Disclaimer: All of the comics reviewed in this column were either comped by the respective creators/companies, or purchased from Dr. Volts Comics in Salt Lake City.

We’ll be debating what kind of year 2013 was in terms of politics, economics, human rights and other personal and professional freedoms for years to come. But geekwise, it was a great year filled with movies, television shows, comics books and other popular media that were as just good or better as those from any year in their respective industry histories.

Big Shiny Robot’s Jerk-Bot, aka Jeff Michael Vice, offers up his best-of lists of the year’s big-screen, small-screen and small-press, independent publishers and Big Two comics releases:

MOVIES

1. THE WORLD’S END (2013, R, 109 mins.)

Edgar Wright’s third – and arguably, best – of his so-called “Cornetto Trilogy” turned sci-fi tropes on their ear and dealt with friendships and life relationships in a surprisingly deep, perceptive manner.

2. HER (2013, R, 126 mins.)

Touted as  “A Spike Jonze Love Story,” this science-fiction romance tale features the year’s best voice performance (Scarlett Johansson) and will make you think twice about your technological dependence. 

3. GRAVITY (2013, PG-13, 91 mins.)

Alfonso Cuaron returned after a years-long hiatus with this thrilling sci-fi tale that strands Sandra Bullock in space. And so far at least, there weren’t any cases of filmgoer hyperventilation.

4. THE HUNT (2012, R, 115 mins.)

An involving sometimes infuriating, innocent-man thriller from Denmark that fulfilled the initial promises that the similarly themed “Prisoners” failed to deliver.

5. BEFORE MIDNIGHT (2013, R, 109 mins.)

Director Richard Linklater and collaborators/stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy re-team for the third – and, yes, best – part in their relationship comedy-drama trilogy. Hilarious and smartly observant.

6. PHILOMENA (2013, PG-13, 98 mins.)

Co-screenwriter/co-star Steve Coogan and a never-better Judi Dench turned what should have been a Lifetime TV movie into a smart, funny and moving comedy-drama about motherhood and adoption.

7. THE CRASH REEL (2013, not rated, 108 mins.)

The Sundance 2013 hit sports documentary that addressed the issue of traumatic head injury in ways that endlessly shallow sports reporting couldn’t.

8. FROZEN (2013, PG, 102 mins.)

As blatant a case of false advertising as anything released in 2013, Disney’s latest animated hit was far more musical and more enchanting than the awful TV ads and trailers would have led us to believe.

9. PACIFIC RIM (2013, PG-13, 131 mins.)/THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (2013, PG-13, 161 mins.)

The two most geekily satisfying movies of the year: one, a cheesy but still endlessly enjoyable thriller pitting giant robots against equally gigantic monstrous threats; the other one, a fantasy that (very loosely) adapted the beloved J.R.R. Tolkien classic and improved on its predecessor in nearly every department.

10. THE ACT OF KILLING (2012, not rated, 115 mins.)

Joshua Oppenheimer’s crafty documentary gets its clueless subjects – Indonesian death squad leaders — to re-create their crimes and cop to their guilt in unique fashion.

TV SHOWS

1. JUSTIFIED (drama, FX)

Somehow TV’s most unheralded police thriller got even smarter in its fourth season. Better still, it completely cleared the characters’ slates to open things up to even-better story possibilities.

2. RAISING HOPE (comedy, Fox)

Though its network has done every it can to sabotage and kill this clever, human sitcom about poor white trash, the cast and creators gave their all. Catch it while you still can.

3. MOB CITY (mini-series, TNT)

Wondering what Frank Darabont and Jon Bernthal have been up to after leaving AMC’s Walking Dead? They teamed on a noir miniseries that thriller and left you wondering what they’ll do as a follow-up.

4. ALMOST HUMAN (science-fiction series, Fox)

Another show that Fox appears to want to kill, the buddy cop/sci-fi series finally gave Karl Urban a really meaty role, and paid homage to writer Phillip K. Dick with smart, sly references.

