Gobbledygeek episode 80, “The Young Adult with the Dragon Tattoo,” is available for listening or download right here.

Your worst nightmares have been realized: Paul and AJ are back with another season of Gobbledygeek! To kick things off, the boys discuss two films released late last year. Though they are both very different, they’re both about damaged women: Young Adult, the very un-Juno-like reteaming of Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody, starring Charlize Theron as a self-obsessed YA author; and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, David Fincher’s adaptation of the first book in Stieg Larsson’s blockbuster Millennium series, starring Rooney Mara as fierce hacker/investigator Lisbeth Salander. They clash over Young Adult‘s polarizing conclusion, and come together in defense of Mara’s Salander, who has not been softened or overly sexualized, thank you very much.

Next: the future, according to pop culture.

(Show notes for “The Young Adult with the Dragon Tattoo.”)

Devout Gobblers know that our third season kicks off in eight short days, on January 21, but first I want to let you all know a little bit about what’s been going on during our winter vacation.

First, in case you missed it, Paul and I listed our ten favorite movies and TV shows of 2011. We also promised to list our ten favorite comics and albums, but…well, one day we’ll learn how not to over-commit ourselves. Until then, consider those two more unfulfilled blog posts.

Secondly, we really need to check our inbox more often. On the season finale, I (somewhat glibly) named Papa Razzi and the Photogs’ “A Song About Arlo J. Wiley and Paul Smith” the Best Song of 2011, and lo and behold, Papa himself recorded an acceptance speech:

He put the video up right after the season finale first aired, but because we’ve been super lazy during our winter break, we didn’t check our e-mail until this afternoon. He is awesome, and so is the video; you should watch it.

Head after the jump for a couple more announcements, including a super adorable one…

Thirdly, I finally accomplished something I said I’d do for months: I registered a domain name for the blog! So instead of the clunky gobbledygeekbtr.wordpress.com–which you can still use, if ya want–you can now enter and/or bookmark gobbledygeekpodcast.com, and it’ll take you to the same nerd paradise.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we have an exciting new addition to the Gobbledyfamily. Last year, to kick off season 2, we introduced Bill Ellis’ fantastic take on our lovable mascot Bat-Turkey. So as we gear up for season 3, we’d like to take a moment to introduce you to our brand new Bat-Turkey, courtesy of Daniel Mead!

Ain’t he a cutie? If you’ve a keen eye, you’ll notice that he’s been our Twitter avatar for a few weeks now. I’ll be updating the blog with a banner showcasing our new Bat-Turkey, and I should probably throw up a page to commemorate all of our Bat-Turkeys, past and present. Thanks a bunch, Dan!

We hope your holidays were swell–ours were!–and we’ll be seeing you back here on January 21 for our season 3 premiere. What will it be about? I’ll just say that we’ll be discussing two movies, both released in the past month, which center around dynamic, damaged women. Guesses?

PAUL: 10. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (FOX)

I’ve been slightly more forgiving of reality TV than a lot of people I think, but just barely. For the most part, the genre is vapid and soul-crushing and devoid of anything even remotely interesting. So You Think You Can Dance has been the brightest shining exception to that rule. While I still consider season 4 to be the series’ high watermark, this year’s season 8 introduced us to at least two, possibly three or four of the best dancers to have ever graced the show’s stage. I can’t quite explain what it is about this show that does it for me: I’ve never been particularly interested in dance, of any style, before this. But there have been moments watching this series that have moved me more deeply than just about anything ever has. There is something spiritual, something transcendent about the alchemy of human motion and music blending together. I’ve been moved by demonstrations of athletic prowess or feats of strength and dexterity. And I’ve been moved by the spirit of rock or the voices of angelic singers. But nothing has ever equaled the cosmic, deific inspiration I’ve felt watching someone like Alex Wong, or Mark Kanemura, or Melissa Sandvig, or a dozen others from the past eight years. When the right dancers meet the right choreographers and the right music…there are no words elegant enough to do it justice.
Key Episode: “Week One: Top 20 Performance” (8.6) …specifically the Melanie & Marko routine performed to Ingrid Michaelson’s “Turn to Stone”

AJ: 10. SUBURGATORY (ABC)

I can’t say there were many new comedies this year intriguing enough to even check out. I found Free Agents mildly amusing before it was axed, I probably won’t return to Up All Night unless it starts raking in the hosannas, and I stuck with the ungainly New Girl as long as I did mostly because I like Zooey Deschanel’s face. The less said about 2 Broke Girls or Whitney, the better. Thus, Suburgatory is the clear cream of the new funny crop. That isn’t to say the show is perfect. The central premise, that architect George freaks out about his 15-year-old daughter Tessa’s maturity and so moves them from the big city to the bizarre suburbs, is more fit for a 90-minute movie than an ongoing series, and the show can occasionally be far too broad in mocking suburbia. But even with those caveats, there’s something special about the chemistry between Jeremy Sisto and Jane Levy, who banter like they’re Gilmores, and the dialogue can be razor sharp. Not to mention the fact that Alan Tudyk plays a very tanned, very opportunistic dentist. It might not be a great show just yet, but it’s definitely one worth watching.
Key Episode: “Thanksgiving” (1.8)

PAUL: 9. PSYCH (USA)

For six seasons, this USA Network detective dramedy starring James Roday as a police consultant who passes his incredible observation skills off as psychic visions, and Dulé Hill as his long-suffering friend and partner Burton “Gus” Guster, has made me laugh harder and longer than any three other sitcoms put together. The two leads have the wackiest chemistry together which manifests not only in hilarious volleys of jokes, jibes, insults, running gags, and riffs that seem like the most genius and organic improv (though as far as I know it’s all scripted), but also allows for weekly post-credits gag reels that double me over with laughter. Roday and Hill have a mastery of the glib, geeky pop culture reference that borders on Whedonian. The sixth season proved to be perhaps the best of the series so far, with a gaggle of guest stars such as Brad Dourif, Wayne Brady, and William motherfucking Shatner. And the standout episode of the year was a send-up of the vampire craze featuring Kristy Swanson, Tom Lenk, and Corey Feldman.
Key Episode: “This Episode Sucks” (6.3)

AJ: 9. 30 ROCK (NBC)

The former king (or queen) of wacky comedy has fallen short of past glories lately, but there was still plenty to love about 30 Rock‘s fifth season, especially compared to its fourth. Liz and Jack accidentally got married, Jack’s real wife Avery was brainwashed by the North Korean government and married off to Kim Jong-un (it’ll be interesting to see where that goes), the wonderful Chloë Moretz popped up as Jack’s tweenage rival, there was an entire episode based around the fictional reality show Queen of Jordan, and most gloriously of all, Liz and Tracy engaged in a tense argument to the tune of Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl.” Not every episode is an instant classic like in earlier seasons, but I still look forward to visiting the TGS staff every week.
Key Episode: “Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning” (5.12)

PAUL: 8. JUSTIFIED (FX)

Y’know what would be really great? If there was a way to get more of Timothy Olyphant as the upright, quick-draw lawman he perfected on the late lamented Deadwood. Y’know what would be better? If he could somehow transport himself into an Elmore Leonard novel. Cue the southern-fried, gun smoke and gangsters FX drama Justified. Olyphant steps straight out of the Shakespearean West of South Dakota and straight into the redneck Mafia of South Kentucky. As Deputy U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens, he is every bit the 19th century gunslinger Seth Bullock was, complete with the cowboy hat (white, of course). Adapted primarily from Leonard’s novella Fire in the Hole and his novels Pronto and Riding the Rap, the series is drunk with drama, violence (usually “justified”), sex, and the most morally compromised characters, hero and villain, this side of the Gem Theater. Beyond Olyphant’s riveting performance, special mention must be made of this season’s Big Bad, Mags Bennett, played by the Emmy-winning (for this role) Margo Martindale; and Walton Goggins, who plays Raylan’s best friend/worst enemy Boyd Crowder, and who had better eventually be cast as Jesse Custer in a Preacher film/series or I’ll know the reason why.
Key Episode: “Bloody Harlan” (2.13)

AJ: 8. ARCHER (FX)

I have Paul to thank for this one; there aren’t a lot of animated shows I keep up with these days, but I absolutely cannot resist the insanely violent, foul-mouthed genius of Archer. From the twisted minds that once upon a time brought us Space Ghost Coast to Coast and Sealab 2021 come the adventures of unrepentant douchebag super-spy Sterling Archer (codename: Duchess), his alcoholic mother, his extremely hot and strong-willed ex-girlfriend Lana, and the rest of the crew at the International Secret Intelligence Service. 2010′s debut season was great, but the second season kicked it up a notch by increasing the ridiculousness of the series’ surprisingly involving storylines, and out of nowhere engendering a little–but not too much–emotion from Archer’s breast cancer diagnosis. As Archer, H. Jon Benjamin is giving one of the best performances on any TV series right now, animated or live-action. If you’re still on the fence, consider the show’s comedy credentials: half the cast of Arrested Development has already appeared (Jessica Walters and Judy Greer are even regulars), and I don’t believe it’s outside the realm of possibility that the other half will show up at some point.
Key Episode: “Placebo Effect” (2.9)

PAUL: 7. CASTLE (ABC)

It’s an admittedly ridiculous premise: award-winning novelist uses friendship with the mayor to have himself assigned as the “partner” of hot shot NYPD detective for the purpose of researching his next book. I don’t care about police procedurals, or New York (I know, blasphemy), or the kind of novels being researched here (crime/mystery/bodice rippers). But what I do care about is Nathan Fillion as the smarmy, charming, hilarious author Richard Castle, who lights up every scene he’s in. Also, Stana Katic as über hot Detective Kate Beckett doesn’t hurt. But the real joy of this season has been the supporting cast (excepting new Captain Gates, who sucks), including Jon Huertas and Seamus Deaver as Detectives Esposito and Ryan, and Molly Quinn as Castle’s much-more-mature-than-her-father daughter Alexis.
Key Episode: “Kill Shot” (4.9)

