Tuesday 20 December 2011

The Best Comics of 2011 - Part 2 (of 5)

40. The New Teen Titans: Games
Original Graphic Novel (DC Comics)
Written by Marv Wolfman; Art by George Perez
The Marv Wolfman/George Perez run on New Teen Titans remains one of the greatest comic book runs in history, and after decades of waiting, the team have finally released their original graphic novel that ties up their run completely. As a standalone story, it is a perfect example of the characters and their world; as part of the larger story it is a dramatic end-cap, boasting some great writing and some even greater artwork.

39. Rachel Rising
Rachel Rising #1-3 (Abstract Studios)
Written by Terry Moore; Art by Terry Moore
In a year when Terry Moore wrapped up his sophomore effort, Echo, it was quite a thing for him to launch right into his third ongoing series, this time focusing on Rachel, a dead girl who comes back to life and encounters strange happenings in the world around her. While the series hasn't quite hit it's stride yet, it is certainly far more engaging than the slow, plodding Echo, which didn't reach greatness until it was collected. This is almost on the same level as Strangers in Paradise, and if Moore continues to ramp up the horror and drama it might even surpass it's predecessor.

38. Action Comics
Action Comics #1-4 (DC Comics)
Written by Grant Morrison; Art by Rags Morales, Brent Anderson and Gene Ha
Pre-reboot, Action Comics had been on the downward slide; following a great year-long arc from Paul Cornell focusing on Lex Luthor, the series hit a rut and descended into mediocrity ending with a whimper. Now on the upswing thanks to Grant Morrison and an engaging retelling of Superman's early days, the series is looking good. Clark Kent has become a more grounded character, his adventures more engaging and the villains more threatening. The shifting art team has been a bit jarring, but Rags Morales and Gene Ha both maintain excellence, with only one issue faltering through the weaker style of Brent Anderson. If you aren't reading Action Comics, make it a priority.

37. Hulk
Hulk #29-46 inc. #30.1 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Jeff Parker; Art by Gabriel Hardman, Ed McGuinness, Carlo Pagulayan, Patrick Zircher and Elena Casagrande
You wouldn't have been wrong in thinking that the adventures of General Thunderbolt Ross as the Red Hulk would wither and die, but somehow Jeff Parker has made the series a classic. For the majority of 2011, this has been THE Hulk book book. It's back-to-basics adventure with Ross going on the run from the military and facing off against various threats, culminating in an action-packed finale to Parker's initial arc and leading into the just as entertaining Arabian Knights influenced story that sees the year out. The art, for the most part, has been stellar with Gabriel Hardman showing off his insane skills in every issue he contributes to; the other artists do a great job, too, but Hardman is the true hero of this book.

36. DC Retroactive: Batman/DC Retroactive: The Flash/DC Retroactive: Justice League
DC Retroactive: Batman The '70s-'90s:
Written by Len Wein, Mike W. Barr and Alan Grant; Art by Tom Mandrake, Jerry Bingham and Norm Breyfogle
DC Retroactive: The Flash The '70s-'90s:
Written by Cary Bates, William Messner-Loebs and Brian Augustyn; Art by Benito Gallego, Greg LaRocque and Mike Bowden
DC Retroactive: Justice League The '70s-'90s:
Written by Cary Bates, Gerry Conway, Keith Giffen and J. M. Dematteis; Art by Gordon Purcell, Andy Smith, Ron Randall and Kevin Maguire
It took a long time to write out all those credits, but it was worth it. DC made a bold move between June and August this year by launching a series of one-shots focusing on various characters in different eras, and the above were easily the best. From the insanity of early-style Flash and Justice League to the epicness of a modern day Grant/Breyfogle Batman tale and a final Giffen/Dematteis/Maguire Justice League tale, these one-shots were some of the biggest delights of the year. If you're a fan of nostalgia, these are an essential purchase.

35. Near Death
Near Death #1-4 (Image Comics)
Written by Jay Faerber; Art by Simone Guglielmini
Jay Faerber has written some great series over the last decade, but this one might take the cake as being the best of the lot. Written in the style of an '80s action show, this is everything a TV nut like myself could want; the art is in a heavily-influenced Sean Phillips style, and the action is some of the best I've read in a comic this year. Each issue takes on a one-shot story making it accessible much like the TV shows it emulates; you can dip in and out, get a full story every time, and not feel like you're missing anything or don't find yourself engaging with the characters. If you don't enjoy this, you probably don't enjoy fun.

