The Kato Show

BEST of 2010: Comic Book

This year was a very turbulent year for comics.  DC continues to disappoint me, they seem to have for the last decade been in a giant multi-title story arc.  I am not an opponent of multi crossover epics, in fact I sort of enjoyed a few of them but here is my issue with the issues; forcing me to read titles I could careless about is not helping DC’s sales from my perspective.  Because instead of buying a few dozen Batman and Superman titles throughout a calendar year I have just stopped reading them and moved over to new stories that are containing themselves.  Now I am not talking about a “to be continued” that brings a Batman story into JSA for an issue or two, I will happily read an issue or two of a comic I won’t normally read.  I have issue with these epic after epic: 52, Darkest Night, Brightest Night and so on and so on that require you to read every title to be able to follow along.  No thanks.

On the flip side there have been numerous great titles. The re-launch of Peter Parker has been great, and these different Spidey-titles all depict Parker at various stages of maturity and age.  Good for the guy like me how does not care for married Peter in the “Amazing” line.

I would have possibly picked Ultimate Comics: Spiderman as my top, I really enjoy the clumsy and naieve Parker in his high school years.  His learning to be “SUPER” is a great story and actually has him weighing the possibility of misusing his gifts.  The original Ultimate line was awesome and I was sad to see it go, and with the return last year I have been nothing but pleased with its continuation.

But my favorite of the year was hands down: The Green Hornet Strikes!

The whole relaunch of the Hornet titles at Dynamite have been great.  The main Kevin Smith-line has been solid and the launch of the title transitioned from one generation of GH to the son taking over the cloak of crime fighter.  But the Launch of Brett Matthews character has been refreshing.

Matthews decided to throw out tradition and history and created a Green Hornet of the future so to speak.  The issues reveal slow bits of info towards GH’s identity and the way about how he became the newest hero of Chicago.  The mix of familiarity and mystery keeps the comic new and vibrant but also giving you that sense of old friend.

All four titles could qualify for best of the year, but if I am cornered into one title it is Green Hornet Strikes! for its new taste on old.

BEST of 2010: Blockbuster Movie Trailer

This was tough, but at the same time very easy, two film trailers were absolutely intoxicating for me this year: Transformers Dark of the Moon and The Green Hornet. Both look very cool and both are franchises I have loved since a child. How was it so easy to choose? First, while the first Transformers was awesome, the second was a stinker… I am not completely convinced this great trailer equals a great movie. And second, the Green Hornet has not been done on the big screen.

Seth Rogan takes on the role of Britt Reid which will make for a perfect casting for the humor and actual lack of superhero abilities for the Hornet. Jay Chou a fairly unknown in American cinema will take on the role of the sidekick Kato. Anyone remember how the career of the last guy to take on the role of Kato turned out?