AJ: 7. GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

It should be obvious to anyone who follows this blog or listens to the podcast that I love genre works, whether they feature superheroes or vampires or what have you. However, high fantasy remains a tough sell for me. I prefer my fantasy to be of the urban variety…or at least Harry Potter. So I started Game of Thrones with some trepidation, only to be immediately drawn in by the treacherous backstage politics of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The first half of the season is all very good, with plenty of intrigue and drama, but it is mere scene-setting for the insanity that grips the second half. The last three episodes alone feature an entire season’s worth of “Oh my God!” moments, culminating in the death of several key characters, including one that will blow away anyone not familiar with George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels (like moi). For the most part, the first season doesn’t involve a lot of in-your-face fantasy elements, but by the time the dragons show up at season’s end, I had been so thoroughly captivated by the very human conflicts at the series’ core (betrayal! loss! revenge!), that all I can say about season two is this: Bring it on.
Key Episode: “Baelor” (1.9)

PAUL: 6. BEING HUMAN (Syfy)

Three’s Company for monsters and the undead. I know it tarnishes my geek credentials even more to say that I just never got into the British series from which this U.S. version is loosely adapted, but there you have it. I enjoy the three main actors and characters, particularly Meaghan Rath as neophyte ghost Sally. Mark Pellegrino as the Big Bad vampire (at least for this first season) was obnoxious and frustrating, in the best ways. Werewolf Josh, played with goofy, clumsy charm by Sam Huntington, has a very promising storyline beginning with his girlfriend and soon-to-be baby mama. And Sam Witwer manages, I think, to balance the usual gloom and doom and self-pity of the reluctant vampire trope with the scary, thrilling badassery. The biggest thing a premise like this needs to do to hook me, at least initially, is to create an interesting mythology for its supernatural world, and this series has a great start on that, in my opinion.
Key Episode: “I Want You Back (From the Dead)” (1.9)

AJ: 6. BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)

The second season of Boardwalk Empire was tremendous, from the brilliant ensemble to the beautiful production values to the stunningly confident storytelling. Steve Buscemi has always been a fantastic actor, but he’s stepped up his game as Prohibition-era kingpin Nucky Thompson, still trying to transition from a slick snake-oil salesman to a gangster who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. This season found him at war with former protégé Jimmy Darmody, now determined to escape the shadow of his father and the clutches of his mother by taking control of Atlantic City. Creator Terence Winter & Co. didn’t shy away from the high price paid by everyone involved, morally or mortally. Margaret Schroeder, played by the great Kelly Macdonald, had to come to terms with the fact that she was no longer a good little Catholic housewife, and benefiting from Nucky’s wealth and supposed love, was now complicit in all of his crimes. No one comes away clean, and by the end of the bravura season finale, there’s plenty of dirt on Nucky’s hands indeed. My only request for season three is more Richard Harrow, please. Love that guy.
Key Episode: “Gimcrack and Bunkum” (2.5)

PAUL: 5. ALPHAS (Syfy)

The latest entry in the X-Men/Superfriends/Misfits of Science sub-genre of television, SyFy’s original series Alphas follows five people with strange superpowers as they work together to prevent other “Alphas” like them from doing harm. A tale as old as time, but told surprisingly well here. There are the usual clichés of the shadowy government agency and the set of powers featuring the strong guy, the telepath, and the super-athlete, etc., but they’re all tilted askew just enough as to be rather fresh and intriguing. Plus, the characters are fun to watch, particularly Gary (Ryan Cartwright), the autistic young Alpha with the power to view and interact with wireless communications and data streams…and to annoy his teammates.
Key Episode: “Bill and Gary’s Excellent Adventure” (1.6)

AJ: 5. HOMELAND (Showtime)

President Obama recently said that he was a fan of Boardwalk Empire and Homeland. While I can’t say I’d turn down the opportunity to chat with Mr. Obama about Nucky and the gang, I’d really love to pick his brain about Homeland. You see, the best new show of 2011 has a disturbing premise. Let’s say that an American POW in Iraq whom no one had any reason to suspect was still alive returns home after six years. Let’s say that a CIA agent, herself suffering from bipolar disorder, is convinced he was turned by his captors. What is the appropriate response? How far should the government go in order to investigate the supposition of a mentally disturbed woman? Homeland creators Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, working from the Israeli series Prisoners of War and buffeted by increasingly complex performances from stars Damian Lewis and Claire Danes, go to great lengths to explore those questions. Then, when everyone’s allegiances supposedly become apparent, their sympathy is not one-sided. “You’re trying to find what makes them human, not what makes them terrorists,” Danes’ Carrie Matheson says. That describes Homeland‘s approach perfectly, and underlines why it has become such a fascinating piece of work. The only reason I can imagine FOX News hasn’t jumped all over Obama for professing his admiration of Homeland is because 20th Century Fox are the ones who produce it.
Key Episode: “The Weekend” (1.7)

PAUL: 4. ARCHER (FX)

If you aren’t watching this obscene, irreverent series, in the words of super douchey super spy Sterling Archer, “What the shit?!?” Every single episode of the series’ first two seasons threatened to have me wetting myself with laughter…one or two episodes just might have succeeded. Lead voice actor H. Jon Benjamin brings the perfect amount of smarmy, sexist, self-important charm to the role of Archer (codenamed Duchess). And the supporting cast is a knockout, featuring the likes of Jessica Walter as Sterling’s alcoholic, disturbingly hyper sexual mom (and boss) Malory, Judy Greer as the agency’s psychotic slut secretary Cheryl (or Carol, or Carina, or Cristal), and Aisha Tyler as Archer’s ex-girlfriend, and probably the only genuinely competent spy in the agency. The series is soaked in disgusting, ribald, and inappropriate humor and buckets o’ blood style über-violence, and it’s positively glorious. RAMPAGE!
Key Episode: “Placebo Effect” (2.9)

AJ: 4. PARKS AND RECREATION (NBC)

Parks and Recreation makes TV a happy place. I don’t think it aired a single episode this year that didn’t leave me grinning ear-to-ear, sometimes with a lump in my throat. Most comedy is cynical or negative, which only makes sense; how much comedic mileage can you get out of good, honest people? Turns out, a lot. Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope is one of the best, brightest characters on TV right now, and instead of just allowing her to be content with being Deputy Parks Director in Pawnee, Indiana–a normal show would, and it would probably still be good–her writers have blessed her with real ambition. That ambition has always been in place, going all the way back to that brief, flat-footed first season. There, Leslie was still a female Michael Scott, and her ambition was played for laughs. Four seasons in, that ambition is no longer a joke, and has led to a city council run. Of course, Leslie’s only human, and her flubs and missteps on the road to candidacy are equally funny and poignant. It doesn’t hurt that she’s got a great ensemble backing her play, among them “resigned in disgrace” boyfriend Ben (the wonderful Adam Scott); scene-stealing douche-with-a-heart-of-gold Tom (Aziz Ansari); and Ron Fucking Swanson, played by Nick Offerman, who really ought to have won an Emmy by now.
Key Episode: “Li’l Sebastian” (3.16)

PAUL: 3. THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)

After an amazing pilot, the first season of AMC’s comic book adaptation sort of shambled zombie-like to an unsatisfying cliffhanger. Fortunately, the second season has been a dramatic improvement in just about every way. It’s difficult to shock viewers already accustomed to seeing decomposed, flesh-eating undead killing and being “killed” by a ragtag group of (barely) human survivors every week. But this year, the writers have pulled off some truly shocking, even horrifying character twists, betrayals, and deaths. In a series where by its very nature no one should be considered safe, it says something that there have been a couple of particularly painful losses in the first half of Dead‘s sophomore season. And major props to the writers and one particular actor for taking a character I was already predisposed to hate, making him sympathetic, bringing me right to the point of saying, “Damn it, now he might be one of my favorite characters on the sh– HOLY SHIT, did he just do what I think he did?! That evil motherfucker!” Yeah, good stuff.
Key Episode: “Save the Last One” (2.3)

AJ: 3. COMMUNITY (NBC)

If Parks and Recreation is the happiest show on NBC’s Thursday night comedy block, Community is the darkest. (Well, maybe Whitney‘s darker; I’ll never know.) Creator Dan Harmon and his genius writing staff are committed to deconstructing the standard sitcom set-up: disparate group of people thrown together in a miserable situation, anchored by a familiar location. By this time, they’ve blown that premise apart numerous times, and in so doing have been able to say a lot about the characters at its core. Much of it’s not pretty. Jeff is hipper-than-thou, Britta is “human fro-yo,” Sherri is too pious for her own good, etc. If the first season was about the study group coming together, and the second was about them staying together despite their enormous differences, then the third has thus far been about them trying to put everything behind them and realizing why, exactly, they love each other. After all, there’s no real reason for them to stay to together at this point, even if they do allegedly study together…so why do they? The second season’s ambition was staggering, exemplified this year by episodes such as “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons,” taking place almost entirely around the table in the study room; and “Paradigms of Human Memory,” a clip show with clips from shows we never saw. If the third season has been on a smaller scale, I don’t think it’s because the show has gotten worse, as certain fan backlash would lead you to believe, just different. As its characters grow and evolve, so must the show. And as long as it can keep giving us brilliant episodes like “Remedial Chaos Theory,” in which we view seven parallel universes surrounding a housewarming party, I don’t think we’ll have anything to worry about.
Key Episode: “Remedial Chaos Theory” (3.4)

PAUL: 2. BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)

