BY DAVE
I’m not gonna lie – I had a pretty darn good 2017. I
started a little down and bummed out; somewhat directionless, but I made some
decisions and some changes and the year just seemed to get better as it went
on.
While I don’t want to rely too heavily on pop culture
diversions, as variable as they are, I do think there was a ton of fun stuff to
enjoy.
Every selection on this list is about my own personal
tastes. I am not an objective party – it’s all about what I think is great and
the varied criteria I use to judge greatness across pop culture. If there’s
something missing from the list that you
think is great and deserves acknowledgement, I either didn’t see it, know about
it, read it, watch it, or like it. Comment here or on the Needless Things Podcast Facebook Group
page and let us know what you liked most in 2017!
Best
Television Show
Nominees – The Good Place, Better Call Saul, Stranger
Things, Master of None, Rick & Morty
Winner – Stranger Things
2017 was a strong year for television. I started this
category with about twelve nominees before whittling it down to the five I
allow myself. It was tough to cut favorites like Game of Thrones and Gotham
– or the “G-Whizzes” as I call them (I don’t really), but those five above were
the shows that I binged or made a point of watching ASAP, depending on how
they’re distributed.
The second season of Stranger
Things landed with me in a way that the first season didn’t. It took a
second viewing of the debut season before I really loved it. Granted, the
second season was probably helped by being more familiar with the characters
and the world, and with the recency of that second time through, but I still
got on board faster than I expected and rewatched it immediately.
Best
New Television Show
Nominees – The Punisher, Legion, G.L.O.W., The Orville
Winner – G.L.O.W.
I couldn’t even hit my five nominee max on this one, but
the shows that made it were damned good. A big part of me wanted to choose The Orville, but as much as I’m enjoying
that show it didn’t hit me as powerfully as G.L.O.W.
Featuring a skillful mix of humor and drama carried out
by an incredible cast, this dramatically enhanced history of the Gorgeous
Ladies Of Wrestling television show hooked me from the start. On the surface it
wasn’t really something that I would necessarily be interested in – my love of
pro wrestling notwithstanding – but every element of G.L.O.W. was executed to perfection.
Also, it didn’t hurt that Marc Maron was on board giving
the performance of a lifetime as Sam Sylvia, the shady but lovable director
behind the show.
Best
Animated Series (All Ages)
Nominees – Star Wars: Rebels, Teen Titans Go!, Voltron: Legendary
Defender, Star vs. The Forces of Evil
Winner – Star Wars: Rebels
Rebels is
actually one of the best shows on television, period. I just wanted to keep
this category to give some other shows a shot.
As much as I loved parts of Clone Wars, it had its ups and downs. Rebels, on the other hand, is presenting a much tighter and more
cohesive overall narrative. These characters – and their actions and stories –
are now just as much a part of the Star Wars I love as any live action player.
Remember – Clone Wars had the benefit
of being about figures we already knew. Rebels
has had to build relationships from scratch. And it has done so with a
staggering amount of success and emotional connection.
Best
Movie
Nominees – IT, The Shape of Water, Guardians of the
Galaxy Vol. 2, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Logan
Winner – Logan
First I have to point out that there are a number of
movies that I haven’t had the opportunity to see yet that I think could have
made this list – The Disaster Artist
and I, Tonya are among them.
Second I have to say that there are two movies I did see
that I enjoyed to varying degrees – one quite a bit more than the other – that
I think enjoyed more acclaim than they were due. I’ll leave it to you, gentle readers,
to suss out which movies were omitted.
I haven’t watched The
Shape of Water and IT multiple
times because they haven’t been released on Blu-ray yet. In the long run, The Last Jedi could well end up as my
favorite from this list, but my relationship with it thus far has been
tumultuous. I enjoyed the others without reservation, but Logan is the one that stands out the most. It delivered everything
I wanted and then some. The emotions were powerful, the performances were
mesmerizing, and it looks incredible.
Yes, I'm still pissed about the Reavers being "un-comic-book-ized", but in the big picture it's a small complaint against such a great film.
Best
Ongoing Comic Book
Nominees - Saga, The Walking Dead, Batman, Detective
Comics, Black Hammer
Winner - Batman
Tom King has won me over so hard.
