hancock

Best Animated Movie
WINNER: Kung-Fu Panda
Kung-Fu Panda had it all, Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, a great plot (if even just uses the old formula) the animation was absolutely superb, the jokes were good and it was an all around family friendly feel good movie. Sha-doosh.

Honorable Mentions

• JLA: New Frontier
• Superman: Doomsday
• Batman: Gotham Knight

Best Video Game
WINNER: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
I'm not much of a gamer, so you can argue this all you want. But out of all the games I played this year (maybe 10 or 12) I kept coming back to this one, even going as far as playing it on single player mode. I've used every character only real complaint was the lack of hidden characters. My favorites to use are Liu Kang, Captain Marvel and the Joker.

Honorable Mentions

• Guitar Hero: World Tour
• Rockband 2
• Rockband: AC/DC Live

Best Television Show
WINNER: My Name is Earl
This is the one show I make sure to catch every single week and gone so far as to have boughten the first two seasons on DVD and plan on picking up the 3rd as soon as possible. From Earl and Randy to all the other residents of Camden County this show keeps me in stitches. The only complaint? The 2008 US Election (you must remember it) just happened to be on a Thursday this year... which meant no Earl. I was sad.

Honorable Mentions

• Supernatural
• Heroes
• Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles

Best Cartoon Series
WINNER: Robot Chicken
This show is great. I watch it generally at night, there's not a whole lot else on, but hey, even if there was, I'd probably watch this. Some of the material makes you laugh enough to almost piss yourself, or enough to gross you out a little bit, but at the end of the day it's a great show that keeps me coming back for more.

Honorable Mentions

• The Simpson's
• Batman: The Brave and the Bold
• Moral Orel

And those are Steve Danger's picks of 2008. What were yours?

Rock on!
Steve Danger