5. RAY DONOVAN (drama, Showtime)

Live Schreiber leads a terrific cast in an entertainment-business dramatic thriller with characters so unlikable that you have to watch them.

6. IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (comedy, FXX)

Yep, the Paddy’s Pub crew managed to keep things fresh with an abbreviated season of episodes that were even more messed-up than any of us could have expected/hoped for.

7. ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (drama, Netflix)

Much like HBO’s Oz, Netflix’s “original” hit series explored personal freedoms in its prison setting, using the nonfiction best-seller as its basic and launching point. Thoroughly engrossing.

8. MODERN FAMILY (comedy, ABC)

Often imitated never duplicated (see NBC’s problematic The Michael J. Fox Show as proof), the long-running family sitcom kept chugging along, with customary style, laughs and heartstring-pulling.

9. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (comedy, Netflix)

Yes, it wasn’t quite as funny and was a quite a bit meaner than the prior three seasons combined. But there were still a lot of wickedly funny moments from the beloved ensemble comedy’s return.

10. LONGMIRE (drama, A&E)

Maybe the best cop show no one is watching, the Rocky Mountain-set mystery-drama got even better in its second season. Plus, it has Katee Sackhoff in it, you nerds!

COMICS

1. RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: SLAYGROUND (graphic novel, IDW Publishing)

The fourth in writer/artist Darwyn Cooke’s crooks/noir-thriller adaptations was a design marvel, featuring some of his best-ever art. Unfortunately, it’ll be a long wait till 2015 for the next one.

2. DAREDEVIL (monthly comic series, Marvel Comics)

Somehow writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee (with a couple guest fill-ins) redeemed Marvel’s most mistreated hero, and made his adventures fun to read again

3. HAWKEYE (monthly comic series, Marvel Comics)

If it didn’t feature one of Marvel’s Avengers as its title character, writer Matt Fraction and artist David Aja’s genre-defying title might be confused for an indie book. Without the pretentions and with more enjoyment

4. FATALE (maxi-series, Image Comics)

Writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips continue to explore noirish territory and characters. However, this project infuses some creepily welcome horror trappings.

5. THOR: GOD OF THUNDER (monthly comic series, Marvel Comics)

Heavy metal Thor, as imagined by writer Jason Aaron and various artists, including Esad Ribic, on the beautiful-looking, enthralling “God Butcher” and “Godbomb” story lines.

6. 47 RONIN (mini-series, Dark Horse Publishing)

Dark Horse publisher Mike Richardson and Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai adapted the Japanese folk tale with a faithful, gorgeously rendered mini-series. Skip the movie, read this instead.

7. LAZARUS (maxi-series, Image Comics)

Greg Rucka creates yet another memorable, female action hero, this one a seemingly unkillable bodyguard for one of future America’s ruling families.

8. A MATTER OF LIFE (graphic novel, Top Shelf Productions)

Indie comics creator Jeffrey Brown ruminates on life, existence and family with a full-color GN that is among his best, most touching works.

9. MIND MGMT. (maxi-series, Dark Horse Comics)

Hollywood already wants to adapt Mat Kindt’s mind-bending maxi-series, a conspiracy thriller that reveals new layers with each issue and each subsequent re-reading.

10. CARDBOARD (graphic novel, Graphix/Scholastic Books)

Another always-dependable comics creator, Doug TenNapel, returned with a touching father-son tale with more imagination that almost anything else done in the kids-fiction realm.

Jeff Michael Vice, aka Jerk-bot, can be heard reviewing films, television programs, comics, books, music and other things as part of The Geek Show Podcast (www.thegeekshowpodcast.com), as well as be seen reviewing films as part of Xfinity’s Big Movie Mouth-Off (www.facebook.com/BigMovieMouthOff).

The crew has continued their plight of inter-dimensional travel and the next world is as odd as its predecessor. Instead of electric tongued frogs and their enslaved fish people we are shown technologically advanced Native-Americans against German soldiers from WWII.