34. Moon Knight
Moon Knight #1-8 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Brian Michael Bendis; Art by Alex Maleev
Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev are a dream-team in my books; ever since their definitive run on Daredevil in the early 2000s, I have vowed to check out everything they work on, so when news hit that they were to reunite working in the same style with the often mishandled beast that is Moon Knight, I was incredibly excited. And in the eight issues we've seen so far, everything has been excellent; the characters are fun, with Moon Knight's schizophrenia and multiple personalities playing a pivotal role, the action and suspense has been top notch, and the comedy has been crisp and engaging. With the first handful of issues now available in collected form, there is no excuse not to try out this excellent, gritty crime thriller.

33. The Strange Talent of Luther Strode
The Strange Talent of Luther Strode #1-3 (Image Comics)
Written by Justin Jordan; Art by Tradd Moore
When Robert Kirkman tweeted about this series a few months ago, I didn't know whether or not to give it a try; often when you hear creators giving their personal recommendations, it falls into the realm of 'my friends wrote this.' But The Strange Talent of Luther Strode was a different thing all together. For starters, it takes the premise made famous by Kick-Ass and hands the character super-powers rather than a psychotic desire to do good, and then it ramps up the violence to the point where blood red may as well be the only colour used. At the same time, relative unknowns, Justin Jordan and Tradd Moore have weaved a tale that keeps me coming back, and I am certainly glad I took Kirkman's recommendation. This could very well be a book I buy for non-comic-reading friends in the coming years.

32. Venom
Venom #1-11 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Rick Remender; Art by Tony Moore, Tom Fowler, Stefano Caselli and Lan Medina
For years now, Venom has been the butt of many jokes; the character who ruined Spider-Man 3 and aided in the downfall of Marvel Comics throughout the 1990s, we now find him represented by a new protagonist. Enter Flash Thompson, Spider-Man's biggest fan and a supporting character in the Spidey books since the earliest issues; in recent years, Flash has lost his legs and been cast out of the military. So, how do we mesh these two ideas together? By having the military turn Flash into the new Venom. It's a simple concept and it works; every issue of this series has been solid gold, even the tie-ins to the dreadful Spider-Island event, which managed to carry more of a punch than any of the main title's chapters. While Rick Remender maintains excellence in every script, the art is the true hero, represented for the most part by the exquisite alternating team of Tony Moore and Tom Fowler. Their styles are vastly different, but carry the style of the book in such a way that it's hard to miss either of them when the other is doing such a good job of filling in.

31. Batwoman
Batwoman #1-4 (DC Comics)
Written by J. H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman; Art by J. H. Williams III
I'm going to get this out of the way right now. J. H. Williams III is a god among artists; every single inch of this comic book has been truly beautiful, and issue four pushed the boundaries of DC printing by having nearly every page be a double-page spread, forcing the adverts that plague most comic books to be shoved into the back portion of the book giving the story a constant flow. While his writing skills may not be on par with those of Greg Rucka, he and W. Haden Blackman have also managed to pen a stellar narrative; it gets better with every installment and the twists and turns are perfect, along with the generous amount of character development stuffed between the pages. I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is the prettiest book being published right now, and if you haven't seen the art then you owe yourself to check it out. Oh, and Kate Kane is already one of the best characters in comics, despite only existing in this form for maybe half a decade.

Next: 30-21

Sunday 18 December 2011

The Best Comics of 2011 - Part 1 (of 5)





50. Secret Six
Secret Six #29-36 (DC Comics) & Doom Patrol #19 (DC Comics)
Written by Gail Simone and Keith Giffen; Art by J. Calafiore, Matthew Clark and Ron Randall
In a year when DC Comics rebooted it's entire universe, no series left a bigger hole in my heart than Gail Simone's Secret Six. Throughout their final year, the Six found themselves invaded Hell itself to reclaim a lost friend, engaged in a crossover with the Doom Patrol (which gave Keith Giffen the opportunity to write the group) and prepare for a final showdown as Bane's dark obsession with Batman took hold once more. While the series faltered in it's conclusion, the preceding issues are a lot of fun and give the characters far more depth than the series' they would otherwise frequent.



