It has been a few years since I have done one of these, but here are a few of my favorite things, Enjoy!

BEST ONGOING COMICS SERIES

Birds Of Prey – Kelly Thompson has ben on a tear with these characters , rather than put them in familiar situations, she capitalizes on what makes each of the core team members so magnetic, leaving fans wanting more.

Killadelphia – Rodney Barnes seems to top himself with every new story arc on this rewriting of history as we know it.

Mask of Haliya – this independent comic book which I had the pleasure of reviewing, is one which many Filipino American will see themselves in, while noticing how the series uses our collective belief in everything supernatural.

Enfield Gang Massacre – an old school Western which delves into the “ man on a run” genre, while showing readers exactly why this genre was so beloved in literature and film

Peacemaker Tries Hard! – this otherwise forgotten character got new life because of James Gunn and this series proves why he has staying power, leaning into all the 80s tropes which makes him so lovable.

Star Wars: Dark Droids – a story which uses the otherwise background characters in Star Wars in what would slowly become the rumblings a revolution.

Phantom Road– a different take on zombies while adding another chapter to the lone drifter genre.

Green Lantern – probably my favorite run of this series, where all the creators are at the top of their game, giving a Hal Jordan we have not seen until now.

Miracleman: The Silver Age – Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham create a masterpiece in storytelling, while blazing new roads within the context of the era.

Barnstormers – in anticipation of the upcoming Masters Of The Air, this series serves as an excellent primer, but with female protagonists in a stirring story.

Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham -In a different vision of the Caped Crusader, one that remixes him for a different generation and jumps on the fanfare of  the latest Batman film.

Somna – an effectively creepy story which touches on the fear of witchcraft while serving the reader, a strong female protagonist.

Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville – an entertaining book which taps on the teenage energy of its main characters.

Immortal Thor – a story which masterfully blends the comic book and classic Nordic origins of this iconic character, while remembering to tell a great story.

W0rldtr33 – there is nothing like this book from Image and James Tynion IV,, as it massively creepy while giving readers scare jumps at every page turn

Avengers Inc – I can say I normally don’t like any of the Avengers comics, but this one by Al Ewing and Leonard Kirk, has given this franchise new blood in ways we will convert new readers.

Kill Your Darlings – another universe jumping story which reminds me of Kindred, but with witches.

Local Man – a story about what happens when superheroes get cancelled and what happens next.

Wonder Woman – Tom King and Daniel Sampere, do some fine work with Diana, offering reader a fresh view of this icon.

The Incredible Hulk – this series feels like what the 1^st Rambo movie felt like, true horror.

BEST GRAPHIC NOVELS

We Are Not Strangers – I had to the pleasure of reviewing this book and interviewing the creator, a true story that is best viewed through the prism of of comics and Tuininga is in rare form here.

Blacula: Return Of The King – a new story of a Blaxploitation icon, not only rewrites what we know of him but reinvigorates the character and show why Rodney Barnes is a master storyteller.

Carmilla: The First Vampire – Amy Chu nd Soo Lee is in rare form as they dives into the dngers of gentrification while adding a different type of vampire into the canon.

Where The Body Was – Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips do not disappoint inanother potboiler thatshows they do crime noir better than most.

The Talk – Darrin Bell gibes in great detail his history of what is to be Black man and how the outside world sees him and people like him.

Roaming – Jillian and Mariko Tamaki offer an interesting tale of visitng New York City in a brilliant outsider view.

Mexikid – this book shows how it is to belong to more than one culture and how ften those of us live in it , find joy and pain within it.

Bonding – a love story which involves two broken people and a society where slugs determine compatibility, offers a fresh take on the romance.

The Sea In You – this twist on the  Little Mermaid is a must read for everyone.

Hungry Ghost – a sobering tale of one woman’s fight  with bulimia.

Queenie: Godmother Of Harlem – a fascinating true story of one of the first gangsters who endured hell and high water to becoming one of the powerful women in Harlem

BEST COLLECTED STORY ARCS

Wonder Woman Historia:  The Amazons –  one of the first titles announced when the DC Black Label imprint was revealed,  it has become a standard bearer for the rest of the line, showing exactly why DC diehards are right to believe in the brand.

Monarch – in another yarn by Rodney Barnes, we get the American version of Attack The Block, this time in Compton, in a gripping tale.

The Department Of Truth;:The Comp Conspiracy Deluxe HC Volume1 – this collection has the first 3 arcs of this secret organization in charge of blurring the liens between truth and fiction when it comes to conspiracy theories

IZombie: The Complete Series Omnibus – this collection houses every single issue, and show just how different the show was from the comic book.

Giga: The Complete Series – a dystopian story which centers around fallen gods and people ravaged by war.

BEST TV SHOWS

RoboDoc – an excellent examination of why the Robocop franchise has lasying power, and just jow ahead of its time it was

What If – one of the best shows in the MCU returned in one of its best seasons yet, giving long time fans of the orginal comic book series, a season worth savoring, as there has not one dud in the bunch .

Loki – the show returned to bookend the main character’s story arc in heartbreaking fashion, leaving fans with their hearts full in a collective gasp of what is to come with next MCU Phase.