The art in the next issue is just as stunning as it was in the first, even with the change of scenery. We are taken from lush forests and grimy swamps to dry deserts with steep canyons. If this series continues to jump from dimension to dimension every few books the possibilities are limitless.

Sliders tried to do this, but they didn’t have the creative team that Black Science has.

It is also pleasing to see characters roles and backstory begin to be flushed out amid the chaos of being horrifically boned from page to page. Grant will need to eventually deal with the guilt from his wife’s death and the infidelity between he and a colleague, while they resolve issues of leadership using the standard battle of military vs. corporate money. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO DEAL WITH THE NATIVE-AMERICANS WIELDING LASER AXES?!?! They have a few guns, Grants kids, a business man, and some scientists. The enemy happens to have crazy flying bug creatures, robot looking eagles that do their bidding, and did I already say LASER AXES?! Don’t worry though, Grant and the group needs help from one of their witch doctors, no problem right?

The crisp writing a brilliant art work are a driving force to read this comic. Everything marries together so perfectly that the story simply flows from page to page. I will say that mostly due to the desert environment the colors aren’t quite as stunning as the premiere book in the series, but it comes so close. It’s not too late to catch up, find a copy, even if it’s second printing, and get on board!

I think they were trying too hard with Issue #1. It’s tough to both establish a universe and try to grab an audience. Something almost always gets lost along the way, and in the case of “Protectors, Inc.” that something was story structure. It was very difficult to try to get to know any of the characters, follow what they were doing, or figure out what the plot of this series was even going to be.

 I was a little weary after the first issue of “Protectors, Inc.” I’m on board now.

But luckily the second issue fixes all of that. We follow a single character nearly the whole time – Detective John Riley – as he goes about a typical morning in this world of rich super heroes, and it’s quite the thing. In a lot of ways, I think this would have worked better as an introductory issue. Riley is just “everyman” enough to be relatable, and there are so many subtle things that are just off about this version of Chicago that force you to really look at every panel and try to piece it together. I was having so much fun with the mystery that I tried to forget that I’d read the first issue entirely to see if I could really figure out what was going on. In the end, I was glad I’d read these two issues in order, but it just goes to show that storytelling works best when it’s not being shoved in your face. It was so much more immersive to be in the world rather than being told about it.

It’s not without its flaws though – however minor they may be. Firstly, in this universe, the Protectors thing has been going on for 40 or 50 years now, and apparently in that time nobody has stepped up as a super villain. That’s kind of hard to swallow. Not even some short failed attempt that acts as a deterrent for everyone else. It’s just supposedly never happened before. It feels wrong, and it bugged me more than it should have. I can definitely see the threads of “the world’s first supervillian” forming in these pages, and the “heroes” themselves don’t exactly have the same moral compass as Superman, but I really feel like someone one in the last four or five decades would have used the powers for evil – especially considering it seems like the rich can just buy the powers outright.

The art, for the most part, is lovely. Really fits with the subject matter, but a few of the characters look shockingly similar. There’s a little too much of the stereotypical short, dark-haired, chiseled jaw, manly man thing going on. This series is setting itself up to break a lot of super hero tropes out there, and it feels like this is one that would have been easy enough to break. But again, minor gripe.  On the whole, I’m really starting to enjoy my time with this series, and I’m looking forward to getting into the next issue when it comes out.

“Protector’s Inc.” Issue #2 was released on December 11^th, and is available for $2.99 from Image Comics.

The first issue of “Halo: Escalation” reads very much like the opening to a video game, which makes a lot of sense considering it was penned by the lead writer of “Halo 4,” Christopher Schlerf. It starts out slow, with a quick introduction to the central characters, and a ton of plot setup that’s really only an excuse to get some pieces into place, then just when you think you won’t be able to stand crawling through the level without firing a shot for another second, the action starts up and you’re off on an adventure. It’s unfortunate that “Escalation #1” cuts off right as things are just heating up. But it does save itself by giving readers five or six pages of action before the inevitable “To Be Continued.” 