I’m not the biggest fan of mobster fiction. With few exceptions, stories about Al Capone, rum running, prohibition, etc. just don’t blow my skirt up. (Never seen a single episode of The Sopranos, and don’t really plan to.) But the HBO period drama Boardwalk Empire, which features all three of those things, plus so much more, is must-see TV for me. It’s a complex and compelling cast of horrible characters portrayed by a complex and compelling cast of brilliant actors, combined with a down-and-dirty, unflinching look at crime, politics, corruption, and moral decay in 1920s Atlantic City, New Jersey. Steve Buscemi has always been great in just about everything he does, but he really raises his game here as Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, the hero you love to hate to love. Every episode, he pulls off being truly honorable and loving to some, while being morally reprehensible to others. Also amazing are the stunningly beautiful Kelly Macdonald as poor little Irish widow Margaret Schroeder, holding her own against some powerful and evil men, Michael Pitt as Nucky’s onetime surrogate son and now bitter rival, and the revelatory performance of Jack Huston as Richard Harrow, the former Army marksman sporting the eerie harlequin mask.
Key Episode: “Gimcrack and Bunkum” (2.5)

AJ: 2. LOUIE (FX)

No television comedy is as enlightening, honest, or painful as Louie. Louis C.K., who writes, directs, edits, and stars in every single episode, uses fragments of his stand-up routine to explore subjects as varied as racism, masturbation, Afghanistan, and unrequited love. By design, it’s an anthology show; storylines and supporting characters from one episode rarely carry over to the next. As such, the only constants remain Louie, his adorable/bratty little girls, and his neighbor Pamela, with whom one could say he is fairly obsessed. There were a number of remarkable episodes this year, my favorites being “Country Drive,” featuring Louie awkwardly and awesomely rocking out to “Who Are You” in front of his dumbfounded daughters; “Oh Louie/Tickets,” in which Louie has to approach real-life enemy Dane Cook to try and get tickets to a Lady Gaga concert for one of his girls; and “Duckling,” the one where he goes to Afghanistan as part of a USO tour. In one episode, Louie catches the attention of a movie executive, who takes him to lunch to discuss movie ideas. The idea he describes is one where, instead of a guy who has an okay life running up against a conflict and then resolving it, a guy who has a bad life has something bad happen and things just get worse, leading him to make one bad decision after another. The exec is terrified, and immediately flags down the nearest table of acquaintances. That idea might not describe Louie exactly, but it comes close enough in describing what makes this show so much different and more rewarding than most others.
Key Episode: “Duckling” (2.11)

PAUL: 1. GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

As a lifelong fan of sword-and-sorcery fantasy storytelling, and a diehard fan of writer George R. R. Martin’s genre work in previous years, I really have no explanation for why I never read his magnum opus series A Song of Ice and Fire. But in defiance of common sense (and my own dwindling geek cred), I never got around to it. Then HBO went and adapted the first book in the series, Game of Thrones, into a 10-episode season of the same name, and I had no more excuses. And now, of course, I’m hooked; I’ll be reading each book to coincide with each progressive season of the television series. Part of what makes the show so incredible, in addition to a stellar cast of veteran and newfound actors, awe-inspiring locations and set design, and production value that shames many big budget Hollywood films, is that with the exception of the opening and closing moments of the season, there’s practically no magic in this magical fantasy story. This is medieval politics, social structure, gender studies, plots within plots, royal corruption, war, and familial strife and struggle on an almost Shakespearean stage. It’s also got Peter Dinklage. All Dinklage, all the time. Well, not really, but it should be.
Key Episode: “Baelor” (1.9)

AJ: 1. BREAKING BAD (AMC)

Oh, Breaking Bad. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. For starters, you sport arguably the two best performances on TV, Bryan Cranston as cancer-stricken science teacher Walter White and Aaron Paul as tormented junkie Jesse Pinkman, both entangled in a meth-making operation that threatens to overwhelm them. You’re not just content to have the most fascinating protagonists, either. In fast food entrepreneur/meth kingpin Gus Fring (a chilling Giancarlo Esposito), you’ve got one of the all-time classic TV villains. Then there’s the way you take the time to tell your stories and develop your characters. After the relentless intensity of last season, you could have been content to pull the same trick again, but instead you let everything build to a slow-burn before unleashing a series of tightly-wound episodes that number among the most nail-biting I’ve ever witnessed. Perhaps what I love most about you, though, is that you are not afraid to take your characters to the darkest of dark places. Poor Jesse has been put through the wringer so often I’ve lost count, and Walt has taken another diabolical step down the moral ladder. It’s not even about sacrificing for his family anymore; his actions spring from a deep, disturbing superiority complex that will either make him the most powerful meth cook in New Mexico, or the most dead. And thanks to your gifted director of photography, Michael Slovis, you always look gorgeous. When you finally come to a close next season, I shall but love thee better after death.
Key Episode: “Face Off” (4.13)

But first, a word about lists. Paul has described my obsession with list-making as a “sickness,” and that’s probably close to the truth. However, even one such as I, beholden to rating and ranking everything known to man, know that these kinds of things are imperfect, to put it lightly. For one, no matter how all-inclusive you try to be, there’s always going to be a movie (or show, or comic, etc.) that you somehow missed; for example, as of this writing, neither Paul nor I have seen The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Shame, or Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, just to name a few. And more importantly, lists are always subject to how their makers feel at the moment they’re making them. Each of our top 10s represent the movies we love right now, and with the exception of our #1 choices, their order could be fluid, changing from day to day, mood to mood.

Right now, though? These are the films we adore, and which we feel exemplify 2011.

~ AJ

PAUL: 10. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (dir. Rupert Wyatt)

The summer blockbuster that was better than any of us had any right to expect. Not only a remarkably capable relaunch/reboot of a beloved but dated franchise, but also just a damned good popcorn flick in its own right. Andy Serkis brings heart and humanity (pun intended) to the “inhuman” protagonist. It’s Pinocchio and Moses and Che Guevara.

AJ: 10. GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD (dir. Martin Scorsese)

It has been lazy shorthand for decades to refer to George Harrison as the “quiet Beatle,” and though that might have a kernel of truth to it, the man himself was far more complex. Publicly, he was quiet because he desperately hated fame; professionally, he was quiet during the Beatle years because John and Paul vetoed his material, and later, because he was content with tending to his family and to his garden. Martin Scorsese’s Bob Dylan documentary No Direction Home definitively captured that 60s icon’s brilliance and enigma, and while Living in the Material World doesn’t quite do the same for this 60s icon, it comes close enough. In the first part of this two-part doc, the entire life cycle of The Beatles is rehashed yet again, though considering it’s Scorsese at the helm, it remains of interest. It’s in the second part, however, when things truly come alive. By telling of his unsung career as a film producer, enticing candid stories from a number of those closest to him, and showing private home movies, Scorsese paints a portrait of Harrison as a man perpetually struggling to reconcile his spirituality with his materialism, caught between divinity and mortality.

PAUL: 9. THE TREE OF LIFE (dir. Terrence Malick)

Unconventional, idiosyncratic, poetic, and musical…also oblique, obscure, abstract, and frustrating. I had the very unusual experience of being both moved to tears by the spirituality and stunning, cosmological imagery; and bored to the point of actually drifting off to sleep for a moment or two when the more theological elements began congealing. I both love and hate this film, which more than earns it a place on my Best of 2011 list. Well played, Malick.

AJ: 9. THE SUNSET LIMITED (dir. Tommy Lee Jones)

For most of its 91-minute running time, The Sunset Limited is an engaging two-man show which falls prey to that most common pitfall of play adaptations, staginess. Tommy Lee Jones, in front of as well as behind the camera, and Samuel L. Jackson are both terrific, delivering Cormac McCarthy’s beautiful dialogue with passion and conviction. Yet there’s always the nagging feeling in the back of your mind that you should really be watching this in the front row of a crowded theater instead of on the couch in front of your TV. Still, for its first two-thirds, it’s about as good a stage adaptation as I’ve seen in a long time…and then the last third hit me like a brick. Jones’ suicidal atheist and Jackson’s devout Christian argue back and forth about the existence of God, and toward the end, Jones delivers a monologue of such faith-rattling fury that it reminded me of nothing less than an Ingmar Bergman film. Winter Light, maybe. I’d go so far as to say that the rest of the film would deserve a spot just outside my top 10, but the sublime closing passage vaults it right onto the list.

PAUL: 8. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (dir. Matthew Vaughn)

Another franchise gets a much-needed reboot in the pants. Matthew Vaughn directs a very groovy origin story for Marvel’s Merry Mutants, functionally jettisoning the awfulness of the two prior films while allowing for much (if not all) of the original two films to remain more or less intact. James McAvoy is superb as a younger, cockier Xavier. But it’s Michael Fassbender as the superpowered, Nazi-hunting, pre-Magneto Erik Lensherr who truly shines. I would gleefully submit to an entire series of films about this character.

AJ: 8. TERRI (dir. Azazel Jacobs)

Terri is the fourth feature film by director Azazel Jacobs, but the first one I’d heard of, and probably the first one most people will have heard of. And yet it still doesn’t seem like many people have heard of this one, either. Which is a shame, because even in a year of splendid films about childhood, Terri is one of the most moving. It’s a simple movie, devoid of any unnecessary complication. Terri is a high school outcast, an overweight nerd whose only friends are obnoxious weirdo Chad and damaged pretty girl Heather. Jacob Wysocki is a revelation as Terri, giving the kind of painfully real performance you don’t often see in movies about high schoolers. John C. Reilly is indispensable as the assistant principle who takes Terri under his wing, and Creed Bratton sheds the zany eccentricity of his character from The Office to play Terri’s wonderfully human, Alzheimer’s-addled uncle.

PAUL: 7. CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE. (dirs. Glen Ficarra and John Requa)

Who the hell knew that this standard-sounding romcom would turn out to be one of the most charming, heartfelt, surprising films of the year? Steve Carell is suitably funny and broken, underplayed effectively and allowing his co-star Ryan Gosling to figuratively chew every bit of scenery. Seriously, it’s like no one had ever seen this guy before this film. Also, Emma Stone. I rest my case.