I love every story he’s told and his depiction of Bruce
Wayne as Batman is a wonderful departure from what we see so much of. He’s
still a tortured soul driven by a vow, but he likes doing what he’s doing. It’s not quite Brave and the Bold Batman – nor should it be – but it’s a nice,
happy(ish) medium.
If you had told me a couple of years ago that DC Comics
was going to have Batman and Catwoman get married, I probably would have thrown
a nerd fit. But King has told the story and expressed the characters remarkably
well and I am 100% on board.
Every time Batman
comes out, it goes to the top of the stack, no matter how far behind I am on
other books (and I am way behind on
some).
I hate to use a stock photo instead of my own, but I've been busy you guys. |
Best
Action Figure
Nominees – One:12 Collective Shazam, Ash vs Evil Dead Ultimate
Ash, Child’s Play Ultimate Chucky, Suicide Squad Harley Quinn (Bandai), Marvel Legends
Thor: Ragnarok Hela
Winner – One:12 Collective Shazam
Before I get to the winner, I have to explain how one of
Hasbro’s Marvel Legends made the nominees list.
While I’ve made my peace with Hasbro’s line and honestly
feel they’ve made some improvements to quality and selection in 2017, very
little they put out excites me beyond the level of, “Cool! I’ve got a figure of
__________!”. But their movie Hela from the Ragnarok wave gave me everything I wanted from a figure of that
character. The sculpt was tremendous and we got both heads. It felt to me like
an “above and beyond” release.
Shazam, meanwhile, is the one 2017 action figure release
that brings me joy every time I look at it. From the magnificent head sculpts
(the smiling one is the best Mezco has released) to the accessories and
incredible costume, this figure is one of the best ever, let alone just to come
out in 2017.
I’ve told you guys plenty of times that while the One:12
figures are expensive, I feel like I get my money’s worth, but this one seems
like an absolute steal.
Best
Toy Line
Nominees – DC Icons, One:12 Collective, Reel Toys, Batman
Animated
Winner – One:12 Collective from Mezco
Sure, very few of Mezco’s One:12 figures come out “on
time”. But with only one exception, when they do hit the market they are the
very best action figures available.
Superior articulation and sculpt, fabric clothes that
defy conventional toy wisdom, and scads of functional accessories make these
the action figures of my dreams. Whether Mezco is creating a movie likeness or
one of the trademark amalgams that the line is known for, the execution is
unbelievable.
The $70+ price tags on these figures probably makes them
seem prohibitive, but there’s no other toy I buy that earns my money as well. I
hate that I’m addicted, but I am. Not in a completist way, but definitely in a
“I love that character and have to have a One:12 version” way. Or even a “I
don’t necessarily love that character, but that figure looks badass” way.
NOTE: The one exception is Reverse Flash. I
got four different samples that all
had the same warped belt defect. I finally gave up. At that price, I’m not
keeping a substandard product.
Best
Individual Toy
Nominees – Ultimate Justice League Batmobile, DC Animated
Batcave, Star Wars: The Last Jedi A-Wing, Madballs Buzz Off
Winner – Ultimate Justice League Batmobile
Mattel’s Ultimate Batmobile is nothing short of
spectacular.
In the same way that Mezco’s One:12 Collective brings the
action figures I’ve always dreamed of, this is the Batmobile I’ve imagined
since I was a little kid. Maybe not design-wise (I’d prefer the 1989 version),
but it certainly exceeds my wildest dreams in the functionality department.
It’s a remote control vehicle with lights, sounds,
smoke(!), moving weapons, and a functional cockpit that’s compatible with
twelfth scale action figures (though it’s listed as 1:10 scale, which is
weird). It’s controlled by a downloadable app that works amazingly well and
allows you to see at car-level using a 720p camera located in the cockpit. As
you drive and use the features, effects will appear onscreen beside the various
guns.
Depending upon where and when you bought this Batmobile
it’s varying levels of “Really Expensive”, but it delivers on every promise. I
have to say, if the Ecto-1 that Mattel was planning a few years ago was going
to be this good I was wrong to scoff at the announced price.