For people who haven’t been religiously following Halo since the first game, jumping into the franchise here is probably a bad idea. It draws on a lot of elements introduced throughout the series, which is a great thing franchises are able to do when they’ve become successful, but anyone just wanting to pick up a new comic to read will only find confusion here. And explosions. So maybe it’s worth it just for those. 

Structurally and artistically, the comic is great. This is my first Halo comic, so it’s a little odd seeing the slightly cartoonish style of the book and mentally comparing it to the more realistic, beautiful scenery found in the video games. Obviously there’s no contest, but the art style never gets in the way of the story that’s being told and it’s more than serviceable, making the pages found in this issue all the more pleasing to go through.

Speaking of the story, I do wish I liked this one better. It’s awfully political for a Halo story. Though I should say that I’m much more interested in stories that are focused on characters. I enjoyed the struggle of Noble Team in Reach, and the detective work of the Rookie in ODST. I could care less about the politics of war – or in this case the politics of the post-war universe – just give me someone with a solid goal to focus on. 

It sounds like I’m bashing it, but the opening pages will interest die hard fans of the series, and for those of us that are left, we do get a really great setup toward the end. I love what Schlerf has done to put together a real rag-tag group of characters and get them into a seemingly no-win situation. It’s great, and if we can do away with the politics from here on out and worry about survival and working as a team and all that good stuff, I’ll be into this series for the long haul.

“Halo: Escalation #1” was published by Dark Horse Comics, and is available today for the price of $3.99.

            It’s interesting that every time I read an issue of Sex Criminals, I can’t help but think it might have been better had the story started earlier in the timeline. It’s not that I don’t care about what’s happening in the comic’s “present,” but we see so little of it per issue that I consistently forget about what I’m supposed to be excited to see more of. I’m just really enjoying the characters, and I don’t think jumping around in time was needed as much. I might not be able to use that criticism next time though, it seems like the nonlinearity of the story is coming to a close, as the flashbacks in this issue start to swing toward what we saw in the opening scene of issue 1.

 It’s fun, when it comes right down to it. This comic is evolving into something that’s just plain fun to read.

            And again, Suzie breaks the fourth wall. It’s another small thing that is beginning to feel pointless. She only does it once this time that I remember, but what’s funny about it is she almost immediately stops herself and lets the story take back control. It’s as if they’re trying to hold on to a gimmick that they know doesn’t work anymore. 

            It’s fun though, when it comes right down to it. This comic is evolving into something that’s just plain fun to read. And you can tell that the creators feel the same way. It’s fun to have Suzie talk to the audience directly, it’s fun to jump around in time, it’s fun to have unnecessary dance numbers that transform into the best joke the series has done to date – which, if the text in-comic is to be believed the entire “Fat Bottomed Girls” scene wasn’t planned to play out like it does. Happy accidents, I suppose. And any time the jokes go over the top or get too ridiculous, I can forgive them. Because the characters are written so well, and I’ve connected to them, and there for every joke that does go too far, there are a dozen others that hit the mark perfectly.

            Actually, this issue is the funniest by far. I hope it’s a sign of what’s to come, because some of the sight gags – the porn parody movie posters in the sex shop, for example – really add to the fact that this is a comic. It makes me so happy when the chosen medium for a story is used correctly, and this is one of the few examples I’ve seen recently. They’re perfectly placed, never overt, and just add to the fun of reading what has come to be a very enjoyable series overall.

            Hopefully Sex Criminals finds a way to maintain its humor as it seems like the plot is picking up steam, and could potentially lead to somewhere serious. Which is fine, it could be a refreshing change and I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes. But if they’re not careful, it could switch genres in a very jarring way and…well, no more censored musical numbers. Then where would we be?

            The third issue of Sex Criminals, published by Image Comics, is available now for a $2.99 digital release or a $3.50 cover price. 

