With a new year upon us, it’s time to look back on the best pop culture released in 2019.
Comic Books
Best Series: Black Hammer: Age of Doom (Dark Horse)
There were a lot of great comics to choose from last year, but the most consistently brilliant has to be Jeff Lemire’s latest Black Hammer series, Black Hammer: Age of Doom. I won’t spoil anything here, but this is essentially Lemire’s twist on the typical comic book reboot. Lucy Weber takes the lead in a story that is continually surprising, heartbreaking, and subversive.
Lemire consistently finds new ways to spin the superhero genre, paying homage to classic characters while creating his own compelling new ones. I’ve come to love Abe, Gail, Barbie, Weird, Dragonfly, and Talky. This is the end of their narrative, but it’s not the end of Black Hammer. Thank goodness for that.
Honourable Mentions: Immortal Hulk, Daredevil, Paper Girls, The Green Lantern, Gideon Falls
Best Writer: Jeff Lemire
Jeff Lemire has to be one of the hardest working comic creators today. In addition to Age of Doom, last year he has released Black Hammer ’45, Black Hammer: Quantum Age, Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy, Gideon Falls, Berserker Unbound, Ascender, Family Tree and the original graphic novel, Frogcatchers. In addition to that, he has two DC Black Label miniseries, Joker: KIller Smile and The Question: The Many Deaths of Vic Sage. Not many writers can have that quantity of output while maintaining the level of quality that Lemire does. These comics vary wildly in tone, style, and concept, and all of them are well worth your time.
Honourable Mentions: Al Ewing, Scott Snyder, Chip Zdarsky, Grant Morrison, Mark Russell, Kelly Thompson
Best Artist: Jorge Jimenez
Jimenez has elevated Scott Snyder’s run on Justice League to another level, with his unique style bringing the wild story to life. Snyder and co-writer James Tynion IV have thrown all kinds of crazy concepts at him, and he’s been more than up to the task. His linework is fluid and dynamic, with a sense of pacing and movement unmatched by most pencillers. Jimenez was recently announced as one of the rotating artists on Tynion’s upcoming Batman run, and I’m sure he’ll knock that out of the park.
Honourable Mentions: Joe Bennett, Jorge Fornes, Patrick Gleason, Ryan Stegman, Ian Bertram, Marco Chechetto, Andrea Sorrentino, Pepe Larraz, R.B. Silva
Best Colourist: Jordie Bellaire
Jordie Bellaire is a phenomenal colourist, with a rich palette and sense of mood and tone. Last year she was on such notable books as Tom King’s Batman, Chip Zdarsky’s Daredevil, and I’m always pleased when she’s on a book, as she can bring great pencils to life with her sense of style. The difference her palette makes to linework is remarkable. Notably, she brings out the best in Mikel Janin’s work. When they’re together on Batman, they’re unstoppable.
Honourable Mentions: Paul Mounts, Matt Wilson, Matt Hollingsworth, Nathan Fairbairn
Best Issue: Immortal Hulk #25 (Marvel)
Immortal Hulk is the best book Marvel is putting out right now. Al Ewing and Joe Bennett are weaving a compelling story that reinvents and recontextualises the Jolly Green Giant in dangerously exciting ways. #25 was a tour-de-force with artist German Garcia (and a bit of Bennett at the end). It fully capitalised on threads Ewing has been weaving, while providing a glimpse into the far-flung future of the Marvel Universe. And what a cosmic thrill-ride it was. This was a standout issue in a standout run, surprising and fresh from start to finish.
Honourable Mentions: Batman Annual #4, The Green Lantern #7, House of X #2, Black Hammer: Age of Doom #12
Best Publisher: Image Comics
Image consistently put out great comics last year. I’ve mentioned a few already, but it would be remiss of me not to name Paper Girls, Curse Words, Sea of Stars, and Undiscovered Country, among many others. Image is a place where creators thrive and get to throw their wildest ideas out into the sequential medium. And quite right too, considering their beginnings with creators breaking away from the Big Two. Not only are their stories great, but their printing is also superb. Image books just feel better than anything else on the market, and their trades are always beautifully bound.
Honourable Mentions: Dark Horse, Marvel
Best New Series: Dawn of X (Marvel)
Okay, a slight cheat here, as this is more of an initiative than a series, but my editors approved it, so here we go. Jonathan Hickman’s linewide revamp of the X-books has been one of the most talked about comic events of the year. The superstar writer brought his penchant for complex stories and expositional graphs to Marvel’s merry band of mutants in the alternating miniseries House of X and Powers of X. This tour-de-force laid the groundwork for the launch of his main X-Men title, with a load of other books shortly following. I’m excited to see where Hickman’s run goes, and the X-Men haven’t looked this good in years. If it’s anything like his work on Fantastic Four and Avengers, we’re in for a treat.
Honourable Mentions: Daredevil, Family Tree, Sea of Stars, Something Is Killing The Children
Best Mini: Little Bird (Image)
Little Bird was the surprise hit of the year, and one of the best books in a stellar Image lineup. Darcy Van Poelgeest (in his comics debut) and Ian Bertram are a pitch-perfect creative team. Little Bird is the incredible story of a child fighting against an oppressive religious regime. To say any more would be to give too much away, but rest assured this book is a wild ride. Surprising, violent, and emotional, the twists and turns land deftly and expertly. Van Poelgeest’s writing is beautiful, with powerful minimalism that makes the story resonate even stronger. Bertram’s art is a joy to behold, with evocative colours from Matt Hollingsworth. This a well-oiled creative team, and as a result every aspect of this book is perfect, and you’re missing out if you haven’t read it.
