Tops of ‘12

-Nik

            As I sit here alone (Raven is downstate visiting the family), drinking Sam Adams Winter Lager, listening to the Americana radio station on Pandora, I realize that the end of the year is a nigh two days hence. Thus, like most people who’ve not accomplished all they’d’ve liked to in the past year, I reflect. And so, I present to you my favorites of 2012.

Book - The Rise of Ransom City – Felix Gilman (11/27/12)

            I have to admit, I haven’t even read this yet. But, it is the long-anticipated sequel to the best book that I’ve read. In my entire life. No kidding. Chances are you haven’t read it, so get out there and pick up The Half-Made World. It is a gritty, sexy, phenomenally written steampunk western. Gilman’s writing is raw and real, and the world he creates, along with the lore and credible existence of some things that could very easily become absurd, puts this book on the top of my list. The steampunk is just enough, as is the western, neither of which is shoved down your throat. Those are more simple trifles compared to the characters and over-all story. I love how human his characters are, their flaws evident in their presentation, making you feel for them far more than if they were perfect. Once I finish the book I’m reading currently, Ransom City is next on my list, and I look so forward to it.

Movie - Cabin in the Woods – Joss Whedon (4/13/12)

            The brilliant mind behind so much nerdy (if you haven’t seen Firefly, Serenity, or Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog, you should be ashamed of yourself), has graced us with a truly amazing horror flick for our generation. The dialogue is hilarious (true Whedon dialogue), the story is just campy enough to be tongue-in-cheek, and it pays an honest and creative homage to all horror movies that came before it. Plus, the twist in the end is really quite brilliant, making it one of the very few movies that had me surprised at the end, my guesses being wrong the whole time. It’s not available for streaming yet, but if you have the physical dvd option of Netflix, I definitely urge you to check it out. It is a true work of cinematic art in a time when we’re stuck with old, fat, washed-up action stars all piling into one movie just to make a buck.

Album - Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon  - Murder By Death (9/25/12)

            It was a close one here, almost tied with Mumford & Sons’s Babel, but I gotta go with MBD for the win. These grungy, folky, Cash-esque rockers released their sixth studio album with the help of kickstarter this year, and it did not disappoint. I love the way that each one of their albums has had a different sound, and each successive one shows how much they’ve grown and evolved in their sound. I was first introduced to MBD with this song, so if you like it, look into more. That song is from In Bocca al Lupo, their 4^th studio album. I would look into that one, Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon, and Good Morning, Magpie (#5) for your first real exposure, then, if you really like them, look into their earlier stuff. It gets harder, gruffer, darker, but it’s oh-so good. I love the unique sound that Adam Turla’s voice brings, and I’m always a sucker for Sarah Balliet’s cello.

Comic - Saga – Brian K. Vaughan (3/14/12)

            Now, I know Matt was rather unkind to Saga in his review here, but I really have to say, starting from issue one (and it’s only at 8 now), this comic is one of the most original, well-written and drawn comics that I’ve yet to read. Vaughan (of The Runaways fame, among other things) gives us a unique story in a brilliantly crafted universe, always giving us just enough information to keep us wanting more while still sating our burning curiosity that is rekindled after each issue. Think of it, in the absolute simplest of terms, as Romeo & Juliet in space. Now, put in bounty hunters, aliens, a cat that can tell if you’re lying, ghosts, giants with huge, pendulous units, spaceships made of wood, and magic, and you’ve got an amazing story that can only get better with each chapter. It’s not too late, pick it up.

Video Game - Halo 4 – 343 Studios (11/6/12)

            The long-awaited, highly-anticipated quadrequel (fourth sequel, wha?) hit the shelves just in time for the holidays. I haven’t played a whole lot of the campaign, but who buys Halo for single player? The multi-player is the best yet, carrying on in the amazing blast-the-shit-out-of-your-friends tradition established by the predecessors in the title. The most noteworthy thing about the game, however, is the graphics. Halo 3 came out in 2007, and the graphics there were on par with most other high-standard xbox 360 games at the time, but 4 puts them to shame. They reskinned all of the aliens, which came as a bit of a shock at first, because you get used to them running around, almost cartoony, but very shortly you grow accustomed the incredibly successful transition into, for lack of a better term, more realistic looking graphics of your enemies. If you’ve been thinking about buying it, pick it up right now, because it’s on sale at Gamestop for $39.99 (instead of the $59.99) for the brand new, and I don’t think it’ll last much longer. It is certainly a successful sequel that does the Halo franchise justice.

            Here’s to a good year past, may we learn from the things that sucked. And here’s to a good year to come. May the good outnumber the things that suck. May you all find and feel love, laugh freely, learn infinitely and enjoy yourself and others.