49. I, Vampire
I, Vampire #1-5 (DC Comics)
Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov; Art by Andrea Sorrentino
In a reboot filled with superhero action and continuity rewriting, I, Vampire appeared as a beacon of hope among the gloom. Here was a regular-universe horror comic done right; and it played to it's strengths by incorporating elements that would engage Twilight readers. It's a dark, twisted romance that has slowly become a gem within the DCnU. Joshua Hale Fialkov has managed to craft a world where superheroes can exist, but the darker creatures are the more integral and perplexing of the bunch.





48. X-Factor
X-Factor #213-229 inc. 224.1 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Peter David; Art by Valentine De Landro, Emanuela Lupacchino, Paul Davidson, Dennis Calero and Leonard Kirk
Jamie Madrox has always been one of the more interesting X-Men, and through this series by Peter David, he has become important, as well. Throughout the year, X-Factor has dealt with members leaving the team to strike out on their own, a crossover involving J. Jonah Jameson which led to some truly hilarious moments, an intriguing pregnancy and a murder-mystery that literally made my skin crawl. It's quite an achievement for a series that, you'd imagine, had every right to die out years ago.



47. Brightest Day/Justice League: Generation Lost
Brightest Day #17-24 (DC Comics)
Justice League: Generation Lost #17-24 (DC Comics)
Written by Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi; Art by Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, Ardian Syaf, Scott Clark and Joe Prado
Written by Judd Winick; Art by Aaron Lopresti, Fernando Dagnino and Joe Bennett
After two years of bad year-long events, DC Comics finally broke the curse with the dual bi-weekly series', Brightest Day and Justice League: Generation Lost. Both tied in together, and both featured some great moments as they moved towards their respective finales. Brightest Day dealt with the heroes resurrected at the end of Blackest Night and the growing threat to the world caused by dark forces, culminating in the return of the Vertigo Universe to the world of DC, along with Swamp Thing and John Constantine. Justice League: Generation Lost, meanwhile, served as a new era for the team of Justice League International, bringing them back from obscurity and offering them the challenge of defeating their old boss, Max Lord, one of those who was resurrected in Blackest Night, and who has erased himself from the minds of everyone, save the JLI...and one very pissed off Batman. It's a great stand-alone series, and Judd Winick demonstrates just why he should be writing the JLI book that launched with the DCnU.



46. The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead #80-92 (Image Comics)
Written by Robert Kirkman; Art by Charlie Adlard
Given the success of The Walking Dead as a TV show, it's surprising that the series hasn't quite maintained the brilliance of it's initial run. The power has drained somewhat since the 50th issue, and though there is still a lot of greatness to be found in these pages, compared to the early days it's just not that great. Pushing that aside, though, this is still some of the best comics a person could read; the characters are all vibrant and exciting, with emotions that feel genuine, and over the year there have been some truly shocking and harrowing moments. Robert Kirkman knows how to write horror, and he knows how to make you care; it's just a good thing that Charlie Adlard knows how to convey both through his black-and-white illustrations.


45. Black Panther: The Man Without Fear/The Most Dangerous Man Alive
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #513-523 & Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive #523.1, 524-527 (Marvel Comics)
Written by David Liss; Art by Francesco Francavilla, Jefte Palo, Shawn Martinborough and Michael Avon Oeming
When it was announced that Black Panther would be taking up residence in Hell's Kitchen and dominating Daredevil's book in the aftermath of the disastrous Shadowland there were quite a few people who scratched their heads in bemusement. Despite this, Black Panther has become one of the most enjoyable comic books Marvel puts out; the character of T'Challa has proved engaged on a much more human level than in the past, the villains he's faced have been truly menacing, and the tie-ins to Fear Itself and other such events have been fleeting and not terrible. David Liss has shown a great ability to draw readers in, but it is the artwork that really sells this thing; Francesco Francavilla is one of the best artists working right now, while the fill-ins from great creators like Shawn Martinborough and Jefte Palo have maintained the style and still kept things original and engaging.





