As the end of 2024 draws near, the Fanbase Press staff and contributors wanted to take a look back at the 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 a number of moments, stories, creators, and fandoms that we here at Fanbase Press believe were worth highlighting.
Most Emotionally Impactful Fictional Story of the Year
“I’ll start by saying the most emotionally impactful story to me this year was the film, Sing Sing, but that is non-fiction, so I’ll come back around to that later. But in the world of fiction, I think the story that impacted me most on an emotional level was probably The Acolyte. Despite some of its flaws, seeing a tragedy in the world of Star Wars, a world so deeply rooted in who I am as a person, was both traumatizing and invigorating and had the potential to open Star Wars up to so many new storytelling paths. It was a tragedy that it was cancelled.” – Phillip Kelly, Fanbase Press Contributor
“For me it has to be Tom King’s run on Wonder Woman. It effectively shines a light on what makes Diana such an iconic character. His main villain, “The Sovereign,” is a true foil for Wonder Woman and their conflict has been a blast to follow.” – Steven Price, Fanbase Press Guest Contributor
“In the series, Reacher, there’s a moment when the main character is approached by his best friend, Neagley, and she tells him that they’re more than colleagues or friends. Reacher isn’t the easiest to tie down to emotional sentiment, but she hammers home such an intimate message of family to him where he understands why she isn’t happy with only hearing from him once in a while.” – Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the Geeky Parent Guide
“I keep returning to Alex Garland’s Civil War. While not what many anticipated, its exploration of American self-destruction was notably profound.” – Bryant Dillon, Co-Founder and President of Fanbase Press
Most Visually Impressive Fictional Story of the Year
“Nothing was a visually breathtaking as Cormac McCarthy’s The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation. While McCarthy’s story deserves all its due credit, when it comes to the graphic novel adaptation, French cartoonist Manu Larcenet must be recognized for the powerful and talented creative force and collaborator that he is. Larcenet’s artwork is breathtakingly bold, indescribably emotive, and absolutely unflinching. Given Larcenet’s amazing skills as a visual storyteller at the top of his craft, readers will easily lose themselves in this dark depiction of a world where the flames of society have long burnt out. Relying confidently and often on poignant, powerful, and dialogue-free images to convey deep and complex emotions, this is truly a read that will cut deep to the bone.” – Bryant Dillon, Co-Founder and President of Fanbase Press
“I loved watching Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I am definitely a fan of the book series, so seeing the first book (The Lightning Thief) play out is such a fun experience. If there’s any expectation of seeing what you read from a book, then this TV series absolutely nailed it.” – Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the Geeky Parent Guide
“There are two animated films that came out within a month or so of each other that are going to share this trophy: The Wild Robot and Flow. Both involve nature and animals and yet are so different from each other. Not only beautiful on a cinematic level, but also thematically they reached deep down I side me and stirred my soul.” – Phillip Kelly, Fanbase Press Contributor
“This isn’t quite a story, but Alex Ross’ cover work for Marvel’s Immortal Thor has been impressive all year. Continuing his work from the Immortal Hulk, Ross brings a Norman Rockwell eye to the Marvel Universe. One particular stand out cover had Thor arm-wrestling Hercules in a diner has onlookers snapped photos with their phones.” – Steven Price, Fanbase Press Guest Contributor
Standout Geek Hero (Fictional or Non-Fictional) of the Year
“Even though we have only seen the teaser trailer for James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film, I was in awe of the trailer’s ability to generate the sense of hope that was once engendered by Christopher Reeve’s performance. I think that it’s safe to say that we, collectively, desperately need something to hope for, and perhaps Superman will inspire in all of us the notion that we can be the good that we want to see in the world.” – Barbra Dillon, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press
“It’s hard not to think about Omega from The Bad Batch. When the series concludes, she’s older and talks about going out to try and help the rebel alliance. She just wants to help. She wants to make the galaxy a better place. And Omega recognizes that it’s not the safest choice, but she has to find a way to do what she thinks is right – and, in the end, Omega does just that. She leaves her “Dad Batch” protectors and is willing to sacrifice it all to do the right thing.” – Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the Geeky Parent Guide
“Thanks to an end-of-the-year trailer reveal, I’m going with Superman. The first time I watched that trailer, I was filled with tears of joy. The revamped John Williams score, Krypto to the rescue, and Rachel Brosnahan’s perfect Lois Lane all prove that the new DCU movies are in the right hands.” – Steven Price, Fanbase Press Guest Contributor
“Some years you need Doctor Who just to get by. To me, he is one of the ultimate heroes, so to have him back in the guise of the incredible Ncuti Gatwa was magnificent. Even when the people he’s trying to save won’t give him the time of day, he STILL fights for them. To me, that is the most heroic thing a person or character can do.” – Phillip Kelly, Fanbase Press Contributor