AJ: 7. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (dir. Lynne Ramsay)

Tilda Swinton is the best actress in films right now. I’ve admired her supporting turns in films as diverse as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Michael Clayton, though I somehow managed to miss out on her acclaimed starring roles in Julia and I Am Love. Her performance in We Need to Talk About Kevin, however, confirms her brilliance. Despite the fact that she plays the mother of a clearly disturbed teenager who went on a killing spree at his school, it is the opposite of a showy performance. From the psychological war she wages with young Kevin to the utter hell of her life after Kevin goes to prison, she conveys everything you need to know as quietly as possible. The entire film has been accused of being too cerebral, and I’ll admit that is in no way for everyone. With little or no warning, director Lynne Ramsay will cut back-and-forth between the present and the past in a way that makes sense emotionally and is intentionally jarring. Considering the supremely disturbing subject matter, the film can be a challenge. But it’s a powerful, frightening film, one that suggests that it’s not just nature or just nurture that turns kids into killers, but a little of both.

PAUL: 6. HANNA (dir. Joe Wright)

It should come as no surprise that I, being an old school Joss Whedon fan, have something of an obsession with powerful, dangerous, “supernatural” adolescent female characters. While the titular young lady of this film, played by the supernaturally talented Saoirse Ronan, is no magic-fueled Slayer or government-engineered psychic assassin, her martial prowess and steely determination certainly put her in such grand company. Also, given the obvious fairy tale motifs of wicked witches and big bad wolves, it’s hardly a stretch to think of Hanna as spiritual cousin to characters like Buffy Summers or River Tam.

AJ: 6. THE DESCENDANTS (dir. Alexander Payne)

It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years since Alexander Payne’s last film, the wonderful Sideways. At long last, here he is again, to make you laugh, to break your heart, to bring you inside the mind of a wounded man. The wounded man in this Payne feature is Matt King, played by George Clooney in one of his best performances. He has to decide whether or not to sell his family’s beautiful Hawaiian land, and on top of that, his wife is in a coma from a boating accident. Their oldest daughter informs him that her mother was cheating on him before her accident. Surely living in a Hawaiian paradise must take the sting off, right? “Paradise? Paradise can go fuck itself,” Matt says. And so Matt has to reconnect with his two daughters, the care of whom he’d mostly delegated to his wife; come to terms with the fact that he and his wife were drifting apart well before her coma; make peace with the fact that she will die; and decided whether or not to confront her lover. So much of this could have been pat and sentimental, but Payne earns every emotion. Clooney is a big reason the movie is as successful as it is, giving a brilliant turn as a man trying to sort through everything and make one tough decision after another. (And if you hadn’t heard elsewhere, Jim Rash, who plays Dean Pelton on Community, co-wrote the screenplay!)

PAUL: 5. ANOTHER EARTH (dir. Mike Cahill)

The science fiction movie that wasn’t. The existential, philosophical think piece about a planet hurtling towards Earth that didn’t devolve into ponderous self-importance. It also didn’t star Kirsten Dunst…to its benefit. Co-writer/star Brit Marling and co-writer/director Mike Cahill craft a thoughtful and moving story about one young woman with a bright future and the tragic mistake that destroys her world, and the world of loving family man William Mapother (still best known as either Ethan from Lost, or Tom Cruise’s cousin). The existence of a duplicate Earth hanging over our head raises questions of how the “other me” is living their life; if they’ve made the same mistakes as we have; if they have anything to teach us; if they represent an opportunity to try again. The final scene of the film, while not the most shocking or original trope in a film like this, offers that most perfect and potent of cinematic cocktails in my opinion: possibility and ambiguity.

AJ: 5. SUPER 8 (dir. J.J. Abrams)

Executive producer and subject of loving homage Steven Spielberg was quoted as saying that he considers Super 8 to be J.J. Abrams’ “first real film,” and I’m inclined to agree. Mission: Impossible III and Star Trek were both clearly franchise films, and mediocre ones, at that. Super 8, on the other hand, does not even feel like it was made by the same man. Every shot feels carefully chosen and imbued with feeling, absorbing the action instead of letting it bounce off. Though Abrams is clearly indebted to Spielberg, I feel like he’s not so much mimicking the charm and wonder of Spielberg classics such as E.T. or Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but internalizing everything great about those movies and making them his own. There’s a sense of mystery, of the young band of filmmakers at the story’s core struggling to discover their place in the grand scheme of things, which feels very much like Abrams’ Lost. Joel Courtney is one of the finds of the year as 12-year-old zombie makeup expert Joe Lamb, and Elle Fanning is superb as his slightly older crush; the other four kids are just as natural and unstudied, a miracle in and of itself. A hugely entertaining science fiction film that reminds one of what summer movies are capable of.

PAUL: 4. THE MUPPETS (dir. James Bobin)

It’s ironic that the House of the Mouse (who currently owns the property) was so concerned about writer Nicholas Stoller and co-writer/star Jason Segel’s take on the newest Muppets feature film, the first in twelve years. While Disney was focused on keeping the story kid-friendly (and penis-free), they seemed to have forgotten that the Muppets, as envisioned by legendary creator Jim Henson, were never actually meant to be strictly child’s play. The Muppets were subversive. Fortunately, Stoller and Segel, as well as director James Bobin, stuck to their communist, anti-capitalist agenda (you’re retarded, FOX News) and brought Kermit and the gang back from their twelve-year exile in grand, fun and felty revolutionary style. It’s unapologetically soaked in nostalgia, and I loved every second of it. And music supervisor Bret “Flight of the Conchords” McKenzie gives us at least two songs destined to become enduring Muppet classics. Plus: Chris Cooper raps!

AJ: 4. HUGO (dir. Martin Scorsese)

The second Scorsese film on my list is also the first in his career which could be deemed a family film. One usually expects to walk away from a Scorsese feature shuddering at the obsessive nature of humanity. While Hugo‘s titular hero does have an obsession, it is a much more innocent one than we’re accustomed to: orphaned in 1931 Paris following the death of his father, Hugo lives in the walls of a train station and steals parts from a bitter old toymaker to try to repair the automaton his father left behind. The identity of the toymaker, miraculously portrayed by Ben Kingsley in the best performance of the year, will be a treat for any lover of cinema, and the film itself unexpectedly becomes a triumphant ode to the power of movies. Hugo is also Scorsese’s first film shot in 3D, and the first film I would fully recommend seeing in that format. It’s fitting that in a movie devoted to the innovative magic of film, Scorsese pushes a relatively new technique to an entirely new level. After the first few minutes, you won’t even notice you’re wearing those clunky glasses.

PAUL: 3. WE BOUGHT A ZOO (dir. Cameron Crowe)

Since initially creating this list, I’ve seen Cameron Crowe’s newest film three times, and it easily could be pushed up to the top spot for me. However, I recognize that my deep and abiding love for We Bought a Zoo comes from someplace deep and intensely personal, and I expect very few people to react to it as powerfully as I continue to. It’s predictable and emotionally “manipulative” in the way that professional film critics love to complain about. But I don’t care. This is one of my all-time favorite filmmakers writing a love letter directly to me, and no amount of logical cynicism will take that away from me. If you need something more tangible to cling to in order to take this recommendation, see it for a) fantastic Jonsí musical score, as well as the usual Crowe stable of licensed songs by artists like Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, and Wilco; b) the most adorable addition to this years impressive stable of child stars, Maggie Elizabeth Jones; and c) one of the most accurate representations of the kind of people that choose to work in the world of small zoos. Also: angry, scruffy, kilted zookeeper! See? Made expressly for me.

AJ: 3. MONEYBALL (dir. Bennett Miller)

I don’t like sports in general, and I don’t have any strong feelings about baseball in particular. The only time I’ve ever really enjoyed a baseball movie before was A League of Their Own, which is more of a sentimental favorite than anything. Yet here’s Moneyball, a film so moving it brought tears to my eyes. I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised: Bennett Miller brought us the great Capote six years ago, and the screenplay is credited to both Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, two of the guys you want to be writing your screenplay. It’s a witty, captivating look at how Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane (a rugged Brad Pitt) threw caution to the wind and crafted a team based on statistics instead of marquee power, and of how that approach failed miserably, then began to succeed. Zaillian and Sorkin wrote different drafts of the script, so we can’t know for sure who wrote what, but finding the humanity and profundity in backstage number-crunching seems like a play taken directly from the Sorkin playbook. Special credit to Jonah Hill, who shows us an entirely different side of himself as player analyst Peter Brand.

PAUL: 2. RANGO (dir. Gore Verbinski)

Director Gore Verbinski and gonzo actor/apparition Johnny Depp team up again, this time leaving the briny sea of Pirates behind in favor of the gritty, parched desert of the CG southwest in this animated orgy of the good, bad, and really, really weird. Rango manages to riff on, borrow from, and pay homage to a half-dozen or so Hollywood classics such as Chinatown, Apocalypse Now, and the Man With No Name trilogy, without descending into the pointless, lifeless morass that the Shrek franchise quickly devolved into. Features perhaps the best childlike, innocent protagonist performance by Depp since Edward Scissorhands, as well as an inspired cameo (of sorts) that nearly brought me out of my seat to cheer; and some of the greatest, most stunning visual work of legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins’ career. And yes, I know…it’s a cartoon. I stand by that.

AJ: 2. DRIVE (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn)

This year, Ryan Gosling delivered three remarkable performances, each as distinct as the last. In Crazy, Stupid, Love., the usually intense actor got to show off his funny, romantic side, and oh, funny and romantic he was. Though I wasn’t wild about George Clooney’s political thriller The Ides of March, Gosling ably portrayed a young idealist coming to grips with the harsh reality of his chosen field. And in Drive, the crowning achievement of a stellar year, Gosling was calm but tightly-wound, cold yet passionate, weirdly aloof but achingly human. As the song on the soundtrack says, he is striving to be “a real human being, and a real hero.” Gosling plays a Hollywood stuntman by day, getaway driver by night who begins to feel a real connection to his neighbor, the beautiful Carey Mulligan. We learn very little about the driver–indeed, we never learn his name and he listed in the credits only as “Driver”–but Gosling fills in all the blanks with his subtle, assured performance. We don’t know what happened to leave him so distant, but Gosling makes takes us every step of the way through the journey to rediscover his soul. Breathtaking, mesmerizing, and seductive.