Honourable Mentions: Spider–Man: Life Story, Wonder Twins, Gwenpool Strikes Back, Dial H For Hero, War of the Realms
Movies
Movie of the Year: Parasite
Parasite had a lot of hype surrounding it before I saw it. Still, it managed to be one of the most surprising films I saw all year. From the acclaimed director of Snowpiercer and Okja, Bong Joon Ho, this is a must-see. It retains the satirical sensibility of his previous films, while bringing a whole new angle on the class divide. I don’t want to get into the plot, I went in cold and was better for it. The cast are incredible and the tone balance is deftly handled, with an incredibly paced build of tension.
Bong Joon Ho continues to be one of the best directors working today, and Parasite is possibly his finest work yet. The cinematography, the music, the performances. Everything works together in a glorious cinematic symphony. The script is both funny, shocking, and moving. The way the plot twists and turns left me both laughing and gasping. There’s a lot buried beneath the surface of this film, and it’s definitely one that would benefit from repeat viewings. If you haven’t seen it, I implore you to do so as soon as possible.
Honourable Mentions: JoJo Rabbit, Us, Knives Out, Booksmart, Avengers: Endgame
Best Director: Taika Waititi
Waititi’s latest film, JoJo Rabbit, is a tour-de-force of comedy and drama. Taika is a master of walking the line between hilarious and heartbreaking, and this skill was on full display last year. JoJo is one of the best films of the year, and a unique look at the rise of fascism that’s all too relevant right now. Any director that can get such powerful performances out of child actors deserves the highest commendation, as do the actors. On top of making one of my favourite films of the year, Taika also directed an episode of The Mandalorian and voiced bounty hunter droid IG-11.
The acclaimed New Zealand director only goes from strength to strength. I have loved all his films, and he created something truly special with JoJo Rabbit. He’s currently hard at work on Thor: Love and Thunder, the sequel to his smash-hit MCU debut, Thor: Ragnarok. Will he take best director in 2021? Probably.
Honourable Mentions: Bong Joon Ho, Rian Johnson, Olivia Wilde, Jordan Peele
Best Performance: Roman Griffin Davis in JoJo Rabbit
There were plenty of impressive performances last year, but Roman Griffin Davis floored me the most. At only twelve, he manages to give a sympathetic, funny, and heartbreaking portrayal of JoJo Betzler. JoJo is a devoted Hitler Youth, but his status as a protagonist gives us a glimpse into how the Nazis manipulated children and creates a compelling journey of character development. He excels at silly slapstick and heavy drama, and he has a promising career ahead of him.
Honourable Mentions: Joaquin Phoenix in Joker, Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein in Booksmart, Kang-ho Song in Parasite, Ana De Armas in Knives Out, Lupita Nyong’o in Us, Thomasin McKenzie in JoJo Rabbit
TV
Show of the Year: Mr. Robot
Mr. Robot has been one of my favourite shows, and last year it concluded a stellar four season run. I’ll leave you to discover the delights of its story for yourself, however I will say that you have many twists and turns ahead of you. Sam Esmail is an incredible writer and director, and he assembled a phenomenal cast. The central performance by Rami Malek is always a treat, and he outdid himself this season. The particularly harrowing seventh episode was a master showcase for his skills. Christian Slater, Portia Doubleday, Carly Chaikin, Grace Gumner and more have all made me laugh and cry in equal measure.
This show was about taking down evil capitalist corporations and the intricacies of hacker culture. But it was about more than that, it was about broken people and how they fight back. It was about a hero who would never call himself that. A complex man who has made his share of mistakes, and yet you still root for him. Not many shows have made me feel the way Mr. Robot has, while also continually surprising me with plot gimmicks and stunning cinematography.
Honourable Mentions: The Good Place, Doom Patrol, Killing Eve, Watchmen, Barry, The Mandalorian, Bojack Horseman
Video Games
Game of the Year: Jedi: Fallen Order (Respawn)
Is Jedi: Fallen Order a perfect game? Certainly not, it has its share of technical flaws. It probably could’ve used another couple of months in production, but EA rushed it out ahead of Christmas and Rise of Skywalker. Cal Kestas is not the most compelling character, but he serves his purpose. Playing a Jedi during the Purge adds all sorts of tension to the game. You know it probably won’t end well, but you come along for the ride anyway.
It’s not a perfect game but is a very good one, and some of the most fun I’ve had all year. The story is fun and the lightsaber combat is truly thrilling. The more you upgrade, the deadlier you get. The game gets better as it progresses and you learn a large array of lightsaber and force moves. It cribs mechanics from Dark Souls to its advantage, making for a unique experience. Jedi: Fallen Order manages to spin a fresh tale in the Star Wars universe that doesn’t feel too much like the games that came before it.
That wraps us up for 2019! It was quite the year for entertainment, so check out the other lists from my esteemed peers. They have good taste, I assure you.
Here’s to 2020 bringing even more great entertainment!