Standout Character of the Year
“It gonna have to be a toss up between Anora and Elphaba. Both strong female characters that rise to a challenge while remaining visibly vulnerable and emotionally shaken. Both more human than most every other character I’ve seen on screen this year. And both not afraid to be themselves. Not only that, but these two ladies are going to be top contenders at the Oscars.” – Phillip Kelly, Fanbase Press Contributor
“Sticking with comics I’m going to go with Simon Pure from Redcoat. This character created by Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch helped usher in the Ghost Machine imprint in exciting fashion. Simon is the quintessential rogue character, who despite his expressed wishes always seems to choose the path of the hero in the end. I enjoyed the time I spent following Simon and his side-kick, a young Albert Einstein, through an alternate history United States.” – Steven Price, Fanbase Press Guest Contributor
“Frances Neagley played by Maria Sten is a phenomenal character on Reacher who is smart, funny, and willing to do whatever is necessary to help her friends. She’s the rock in Reacher’s life who provides balance to his nomadic lifestyle, while making sure she’s always honest with him regardless of the circumstances.” – Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the Geeky Parent Guide
Standout Geek Romance of the Year
“The standout romance of the year is one that Trekkies have flooded fan fiction with for decades, Julian Bashir and Elim Garak. Thanks to the final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks, this couple was brought to life with the voice work of the original actors. It was a joy to see this coupling and the writers of Lower Decks brought both humor and heart to this couple.” – Steven Price, Fanbase Press Guest Contributor
“Just like Neal Page and Del Griffith before them, Deadpool and Wolverine were the best romantic coupling of the year.” – Phillip Kelly, Fanbase Press Contributor
“Reacher and Karla weren’t able to keep their hands off each other whenever there was free time, not that there was much time to do anything other than avoid getting killed. Even though the rule is to sleep whenever you have a chance, it doesn’t mean it has to be a rule when they’re working a case together.” – Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the Geeky Parent Guide
Standout Fandom of the Year
“The Xenomorph is back. Alien: Romulus succeeded in a big way and finally got me to finish my run of Alien: Isolation. Welcome back, you facehugging fuggers!” – Phillip Kelly, Fanbase Press Contributor
“I can only imagine how pumped video game fans of Fallout are after watching the Prime Video series. I never played the game, but the series was fantastic! I am already looking forward to another season and can only imagine what dystopian nightmares will be presented to the viewers next.” – Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the Geeky Parent Guide
“I think the Superman 2025 trailer tops a phenomenal year for DC Comics fans. DC Comics came with a strong slate of comics ranging from the Absolute Power event series from Mark Waid to the introduction of the “Absolute Universe” this past fall. We also got a great new series for Wonder Woman with Tom King, and Tom Taylor finished his acclaim run of Nightwing with a satisfying climax. On TV we had the riveting Penguin series on Max and, of course, we got our first glimpse of James Gunn’s vision for the DCU on the silver screen with the Superman trailer. A great year for DC fans.” – Steven Price, Fanbase Press Guest Contributor
Standout Creator/Creative Team of the Year
“I am a big fan of Dave Chisolm’s storytelling and artwork, so when I learned about Spectrum, I was excited to read it. His artwork and Rick Quinn’s story are a perfect pairing. If I feel like I’m being submerged into a character’s world, then I know I’ve landed on an incredible story and fantastic art.” – Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the Geeky Parent Guide
“This one goes to Geoff Johns, who with Image Comics shepherded in an entirely new imprint, Ghost Machine. Writing many of these new series himself, Johns and the rest of Ghost Machine have been spent this year churning out indie comic gold, from Redcoat and Rook:Exodus. – Steven Price, Fanbase Press Guest Contributor
“James Gunn and Peter Safran have taken it upon themselves to revitalize an entire franchise. With Creature Commandos being an absolute rollicking joy to the emotional overwhelming trailer for Superman and you add in the really powerful The Penguin and their openness to continue to explore all the opportunities of powerful storytelling, DC may finally have its Feige.” – Phillip Kelly, Fanbase Press Contributor
Standout Actor/Cast of the Year
“I am a big fan of the Reacher cast and what they’re able to put together regarding onscreen chemistry and being able to deliver heartfelt moments, while piledriving kick-ass action sequences where the lead character tells the villain, ‘I want to throw you out of a helicopter.’” – Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the Geeky Parent Guide
“The best cast of characters of the year was the cast of Dandadan. It’s been a few years since I’ve really given time to a new anime, but this grabbed me and wouldn’t let go, thanks in a large part to the amazing and perfectly absurd characters. Now I’m going to watch the dubbed version because I just found out Kari Wahlgren voices one of the characters in English, and she was just nominated for her first Emmy! And I think right alongside that was the cast of The Penguin. People say stories without their heroes won’t work, but my god, did this work. Everyone was remarkable.