44. Aquaman
Aquaman #1-5 (DC Comics)
Written by Geoff Johns; Art by Ivan Reis
Aquaman has always been a senseless joke on the part of the media, and for years DC have played up to it, portraying Arthur Currie as a moronic buffoon, or at the very least as a hero nobody cares about. Fortunately, Geoff Johns cares about him, and via this new ongoing sprouted from the DCnU, we are finally getting a taste of the brilliance of the character. Gone are the lame one-liners and the ridiculous powers, in comes the brutality and sophistication and some of the best scares in a mainstream comic book. The only flaw is the constant references to Aquaman's previous loser status, something which would have been fine in the first issue but continues to crop up and feels like we're being coached into finding the character funny when the rest of the book tries so hard to portray him as serious. Regardless, this is a book you should definitely be reading.



43. Invincible
Invincible #77-86 (Image Comics)
Written by Robert Kirkman; Art by Ryan Ottley and Corey Walker
Where The Walking Dead falters, Invincible only continues to get better. Robert Kirkman's superhero epic began the year by wrapping up it's biggest storyline, and while it seemed as though the series was falling into the same funk as it's zombie-infested brother, numerous twists in the tale have guaranteed that this will not be a series to be trifled with. Sudden betrayals, a devastating attack on a major city and a change for the central characters that won't be so easily wrapped up. This is the kind of superhero book Marvel should be publishing, meshing comedy, drama and action perfectly in every single issue.



42. X-Men: Schism
X-Men: Schism #1-5 (Marvel Comics)
Generation Hope #10-11 (Marvel Comics) & X-Men: Regenesis #1 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Jason Aaron; Art by Carlos Pacheco, Frank Cho, Daniel Acuna, Alan Davis and Adam Kubert
Written by Kieron Gillen; Art by Tim Seeley & Billy Tan
The X-Men were about due for their bi-annual shake-up, and Marvel saw this as the perfect opportunity to relaunch their flagship X-Book (Uncanny) and at the same time announced a new series focusing on another team led by Wolverine. X-Men: Schism was the event that would give reason to the split, and while the finale has had numerous critics, it was a fantastic ride, particularly in the art department. As the rift between Cyclops and Wolverine grows, we see a darker side to Scott Summers and get to watch Wolverine develop into a mature individual. The tie-ins to Generation Hope and the needless epilogue with Regenesis are decent enough additions, particularly Generation Hope, which delves into the details behind the major catalysts in the event. Oh, and Alan Davis draws the fight between Wolverine and Cyclops. And it's perfection on paper.


41. Batman Incorporated
Batman Incorporated #3-8 & Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1 (DC Comics)
Written by Grant Morrison; Art by Yanick Paquette, Pere Perez, Chris Burnam, Scott Clark and Cameron Stewart
Grant Morrison's Batman run found itself in trouble as Bruce Wayne returned and we moved into 2011. Everything fell rather flat, and delays didn't help the flow of his latest Batman venture, despite the first two issues being stellar. Batman Incorporated suffered the most out of any other book this year, because it was judged poorly based on annoyance at lateness. In actuality, every issue had something great about it, even if it wasn't perfect. Mexican death traps, strange retcons and fourth-wall breakings, betrayal on an Indian reservation, a perplexing issue set within a computer and the best single issue Grant Morrison has penned with the Dark Knight (Number 6). That, and the series allowed us to discover Chris Burnam, an artist who meshes Cameron Stewart and Frank Quitely and turns in something even better.

