With the start of 2023, the Fanbase Press staff and contributors wanted to take a look back at last year’s media from our very own geeky perspectives. Much like our readers and fans, one way we view and connect with the world around us is through the stories, characters, and heroes that we enjoy or look up to, and it’s always interesting to hear other’s opinions when it comes to their favorites of the year. After much consideration, below are the moments, stories, creators, and fandoms that we here at Fanbase Press believe were worth highlighting.
Most Emotionally Impactful Fictional Story of the Year
“Oscar Isaac’s performance in Moon Knight was not only incredible, but he made us feel something for multiple characters. One moment you think you’re only rooting for one character to come out on top, but then you realize you’d be hopelessly lost if either one of them disappeared.”
– Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the “Geeky Parent Guide”
“This is a really tough choice, but I’m going to go with Moon Knight. While the show itself may not have been perfect from an execution standpoint and there are further conversations to be had regarding the depiction of Jewish characters in media (and specifically how it was handled in this show) and the representation of mental health, I still want to applaud 1) the inclusion of a Jewish superhero, 2) his struggle with dissociative identity disorder, and 3) the processing of the childhood trauma associated with his mother in order to further our collective awareness of and conversations about these topics. More (authentic) representation will always be better, but we have to acknowledge the wins as they come, as well.”
– Barbra Dillon, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press
“Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are tied as the standout this year in my opinion. Both feature some truly powerful and emotionally impactful scenes that they knock out of the park. Ben Kenobi’s gift to Princess Leia of Alderaan – a chance to hear the best qualities of her biological father and mother described by someone who knew them – was a highlight of the series. The series adds so much to the character of Leia (especially her decision to name her son, Ben). Additionally, the post-credits scene of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with its revelation regarding the legacy of T’Challa, was one of the most powerful scenes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date.”
– Bryant Dillon, Co-Founder and President of Fanbase Press
Most Visually Impressive Fictional Story of the Year
“The Human Target by Tom King and Greg Smallwood. It’s been a while since I’ve found a comic series I read twice in one sitting. In this case, the first pass is to follow the breakneck story; the second is to go to art school. Smallwood has always been an artist whose work I’m delighted to encounter, but here he’s leveled up to something that approximates the great paperback & poster painter Robert McGinnis while still being its own uniquely modern thing. Already a shoo-in for my favorite collected edition of whatever year a deluxe oversized version is released.
Honorable Mention: Fantastic Four: Full Circle by Alex Ross.”
– Kevin Sharp, Fanbase Press Contributor – “Between the Panels” interview series
“Werewolf by Night! The aesthetic, special effects, and overall feel of the film were phenomenal! What a fun entry in the MCU during the Halloween season to be able to jump in with no prior knowledge of the characters or story and simply enjoy a “spooky” genre tale!”
– Barbra Dillon, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press
“While The Volume (the LED immersive soundstage that Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Mandalorian are both filmed on) and what it can accomplish is incredibly impressive, the first season of Star Wars: Andor really proved that shooting on location definitively has its own advantages. While there are many reasons to praise Andor’s solid first season, the show’s epic and sprawling visuals, whether depicting the bowels of an Imperial prison, the cold military aesthetic of the Imperial Security Bureau, or unseen levels (high and low) of the capital world of Coruscant – were undeniably breathtaking from episode to episode.”
- Bryant Dillon, Co-Founder and President of Fanbase Press
“I think the vibrancy brought to Ms. Marvel is something to come back to on its own, let alone being such a fun story where Kamala Khan discovers her own super powers, while also learning about her family and culture’s history. From the overlaying artwork, colorful outfits, or bright super powers, Ms. Marvel gives fans a wonderful superhero story to dive into.”
– Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the “Geeky Parent Guide”
Standout Geek Hero (Fictional or Non-Fictional) of the Year
“While Kevin Conroy may have come out publicly in 2016, I was so inspired by his release of Finding Batman this year and his willingness to share his lived experience as a gay man and how his life both inspired and mirrored that of his long-standing characters of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Conroy’s openness will undoubtedly provide hope and encouragement to others who may be questioning their identity.”
– Barbra Dillon, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press
“I cannot stop thinking about watching Diego Luna during Star Wars Celebration. Not only seeing and hearing his appreciation for coming back to Cassian Andor, but watching the fans’ response was equally impactful. At the end of an interview, he spoke to the audience in Spanish and the fans erupted in cheers as he did so. It’s moments like this that are a constant reminder to me on how impactful storytelling can be – and understanding that everyone wants to be able to connect with someone on the small or big screen. It’s powerfully emotional and it’s also a great thing to realize going into what was a phenomenal first season of Andor.”
– Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the “Geeky Parent Guide”
“I applaud She-Hulk, both the character and the creative team of the TV series, for anticipating the irrational and misogynistic attacks that the series would receive and taking the toxic elements of fan culture to task with biting satire and wit.”
