FEATURE: A Christmas List By Josh Wilding
What do I want this Christmas? Well, I actually already own all but one of these, so here's my take on why the following ten items are essential for any comic book fan out there.
Attack The Block (Blu-ray)
Directed by Joe Cornish, this is one of the best films to come out of the UK this year. Featuring a South London gang of youths protecting their "block" from an alien invasion, Attack the Block has far more heart than the trailer may have led you to believe. Hilarious, scary and all-round great fun, this is a must watch.
Fantastic Four by Waid & Wieringo Ultimate Collection, Book 1, 2 & 3
I've mentioned this series several times before here on CBM, but the brilliant work of writer Mark Waid and the late Mike Wieringo has now been collected into three "Ultimate Collections". If you're not a fan of the Fantastic Four, this series will make you one. No creative team has managed to surpass this epic run which sees the team travel to Heaven, battle Doctor Doom, switch powers and one of them even becomes a Herald for Galactus! And that's just a few highlights...
Invincible Compendium 1
I'd heard great things about this series from The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman and the Compendium (collecting the first 47 issues of the series) is an epic 1024 pages long. Focusing on Mark Grayson, son of the world's most powerful superhero, we follow his story as he gains his own powers. Full of twists, turns, brutal violence and hilarious gags, this is definitely worth your time.
Paul (Blu-ray)
Geeky best friends Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost) head to the San Diego Comic Con and travel across America in this fun road trip movie. However, there's one twist. They bump into foul mouthed alien Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen). What follows is a hilarious pursuit as the trio are pursued by federal agents and more in this touching tale of friendship and misadventure.
The Punisher #1 - #6
It was hard choosing a single comic book series to include on this list, but The Punisher is easily the best one on sale right now. Writer Greg Rucka has breathed new life into the iconic character with assistance from artist Marco Checchetto, so do yourself a favour and hunt down the first six issues right now! For the first few issues, Frank Castle doesn't even speak as the duo rely solely on his actions to tell the story. It's really something quite special, and I'd strongly advise also picking up Mark Waid's Daredevil while you're at the comic book store.
Spider-Man by Mark Millar Ultimate Collection
It's a shame that Mark Millar didn't get more opportunities to write Peter Parker during his time at Marvel. Civil War showed what a great handle he had on the character, but his 12 issue Marvel Knights: Spider-Man run with Terry Dodson and Frank Cho was even better. Not only is he unmasked by one of his longest running villains, but Spidey also faces off against an all new Venom as well as the Green Goblin and his "Sinister Twelve".
The Dark Knight Rises IMAX Prologue
Unfortunately, my nearest 70MM IMAX screen is 200 miles away. For that reason, I'd love to see Warner Bros. make all of our Christmases by releasing the six minute prologue online once it has been screened ahead of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Bootlegs will inevitable start showing up over the next few weeks, but they won't be a scratch on a full HD version released officially by the studio. Fingers crossed!
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
The best video game of 2011 (sorry Batman: Arkham City) sees Nathan Drake and company pursuing another artefact and facing off against villainous rivals. So far, so seen it all before right? Well, no, because this is Naughty Dog we're talking about. With a plot better than most Hollywood movies, Uncharted 3 features some of the best set pieces ever seen in a video game. Ever fancied escaping from a sinking cruise ship? How about hanging out of a flying plane while being shot at? Buy it.
X-Men: First Class (Blu-ray)
The best comic book movie of 2011 thanks to director Matthew Vaughn and his two leads in the form of Michael Fassbender (Magento) and James McAvoy (Professor X). While Captain America: The First Avenger and THOR were two brilliant Marvel Studios comic book movies, it's hard to find a scene in those which is even half as powerful as the showdown between Charles and Erik on the beach. And what an ending...
Hayley Atwell
'Nuff Said.