Next: 40-31

2011: Best Songs of the Year

50. Built to Fall - Trivium

49. Spectrelight - Mastodon

48. Narcissistic Cannibal - Korn

47. Heartburn - Architects

46. Whose Life (Is It Anyways?) - Megadeth

45. Five Serpent's Teeth - Evile

44. Who We Are - Machine Head

43. The Devil You Know - Anthrax

42. Don't Carry It All - The Decemberists

41. You Got Me - Taking Back Sunday

40. Never Let Me Go - The Human League

39. Arlandria - Foo Fighters

38. Mondo Chaos - Gallows

37. You - TV on the Radio

36. You are a Tourist - Death Cab for Cutie

35. Holocene - Bon Iver

34. On the Backs of Angels - Dream Theater

33. We All Go Back to Where We Belong - R.E.M.

32. Black Tongue - Mastodon

31. Rewrite - Paul Simon

30. Homeless Jazz - letlive

29. Lotus Flower - Radiohead

28. Big Foot - Chickenfoot

27. The Devil's Orchard - Opeth

26. Bridge Burning - Foo Fighters

25. Fight 'em 'til You Can't - Anthrax

24. I Am Hell (Sonata in C#) - Machine Head

23. Hit the Wall - Adrenaline Mob

22. Lorelai - Fleet Foxes

21. Satellite - Rise Against

20. Hell and Back - Metallica

19. Beth/Rest - Bon Iver

18. Walk - Foo Fighters

17. Little Black Submarines - The Black Keys

16. The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie - Red Hot Chili Peppers

15. Locust - Machine Head

14. Dead to Rights - DevilDriver

13. The Sunk'n Norwegian - Alestorm

12. Leg of Time - Bill Bailey

11. Hunting Pirates - Turisas

10. Killing Inside - Cavalera Conspiracy

9. The Lost and Alone - Heights

8. Dear Rosemary - Foo Fighters

7. Public Enemy Number One - Megadeth

6. Caffeine - Alice Cooper

5. Warning - Skindred

4. Curl of the Burl - Mastodon

3. I'm Alive - Anthrax

2. Darkness Within - Machine Head

1. White Limo - Foo Fighters

Saturday 17 December 2011

2011: Best Comics of the Year - Issues

25. Swamp Thing #2
When It Comes A'Knockin'

24. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #160
Death of Spider-Man: Part 5


23. Batman #2
Trust Fall


22. The Shade #1
Birthday


21. American Vampire #18
Ghost War: Conclusion


20. Thor: The Mighty Avenger #8
The Man in the Iron Mask


19. Knight & Squire #6
For Six: Part Six


18. Demon Knights #1
Seven Against the Dark


17. Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine #6
Another Fine Mess: Conclusion


16. The Sixth Gun #11
CrossroadS: Part Five


15. Batman #3
The Thirteenth Hour


14. Scalped #54
Knuckle Up: Part Four


13. DC Retroactive: Batman - The '90s #1
One Night in the Rest of My Life


12. Punisher MAX #12
Frank: Part 1


11. Detective Comics #880
My Dark Architect


10. Jonah Hex #69
The Old Man


9. Detective Comics #875
Lost Boys


8. Daredevil #1
Man w/o Fear

7. Batman Incorporated #6
Nyktomorph

6. Scalped #50
The Art of Scalping

5. Detective Comics #881
The Face in the Glass


4. Animal Man #1
The Hunt Part 1: Warning from the Red

3. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #155
Death of Spider-Man: Prologue

