Attention young people who read my blog, let me make one thing perfectly clear: when adults say that time flies when you’re older, they are 100% right! Jeez louise, I can’t believe 2014 is already over! Where the heck did the year go? How did I get this old?! What the heck did I do with myself?

All griping aside, how about we look back and share our favorite things form 2014?

I’ve known better years

The problem with that, however, is that I can’t really remember everything I did in 2014! I have no idea what I was into last March! That was a forever ago (even though it feels like only yesterday). Was there anything to enjoy in 2014? Or was it just one big slog of depression? If you join me after the jump, we can find out together!

6. Song: ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Foxes

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it every time: I just don’t do music. I listen to music, sure, but it’s the one medium I’m not geeky about. I don’t collect albums. I don’t have any real favorite bands or musicians, at least none from the past few years. I really only get new music these days by hearing it on TV or in movies, then I download it and add it to my giant playlist. Looking back over my playlist for 2014, the best song I found was this cover of ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ from an episode of Doctor Who. Though I’m pretty sure I’m just riding the nostalgia of Shawn of the Dead.

5. Toys: Uncanny Cyclops

Best costume ever

I didn’t add too much to my action figure collection this year, but this badass All-New Cyclops is a great addition. I have never liked the character more, and I haven’t been this invested in an X-Men storyline in years. I collect action figures of characters I like, of characters who matter, and this black-costumed Cyclops is a great addition to my Geek Wall!

4. Video Game: South Park: The Stick of Truth

First RPG where I played myself

Now here was a video game that actually lived up to the hype! We gamers were waiting years for The Stick of Truth to come out. A fully realized South Park RPG from the makers of Skyrim? Yes, please! But then there were delays, and enough time passed that Trey Parker and Matt Stone made an entire South Park trilogy mocking the people who whined about the delays. It was great!

When the game came out, it was just as awesome as I could have hoped! The create-a-character was delightful, allowing me to put myself into South Park. The story was appropriately epic and hilarious. The combat was a ton of fun. The characters were pitch perfect and fully voiced. It really was South Park come to life in game form. Definitely worth the wait.

Runner-Up: The Walking Dead: Season 2

Though not as good as Season 1, the second season of The Walking Dead point-and-click game was still a real mind-blender of an adventure. And our little Clementine has easily become the best video game character of the past few years.

3. TV Show: Rick and Morty

It’s just as good as it looks!

Insane, brilliant, and so biting that it has almost single-handedly come to define comedy in my mind, Rick and Morty is the new king of cartoon laughs. South Park is still funny, Adventure Time is great, but Rick and Morty is sublime. It’s the wacky adventures of a dim-witted kid and his drunken, mad scientist grandfather as they force all of time, space and dimensions to bend to their will. Whether Morty is visiting a theme park inside the body of a dead hobo or Rick is standing trial before the interdimensional Council of Ricks, each episode is more insane and other-worldly than the last.

The show also features my favorite joke of the entire year.

Runner-Up: Doctor Who

What can I say? I really loved Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor. He brought new and exciting life into one of my favorite shows, and I’m excited to see where it goes from here.

2. Movie: The LEGO Movie

Fortunately, I don’t have kids yet to drive this movie into the ground

The LEGO Movie touched me. There were a lot of great movies this year, but as I sat in the theater watching this silly, awesome LEGO cartoon, something happened that rarely happens anymore: this film spoke to me. I have been a fan of LEGOs my entire life. They were my favorite toy as a kid, and even now in adulthood, I still love collecting and building LEGOs. They’re just fun. So when this already amazing movie reached its climax, with Will Ferrell coming down those stairs, I was gobsmacked. I did not see that twist coming! Not at all!

But it wasn’t just the twist that blew my mind, it was the discussion that followed. I went into The LEGO Movie expecting a silly adventure starring LEGO characters. Instead, the film had a deeper meaning about how we play with our toys, both as kids and as adults, and that is a message that is near and dear to my heart. The LEGO Movie was already hilarious and hugely entertaining, but when the characters started speaking directly to me and my passions, it reached a whole new level of viewing.

Runner-Up: Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy was just plain amazing as well. This was easily one of the funnest movies in years, taking a relatively original concept and just having a blast with every single part of it. I always had faith in this Marvel film, especially when I finally saw the first trailers. Then when the movie delivered in spades, with amazing performances from the entire cast of characters, I knew we had another spectacular blockbuster on our hands.

1. Comic: Ms. Marvel

Though I hope my kids are half as cool as Kamala

Ms. Marvel deserves every ounce of praise it has received since hitting the stands earlier this year. This is one of those rare comics that redefines how comic books should be written and what kinds of heroes should be the stars. I never had any doubt whatsoever when Marvel announced the teenaged, Muslim Kamala Khan as their latest superhero, and her adventures, written by G. Willow Wilson, have been just delightful. Kamala is that classic underdog, neophyte superhero, with uniquely cool powers.

But beyond that, I think I most enjoy the look into her culture. As a white male between the ages of 18 and 35 living in Upstate New York, I get almost zero exposure to cultures other than my own. So seeing Kamala interact with her family and her faith, to see how that shapes her character and personality, has been very rewarding. It helps that Wilson herself is Muslim and has her own personal history to draw from. Wilson and her creative team have truly been an inspiration to this would-be comics writer.

Runner-Up: Hawkeye

Hands-down, Hawkeye is simply one of the best comics I have ever read. Matt Fraction, David Aja and Annie Wu have produced an incredible series with a character I never thought I’d enjoy this much. They’ve practically reinvented the industry with this comic, which focuses on Clinton Barton as a person first, a superhero second.

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I guess 2014 wasn’t too bad of a year. We definitely had some good movies and TV shows. But 2015 looks like it will be even better! What did you guys and gals like this past year? Let me know in the comments!

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