Time for another year in review post... This time for the year 2012~! It's been a stellar year for movies, comics, games, and yes even music, and there's a lot I'd like to nominate from the circle of great choices that have made this a memorable time for all things popculture.
Now, before we sign off 2012 and get to the picks, here's a Happy New Year greeting to you all!
COMICS: Batman - Death of the Family
Still ongoing at the moment but promising to spiral down into a story Batfans will never forget, Scott Snyder has followed up on his epic "Court of Owls" run of The New 52 Batman series with the return of The Dark Knight's epic nemesis The Joker in a very sinister and gruesome form. Last seen in the pages of last year's relaunch of Detective Comics #1, the Clown Prince of Crime had his face removed and has finally returned... Targeting Batman and his allies in a way that will change them forever when all is said and done. This is sure to be a classic fans will never forget!
MOVIES: The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises
This is a tie, certainly because one ushered in the BIGGEST blockbuster superhero team-up movie ever and the FINAL CHAPTER of Christopher Nolan's epic Dark Knight Trilogy! Both movies took in a lot of Box Office Returns for 2012, but The Avengers clearly stood out on top between the two thanks to the sheer number of heroes gathered in the film.
On the other hand, The Dark Knight Rises also wrapped up the trilogy pretty well... A feat rarely accomplished by most superhero movies. The tale of Bruce Wayne's journey was weaved together well by Nolan and his team, and it will certainly go down as one of the best superhero movie adaptations ever based on realism and detail.
ANIMATED MOVIE: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part I
Long awaited and highly anticipated an animated adaptation, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part I certainly gave comic book fans who remember Frank Miller's seminal work a good treat of finally seeing an aged Batman returning from a 10 year self-imposed retirement to fight crime once more. It's missing some of the dialogue from the books that made it noteworthy but it's still fun as heck, especially with casting legendary Robocop actor Peter Weller as Bruce Wayne/ Batman! January will see Part II out in the market, and if you get a chance to pick this up in home video, do so.
GAMES: The Walkind Dead: The Game
Nominated as "Game of the Year" at this year's Spike TV Video Game Awards, I only recently played and finished the retail edition of The Walking Dead: The Game, and I can totally see why it earned that award hook, line, and sinker. Telltale games has crafted a compelling tale that tests your choices, your humanity, and how you can survive the zombie apocalypse with a band of other survivors and a little girl under your care. It's worth checking out, and very easy to play at that. In fact, the first episode that makes up this 5 episode season is free for the iOS and Xbox Live Marketplace.
TV SERIES: The Walking Dead - Season 3 and Arrow
Still at its mid-season hiatus, The newest season of The Walking Dead has proven that it has comeback strong and hard in presenting an action-packed drama full of zombies and humanity going head-to-head amidst the apocalypse. Rick Grimes and crew face tougher choices this season, and it's sure to be a memorable ride once it returns this February.
Arrow, the CW's newest superhero show based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, feels a lot like Smallville and Batman Begins meets Lost, with Oliver Queen coming back to his hometown of Starling City and cleaning up crime based on a list his father gave to him. It's also on mid-season break til January, and is chalk full of guest appearances by other DC Characters that make this a good comic book show to check out.
MUSIC: Gangnam Style by PSY
Gangnam Style - PSY
I think it's pretty much self-explanatory why this became the music pick of 2012... PSY has exploded everywhere... A billion hits in YouTube!
And that wraps up what I like about 2012! Happy New Year, and looking forward to 2013!
Come late August, Capcom's signature Survival Horror series Resident Evil (aka Bio Hazard in Japan) turns 15 years old. To celebrate, they are releasing fans like myself will be definitely hunger for... A collector's edition box set that features rereleases of Resident Evil Director's Cut, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis/ Last Escape, and this September's Resident Evil: Survival Selection (an HD rerelease of Resident Evil: Code Veronica and Resident Evil 4 for the PS3), coupled together with soundtracks for RE: CV and RE:4, as well as stickers and pins for S.T.A.R.S and Umbrella to commemorate Resident EVil's 15th anniversary! You can see the entire set in the above pic, so you have an idea how enormous this package is and how diehard RE fanatics are savoring it. For more info, check out the source posts at Kotaku and Capcom Japan's online store! This limited edition release will be available starting September 8!
20 years ago, a blue and "way past cool" hedgehog came into my video game life and filled my Sega Genesis/ Mega Drive days with fun and awesomeness. I'll never forget the first time I held up that black controller with a D-Pad and three buttons and took this game for a spin (literally). It played very much like Nintendo's own Super Mario Bros. being that it was a side-scrolling game and the main character hopped and attacked enemies, but it had its own unique dynamic in the sense that speed was your friend and you collected rings that served as your "life bar". The fun factor, simplicity, and melodic soundtrack of this game proved to be very much addicting, and I wasn't surprised that it went on to become a flagship title for the 16-bit system during the "Console War" years, eventually spawning a franchise that has endured to this very day.
Seeing this over at Kotaku, I can just imagine and feel the excitement building up for Tekken fans waiting for this package! Bandai Namco is going to grace its fanbase with a combo release like no other: Tekken Hybrid! This special edition Blu-Ray disc will include the 3D release of the CG animated movie Tekken: Blood Vengeance, and will also deliver some High Definition nostalgic gaming in the rereleased for of Tekken Tag Tournament HD! Check out the trailer and see for yourselves how awesome this package is going to be... and it's exclusive to PS3!
Via a post in Kotaku, Ubisoft officially reveals what their next game, Assassin's Creed Revelations, is all about. Picking up where Brotherhood left off, an older Ezio travels to Constantinople in a journey of self-discovery and revelation, taking on the Templar order based on that region who have sinister plans up their sleeves. It's also a safe bet that we'll be seeing his descendant Desmond Miles return, as the last game presented a cliffhanger ending that should definitely be resolved in this one once and for all. Multiplayer will also be making a return with new modes and characters to use, so this should bring a nice end to the Ezio Auditore trilogy of the Assassin Creed series! For more info, check out the source post at Kotaku!
Ever wondered what "Angry Birds" would look like if it made the transition to the big screen? That's exactly what Rooster Teeth did when they made this faux trailer short, turning the hyper addicting slingshot type mobile game into a live action drama that'll definitely put smiles to a lot of peoples faces.A familiar Hollywood name appears in the "credits" too, and it was kinda spoiled on the Kotaku post I saw this clip in. Check the video on the player below, courtesy of the official Rooster Teeth You Tube Channel.
In anticipation of next week's long awaited release, Capcom has released a new Japanese Television Ad for their newest fighting game brawler, Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, featuring a young girl who has doubts about heroes existing in this world, plus the official Japanese song to the game "Fact"! Check it out below, courtesy of the guys at Capcom and Shoryuken!