2. Fear Agent #32
Out of Step: Part 5

1. Batman #1
Knife Trick

2011: Best Books of the Year

20. The Traitor's Emblem - Juan Gomez-Jurado

19. Embassytown - China Mieville

18. Pym - Mat Johnson

17. Skullduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer - Derek Landy

16. 4 a.m. - Nina de la Mar

15. The Tiger's Wife - Tea Obreht

14. The Fear - Charlie Higson

13. Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth - Christopher Golden

12. Inheritance - Christopher Paolini

11. Ocean of Blood/Palace of the Damned - Darren Shan

10. 2030 - Albert Brooks

9. The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes

8. Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves - Matthew Reilly

7. Luther: The Calling - Neil Cross

6. A Dance with Dragons - George R. R. Martin

5. 11/22/63 - Stephen King

4. The Troubled Man - Henning Mankell

3. The House of Silk - Anthony Horowitz

2. Carte Blanche - Jeffrey Deaver

1. Reamde - Neil Stephenson

Friday 16 December 2011

2011: Best TV Shows of the Year

KE - Key Episode


50. The Middle: Season 3
KE: Halloween II

49. The Cleveland Show: Season 3
KE: Die Semi-Hard

48. Grimm: Season 1
KE: The Three Bad Wolves

47. Blue Bloods: Season 2
KE: Moonlighting

46. Bored to Death: Season 3
KE: We Could Sing a Duet

45. Misfits: Series 3
KE: Zombie Cheerleaders

44. American Dad!: Season 7
KE: Hurricane

43. Young Justice: Season 1
KE: Downtime

42. Episodes: Series 1
KE: Finale

41. The Sarah Jane Adventures: Series 5
KE: The Curse of Clyde Langer Part 1

40. Bones: Season 7
KE: The Male in the Mail

39. The Simpsons: Season 23
KE: Holidays of Future Passed

38. Rock & Chips
KE: The Frog and the Pussycat

37. Once Upon a Time: Season 1
KE: Pilot

36. The Ricky Gervais Show: Season 2
KE: Future

35. Futurama: Season 7
KE: Law & Oracle

34. The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes: Season 1
KE: A Day Unlike Any Other

33. Glee: Season 3
KE: Hold on to Sixteen

32. How I Met Your Mother: Season 7
KE: The Ducky Tie

31. Terra Nova: Season 1
KE: Vs.

30. Torchwood: Miracle Day
KE: The Categories of Life

29. Community: Season 3
KE: Remedial Chaos Theory

28. Grey's Anatomy: Season 9
KE: Dark was the Night

27. Fringe: Season 4
KE: And Those We Left Behind

26. The Mentalist: Season 4
KE: The Red Shirt

25. Family Guy: 10
KE: Back to the Pilot

24. The Killing: Season 1
KE: Pilot

23. Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Season 3
KE: Mitefall

22. Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 8
KE: Palestinian Chicken