PAUL: 1. SUPER 8 (dir. J.J. Abrams)

Another science fiction movie that really isn’t. Oh, there’s sci-fi here, to be sure: aliens, weird science, secret military projects, conspiracies. But none of that is what the film is about. This is a film about kids making a film, made by two of the biggest “kids” in the film industry, writer/director J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg. It’s a love letter to anyone that ever dreamt of making their own monster movies, or trashed their mom’s kitchen or their dad’s garage creating fake blood, gore, and slime. It’s also one of the most affecting love stories of the year, despite the fact that the romantic couple are both 14 years old. The entire cast of young actors in this film are great, but in particular Elle Fanning continues to shine like the star she will no doubt become, and newcomer Joel Courtney is truly spectacular as the deceptively cherubic lead.

AJ: 1. THE TREE OF LIFE (dir. Terrence Malick)

If it wouldn’t look super weird and pretentious, I kind of wish there could be like half-a-page of empty space between this and the rest of my choices just to display how much better The Tree of Life is than the other movies on my list. The previous nine films I’ve talked about were all fantastic, but The Tree of Life is a rare life-affirming experience. Terrence Malick’s films have always been oblique and painterly, and his Badlands is another of my favorites, but with The Tree of Life, he has accomplished something altogether different. The only movie that I can immediately compare it to is 2001: A Space Odyssey. Though both are very different, especially because 2001 diminishes humanity and Tree of Life emphasizes it, both seek to explain the meaning of the universe in the large, cosmic terms the subject demands. The film is ostensibly about the O’Brien clan in 1950s Texas, and while Malick explores some autobiographical themes (his stern father, the death of his brother at a young age) through them, he uses them as a springboard to explore various facets of human existence and emotion. There’s a rapturous sequence when the film breaks from any kind of narrative whatsoever to show the creation of the universe, including a brief interlude with dinosaurs. Movies like this don’t come along often, and when they do, they are to be cherished. If you have any interest in film as art, I implore you to seek this film out. I hope it moves you as much as it did me.

Gobbledygeek episode 79, “2011 in Review,” is available for listening or download right here.

Well, boys and girls, the second season of Gobbledygeek has come to a close, so just like they did last year, Paul and AJ talk about everything they loved and hated in the past twelve months. In the midst of discussing their favorite and least favorite movies, TV shows, albums, and comics of 2011–among other things–the boys engage in some bickering, some mockery, some name-calling…a good way to end the year, don’t you think?

Next: Bat-Turkey, and those two lunkheads he lets host the podcast, go into hibernation for the next month. Which for you, dear listener, can only mean blessed relief. That is, until Gobbledygeek season 3 starts on January 21, 2012! So get some rest while you can.

(Show notes for “2011 in Review.”)

Gobbledygeek episode 78, “Twisted Christmas: Just Add Water,” is available for listening or download right here.

This holiday season, the boys rewind to their respective childhoods and visit a cherished classic: Joe Dante’s Gremlins. It’s not your usual holiday fare, unless your usual holiday fare involves murder, insanity, and chaos. They discuss whether or not the film actually holds up to the harsh light of adulthood, whether those damn rules make any sense, and just how high the author of the film’s novelization was. AJ reviews We Need to Talk About Kevin, Paul gripes about The Defenders #1, and then we get around to Nathan’s snarky Formspring question of the week.

Next: the Gobbledygeek season 2 finale is our year-end round-up of everything we loved and hated in 2011.

(Show notes for “Twisted Christmas: Just Add Water.”)

On the new episode of Gobbledygeek, Paul and AJ told you about all the things you should buy this Christmas season, and now here’s a comprehensive guide! (Including a few items that weren’t even mentioned on the show.)

Note: Most links and prices are from Amazon.

BOOKS/COMICS

READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline
$14.33

Hands down one of the best science fiction books I’ve read in recent memory. It’s like my admittedly overdeveloped nostalgia gland were milked and distilled onto the page. This book is my geeky, pop-culture DNA printed in ink. ~ Paul

ESSENTIAL AVENGERS: VOL. 1 by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Don Heck
$19.99

Before Joss Whedon’s Avengers movie hits screens next year, why not gift someone with this primer on the superteam’s beginnings with classic stories by Lee, Kirby, and Heck? ~ AJ

BONE: THE COMPLETE CARTOON EPIC IN ONE VOLUME by Jeff Smith
$26.08

It’s like Walt Kelly or Carl Barks retold The Lord of the Rings…with cute little cartoon critters (and stupid, stupid rat creatures). Writer/artist Jeff Smith’s 1300-page magnum opus, published sporadically in single issue comic format from 1991-2004, starts off sort of light and frivolous, but builds into something truly sophisticated and surprisingly dark by the end. ~ Paul

BOSSYPANTS by Tina Fey
$14.90

Tina Fey’s hilarious thoughts on Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, life, and her childhood, which included many gay friends and time at theater camp. ~ AJ

HABIBI by Craig Thompson
 $21

From the Publisher: Sprawling across an epic landscape of deserts, harems, and modern industrial clutter, Habibi tells the tale of Dodola and Zam, refugee child slaves bound to each other by chance, by circumstance, and by the love that grows between them. At once contemporary and timeless, Habibi gives us a love story of astounding resonance: a parable abour our relationship to the natural world, the cultural divide between the first and third worlds, the common heritage of Christianity and Islam, and, most potently, the magic of storytelling.

DC COMICS: THE NEW 52
$89.99

There is probably someone out there who wants this, as I’m sure it’ll look pretty, but only a handful of these new #1 issues are worth it: Swamp Thing, Animal Man, Batman and Robin, and a few others. ~ AJ

BATMAN: THE BLACK MIRROR by Scott Snyder, Jock, and Francesco Francavilla
$19.79

Potentially one of the new greatest Batman stories ever told, and it isn’t even Bruce Wayne. Writer Scott Snyder and artists Jock and Francesco Francavilla tell the definitive Dick Grayson-as-Batman stories, featuring a grisly murder mystery, the return of a major (but forgotten) character from the Bat-past…oh, and a killer whale. ~ Paul

DAYTRIPPER by Gabriel Bá and Fabio Moon
$13.30

One of the few times I can use the word “transcendent” and not seem like a pretentious tool, because this really is that. As you follow the life and multiple deaths of Bras de Olivias Dominguez, you gain an understanding of the importance of not only his existence, but yours as well. One of the finest comics of the last decade. ~ AJ

WE3 DELUXE EDITION by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
$16.28

Finally available in the deluxe hardcover format it’s always deserved, writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely’s moving, emotional story of three house pets mutilated by a secret military project and turned into walking weapons will shock you, challenge you, and, if you have even the smallest fragment of a soul, bring you to tears. ~ Paul

JIM HENSON’S THE STORYTELLER
$12.48

From the Publisher: A graphic novel featuring nine all-new stories based on the 1980s Henson television series, including an adaptation of an unproduced screenplay by series’ main writer Oscar winner Anthony Minghella. Contributors will include Jeff Parker, Ron Marz, Katie Cook, and more.

JIM HENSON’S TALE OF SAND by Jim Henson, Jerry Juhl, and Ramon Perez
$18.58

From the Publisher: Join us as we explore this missing piece of Jim Henson’s career in a celebration of his creative process. Discovered in the Archives of The Jim Henson Company, A Tale of Sand is an original graphic novel adaptation of an unproduced, feature-length screenplay written by Jim Henson and his frequent writing partner, Jerry Juhl. A Tale of Sand follows scruffy everyman, Mac, who wakes up in an unfamiliar town, and is chased across the desert of the American Southwest by all manner of man and beast of unimaginable proportions. Produced with the complete blessing of Henson co-CEO Lisa Henson, A Tale of Sand will allow Henson fans to recognize some of the inspirations and set pieces that appeared in later Henson Company productions.

GO THE FUCK TO SLEEP by Adam Mansbach
$8.97

“A bedtime book for parents that live in the real world.” Greatest. Book. Ever. ~ Paul

BATMAN: MURDER AT WAYNE MANOR by Duane Swierczynski and David Lapham
 $18.96

An Interactive Mysteries book, this has apparently been around since 2008, but I’m just hearing about it now (of course). Appears to be a variation on the “choose your own adventure” idea, focusing on a corpse discovered on the grounds of Wayne Manor and the possibility that Bruce Wayne’s father, Dr. Thomas Wayne, is the murderer. The book includes removable clues such as a blood-stained party invitation, a map of Wayne Manor, an autopsy report, and so on for the reader to examine and conduct their own investigation with. ~ Paul

FILM/TELEVISION/MUSIC

HARRY POTTER: THE COMPLETE 8-FILM COLLECTION (DVD/Blu-ray)
$48.99/$79.99

The movies became a mixed bag as they went along, but that doesn’t diminish the nostalgic value of the first two, the gloriousness of the third, or the riveting conclusion of the eighth and final film. Unless the Potterhead in your life is absolutely averse to the cinematic adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s novels, I can’t imagine they wouldn’t want this. ~ AJ

STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA (Blu-ray)
$99.99

Yes, yes, George Lucas has tinkered with these films so often that they don’t entirely resemble their original incarnations. Still, it’s Star Wars, one of the greatest series in the history of film (I even have a soft spot for the prequels). And it’s the first time any of these movies has ever been on Blu-ray, so. You know. Kind of a huge deal. ~ AJ

SUPER 8 (DVD/Blu-ray)
$13.49/$19.99

Giddy, loving, thrilling homage to Spielberg’s “good ol’ days,” combining elements from E.T. and Close Encounters, as well as things like Stand by Me and The Goonies. It’s the story of six friends who spend their summer vacation making a zombie movie, in the process witnessing one of the more spectacular train wrecks ever filmed, and get caught up in a slightly more menacing version of the “E.T. phone home” scenario. Newcomer Joel Courtney is fantastic, as are all the fresh young faces in the cast. Unsurprisingly, “veteran” actors Elle Fanning and Kyle “Coach Taylor” Chandler also bring the greatness. ~ Paul