Best
Toy Company
Nominees – Mezco, NECA, Hasbro, Bandai, Mattel
Winner – Hasbro
If NECA’s customer service wasn’t laughable, they
probably would have won this one. But when their toys break – and they
sometimes do – I’ve had zero luck ever getting a response. The broken hand on
my quarter scale Leonardo is the reason he wasn’t a nominee for Best Action
Figure.
You could easily – and possibly rightly – assume that
Hasbro’s customer service is no better, but I don’t know because I went all of
2017 without having any of their products break.
Hasbro is juggling a lot of toy lines right now. Too
many, if you ask me. Their Marvel offerings seem as strong as ever, but at the
same time we simply don’t get enough waves of anything to have good representation. Star Wars, on the other hand,
suffers from that problem and often
seems to receive a mediocre mix in the first place.
Sure, I was excited by the newest Force Friday launch,
but it was under the assumption that we’d see a stronger second wave before the
end of the year. Instead, we got the poncho collection. And as much as it has
sort of settled out to be disappointing, I can’t deny that their The Last Jedi line was very exciting at
first and that me and Phantom, Jr. have had a lot of fun with it. I just hope
we get at least one more wave with some new and interesting characters before
product for Solo starts showing up.
That being said, I still feel like Hasbro is doing the
best they can given the current market and what seem to be confusing trends
among collectors and kids. The quality of their products seem to be improving
and the vanilla feel of the last couple of years of Marvel Legends seems to be
mostly gone. I don’t think 2017 gave us more than one of those awful figures
that was literally just a new head.
I realize this seems like faint praise for “Best Toy
Company of 2017”, but it’s a tough
market with way too many IPs to deal with. Hasbro isn’t amazing, but
they’re getting better and hanging on to my fandom.
Plus, Hasbro released the amazing set of toys pictured above as an SDCC Exclusive. Crappy version of Roadblock aside, it's a set I could have only dreamed of when I was a kid. It's not perfect and I don't love all of the represented brands like I do GI Joe, but just seeing all of them together in one box was tremendous. And as far as I can tell it was one of the easiest to obtain SDCC/online Exclusives Hasbro has released. Even I was able to get one, and I rarely score that kind of stuff.
Best
Place to Buy Toys
Nominees – Target, Toys R Us, Amazon.com, Local Comic
Shop, BigBadToyStore.com
Winner – BigBadToyStore.com
With their new $4 flat rate shipping and the immaculate
care they take with their products, there simply is nobody better than BigBad.
Sometimes their prices are a bit high, but chances are you’re going to get your
toy long before most retail does and it’s going to be in perfect condition.
Their customer service has been prompt and on point the few
times I’ve contacted them and that’s whether it’s a shipping question or simply
an inquiry as to a product’s eventual availability.
BigBad isn’t always
the best option for me and I do still love brick and mortar when it’s feasible,
but I’m always happy to place an order with these folks.
Best
Pro Wrestler
Nominees – Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, AJ Styles, Alexa
Bliss, Roman Reigns
Winner – Chris Jericho
Yeah, I know these guys are all in WWE. It would take a
whole post to explain why that’s all I watch, but that’s how it is.
At 46 years old Chris Jericho might have had one of the
most memorable years of his career. The Festival of Friendship had the
potential to tank just as badly as the This is Your Life segment with Bayley
and Miss Bliss, but thanks to months of careful storytelling and character
development and the involvement of two of the best in the business in front of
the camera (and one of the brightest behind it in Jimmy Jacobs), it was a
highlight of 2017.
On top of that, Jericho performed at a high level
throughout the year when participating in actual in-ring action.
"Day One Is H" |
Best Pro Wrestling Tag Team
Nominees – Sheamus & Cesaro, The Usos, New Day, Benjable,
The Hardy Boyz
Winner – The Usos
I have always been a fan of the Usos, even back in their
neon, face paint, whitemeat babyface days. I appreciated their skills as
crowd/little kid pleasers and even at their most basic felt that they had
skills on skills yet to be displayed. Sure enough, a heel turn flipped
everything about the brothers and we got the absolute best heel tag team in
recent memory (all due repsect to the seemingly snakebitten Revival).