One Piece(live action) – as a casual fan of the anime I was skeptical of the adaptation since Netflix has a low bating record in this regard, but they found the magic formula with this one, as it got he heart of the story in spades.

The Fall Of The House Of Usher – ever since Flanagan did Gerald’s Game , I have been a huge fan of his work, and this latest and sadly, last for Netflix, does not disappoint, as not only is the story is hitting on all cylinders but the cast is just as stellar.

Warrior – having been a fan since it was on Cinemax, this latest seasons dwarf the first two, even pulling in martial arts legend, Mark Dacascos into the mix. and although it ultimately got canceled by Max, it will see new life on syndication Netflix, hopefully we can get a 4^th season .

Invincible– the show returned a few weeks ago to deliver its first half of its second season, one that has gone where most superhero shows have not gone before, the moral complexity of family politics.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – simply the best of the Star Trek franchise hows on air right now, as it bridges the gap between old school and new school fans, to deliver something both nostalgic and refreshing.

Shrinking – a brilliant Chuck Lorre show which maximizes the comedic talents of Jason Segal, Jessica Williams and Harrison Ford, who shows his versatility as an actor

Slow Horses – the best spy show on TV, possibly ever, as it does not take itself too seriously but has real world stakes and offers some very relatable characters , offering all the suspense of the Bond films without all the gloss.

Changeling – a frightening retelling of a Lovecraftian tale told through the prism of whom it was not intended for, as the narrator fo the show just so happens to be the author

Black Cake – a family drama that examines race, secrets, hidden lives and self-discovery through generations of one family and their repeating of of the original sin.

What We Do In The Shadows – this satirical Office like show about vampires nd their world, dives deeper into what made the film such a delight, sadly it will end its run with upcoming sixth season.

Reservation Dogs – this show was debasingly under watched and underrated, as it had a lot to say, whilst through the voice of comedy

Beef – a show which gets clss divide and race in a way most shows could not in a community that rarely get this microscope, Asian America.

Gen V – one of the best shows Amazon has ever done, as it was no mere spinoff of The Boys, but a whole new story that connects to the bigger Boys universe.

Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters – a show  that more than delivers , as it puts on a master class on world building, giving viewers another side of the organization who defends Earth against these monsters.

The Other Black Girl – a show based on the book that is somewhere between get Out and Single White Female, that is funny, contemplative and full of horror tropes

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off – a show that no only returned the original cast but expanded the sotry, as I have a friends who read the manga that spoke to how this series was the truest to the orginal story.

Blue Eye Samurai – a TV show that combines what fans love about anime while examining race, class and colonialism

BEST MOVIES

Shin Kamen Rider( titled in the US-Shin Masked Rider) – a superhero movie that upgraded the genre , as it truly gets the sinner turmoil that most of the big budgets don’t seem to convey as well as this film, with the action to match.

They Cloned Tyrone – in a movie that would have easily fell into stereotypical tropes , this one went even further than Get Out did in examining societal ills and the class divide.

Polite Society – A movie that combines fantasy with real life, we get something  between Regency romances and Bollywood dramas, an action packed movie from beginning to end, a must see.

Suitable Flesh – a frightening horror movie that will remind many of Denzel Washington’s Fallen, but will leave viewers even more disturbed than that seminal film.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – as a lifelong fan of TMNT, this movie is the ultimate fanboy love letter, as it gets why people love this franchise.

John Wick Chapter 4 – in a franchise that seems to not die, to the delight of move fans, this action movie more than delivers on th e story and action ends.

Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse – this movie is why comic book fans love alternate universes, the endless possibilities that a character(s) may go and this is the closest we have ever seen on screen.

Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny – a fine farewell from Harrison Ford as the titular character and probably the most contemplative examination of age.

M3GAN – this movie was not only scary but it fused the fear of AI and toy dolls into an effective horror film.

Evil Dead Rise – an Evil Dead movie without Bruce Campbell? I was not sure of this one but it worked so well, as it was at times funny, but mostly, it did what horror movies should always do, scare.

Scream VI –  this is the best movie of the franchise so far, as it digs into what makes so good, the moral complexity of the villain.

Totally Killer – definitely one of the most entertaining films of the year , combining sci-fi and horror into a movie which will remind viewers of Back To The Future  but with a serial killer

Still: A  Michael J.Fox Movie – a movie that is meta and conversational, it gives a rare view of its subject.

A Million Miles Away – the true story the first “migrant farmer to go to space” Jose Hernandez, is both affecting and hopeful. 

Air– the true story of how Nike landed Michael Jordan is surprisingly thrilling and will open your eyes to just cutthroat their business is.

Extraction II – Chris Hemsworth returns in this Netflix franchise feels like if the 24 TV show and Crank movies had a baby, and it never disappoints the viewer

The Burial – another true story which gets into another industry that robs millions of people, funeral homes.

Guardian Of the Galaxy Volume 3 – James Gunn’s swan song to the MCU, is the best of the 3 films and gives a sendoff that will have fans choking back tears.

Cocaine Bear – a true story, which was funny, scary and action packed while also delivering one of Ray Liotta’s finest final performances

No Hard Feelings – a throwback to raunchy teen movies where Jennifer Lawrence gets to flex her comedic chops while  delivering a true protagonist evolution