Bioshock Infinite; Burial At Sea” released last Tuesday to the excitement of Irrational Games fans everywhere. This return to Rapture looked to be giving us insight into how the worlds all tie together. On that note it definitely lived up to its promise of explaining the theory behind the multitudes of men and their lighthouses. Short though it was, the story was gripping from the beginning and showed a side of Elizabeth that we don’t get much of in Columbia. This dark, gritty expansion story was worth the cash provided you bought the season pass. On its own I’d say it looks to be more like a money grab. Even with claims that it is quality we should seek not quantity, at a price tag of $14.99 I would hope to receive more than 1.5 hours of story. I will agree with him on the point that “Burial at Sea” gives us a phenomenal story, and fun with some of Rapture’s plasmids.

The story was able to throw me for a loop even with complete knowledge of all the previous titles. Knowing who Booker Dewitt is didn’t stop the story from catching me completely unaware with it’s shock ending. If this game is telling us what Elizabeth is doing after she frees Columbia and removes Comstock, she’s indeed chosen a terrifying and evil future. Visually the game was as stunning as its namesake, and the sound was equally as immersive. Since we were back in Rapture and roaming the “prison” portion for the majority of the game, the sharp antithesis drawn in Columbia was definitely not as present. Rapture was as dark, gritty, and twisted as it was in the first two pieces of the trilogy, and the underwater world was just as stunning.

Aside from issues with the quick-and-dirty boss fight , I think this is a beautiful expansio provided you snagged part one with your Season Pass. If you want to play the DLC at all, this is the only way to go, otherwise I’d say skip it and check out my playthrough video below.

There’s something to be said for showing instead of telling. Ever since I was a kid, that was the one big lesson they’d teach about writing. The thing is, when you get into comics, it’s a hard lesson to remember, because no matter what happens you’re always showing. However, just because there’s art on the page, doesn’t mean you have a free pass to spill a ton of exposition to your reader all at once. Using subtlety, you can draw a reader into a world where they feel completely comfortable and aware of their surroundings without forcing it on them. 

We’re introduced to a couple of characters, there’s enough mystery to catch interest and then…

Which is why I felt a little disappointed by the time I got to the end of “Protectors, Inc.” The first issue has a huge job, as a first issue usually does with comic books, in that it has to establish its world and characters in addition to doing the usual job of having an interesting plot that ends in such a way that the reader will come back for the next issue. And “Protectors, Inc.” actually starts out really well. We’re introduced to a couple of characters, there’s enough mystery to catch interest and then…something random happens and we’re off to the next character on a totally different subject. Then after a few pages of blatant exposition, we’re off to another character on a totally different subject in an obvious attempt to setup a cliffhanger. Except I just met the characters involved in the cliffhanger two pages ago, and don’t care about them. 

In fact, only one character in the entire first issue of “Protectors, Inc.” is well established: The Patriot. But they only hint at who he is within the present day of the comic. In addition, I have no idea what this comic is about. I get it. I understand the world and what happens within it…but why am I reading it? What’s going to happen from issue to issue? The first one spends so much time in flashback that it misses its chance to establish a solid conflict.

 If they’d come up with a better way to present that universe, I’d be hooked. 

Despite this, I am interested to read the next issue. It’s beautiful to look at, it held my attention the whole way through, it’s set in an entirely in its own universe with super heroes that are mostly original. If they’d come up with a better way to present that universe, I’d be hooked. But you can almost feel that a story wants to be told here and it comes very close to telling it. Given that, I’m willing stick with “Protectors, Inc.” for a couple months before I come to a final decision.

From J. Michael Straczynski of “Babylon 5” fame, “Protectors, Inc.” is available from Image Comics for $2.99. If you’re looking for something new to catch your attention, I’d give it a shot.

Halloween is over but this week gave us some great holiday themed comics. We’ve looked at the best ones currently in print that aren’t Marvel Zombies or The Walking Dead. That being said, those books had stiff competition to make my list of great covers and panels for the week.

We start with a wonderfully horror genre comic Hellraiser Annual #2. This cover is a wonderful use of contrast, patterns and then playing those together with the negative areas. It’s really quite beautiful how menton3 put it all together with the lens as a focal point.

