To celebrate the end of the year, the staff of Sequential Planet will be listing their favorite things from 2018! Below are some of Chris T.’s favorite picks of the year. Click here to see the rest of our picks!
Comic Books
Series of the Year: Infidel
Infidel was such a surprise comic this year. Not only did it bring a culture that many comics never touch on, but it was surprisingly scary for a comic book. The artwork was handled well and without Pornsak Pichetshote writing and Aaron Campbell on pencils, then this would not work. It was such perfect harmony, and a fresh take that propelled this into a must-read series.
Best Writer: Robert Kirkman
No, Kirkman is not on this list because of The Walking Dead. I am not even factoring that series in. He is here because of Oblivion Song and Die!Die!Die! Two series’ not relying on art to be great. Kirkman has created a great story with Oblivion Song and a much needed action-comedy book with Die!Die!Die! that deserves more love. Some of these issues get by solely on dialogue, and some are story driven. Kirkman is great at weaving story and realistic dialogue, and we were lucky to get two new series’ this year from him.
Best Artist: Karl Kerschl
This category has Kark Kerschl written all over it. Isola was clearly the most beautiful comic of this year. The lines and designs are very Disney-esque, but so is the story. Every page of these comics was breathtaking, and you could see the work that went into it. That is why the next category is no surprise.
Best Colorist: MSassyK
MSassyK is another no-brainer here. Isola could have been a great story with great pencils and inks, but MSassyK brings a brilliant color palette to the artwork that brings it to the highest level. Unfortunately, Best Artist and Best Colorist were in the same book, so there isn’t another person to spotlight here, but this is all excellent news for Isola.
Best Issue: Ice Cream Man #1
I’ve said many times that Ice Cream Man has not been able to capture the greatness from their first issue, so it is no surprise that their premier issue makes Best Issue of 2018. The story was intriguing, and the artwork was, at times, just hard to look at because of the gross-factor. The fresh idea was enough to peddle this to the front of the pack. It’s been frustrating that Ice Cream Man can’t seem to reach its potential and peaked at issue #1 so far.
Best Publisher: Image
I struggled with this one more than I thought. In my opinion Image, Marvel, and DC are all having a standout year, but when I look at my Best of 2018 categories, it is clear that Image is still churning out classics every month and I don’t see that changing. I feel like DC’s Vertigo will continue strengthening their already strong brand and Marvel’s Venom and The Punisher are both amazing titles this year along with others that are beloved by Sequential Planet writers.
Best New Series: Gideon Falls
Gideon Falls is just a comic after my own heart. The art by Andrea Sorrentino and the story by Jeff Lemire feels aimed at me and it is hard to not choose this for Best New Series of 2018. It has let me down in one issue, but the other issues make up for it so well. I hope to see this adapted into a TV series as it feels like it could be very well done. The horror and intrigue are more than enough to keep me grabbing for this series first when new issues are released.
Best Miniseries: Cosmic Ghost Rider
If you’ve been reading my reviews, then you know this miniseries is at the top of my list and number one with a bullet. Donny Cates’ comedic writing of Frank Castle as Cosmic Ghost Rider is incredible. The story was unique, and Dylan Burnett had a lot of fun with the artwork and the character creations. This was one of 2018’s can’t-miss series’.
Movies
Movie of the Year: First Man
My expectations for First Man were hampered by previous criticisms I had heard, but once I saw the opening scene I was hooked right in. This is a story of Neil Armstrong and begins in 1961 and ends days after the 1969 Apollo 11 mission that landed on the moon. It was an amazing experience that I know isn’t for everyone. Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land) has never made anything less than a 5-star movie for me. The camera work, cinematography, and score were all standouts for me and will leave a lasting impression. If realistic space exploration isn’t your thing, then I wouldn’t recommend it. However, if you want to see what these men went through then it is a must. After two hours and 21 minutes, I could have watched another hour of this. So far, this is the best film of 2018 for me.
Honorable Mentions: The Hate U Give, Blindspotting.
Best Director: Steven Spielberg, Ready Player One
How many awards and accolades can one man receive?! I know Ready Player One is not Spielberg’s shining achievement in cinema, but it was the most fun I have had at a screening this year. The movie was a marvel to see and packed to the gills with easter eggs that made my rewatch just as fun. He managed to make a movie that appealed to my kids and me, just in different ways and I have to thank him for that.
Honorable Mentions: Damien Chazelle (First Man)
Best Actor/Best Performance: Dylan McDermott, The Clovehitch Killer
This man has been around for a while in TV and movies, but he took on a big task when he decided to take on the role of Don in The Clovehitch Killer. This required McDermott to walk a very particular line of acting. He can be viewed more than one way during the film, and he will be by different people. It is a character study, and I didn’t expect this from him. Hard to tell if he will still take this crown by the end of the year, but now is a good time to spotlight his talent.
Honorable Mentions: Toni Collette (Hereditary), Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting), Russell Hornsby (The Hate U Give)
Video Games
Game of the Year: Red Dead Redemption 2
I will not entertain any other video game releases of 2018! Spider-Man gave it a good run. Fortnite got the masses in their gaming chairs, but Red Dead Redemption 2 brought us a polished Wild West game that felt so lived in. You get to know all the characters and find yourself talking to people in real life as if these characters are your real friends. Maybe that says more about my life, but I don’t have one complaint about this game. All the mechanics work more than they should for a game of this size, and any criticism of looting bodies individually or cycling a cartridge in a repeater is just a way for Rockstar to make the game a little more realistic, and in my opinion, better.
Best Developer: Rockstar Games
This is an obvious answer given my last category. You have to hand it to a company this day and age, where video game studios are failing and collapsing, that takes their time and is confident in the product they made to make sure everything is polished and working perfectly before sending it out to the public. This is why I was happy to see the record sales occur because we need more developers like Rockstar to keep this hobby alive and not manage their games like A LOT of other developers are right now.