THE TREE OF LIFE (Blu-ray & DVD Combo)
$29.99

Terrence Malick’s overwhelmingly beautiful rumination on life, death, and everything in between has been polarizing among certain audiences: there are those who embrace its unconventional narrative and philosophical tangents, and those who wish it was a little more normal (including, oddly, star Sean Penn). However, for the true film buff, this is one of the best films of the year and an absolute must-own. ~ AJ

TERRI (DVD/Blu-ray)
$16.99/$17.49

Few people seem to have seen or even heard of Terri, which is a shame, because it’s such an honest, unassuming, genuinely funny and moving film about an overweight kid (Jacob Wysocki, in a winning performance). Unlike most films about teen outsiders, Terri and those he comes to consider friends actually are outsiders with real problems. John C. Reilly and Creed Bratton shine in supporting roles. ~ AJ

HANNA (DVD/Blu-ray)
$11.23/$19.99

Hanna is that rare action movie, one that not only engages you on the superficial level but which also offers you plenty to think about it. At its roots, the story is poetic and akin to a fairy tale, wrapped in Joe Wright’s kinetic visuals and studded by a wonderful star turn from Saoirse Ronan. You can eat your popcorn and have it, too. ~ AJ

ANOTHER EARTH (Blu-ray & DVD Combo)
$19.99

Minimalist science fiction/philosophy piece examining life choices, forgiveness, redemption, and the question of what exactly would you say to yourself if you met your cosmic double. Co-writer/director Mike Cahill and co-writer/star Brit Marling take a larger-than-life sci-fi premise and use it as the backdrop for an incredibly small, intimate character study of one young woman and the consequences of a single mistake. ~ Paul

RANGO (DVD/Blu-ray)
$12.99/$15.50

One of the best animated films in recent memory, and it’s not Pixar, or even Dreamworks. It’s Paramount, of all studios, their first foray into the high-stakes world of CG-animated cute animal storytelling. Though there’s not a lot of cute on display here. Johnny Depp as the titular gonzo lizard Don Knotts his way through a zany, hallucinogenic landscape cobbled together brilliantly from film classics like the Man with No Name trilogy, Chinatown, and yes, director Gore Verbinski’s own Pirates films. Rango is a bizarre but enthralling pastiche which also happens to be one of the single most visually stunning films, animated or otherwise, that I have ever seen. ~ Paul

DREAMWORKS DRAGONS: GIFT OF THE NIGHT FURY/BOOK OF DRAGONS DOUBLE PACK (DVD/Blu-ray)
$14.99/$18.99

A short but sweet return to the world of How to Train Your Dragon. As a quick-off direct-to-video thing, this easily could have been cheaply produced and poorly written. Fortunately, the animation is nearly as great as in the original film. The story is fun and expands a bit further on the mythology of the dragons, but the real value here is the continuing relationship between Hiccup and Toothless. Running time is under 30 minutes, but just the few moments of genuine character progression between these two brought genuine tears to my eyes. Again. ~ Paul

CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE (DVD/Blu-ray/Blu-ray & DVD)
$14.99/$19.99/$24.99

I was shocked by how much I ended up loving this movie. It’s sweet, funny, touching, and yes, just a little sappy…everything you look for in a great Hollywood romantic comedy. This is probably the best straight rom-com in years, actually. Steve Carell proves that he’ll be just fine post-Office, Ryan Gosling proves that he can be funny instead of broody, and Julianne Moore and Emma Stone both prove that they remain eminently lovable. ~ AJ

JANE EYRE (DVD/Blu-ray)
$14.99/$19.99

A confession: being an utter heathen when it comes to most forms of classic literature, I was almost entirely ignorant of the story of Jane Eyre before watching Cary Fukanaga’s new film version. But that did not stop me from immediately falling in love with the film. It looks absolutely gorgeous, and perennial Gobbledygeek favorites Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender are both terrific. ~ AJ

CITIZEN KANE: 70th ANNIVERSARY ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITION (DVD/Blu-ray)
$25.99/$47.49

It’s Citizen Kane. Come on. There are tons and tons of extras on this 70th anniversary set, including the films American Experience: The Battle Over Citizen Kane and RKO 281. ~ AJ

COMMUNITY: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON (DVD)
$19.99

Community proved its zest for the wacky in its first season, but the insane ambition on display in the second is jaw-dropping. Watch as the cock-eyed students and faculty of Greendale Community College are turned into zombies, get animated for a Rankin/Bass-type Christmas special, engage in an epic paintball war, and much, much more. One of the best comedies on TV…and it might be gone soon, so, you know. Buy it for everyone you know. ~ AJ

PARKS AND RECREATION: SEASON THREE (DVD)
$21.69

It might not be as off-the-walls inventive as Community, but Parks and Recreation is of comparable quality, another gold standard for television comedy in the 21st century. Pawnee, Indiana’s parks department, led by the beautifully optimistic Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler, in a career-defining performance), is weird and wonderful. Just like The Office used to be, Parks & Rec is awkward, hilarious, and deeply heartfelt. ~ AJ

NEVERMIND: SUPER DELUXE EDITION by Nirvana (CD/Vinyl/MP3)
$116.56/$70.68/$40.64

Nirvana’s landmark 1991 album celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, and such a Super Deluxe Edition was inevitable. The five-disc set is as follows: the remastered album with all the B-sides; a disc containing the Smart Studio sessions, boombox rehearsals, and radio sessions; the Devonshire mixes, rough mixes prepared by producer Butch Vig; a previously unreleased Halloween ’91 concert at the Paramount Theater in Seattle; and a DVD of the concert and the music videos Nevermind spawned. The various different mixes and demos are intriguing for hardcore fans, but none of the songs are radically different and listening value is historical, at best. However, the live material is invaluable for any fan. Speaking of… ~ AJ

NIRVANA: LIVE AT THE PARAMOUNT (DVD/Blu-ray)
$16.99/$14.99

2009′s Live at Reading was a great Nirvana set from 1992, and while Live at the Paramount isn’t quite as staggering–this is a band 30 seconds from taking the world by storm, not one that was already the reigning king of rock–it is absolutely essential for anyone interested in the group. Unlike Live at Reading, which was shot on video, Live at the Paramount was shot on film and as such, looks absolutely fantastic. The band’s energy and intensity don’t waver for a single moment during this hour-plus concert, and the impact of the monster opening riff of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” or the punk fuck-you attitude of “Territorial Pissings” have not been dulled with age. By the way, if you’re an enthusiast with a deep wallet… ~ AJ

KURT COBAIN JAGUAR
$1,819.99

Fender has created a replica of the 1965 Jaguar with which Kurt kicked out the jams, reproducing everything from its beaten, worn finish to its “unique electronics.” If you’re rich and/or devoted enough to purchase this amazing piece of amazingness, you’ll also get an exclusive book with photos and commentary by Charles Peterson and an interview with Nirvana guitar tech Earnie Bailey. ~ AJ

THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON: IMMERSION BOX SET by Pink Floyd
$119.99

Pink Floyd’s seminal best-selling 1973 album gets the glorious, over-the-top Immersion Box Set treatment. Features 6 discs of rare and unreleased audio and video material, including a digitally remastered version of the original album, a live performance of the album from Wembley 1974, concert footage, demos, interviews, a 40-page book, original photos, concert ticket reproductions, and a ton more. Wish You Were Here and The Wall have both also received the Immersion treatment. ~ Paul

PEARL JAM TWENTY (DVD/Blu-ray)
$17.99/$14.99

Cameron Crowe’s immersive documentary celebrating 20 years of the Seattle grandfathers of grunge. I was a minor PJ fan before viewing this film. Now, I have a much better appreciation for the band and their music. ~ Paul

A SLEW OF OTHER ALBUMS WE RECOMMEND

The King Is Dead by The Decemberists – CD ($11.22)/Vinyl ($19.99)/MP3 ($9.49)/CD & DVD ($19.52)/Super Deluxe Limited Edition ($52.04)

Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars – CD ($7.99)/Vinyl ($13.99)/MP3 ($5.00)

Middle Brother by Middle Brother – CD ($8.06)/Vinyl ($15.98)/MP3 ($9.99)

Nothing Is Wrong by Dawes – CD ($7.70)/Vinyl ($17.98)/MP3 ($7.99)

Past Life Martyred Saints by EMA – CD ($10.93)/Vinyl ($23.36)/MP3 ($6.49)

Father, Son, Holy Ghost by Girls – CD ($9.99)/Vinyl ($22.98)/MP3 ($9.99)

Ocean’s Kingdom by Paul McCartney – CD ($12.99)/Vinyl ($31.71)/MP3 ($7.99)/MP3 & digital booklet ($9.49)

The King of Limbs by Radiohead – CD ($9.52)/Vinyl ($15.69)/MP3 ($5.99)

GAMES/TOYS

THE MUPPET WHATNOT WORKSHOP by FAO Schwartz
$99.99

Design your own Muppet Whatnot (the peculiar but talented Muppet “extras” that help the Muppets put on their shows) and have it delivered right to you. Or, better yet, give a Whatnot Gift Card to a loved one and let them build their own fuzzy or felty friend. ~ Paul

BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY (Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PC)
$49.96/$49.96/$39.99

The best Batman game ever? Yes. The best superhero game ever? Most likely. ~ Paul

ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM (Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PC)
$59.99/$59.99/$59.54

I’ve only dipped my toes into this game so far, so I can neither confirm nor deny that it is, as so many fans claim, “the greatest video game of all time!” I can tell you that it’s pretty to look at, intuitive to play, and it’s got that whole sandbox world thing that I love so much going for it. But based on the very little I’ve played at this point, I’d say it’s not much more than a striking visual improvement on the earlier games in the series. Not so much earthshaking. ~ Paul

SONIC GENERATIONS (Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PC)
$54.82/$51.92/$29.99