The cover of Deadpool Kills Deadpool issue 4 of 4 is Mike Del Mundo creating a minimalist masterpiece. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this design on t-shirts in the near future. This comic will get noticed on the rack and let the potential reader know what they’re in for without seeing a single page.

I like Art Baltazar’s cartooning.  This wasn’t out for the holiday but if you were your LCS on Wednesday and wanted a book to entice your kids to Trick or Treat at the shop on Thursday, Itty Bitty Hellboy #3 was a great pick. Also, the story writing is clever enough for an adult while being simple enough for most first graders.

Kevin Eastman is amazing isn’t he? Growing up, my favorite Turtle was Michelangelo. I learned the nunchuka and even made my own custom pair. They looked nowhere near as cool as the variant cover B to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #27. In my mind though, they were totally bodacious!

My final pick is a book I haven’t had a chance to crack yet. I want to set aside some serious time to concentrate on The Sandman Overture #1. The extra sized issue is more of the same quality of amazing that the cover is. J.H. Williams III killed it on Batwoman and that same spectacular art is on display here. Take it in and then pick up the issue if you haven’t already.

My favorite panels this week were hard to find. There were so many great books this week but nothing really stood out as a singular moment of greatness. I felt like I was hunting for treats and coming up with nothing but tricks. The good news though, is that several books provided and the first one you should take a look at comes from Ash and the Army of Darkness #1. If you can’t hear Bruce Campbell’s signature suave voice in your head as you read this book, maybe I’m the crazy one – but I doubt it.

Swamp Thing Annual #2 is more of Charles Soule’s story about the Green pitting the Seeder against Swamp Thing to determine who will be their avatar. Sure that sounds nuts, but the Parliament isn’t always sane. This moment was chosen though, because even Alec Holland’s Swamp Thing was dressed up in costume. In fact, he wore three that I thought were fun and Javier Pina’s art made the moment look great too.

The last moment this week is a splash from X-Men Battle for the Atom #2. I don’t know where to go from here as far as what team to follow, and with Kurt Wagner AKA Nightcrawler returning next week, I’ll probably be getting 4 X-Men books now. The panel was chosen for obvious reasons to any X-Men fan. If you don’t get it just yet, or you’re not in the know, it was chosen because of the fight sequence in the lower right hand corner is a wonderful homage to the cover of the very first issue of the Uncanny X-Men #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby way back in 1963.

Send me some pictures of your costume on Instagram or Twitter . I’d love to hear from you in the comments to see what your picks were this week. I’d also like to hear from you every week before 5 and 3 runs on Friday. Let me know what you think I should pick and maybe it’ll make the list! I’m always happy to find out about a great comic I haven’t had the opportunity to read just yet. That’s it for this week my Itty Bitty Hell-bots. Come back anytime, same big shiny bot-website, any bot-time.

Midnight CIty and Scientifically Proven set out to build a classic platformer that is uniquely challenging, and like the days of old requires stacks of memorization. We got our hands on a copy thanks to the dev and figured we’d give you the skinny via a review video!  Zombietron will take you through a boss fight, and also a couple different levels to demonstrate how the platforming pans out, as well as which Castlevania references were glaringly obvious. Make no mistake this game is uniquely challenging and a ton of fun. It’s available on Steam right now for $7.99, and will return to it’s normal price of $9.99 on November 4th.

Today, Telltale games gave fans of their Walking Dead series exactly what they wanted. The sequel to their critically acclaimed first season of The Walking Dead is available for pre-order, with a release date sure to follow in the coming months. THe teaser trailer released by Telltale shows us Clementine, and their press team has confirmed that she will be a playable character in the new content.

The Walking Dead Season 2 -a Telltale Games series, will continue the story of Clementine.

We here at BSR! are more than a little excited to dive back into the adventure with Clementine at the helm. The ending broke my heart, and it will be phenomenal to get back onboard with Clem. Based on the screen shots that you can check out below there will be pretty visceral action while playing as an older, but still pre-teen Clem, which means self defense will be more of a challenge. Will we get to see who she meets up with, or maybe who the couple sees far off in the field?!  Only time will tell!  Screen shots below!