Jimmy and Jey have always been at the very least solid in
the ring, but more often than not they were very good to great. Now, the kings
of the Uso Penitentiary have been involved in more than a couple of Tag Team
Match of the Year candidates.
On top of that, they own the mic. When they walk through
the curtain, all ears are on them. Their unique promo style developed on the
unfortunately canceled Talking Smack
(canceling that show is one of the dumbest things the WWE has ever done), but has been shined to a
perfect heat-getting polish on SmackDown
Live!. The Usos are beyond a shadow of a doubt two of the MVPs responsible
for that show being far more entertaining and watchable than RAW.
Best
Bits N’ Pieces
This is a list of stuff that I want to acknowledge but
that doesn’t fit any specific criteria.
There’s Nothing There – By
Patrick Kindlon and Maria Llovet, this supernatural comic from Black Mask was
compelling, weird, and different. The art was remarkable and the storytelling
broke all kinds of boundaries. I think a trade is coming out soon and if you’re
any kind of horror fan you should grab it.
The Toys That Made Us – I’ve
been up to my neck since before this hit Netflix, but I finally got a chance to
watch some and it’s far better than I expected. If you don’t know, it’s a
documentary series about various toy lines from the past. The premiere Star
Wars episode didn’t tell me anything I didn’t know, but was still compelling
thanks to solid interviews and an entertaining format. That one was followed by
Barbie, which was bonkers, and then Masters of the Universe in episode 3, which
is as far as I’ve gotten.
Waxwork Records – I
hate these people. I had finally managed to quit collecting vinyl when they
released the Evil Dead 2 score. Then,
a succession of must-have records sucked me back in.
In all seriousness, this is an outstanding company making
high-quality, super-cool products. I love following their Instagram account and
seeing what’s coming next. And for what they offer, their prices are very fair.
Remington Shortcut Pro Self-Haircut Kit – I
cut my own hair because I can’t deal with a hairstyle that requires any kind of
maintenance and I won’t pay someone to do it for me (unless I’m in Walt Disney
World). This thing is a MIRACLE. It’s light and easy to use and I get about
five cuts out of a charge. If you’re a man that takes care of his own hair
business, click that link and get one for yourself!
Mattel – The Ultimate Batmobile
mentioned above blew me away, but Mattel had an awesome 2017 overall. I feel
like they’ve really stepped up the quality and character selection on the
still-new DC Multiverse line, though distribution issues remain. Heck, even
their slightly underwhelming Wonder Woman
movie line was actually very good.
I’m also a huge fan of what they’ve done with their
lower-price-point kids line. My son and I love their Justice League toys. They do very cool repaints and still offer what
counts as a decent selection of characters for a modern toy line.
If I’m being honest, we’ve had almost as much fun with
the Talking Heroes and the Knight Crawler as we have the Ultimate Batmobile.
Mister Miracle –
Written by the same guy that is doing such a bang-up job on Batman and illustrated by the incredible
Mitch Gerads. I don’t totally understand what’s going on, but this miniseries
is compelling as heck. It goes to the top of the stack every month.
Doctor Who: Twice Upon A Time – This
was more bittersweet, because there were things that I loved that reminded me
of how much I love Doctor Who, and
things that made me grind my teeth in annoyance, as I have been for the last
few years of the franchise. But I am excited for a new era and a new Doctor,
and am looking forward to 2019 or whenever new episodes start airing.
Side Note: I will always be sad that
neither Matt Smith nor Peter Capaldi had the opportunity to work with a
showrunner other than Moffat. I did enjoy most of Smith’s run, but as much as I
love Capaldi as the Doctor, I found most of his stories to be just awful and
near-unwatchable.
For me personally 2017 was a triumph. I can look back and
see far more good than bad. Although it does give me a heavy heart to see so
much hatred and anger in our country. We’re letting them win, and I don’t see a
solution because people have allowed such a vast and artificial gulf to come
between them.
“Let’s get it
right. I’ve got a few things to say to you. Basic stuff first.
Never
be cruel, never be cowardly. And never ever eat pears! Remember – hate is
always foolish…and love, is always wise.
Always
try, to be nice and never fail to be kind.”
-The Doctor
(Though I do love pears. Maybe he said “pairs”…)
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