As a long-time fan of the blue blur, I can confirm that this is easily his best outing since Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which–prepare to feel old–came out 17 years ago. The majority of Sonic games since then haven’t seemed to understand that the series’ appeal lies in blasting through complex, colorful stages at top speed with wild abandon. Happily, Sega has recaptured the magic just in time for Sonic’s 20th anniversary, ripping open the time-space continuum so that Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic exist side-by-side, each with different souped-up versions of classic stages from the series’ past. Everything from Sonic the Hedgehog‘s Green Hill Zone to Sonic Colors‘ Planet Wisp get brilliant makeovers. It’s not only thrilling to play old-school zones in the style of Modern Sonic, but also to play the newfangled zones in the tried-and-true Classic style. If it weren’t for the repetitive/annoying boss fights (which, on a positive note, aren’t as frequent as in other games), this would be a perfect game. ~ AJ

L.A. NOIRE (Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PC)
$23.49/$23.99/$47.90

If you love noir fiction, this game is for you. Brilliant adaptation of the tropes of the genre into video game form, allowing the player to actually investigate, examine clues, interrogate suspects, and navigate a painstakingly recreated Los Angeles circa 1947. And as fun as the gameplay mechanics are, when all is said and done, the story is pretty great as well. ~ Paul

PORTAL 2 (Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PC)
$59.99/$46.38/$49.99

“Well done. Here come the test results: ‘You are a horrible person.’ That’s what it says. We weren’t even testing for that.” ~ Paul

GADGETS/GEAR

KINDLE (Kindle/Touch/Touch 3G/Keyboard/Keyboard 3G/DX)
$79/$99/$149/$139/$139/$379

I’m an Apple fanboy of the highest order, and I adore (worship, even) my iPad. But on a whim, I took advantage of the Black Friday prices and got myself the keyboard Kindle, and I have to say that I’m impressed. Combined with the black leather case with reading light, it’s now my preferred e-book reader. (Still worship my iPad though…) ~ Paul

KINDLE FIRE
$199

Amazon’s first foray into the tablet world is highly successful, so long as you know what you’re looking for. At less than half the price of an iPad, it understandably doesn’t offer all of that device’s capabilities. However, it does offer video streaming (either with Amazon’s own vast selection or Netflix and Hulu apps), music streaming (love the Pandora app), games (Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, most everything you’d find on an Android device), and a robust app store with plenty of other useful and entertaining apps. Each Fire comes with a free Amazon Prime trial, which includes free two-day shipping on eligible items from Amazon.com, unlimited access to Amazon’s streaming selection, and access to the Kindle Lending Library, which allows you to read thousands of books for free with no due date. The one major drawback: no 3G, only wi-fi. Take that how you will. ~ AJ

BOOKBOOK iPHONE CASE + WALLET from Twelve South
$59.99

I’ve had every version of the iPhone that’s come out, and have tried dozens (hundreds?) of styles of case, cover, and sleeve for each of them. Hands down, without question, the best one I’ve ever come across is this attractive, stylish, pocket-sized leather “book” that serves as both protective case and convenient wallet. I literally get stopped on the street or at checkout counters at least once every day by people asking about it and wanting to know how to get one. I can’t recommend this highly enough. ~ Paul

GELASKINS
Price varies

Gorgeous, customizable artwork cases, gels, screens, and appliqués for practically ever electronic device you can imagine. Phones, MP3 players, laptops and computers, gaming consoles, even Xbox and PlayStation controllers. The variety is staggering. ~ Paul

iPOD SHUFFLE
$49

Indispensable. After various shapes, sizes, and configurations, Apple has finally returned to the version that I think is perfect. It’s small, sturdy, attractive, spacious enough to hold plenty of music for a day’s playlist, and most importantly, it loses the touchscreen and keeps the physical external buttons. I use mine every single day to survive work, and the Shuffle is easy to conceal in a pocket, while the physical controls allow me to pause, play, navigate, and adjust volume without looking at it. ~ Paul

AND LASTLY, AMAZON’S SHIPPING INFO FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

If you’re ordering through Amazon.com in the United States, here’s their ordering deadlines for delivery on or before Christmas Eve (12/24) for items in-stock shipped to physical addresses within the United States and marked “Ships from and sold by Amazon.com” or “Fulfilled by Amazon.com.”

- December 15th – FREE Super Saver Shipping* [Last full day to order]
- December 19th – Standard Shipping [Last full day to order]
- December 20th – Two-Day Shipping (FREE with Amazon Prime), Last full day to order
- December 21st – Two-Day Shipping (FREE with Amazon Prime) – Order as late as 8pm PST (varies by item); One-Day Shipping ($3.99 with Amazon Prime) Last full day to order
- December 22nd – One-Day Shipping ($3.99 per item with Amazon Prime). Order as late as 4:30pm PST [varies by item]
- December 23rd – Last-Minute Christmas Delivery ($9.99/item with Amazon Prime) While available (varies by item)
- December 24th – ($3.99/item with Amazon Prime) While available (select cities, varies by item)
- December 25th – Christmas Day: Email and printable gift cards can be sent immediately, at any time.

Gobbledygeek episode 77, “Buy, Buy, Buy,” is available for listening or download right here.

If there’s anything we learned from A Charlie Brown Christmas, it’s that Christmas has become far too commercialized and that the true spirit of Christmas isn’t in the gifts that you receive. So, going entirely against that lesson from our childhoods, we’ve concocted the second annual Gobbledygeek Gift Guide! We’ll clue you into everything you should buy for that nerd in your life, be they into movies (The Tree of Life! Hanna!), music (Nirvana! Pink Floyd!), games (Arkham City! Skyrim!), or more. We also leaven all the cynical buying and spending with genuine, heartfelt appreciations of the movies We Bought a Zoo, Hugo, and The Muppets, plus some Formspring questions and an e-mail.

Next: We continue our Christmas celebration with a discussion of Gremlins. Because who doesn’t like to think of Phoebe Cates’ dad getting stuck in the chimney when they’re putting up the tree?

(Show notes for “Buy, Buy, Buy.”)

This column is later than usual, as I was a little preoccupied earlier this month, but for all those still madly wondering about what October 2011′s comics had to offer, here we go…

BEST #1

Spaceman #1
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Art: Eduardo Risso
Publisher: Vertigo

I’ve read only a fraction of Azzarello and Risso’s acclaimed 100 Bullets, which ran for ten years from 1999 to 2009, but one needs no familiarity with their past work to be immediately sucked in by the opening chapter of Spaceman, their new nine-issue mini-series from Vertigo. It takes place in a weird, sad future, just a few monsters and flying cars away from the one in Joss Whedon’s Fray. Our protagonist is Orson, a monkey-ish man genetically engineered to travel to Mars, a trip the human race never got to make. Orson and his low-class friends speak in bizarre, disjointed slang; “okee” is how they say okay, and they actually say “LOL LOL LOL” instead of laughing. In this first issue, Orson has ominous spaceman dreams and becomes involved in the kidnapping of the adopted child of reality TV stars. Eduardo Risso’s art is terrific, Brian Azzarello’s storytelling immediately compelling. Choice line, as Orson’s alarm chirps “New day, new day, new day” while he opens the door on a bleak, cloudless future: “Why, you lyin machine…it’s the same fuck old day it always is.” (Plus: $1!)

MOST WELL-TIMED SNOWBALL

Uncanny X-Men #544
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Art: Greg Land (pencils), Jay Leisten (inks), Justin Ponsor (colors)
Publisher: Marvel

Of late, big things have been afoot for Marvel’s once-merry mutants, with Schism splitting the team into two factions: one in San Francisco whose members don’t mind that Cyclops trains children to be brutal soldiers, and one with Wolverine in New York whose members do mind. I missed the Schism mini itself, but the Regenesis one-shot showed the team breaking apart (with a really weird tribal framing device), and the new ongoing Wolverine and the X-Men is a fun look at what happens when Logan tries to run a school. The most important development, though, may be the fact that the original, 48-year run of Uncanny X-Men is coming to a close. The renumbering is merely symbolic; as of this writing, Uncanny has already returned as the Cyclops half of the new pair of flagship X-books. As the denouement of a decades-long story, this issue is merely decent. The Mister Sinister stuff might be set-up for a future storyline, but it still feels like filler, and the rest is mostly Scott being an asshole, something he excels at. However, there are a few grace notes: the opening page is the opening page of the first-ever X-Men, with Jack Kirby’s original art but different dialogue; there is a stellar two-page spread featuring most of the major developments over the course of the series; and the most well-timed snowball in comics history. Scott spends the whole issue reminiscing about what the X-Men used to be and brooding about their future, then exchanges some curt words with Hank, before turning to leave. “Hey, Scott!” calls a departing Bobby. He turns around, and a snowball hits him in the face. Cyclops is unamused. Bobby, smiling: “You’re not that different.”

BEST ANTHOLOGY

The Unexpected
Writers: Dave Gibbons; G. Willow Wilson; Alex Grecian; Josh Dysart; Jeffrey Rotter; Matt Johnson; Joshua Hale Falkov; Brian Wood; Selwyn Hinds
Art: Dave Gibbons; Robbi Rodriguez; Jill Thompson; Farel Dalrymple; Lelio Bonaccorso; David Lapham; Rahsan Ekedal; Emily Carroll; Denys Cowan
Publisher: Vertigo

The $8 pricetag is hefty, but for twice the cost of some mediocre regular-sized comics, you get 70-some pages of stories that are macabre, thoughtful, and provocative. The nine stories in those pages are unusually consistent; as with any anthology, some are weaker than others, but The Unexpected doesn’t contain a real clunker. Even the closing story, designed to hawk the forthcoming Voodoo Child, works as an interesting short on its own. Legends like Dave Gibbons and Jill Thompson chip in with stories about an unfaithful escape artist and an uncommonly intelligent zombie, respectively, and G. Willow Wilson, whose Mystic I’ve been raving about, writes an intriguing story which imagines a world in which dogs rise up and confront the humans who mistreat them. My two favorite stories, though, are by talents largely unknown to me. One is “The Land,” about a Mexican rancher in 1950s Texas who knows far more about the nature of a local child’s death than the authorities could hope to. Both Josh Dysart’s writing and Farel Dalrymple’s art are spare and evocative, the result a haunting story that also acts as a reflection of the current racial troubles in America. My other favorite is “Americana,” written by Brian Wood with art by Emily Carroll. It also comments on where our country is right now, imagining a dark future from 2012 to 2100. The storytelling is so economical it’s genius, and the ending feels genuinely profound. Unexpected, indeed.

