The Best of 2012

I realize I'm a couple of days late with this lookback on 2012 but no matter. Here's a handful of my favorite things from the year that was in no particular order:

Surfing With Mel
Matthew Lickona's fictional take on the real life struggle between screenwriter Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct, Showgirls) and Mel Gibson (Braveheart, Lethal Weapon, California Highway Patrol Monitoring Program) looks at one of the most interesting stories in Hollywood not in front of the cameras. Mel Gibson is a charming disfunctional monster raging at his fellow man, God and, most of all, himself. 

Looper
Definitely one of the smartest sci-fi films in years and certainly Bruce Willis' best role since Unbreakable. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has become one of the standouts of his acting generation. 

Django Unchained
Holy fuck. I wrote about this earlier this week. See it. Then see it again. 

Hawkeye
Consistently the best comic published by the Big Two. Matt Fraction and David Aja (along with others) have given me several reasons to give a damn about the C-List archer schmuck and his cohorts. And with Fraction donating his proceeds from his Sandy story in Issue Seven to the Red Cross, he's doing more than Congress was willing to do last night. Hawkguy! You dig, bro? 

Batman #12
After a roller coaster ride of an opening arc, Greg Capullo took a well deserved breather while Scott Snyder took time to explore a new character toughing it out the mean streets of Gotham. Bringing along both Andy Clarke and Becky Cloonan, the first woman to ever draw for the Batman comic, Snyder gives a proper introduction to Harper Row. While we know that she's an intelligent girl based in the Narrows and is more than willing to stand up for herself and her younger brother, several mysteries remain as to how she'll factor into Snyder's run. Snyder also revisits Tiger Shark from his Detective run in a backup with the best work I think I've ever seen from Andy Clarke. 

The Avengers
The movie that shouldn't work but did. While Nolan at his best brought us a morality play based on the dark times we live in, Whedon reminded us that comic book movies are based on comics which are plenty of fun and the good guys win. 

Bane Voice
The most memorable part of The Dark Knight Rises just happens to be easily done provided you can cup your hands over your mouth and use the proper lilt. Made all the better by the instantly quotable Bane. "Ahhhh, you think darkness is your ally...." 

Breaking Bad
Starting last Christmas, I watched Breaking Bad from the pilot on and it's now become my favorite television show. There's nothing I can say that hasn't been said before. 

The Manhattan Projects
The Feel Good, Bad Science book the year starring Robert Oppenheimer's cannibalistic brother and Albert Einstein's doppelganger. 'Tis great. 

The Grey
I like Liam Neeson. I really like Liam Neeson punching wolves.