Best of 2014 Awards – Best Comic Adaptation

Guardians of the Galaxy – It was hard to top Winter Soldier, but Guardians of the Galaxy did it handily. GOTG showed that comic book movies could break the mold. It was ridiculously fun and quirky. II really hope Marvel and DC have learned from this and will be producing more “different’ movies in the future. If nothing else, GOTG was the most quotable movie I’ve seen in a very long time.

Flash – Flash is easily the best superhero show ever created. I definitely had my doubts, but they have done a brilliant job. From the pilot, I knew this was going to be a good series, and it’s just gotten better each week. I am really looking forward to this week Flash and Arrow crossover (which will probably have aired long before you are reading this).

Gotham – I don’t think there has ever been a show as well cast as Gotham. Everyone just fits so well. Everyone praises Robin Lord Taylor as Penguin (who definitely deserves it), but for me, Sean Pertwee as Alfred has been the best casting decision. He is so great in the role. I have really enjoyed this show a lot, though I can’t imagine it can last more than 2 or 3 seasons. I hope they are smart enough to pull the plug before it outstays it’s welcome.

Arrow – It says a lot about how good comic-based TV shows are right now that I would rank Arrow third behind Flash and Gotham. It is still a terrific show, and Stephen Amell is definitely one of the coolest people in entertainment.

Doctor Who – Okay, this one probably shouldn’t count. It was a TV series LONG before it was a comic, but I did want to give a quick shoutout. This has been a terrific season of Doctor Who with Peter Capaldi breathing new life into the show. Definitely worth checking out!

Honorable Mention: Agents of SHIELD – I did think Agents of SHIELD was very hit or miss throughout most of it’s first season, but towards the end of the first season, it really turned into a terrific show. The second season has kept up that momentum! If you tried Agents of SHIELD in the beginning and didn’t like it, I would really suggest giving it another try. It’s really grown into a much better show.

The Walking Dead – This is the only comics-related media I take in that isn’t actual comics that I enjoy. This year was a great year for the show, ending in a truly disturbing scene that I’m still processing.

Guardians of the Galaxy – I’ve been loving the Guardians comic since DnA rebuilt the franchise in the wake of Annihilation Conquest, and even the Bendising that the book has gone through in its most recent volume has had me coming back for more every issue. That said, when they said that it was going to be a movie, and that Andy from Parks and Rec would be Starlord, and that Bootista would be Drax…I was wary. And then I saw it, and I’m not sure how I’m ever going to look at Andy Dwyer the same way again. On top of that, Bootista finally upgraded himself! Now he’s Draxtista, and I’m stoked for him as an actor! GotG was the most fun I’ve had with a superhero movie yet, I loved it from start to finish, and the bar is now officially raised.

Flash/Arrow – Speaking of raised bars, CW has gone ahead and done that with their DC shows. Arrow was already one of the best shows on TV, but this season has only been getting better. On top of that, Flash finally debuted and quickly turned into my favorite of the two. They’re both well acted shows that stay true to the core characters, and, above all else, they’ve made Ollie and Barry interesting! Not to say that they aren’t in book form, but the shows did it so much faster than any writer I’ve ever seen!

Walking Dead – This is an obligatory mention of Walking Dead and how great it is. I’m not current on this season (a few episodes behind), but to not mention it would just be a crime.

Days of Future Past – I didn’t think it was possible to fix X-Men 3, or to save the franchise with those initial actors, but then they went ahead and did it. I don’t know how many more movies Hugh Jackman has left in him, and I trust that we’ll be seeing the sixties/seventies X-Men again, but I’m on board for anything and everything. Best X-Men movie yet.

Honorable Mention: Gotham – I love this show, to be honest. Gordon is awesome, Bullock is awesome, Alfred is awesome, Penguin is better by the week, and it’s great to see a Gotham ruled by Falcone. Really, the only problem I have at all with the show is my contempt for Kid Bruce and how they’re making it seem like we’re going to wind up with Batboy.

X-Men: Days of Future Past – This movie wasn’t scared to tackle some serious issues. This movie had some funny moments, but they didn’t seem forced at all. The performances were very good and this movie was one of my very favorite movies overall this year (Boyhood was my number one favorite). There is definitely room for fun and family friendly movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, but I liked how X-Men took an approach to be a complete movie. Also, it takes some serious balls to admit to mistakes and retcon movies that were commercially successful, but critically panned (Last Stand and Origins).

Gotham – This show has been fun to watch and talk about with non-comic book fans. I’m glad it deviates a bit from the source material because really how fun would it be to sit through a paint-by-numbers origin story yet again? I really like most of the casting and it’s been pretty entertaining so far. I’ve enjoyed the Flash and Constantine so far, but I’m way behind on them so it’s too early to put them on the list (I’ve only watched two episodes of each show).

Captain America: The Winter Soldier – The Marvel movies are really hit or miss for me, but the Captain America ones have been solid. This movie was very good and it had me on the edge of my seat during some parts. I loved the casting for the Falcon (I’ve always been an Anthony Mackie fan come to think of it) and there was a real sense of danger the whole movie. The directing was great and the only part I didn’t like was the teaser with Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, which wasn’t really part of the movie so it doesn’t count as something I’d hold against it.