Behold the Geek's Best of 2008! (Part 2)

The new year is upon us...what have we to show for it?

Well, for starters...


That's right! It's the last installment of my list that made 2008 an awesome year for comics! So which hero or villain made waves? Which fight got us all pumped up? If you're that curious, keep on reading!


Best Fight: Tony Stark vs. Ezekiel Stane, Invincible Iron Man #6

This is a tough one, as there were lots of fights worthy of being called the best this year. But when it comes to the most brutally satisfying fight of all, it has to be Iron Man's beatdown of Ezekiel Stane, the punk who's been making Tony's life a living hell (and killed the Philippine superteam Triumph Division, I might add). After going at it with repulsor rays and jetboot kicks to the face, Tony decides he's had enough. He then proceeds to take off his armor and starts bitch-slapping Stane in his boxers! For a man whose entire deal was being in the bleeding edge of technology, Tony Stark sure knows when its time to get his hands dirty and slug it out the old fashioned way.

Best Moment: Barry Allen's return, Final Crisis #2, Avengers Assemble, Secret Invasion #6

Whaddaya know? It's a tie! And in a medium that's arguably all about the moments, that's saying something. You know when things are getting really dire when somebody who sacrificed his life to save the multiverse comes back to warn you it's gonna happen again. Barry Allen has always been a fan favorite, and we probably all heard that collective scream of "Hell Yeah!" following the big reveal at the last page of Final Crisis #2. When the world's fastest man yells at you to "Run!", you hope to goodness that you can catch up!

And in the most geek-out book from Secret Invasion comes another best moment of 2008. With the entire Skrull army assembling on their yard, every single relevant character in the Marvel U (regardless of which side they were on) decide they need to do some assemblin' of their own. And along with three of the most iconic characters ever to utter the phrase (Thor, Iron Man and Bucky as Captain America), the cry of "Avengers Assemble!" was sounded, making the entire force the largest assembly of Earth's Mightiest! Now that's how you scare any would-be invader shitless!


Best Villain: Norman Osborn

Despite what anybody feels about Secret Invasion, Norman Osborn ranks up there with the creepiest villains you'll have the displeasure of reading about. Aside from being such a pleasantly whacked-out sonovabitch, he's been elevated to a position of power that's gonna make life as a hero in the Marvel Universe a living hell...and if the solicits for 2009 are any indication, it's only going to get worse. I just love how twitchy, how scheming, and how utterly vicious he's become this year...a true villain for the times. A Dark Reign is upon Marvel U., and whether you like it or not, Norman is now in control.


Best Hero: Hercules

What? No Batman? No Iron Man? No hero who single-handedly stopped an intergalactic war? Well, while those heroes probably have had that big-name recognition by birthright, I personally know of no other hero that has developed handsomely into an A-lister by his or herself this year than the Prince of Power, Hercules. Once a surly, hard-drinking womanizer of a demi-god, he's now a surly, hard-drinking womanizer of a demi-god who's such a hoot to read about. From making the Skrulls (the Skrull gods, no less!) look like putzes to giving Amadeus Cho the thumbs-up sign upon the chance of getting some, Hercules has proven this 2008 that he deserves the spotlight!


And that, my fellow comic fans, are the most awesome people, moments, and events of 2008, as decided by yours truly! I don't think there's ever been a more exciting year to be a comic book fan, but here's hoping 2009 proves me wrong!

So let's talk about what's great about 2008 by leaving a comment below. I promise I won't laugh if you promise you didn't! See you on the other side of the year, folks! Thanks for reading!

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