BOOK WHOSE ART IS THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE TO ENJOYING IT

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #2
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Art: Alberto Ponticelli (pencils/inks), Jose Villarrubia (colors)
Publisher: DC

In theory, I should enjoy this book. Frankenstein heads up a squad of monsters including a mummy, a werewolf, and a Creature from the Black Lagoon type. Father Time is a little girl. Weird, fantastical set pieces abound. Jeff Lemire, currently writing the hell out of Animal Man, is the mastermind behind it all. And yet…Alberto Ponticelli’s art is…well, it’s not very good. It’s not awful, or even bad, but I would say it’s less than “just okay.” Ponticelli is capable of rallying for a big moment, as the splash of Frankenstein jumping from a helicopter attests. Unfortunately, his art can be scratchy and ill-defined elsewhere, the flashback to Agent Mazursky’s transformation into a monster a particularly good (or bad) example. Lemire’s writing, while not on the level of his Animal Man, is funny and exciting. Frankenstein is appealingly gruff in a Hellboy kind of way, and his standoffish interplay with the rest of the team is entertaining. If only J.G. Jones, who has been doing very good covers for the series, were drawing it. For a better example of this kind of thing, check out Marvel’s new Legion of Monsters mini.

COMIC THAT MOST SNUCK UP ON ME

The Punisher #4
Writer: Greg Rucka
Art: Marco Checchetto (pencils/inks), Matt Hollingsworth (colors)
Publisher: Marvel

The Punisher, much like Venom, is one of those characters who seem totally badass when you’re a kid, but kind of boring and one-note once you grow up. Venom has recently undergone some radical changes, first when Eddie Brock became Anti-Venom, then when Flash Thompson started using the symbiote on black ops missions for the U.S. government. The Punisher, too, has undergone some changes, though more in terms of tone than concept. Frank Castle is still a stoic killer out to avenge the slaughter of his family by taking out as many criminals as possible. What’s different here is Greg Rucka’s approach. So far, the Punisher has been more of a mysterious force of nature surrounding the story than a central presence. Rucka, whose past work on titles like Gotham Central and Queen & Country shows he clearly knows his way around complex crime comics, focuses on Detectives Ozzy Clemons and Walter Bolt’s investigation into a slaying at a wedding reception whose only survivor was the bride, a Marine sergeant. It’s just that the Punisher has a habit of killing their leads, exacerbated by the fact that Bolt is actually leaking info to Mr. Castle. Daily Bugle reporter Norah Winters is trying to write a story about the Punisher when she finds him bloody and beaten in an alley. Over four issues, the Punisher has said maybe a dozen words (most of them here). Instead of the kind of silly “grim ‘n’ gritty” story the Punisher used to star in back in the 80s and 90s, what we have here is a damn good detective story in which Frank Castle actually emerges as a compelling character for the first time in years.

MOST UNEXPECTEDLY TOUCHING ENDING TO A MEDIOCRE EVENT

The Amazing Spider-Man #672
Writer: Dan Slott
Art: Humberto Ramos (pencils), Victor Olazaba and Karl Kesel (inks), Edgar Delgado (colors)
Publisher: Marvel

In the first “Last Month’s Comics” column back in September, I called the “Spider-Island” event “ridiculous” and “severely underwhelming.” Nothing  much happened to change my mind, though there were some enjoyable mini-series and one-shots on the periphery. All six issues of Amazing that comprised the main storyline were busy and cluttered, confusing tons of frenzied action and talky exposition with good storytelling. There were clones and queens and heroes galore, but little that actually seemed to mean anything to the characters. The truth is that, like those before it, this issue isn’t much good. However, at the end, there is a moment which so perfectly embodies who Peter is and why he does what he does that it’s kinda beautiful. With all the heroes gathered to battle the Spider-Queen in Union Square, Mary Jane makes Peter realize that he won’t be of any use in this fight because everyone has his powers now. Instead, he needs to use that big brain of his. So he puts on Doc Ock’s old control helmet, sends out millions of Octobots to drink up the cure, and starts delivering it to the infected. The unrestrained glee on his face as he shouts, “I’m going to save everybody!” couldn’t help but put a smile on my face. MJ whispers that she loves him and the issue ends with them being all cuddly atop the Empire State Building. Can we get these two back together already?

WORST COMIC

Avengers 1959 #1
Writer: Howard Chaykin
Art: Howard Chaykin (pencils/inks), Jesus Aburtov (colors)
Publisher: Marvel

The premise of this five-issue mini-series is interesting: In 1959, Nick Fury puts together the first Avengers team, and they go on international espionage missions. The team consists of some surprising individuals, including Sabretooth, Kraven the Hunter, and Namora. Unfortunately, this extremely cool idea is wasted on a clichéd script and terrible artwork. Howard Chaykin is a legend in some circles, but he has not grown better with age. His faces look big and squishy, and his hands are distractingly awful. Seriously, just on the first page alone, there are like five examples of awkward-looking hands that are splayed out uncomfortably in a manner that a double-jointed person would pull off if they were trying to freak someone out. (And I should know, I’m double-jointed.) Jesus Aburtov’s dull, glossy colors don’t help matters. There’s really not much else to say about such a boring, poorly-executed book. Except I want to know what Howard Chaykin’s hands look like.

BEST COMIC

Ultimate Spider-Man #3
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Sarah Pichelli (pencils/inks), Justin Ponsor (colors)
Publisher: Marvel

Oh, Bendis. You make this look so easy. The man is writing what feels like half the books in the regular Marvel universe, most of them good-to-great, and then on top of that he’s writing this effortlessly brilliant reinvention of Ultimate Spider-Man. Three issues in and there are still no tights in sight, just plenty of adolescent insecurity and ambivalence. Miles Morales may not be sure that he wants these new superpowers of his, but he saves his first civilians when he puts his life on the line by jumping into a burning building. The rest of the issue is largely spent talking things through with Miles’ best friend Ganke, who’s becoming more and more of an invaluable creation on Bendis’ part. If Miles isn’t excited about his newfound abilities, Ganke sure as hell is, and his proclamation that he “sculpt[s] with Legos” while wearing a Howard the Duck shirt guarantees you’ll love the kid. The issue ends on a sad note that shows where in the story we are and hints at what might spur Miles into full-fledged superheroism. In short: if you’re not reading this series, you have severe problems.

OTHER COMICS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT

I’m going to try a new approach to this section, since there are so many other noteworthy comics I’d like to recommend. It’ll be more like a comics roll call, but still in alphabetical order so as not to be all biased ‘n stuff.

Another super-short mini comes to a close with Abe Sapien: The Devil Does Not Jest #2 (Dark Horse), filled with more supernatural spookiness;  Angel & Faith #3 (Dark Horse) continues to be the stronger of the two Buffyverse series on the shelves right now; I thankfully read Animal Man #2 (DC) on my new Kindle Fire the other day, just in time to tell you how fucking great it is, like best-of-the-New-52 great; The Avengers #18 (Marvel) continues to show why Bendis is the funniest, most naturalistic superhero writer on the block; Batwoman #2 (DC), with dazzling artwork by J.H. Williams III and co-written by Williams and W. Haden Blackman, makes a compelling case for itself as the best of the new Batbooks; you likely won’t read a more moving comic having to do with the Holocaust this year than Captain America & Bucky #623 (Marvel); Casanova: Avaritia #2 (Icon) is more off-the-wall insanity from Matt Fraction and Gabriel Bá; Daredevil #5 (Marvel) continues the highly successful return to DD’s swashbuckling roots; FF #s 10-11 (Marvel) are dense, complicated stories about war in alternate dimensions that are just plain fun to read; Invincible Iron Man #509 (Marvel) is the conclusion to that series’ “Fear Itself” tie-in; after Mystic #3 (Crossgen), I can’t believe there’s only one issue left; Secret Avengers #18 (Marvel) finds Shang-Chi kicking some serious ass alongside Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter; Severed #3 (Image) is some seriously creepy, engrossing stuff; Spider-Island: Cloak & Dagger #3 (Marvel), featuring beautiful art by Emma Rios, is easily the best thing to come out of that whole event and hey, give those two their own ongoing, for Pete’s sake; Swamp Thing #2 (DC) continues to appeal with its plant-based intrigue (I don’t know what that means, but this book is really good); and The Walking Dead #s 89-90 (Image) are, what else is knew, brilliantly dark and depressing.

Join me next month to talk about this month’s comics!

Gobbledygeek episode 76, “Gobbledygeek Thanksgiving II,” is available for listening or download right here.

Leaves changing color? Check. Days getting shorter? Check. The bitter taste of your college sports team getting its butt kicked? Double check. So what else could you possibly need? How about the second annual Gobbledygeek Thanksgiving? Much more restrained this year than in our freshman effort, but we still managed to blackmail a couple of guests into stopping by to help us be all thankful and shit. Nathan and Kevin make their long-awaited returns to the Turkey-Cave to say nice things about the nerdy stuff they’re thankful for…and also to mock us, your beloved Gobbledygeek guys. It’s a holiday tradition!

Next: No show next week, as we will all be stuffing our faces with food and being passive-aggressive with our families. Good times! We’ll return the week after, bloated but rested, with our guide to all the geeky gifts you’ve got to grab this Gristmas. (Sorry, I ran out of G-words.)

(Show notes for “Gobbledygeek Thanksgiving II.”)