The Ten Best Ongoing Comic Series of 2011

/ / Top Tens & Lists

2011 turned out to be a pretty good year for comics. This list takes a look at the best ongoing titles of the year (that means no mini-series or series released only as a graphic novel). To make the list each title had have at least four issues before the close of 2011. DC Comics leads my list with five titles (however, only one is still in print), Marvel comes in second with two of the best titles of the year, and then we throw in a rabbit ronin, a crime-fighting mallard, and a foursome of fearsome turtle power.

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Coming Soon

/ / Film News & Trailers
  • Title: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  • IMDB: link

It may still be a year away, but we now have our first trailer for director Peter Jackson‘s return to Middle Earth in the first-half of the new movie adaptation of The Hobbit. Martin Freeman stars as Bilbo Baggins who is tricked by Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to join the quest of twelve dwarves (Richard Armitage, Graham McTavish, Ken Stott, Aidan Turner, Dean O’Gorman, Mark Hadlow, Adam Brown, John Callen, William Kircher, Peter Hambleton, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter) into the Misty Mountains to retrieve their treasure from the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch). Several LoTR alums reprise their roles in the new film including Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchett, and Ian Holm. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens in theaters on December 14, 2012.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #4

/ / Comics

btvs-season-nine-4-coverFreefall, the first story arc of Buffy Season Nine, comes to an end as Buffy Summers squares off against the Siphon. In a trend that has continued through four issues (perhaps as a reverse nod to the Star Trek movie franchise?) the odd-numbered issues have been better than the even-numbered ones.

Although issue #4 isn’t bad, it does have a few problems including some sketchy art by Georges Jeanty. Buffy comes out looking like the Slayer we know and love, but many of the supporting characters only vaguely resenble their television counterparts (Xander and Dawn especially).

I’m also very mixed on the comic’s conclusion. Buffy being saved by the police at the last minute might get her out of immediate legal trouble (although there still is that whole “is slaying murder” issue left to be resolved), but it sure comes off anticlimactic when your super-heroine has to be saved by a guy with a gun. Hit-and-Miss.

[Dark Horse, $2.99]

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Batman and Robin #4

/ / Comics

batman-and-robin-new-52-4-coverAlthough I’m still disappointed that Damian has been rebooted back into the little shit he was when he was first introduced (basically erasing all the progress the character had made working with Dick Grayson and Stephanie Brown) I will give writer Peter J. Tomasi credit for finding a way to play on the character’s insecurity and rebellious nature.

One of the things Batman and Robin has done well is to give us a Batman from his son’s perspective. As the reader we know why Batman is protecting and sheilding Damian from certain things, but from his perspective it looks like Batman is a stubborn ass.

I’m less thrilled with Nobody and his connection with Henri Ducard. Although he does offer Damian a tempataion, we know, despite all his flaws, Damian isn’t likely to give into his baser desires this early in the New 52. This means despite being handled with some skill (although the opening diatribe in the drive-in is pretty awful) this arc ultimately has nowhere to go. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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Coming Soon

/ / Film News & Trailers
  • Title: The Dark Knight Rises
  • IMDB: link

The first trailer for The Dark Knight Rises hit the interwebs earlier this week and left us a bit… underwhelmed. Maybe it’s just me, but don’t you want to see Batman in a trailer for a Batman movie? Christopher Nolan‘s third and final Bat-film introduces Bane (Tom Hardy) and Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) into the mix forcing Batman (Christian Bale) out of retirement eight years after the death of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Juno Temple, and Josh Pence (as a young Ra’s al Ghul) also star. The Dark Knight Rises on July 20th.

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