21. Dexter: Season 6
KE: A Horse of a Different Color

20. The Good Wife: Season 3
KE: What Went Wrong

19. Prime Suspect: Season 1
KE: Bitch

18. True Blood: Season 4
KE: You Smell Like Dinner

17. Life's Too Short: Series 1
KE: Cat Deeley

16. Zen: Series 1
KE: Vendetta

15. Merlin: Series 4
KE: The Hunter's Heart

14. Castle: Season 4
KE: Cops and Robbers

13. Ringer: Season 1
KE: Shut Up and Eat Your Bologna

12. The Walking Dead: Season 2
KE: Pretty Much Dead Already

11. South Park: Season 15
KE: The Poor Kid

10. House M.D.: Season 8
KE: Parents

9. Smallville: Season 10
KE: Homecoming

8. Boardwalk Empire: Season 2
KE: Under God's Power She Flourishes

7. Spooks: Series 10
KE: The Kidnapping

6. Case Histories: Series 1
KE: Case Histories Part 1

5. Luther: Series 2
KE: Punch Part 2

4. Game of Thrones: Season 1
KE: Winter Is Coming

3. Doctor Who: Series 32
KE: The Doctor's Wife

2. Breaking Bad: Season 4
KE: Crawl Space

1. Sons of Anarchy: Season 4
KE: Family Recipe

2011: Best Albums of the Year

KT - Key Track


50. Heritage - Opeth
(Progressive Rock)
KT: The Devil's Orchard

49. Forevermore - Whitesnake
(Hard Rock)
KT: Love Will Set You Free

48. In Waves - Trivium
(Metalcore)
KT: Built to Fall

47. Codes and Keys - Death Cab for Cutie
(Indie Pop)
KT: You are a Tourist

46. Angles - The Strokes
(New Wave)
KT: Taken for a Fool

45. The King is Dead - The Decemberists
(Indie Folk)
KT: This Is Why We Fight

44. The Fall - Gorillaz
(Alternative Hip-Hop)
KT: Revolving Doors

43. Showroom of Compassion - Cake
(Alternative Rock)
KT: Long Time

42. Taking Back Sunday - Taking Back Sunday
(Alternative Rock)
KT: You Got Me

41. 21 - Adele
(Pop)
KT: Someone Like You

40. Fishin' for Woos - Bowling for Soup
(Pop Punk)
KT: S-S-S-Saturday

39. Alpocalypse - "Weird" Al Yankovic
(Comedy)
KT: Perform This Way

38. Nine Types of Light - TV on the Radio
(Art Rock)
KT: Keep Your Heart

37. Relentless Reckless Forever - Children of Bodom
(Melodic Death Metal)
KT: Pussyfoot Miss Suicide

36. All You Need Is Now - Duran Duran
(New Wave)
KT: Leave a Light On

35. Let Them Talk - Hugh Laurie
(Blues)
KT: You Don't Know My Mind

34. The Here and Now - Architects
(Post-Hardcore)
KT: Heartburn

33. Ceremonials - Florence and the Machine
(Indie Pop)
KT: Shake It Out

32. Welcome Home Armageddon - Funeral for a Friend
(Post-Hardcore)
KT: Front Row Seats to the End of the World

31. Build a Rocket Boys! - Elbow
(Alternative Rock)
KT: Neat Little Rows

30. England Keep My Bones - Frank Turner
(Folk Rock)
KT: If I Ever Stray

29. Kairos - Sepultura
(Groove Metal)
KT: Kairos

28. The King of Limbs - Radiohead
(Experimental Rock)
KT: Lotus Flower

27. American Capitalist - Five Finger Death Punch
(Heavy Metal)
KT: Under and Over It

26. Suck It and See - Arctic Monkeys
(Indie Rock)
KT: Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair

25. So Beautiful or So What - Paul Simon
(Folk Rock)
KT: Love and Hard Times

24. A Dramatic Turn of Events - Dream Theater
(Progressive Metal)
KT: On the Backs of Angels

23. Chickenfoot III - Chickenfoot
(Hard Rock)
KT: Big Foot

22. Credo - The Human League
(Synthpop)
KT: Never Let Me Go

21. Endgame - Rise Against
(Melodic Hardcore)
KT: Satellite

20. In Metal - Bill Bailey
(Comedy Metal)
KT: Leg of Time

19. Adrenaline Mob - Adrenaline Mob
(Heavy Metal)
KT: Hit the Wall

18. Beyond Magnetic - Metallica
(Thrash Metal)
KT: Hell and Back

17. I'm with You - Red Hot Chili Peppers
(Funk Rock)
KT: The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie

16.Beast - DevilDriver
(Groove Metal)
KT: Dead to Rights

15. El Camino - The Black Keys
(Garage Rock)
KT: Lonely Boy

14. Collapse Into Now - R.E.M.
(Alternative Rock)
KT: Oh My Heart

13. Back Through Time - Alestorm
(Power Metal)
KT: The Sunk'n Norwegian

12. Dead Ends - Heights
(Metal)
KT: The Lost and Alone

11. Stand Up and Fight - Turisas
(Folk Metal)
KT: Hunting Pirates

10. Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
(Folk)
KT: Someone You'd Admire

9. Blunt Force Trauma - Cavalera Conspiracy
(Groove Metal)
KT: Killing Inside

8. Bon Iver, Bon Iver - Bon Iver
(Folk Rock)
KT: Beth/Rest

7. Union Black - Skindred
(Alternative Rock)
KT: Warning

6. Welcome 2 My Nightmare - Alice Cooper
(Rock)
KT: Caffeine

5. TH1RT3EN - Megadeth
(Heavy Metal)
KT: Public Enemy No. 1

4. The Hunter - Mastodon
(Progressive Metal)
KT: Curl of the Burl

3. Worship Music - Anthrax
(Thrash Metal)
KT: Fight 'em 'til You Can't

2. Unto the Locust - Machine Head
(Groove Metal)
KT: Darkness Within

1. Wasting Light - Foo Fighters
(Alternative Rock)
KT: Dear Rosemary

2011: Best Video Games of the Year

50. Call of Juarez: The Cartel

49. Spider-Man: Edge of Time

48. X-Men: Destiny

47. Brink

46. Need for Speed: The Run

45. Yakuza 4

44. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

43. Pokemon: Black and White

42. Red Faction: Armageddon

41. Homefront

40. Battlefield 3

39. Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars

38. No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise

37. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game

36. Back to the Future: The Game

35. Dead Island

34. Bulletstorm

33. Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One

32. Rocksmith

31. F.E.A.R. 3

30. NHL 12

29. Killzone 3

28. Dirt 3

27. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

26. GoldenEye 007: Reloaded

25. Portal 2

24. Mass Effect 2

23. Serious Sam 3: BFE

22. Assassins Creed: Revelations

21. Crysis 2

20. Madden NFL 12

19. Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7

18. Alice: Madness Returns

17. Limbo

16. Gears of War 3

15. Infamous 2

14. Resistance 3

13. Dead Space 2

12. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

11. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

10. Driver: San Francisco

9. L.A. Noire

8. LittleBigPlanet 2

7. Super Mario 3D Land

6. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

5. Sonic Generations

4. FIFA 12

3. Rayman Origins

2. Uncharted 2: Drake's Deception

1. Batman: Arkham City