These Were The 10 Most Viewed News Stories On ComicBookMovie.com In 2016
2016 was another HUGE year for ComicBookMovie.com thanks to you, our loyal readers, but what were the ten biggest news stories? Well, one release in particular dominated the site over the past 365 days...
While those have all be very popular, it's news which has really delivered as you guys made your voices heard by checking out stories, sharing them with your friends, and letting your thought be heard in the comments sections. So, after taking a look through the site's overall pageviews (which count return visits rather than the numbers under unique pageviews), I've rounded up the year's biggest stories.
You can check those out below, and it's a list which makes for very interesting reading, especially as there are some very unexpected posts which made the cut. Before we get to that though, I'd like to thank ALL of you guys, CBM's owner Nate Best, and editors like Mark Cassidy, Rohan Patel, and the site's newest addition, Matthew Bellissimo, who it's been so much fun to write for and work with this year. However, everyone's contributions make this site special, so give yourselves a shout out below.
As I write this on the 30th, this will be my last post of 2016, so I'll catch you in 2017. Happy New Year!
It should hardly come as a surprise to learn that fans were anxious to know whether or not Captain America: Civil War delivered, especially following the mixed response to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Throw in the Marvel Cinematic Universe debut of Spider-Man and the fact that it's based on a popular comic book series, and everyone wanted to know what this one had in store for us in May.
What We Said Then: "This comes from Reddit, so it's best to take it with a massive pinch of salt, but it certainly makes for interesting reading! The full version (which doesn't feature an ending) can be found by clicking below, but for now, you may want to have a read of a plot twist which will almost certainly leave fans fuming if true. To call it batsh*t crazy and controversial would actually be a pretty massive understatement..."
Since these details found their way online, we've heard pretty much nothing about what to expect from Star Wars Episode VIII. The title still hasn't been revealed, and despite speculation, a teaser was not attached to Rogue One. We can expect the marketing campaign to kick off soon, and chances are that the bizarre plot details revealed here will be confirmed fake. They were fun to read though!
What We Said Then: "'Hey everyone.' - Yes, he's here, and so is the amazing new trailer for Marvel's biggest film yet: Captain America: Civil War!"
Any trailer for a Marvel movie is guaranteed to be popular, but you have to believe that it was the addition of a certain wall-crawler which ensured that this particular sneak peek took off in such a big way. We'd waited months for a glimpse of Spider-Man, and Marvel showed him off in all his glory here as he introduced himelf to us and Earth's Mightiest Heroes by nabbing Captain America's shield!
What We Said Then: "There is no question this is an extraordinary achievement," the studio's domestic distribution chief Jeff Goldstein said today. "Clearly, audiences have embraced it and we are already seeing repeat business. It's just fun. Often, there's a disconnect between critics and audiences. It doesn’t take itself seriously. It’s just an enjoyable afternoon at the movies."
The critical response to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice may have been pretty negative, but a lot of fans seemed to love the movie (I was one of them). That's something Warner Bros. acknowledged when it found success at the box office, and with such a debate raging around this divisive release, perhaps it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that fans were keen to see the studio's response!
What We Said Then: "[It's] only natural to wonder whether Welling, the longest tenured actor to ever portray the character, would be interested in returning to his career-defining role."
Regardless of how you feel about Smallville (I don't think I'll ever forgive the show for that underwhelming finale), there's no denying its popularity even all these years later. Many fans would love to see Tom Welling take on the role of the Man of Steel in a more satisfying manner, hence why talk of a possible return in Supergirl generated such a great deal of excitement. Alas, it didn't happen.
What We Said Then: "One of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's most confusing cameos comes when an armour wearing Flash travels back in time through what looks an awful lot like a Boom Tube to warn Bruce Wayne about a dire future. His cryptic message is tough to figure out, but in case you thought the way the final act played out means that future now won't come to pass, think again!"
The Justice League cameos in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice didn't exactly live up to expectations (hey, there's Jason Momoa clearly holding his breath underwater!), but one of the biggest talking points in the movie came when The Flash appeared before Bruce Wayne to seemingly deliver an ominous warning from the future. What did it mean? Well, for now, we're still waiting to find out.
What We Said Then: "More violence is no bad thing, and I wouldn't mind betting that this version of the movie will be packed full of extra scenes featuring the Dark Knight brutally doling out justice to Gotham City's criminals! Of course, there's also every chance that the battle between the titular heroes will get even more vicious than the version we'll see in the upcoming theatrical release."
The animated version of Batman: The Killing Joke was one of the most popular movies on CBM this year, but even that failed to come close to the popularity of news that an R-Rated version of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was on the way. While the "Ultimate Edition" didn't deliver the violence most of us hoped for, it did at least greatly improve the coherency of the movie's muddled plot.
What We Said Then: "There’s a rumor that my son is [playing] Robin. It’s not true. Now there are all these images of him that people have made where he’s dressed like Robin. It’s fun to hear and see them."
It's interesting that a pretty random interview with Zack Snyder performed so well, but it probably had something to do with the fact that he addressed rumours that his son was set to show up as the Boy Wonder in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Robin never did end up making a physical appearance in the movie, and the filmmaker's comments about superhero fatigue are well worth checking out.
What We Said Then: "Being a teaser trailer, most of this is setting the story up, but we do get a few shots of the team preparing to kick ass, and there's also a glimpse of Elizabeth Banks' Rita Repulsa and Jason/Red Ranger suiting up right at the end."
2016 has seen the release of some huge trailers, but I never would have guessed that Power Rangers would come out on top. The likes of Justice League and Spider-Man: Homecoming only narrowly missed out on getting a mention here, but they simply couldn't compete with this reboot of the beloved 90s property. We'll find out whether or not it will actually deliver just a few months from now.
What We Said Then: "Interestingly, it's Wonder Woman who has been singled out as being a highlight with her entrance clearly a fan pleasing moment, but the Caped Crusader is also mentioned. None of the things fans have been worrying about are mentioned here anyway, and that's definitely a relief after months of worrying thanks to some negative reports which pointed to it being a let down."
Surprise! Before the reviews started doing the rounds, we got some Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice reactions in the form of Tweets, and, well, they were extemely positive! Proving perhaps that these should always be taken with a pinch of salt, it was a genuine shock when the movie started getting 2* reviews, but we can at least look back on a time when we thought it would be perfect!
Which of these news stories was your favourite? Let us know that below, and thank you for making this another huge year for ComicBookMovie.com. Happy New Year, everyone!