- Bryant Dillon, Co-Founder and President of Fanbase Press
Standout Character of the Year
“Andor’s Luthen Rael, played flawlessly by actor Stellan Skarsgård, was easily the standout character of the year for me. His complete commitment to the cause he believes in and his duplicitous nature only make the mystery of who he truly is and why he has given everything to his radical mission that much more intriguing. He’s an igniting spark of the rebellion against the Empire, but there’s also a recognizable darkness present within him given what he’s willing to sacrifice to achieve that end. And, of course, his “I burn my life, to make a sunrise that I know I’ll never see” speech was one of the most powerful and beautiful scenes of the year, if not in all of Star Wars.”
– Bryant Dillon, Co-Founder and President of Fanbase Press
“I want to say I can’t choose, but I’ll say Jack Reacher. I really enjoyed Reacher and the chemistry between the main three characters. It’s such an entertaining show, where the main character is a cross between the two main characters from the show, Bones, and I enjoyed sitting back and watching someone ‘lay the smackdown’ on evil and corruption.”
– Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the “Geeky Parent Guide”
“She-Hulk! In the midst of another collectively challenging year, I so appreciated being able to tune in to She-Hulk each week to be able to commiserate with and laugh about the toxicity that is so ever-present in geekdom and the world at large. The writing of the show was superb and touched a long-painful nerve for so many who are tired of discrimination, misogyny, and gatekeeping.”
– Barbra Dillon, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press
Standout Geek Romance of the Year
“She-Hulk and Daredevil. Oh, that was too wonderful . . .”
– Barbra Dillon, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press
“She-Hulk and Daredevil – hands down!”
– Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the “Geeky Parent Guide”
“See above. Perfection!”
– Bryant Dillon, Co-Founder and President of Fanbase Press
Standout Fandom of the Year
“It might be hard to argue it not be Star Wars, because of all the things, but I’m going to say it goes to The Lord of the Rings’ fans, because The Lord of the Rings was brought to the small screen. The Rings of Power felt like being resubmerged into Middle Earth and all of the characters you might find there. It was fun to have that feeling again where the ‘one ring’ and its story could be told in another way.”
– Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the “Geeky Parent Guide
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“Funny enough, I’m going to go with Star Wars. I feel like the fandom has turned a corner and has been more aware* (*Don’t get me wrong: The fandom still has a LONG way to go before it purges its toxicity fully.) of its need to appreciate and acknowledge its creators (who bring Star Wars to life) as human beings, rather than objects of their toxicity. Actors like Ahmed Best, Jake Lloyd, Kelly Marie Tran, Moses Ingram, and others have been on the receiving end of vile negativity, and I have hope that the positivity and support shown for Moses Ingram by the cast of Obi-Wan Kenobi, LucasFilm, and Disney this year will serve as a leading example for our need to be better human beings.”
– Barbra Dillon, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press
“Unfortunately, the Alien fandom stood out this year for all the wrong reasons. Between the misogynistic whining about the female protagonist during the lead-up to Prey (a movie heavily discussed in the fandom despite its very loose connection to the Alien franchise)” and misguided attacks on actor Jennifer Lawrence for her flub regarding women being cast as the lead in action films (Spoiler warning to my fellow Alien fans – 1979’s Alien isn’t an action film, and Ripley’s not the lead of that film.), I was left a bit disheartened by the opinions and actions of my fellow Alien fans. Hopefully, more positive times lie ahead courtesy of Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus, Noah Hawley’s FX Alien TV series, and Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s ongoing Alien comic series from Marvel.”
– Bryant Dillon, Co-Founder and President of Fanbase Press
Standout Creator/Creative Team of the Year
“I want to give all the praise I can to director Dan Trachtenberg, writer Patrick Aison, and lead actor Amber Midthunder for the fantastic achievement that was Prey, the Predator prequel released on Hulu this past Summer. Given the extensive and amazing backlog of Predator tales created during Dark Horse Comics’ time with the license, it should have never taken this long to get a period Predator film, but the entire team knocked it out of the park with Prey and restored vitality (and a potential future) to the Predator franchise.”
– Bryant Dillon, Co-Founder and President of Fanbase Press
“This has to be one man band Liam Sharp for his mesmerizing Starhenge miniseries from Image. Science fiction King Arthur was already done (well) back in the 1980s with Camelot 3000; this is an entirely different beast. It’s mysterious, challenging, layered, and jaw-droppingly gorgeous. An artist known for continually pushing himself and upping his game may have set an impossible task for himself here, because I’m not sure what new artistic frontier there is to conquer after this—seriously, multiple pages in any given issue could be blown up and hung in galleries.”
– Kevin Sharp, Fanbase Press Contributor – “Between the Panels” interview series
“The creative team behind Paper Girls. When I think about my favorite comic book series, I think about Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang’s Paper Girls first. And to see that transformed to a series was massively satisfying. A great cast created the vibes from the comics, and that’s awesome to know how well something translated from one medium to another. Also, how do you cancel this series?! More, please and thank you!”
– Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the “Geeky Parent Guide”
Standout Actor/Cast of the Year
“It’s possible my choice is fluid and might change from one day to the next, because there were several great shows I watched this year. In a year where there were a lot of darker themes and somber storylines, I’m going to give it to a show that made me laugh harder than any other show – and that’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Tatiana Maslany does a fantastic job as Jennifer Walters, a.k.a. She-Hulk, and I love how this show and its great cast made passing-glance commentary about struggles faced in the real world, while making me laugh out loud.”
– Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the “Geeky Parent Guide”
“I think the cast of Andor. It was jam-packed with top-tier talent, giving incredible performances with amazing and powerful dialogue.”
– Barbra Dillon, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press
Biggest Geeky Surprise of the Year
“It’s not necessarily a positive surprise, but the arrival of AI-generated art in the form of programs like Midjourney and Lensa hit the comic community like a bomb at the end of this year. It still remains to be seen how this will all fall out, but it’s clear that this a pretty earth-shattering advancement, and the art world will never be the same.”
– Bryant Dillon, Co-Founder and President of Fanbase Press
“I think seeing Andy Serkis pop up on Andor was such a surprise. I kept wondering, ‘Did we know this was happening?’ His appearance was such a surprise, and then he gives such a great performance (not a surprise), adding a wonderful layer to an already great show.”
– Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the “Geeky Parent Guide”
Defining Geeky Theme of the Year
“Is it possible to say ‘pacing’ is the theme of the year? I know there have been talks about shows being slow, but the pacing in shows like The Book of Boba Fett, Paper Girls, and The Rings of Power, there seems to be purpose in this pacing, especially if you look at a series such as Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Obi-Wan has been isolated as an outcast for a decade. This slower pace allows fans to watch him go through this slow, quiet, and repetitive cycle where he relives and punishes himself for all that went wrong in the galaxy. I think it’s important to see how agonizing his life has become, because it affects his ability to move forward or even consider helping others. It’s extremely relevant when he has to attempt his abilities as a Jedi Master and his decision-making is called into question, because he’s dealt with great trauma by himself for so long.”
– Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the “Geeky Parent Guide
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“Adversity. While the geeky media that we consumed this year often called upon experiences and challenges that many of us are going through in our daily lives, what resonated with me were the everyday challenges faced by the people that make geekdom possible. From comics workers endeavoring to create the first industry union in their workplace, to frequent layoffs by major corporations, to paper shortages and shipping delays impacting comic book releases, to the emergence of AI art and its impact on artists, to publishers not paying their creators: The barriers, challenges, and hardships faced by workers was in no short order this year, and I hope that we all take this opportunity to acknowledge our collective experience and work together to understand why we’re facing these challenges and what we can do to change the systems in place for the better.”
– Barbra Dillon, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press
“I will say that I think Barbra nailed it with “adversity,” but I will piggyback off that to include the theme of “endurance” in the face of that adversity. Probably due to the adversity many are facing during these current times, so many of our genre stories from 2022 thematically demonstrated the importance of enduring various forms of adversity that we face. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever spoke to enduring great personal and national loss. Prey spoke to enduring intense and unforgiving physical trials and a community that doubts your skills and/or efforts, as well as the complications and pressures of a changing world. Star Wars spoke to the theme of endurance with several stories, with Andor speaking to endurance in the face of oppressive fascism, Tales of the Jedi speaking to how we endure with the loss of our closest friends, loved ones, and our very own core values, and Obi-Wan Kenobi speaking to how we endure our loss of self – everything that we were or believed in – in order to find a new hope for the future to come.”
– Bryant Dillon, Co-Founder and President of Fanbase Press
What was the best representation of #StoriesMatter?
“I think that Ms. Marvel truly encapsulated the concept of #StoriesMatter. Having the opportunity to see a positive, authentic, live-action representation of not only a Pakistani-American superhero, but also a Pakistani-American family, their lives, their values, and the history of the people of Pakistan and India was truly incredible. Plus, my goodness, what a fun show that undoubtedly resonated with audiences of all ages and of all backgrounds. ”
– Barbra Dillon, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press
“Seeing the impact of Diego Luna, understanding his appreciation of having his accent represented in his character for Cassian Andor and the show, Andor ,is absolutely stunning. There are such tragic events taking place within the show that seem relevant to the real world, and the constant back-and-forth of what will happen to a character who is struggling to survive is gripping to watch. Such an incredible series!”
– Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the “Geeky Parent Guide”
“Choosing one answer here has proven an insurmountable mental task, so, instead, I’ll list the fictional stories in various media that shook and stirred me (TM James Bond) the most over the past 12 months.
TV: Andor, Atlanta, Better Call Saul, The Boys (Well, about 90% of it.), Peacemaker, Severance, Station Eleven (premiered in ’21 but concluded in ’22), The White Lotus.
Books: Devil House by John Darnielle, Luda by Grant Morrison, Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel.
Movies: Apollo 10 1/2, Athena, Elvis (There’s enough fiction in here to include it.), Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Northman, Top Gun: Maverick.”
– Kevin Sharp, Fanbase Press Contributor – “Between the Panels” interview series