And there was one solo performer that blew me away this year, Cole Escola, in their performance of Mary Todd Lincoln in the Broadway comedy, Oh, Mary!. I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard at a comedic performance in a few years. It was nothing short of genius.” – Phillip Kelly, Fanbase Press Contributor
“Timothy Chalamet and the cast of Dune 2 for bringing my favorite novel of all time to a gripping conclusion. Chalamet perfectly embodied the Paul Atreides I had in my mind. He perfectly portrayed Paul’s anguish as he fought against his destructive destiny.” – Steven Price, Fanbase Press Guest Contributor
Biggest Geeky Surprise of the Year
“I would never have predicted how exciting and off-the-wall Jonathan Hickman’s & Esad Ribic’s Aliens vs. Avengers would be. Given the Alien comics produced by Marvel since the license left Dark Horse Comics have been a real mixed bag, this alternate xenomorph-ravaged version of the Marvel universe that blends a broken team of Avengers with the Alien franchise’s own mythology of deadly creatures, monolithic corporations, and rogue androids was easily one of the most unanticipated and enjoyable comic book releases of the year!” – Bryant Dillon, Co-Founder and President of Fanbase Press
“Wicked, which was almost going to be my choice of most emotionally impactful story of the year. Part 1 of a two-and-a-half hour musical that was 2 hours and 45 minutes? For the longest time I had no intention of seeing the film. I’m so glad I did. You could hear a pin drop in the theatre. It was such a beautifully emotional journey that fleshed out all of my issues with the stage production and then some.” – Phillip Kelly, Fanbase Press Contributor
“The ‘Absolute Universe’ at DC Comics. Revealed by chief architect Jason Aaron and begun with Absolute Batman, this comic universe came as a welcome surprise for DC fans.” – Steven Price, Fanbase Press Guest Contributor
“This is a bit of a selfish moment, but my family giving up Disney+. I thought it would be a subscription we’d always hold onto, but sometimes reevaluating things (because of cost) leads to a greater understanding of what we might not need in our lives.” – Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the Geeky Parent Guide
Defining Geeky Theme of the Year
“I loved seeing comic creators supporting each other’s projects, which included seeing the Ripple Effects Kickstarter being successfully achieved.” – Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the Geeky Parent Guide
“The best thing for me this year was the sense of community, inclusivity, and accessibility generated by various individuals and organizations. Creators like Charlie Stickney and Kat Calamia utilized their experience and social media presence to lift up and spotlight countless Kickstarter campaigns, helping creators to reach a larger audience and fund their comic book projects.
Small press Laneha House (Lawrence Lindell and Breena Nuñez) do so much to support the efforts of independent creators in their area, providing them with a safe space to bring their stories to life, and they also post their annual Kinnard Awards, honoring pioneering queer cartoonist Rupert Kinnard and celebrating individuals’ contributions to comics.
Educator and creator Dr. Katie Marisol Sweeney-Romero organized and facilitated the Comics Studies Society’s 2024 Academic Conference, bringing together a variety of comics scholars, practitioners, and readers, encouraging the society’s members to consider how their research, teaching, and collecting of comics may expand to include independent creators and works.
This is only a sampling of the amazing work being done to foster an inclusive community, and I hope to see it continue in 2025.” – Barbra Dillon, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press
“This year gave us a huge focus on female creators and characters. So many of my favorite films this year were directed by women or were led incredibly strong female leads. From the female-created and acted The Substance, to Lauren LeFranc showrunning The Penguin, to Beyonce releasing an amazing Country album, to The Acolyte showrun by Leslye Headland, to Gail Simone being the first solo female writer on an X-Men series. Women led the way in so many creative mediums. Other notable female and LGBTQ represented stories: Love Lies Bleeding, Blink Twice, I Saw the TV Glow, etc. The list goes on this year…” – Phillip Kelly, Fanbase Press Contributor
“Alternate universe storytelling. Both Marvel and DC introduced new lines of books that presented readers with new versions of classic characters. The “Absolute DC Universe,” and the new “Ultimate Universe” have delivered consistent quality and great storytelling.” – Steven Price, Fanbase Press Guest Contributor
“The Fanbase Weekly podcast revisited The Terminator this year given the film’s 40th anniversary. The discussion was great and the film has always been an absolute favorite of mine, but Sarah Connor’s assertion in the final scene, that she knows there’s a storm coming, feels like it sums up everything permeating 2024 and leading in to 2025. No future but what we make, my friends.” – Bryant Dillon, Co-Founder and President of Fanbase Press
What Was the Best Representation of Fanbase Press’ #StoriesMatter Initiative?
“I was really impressed by the unSEEN/unHEARD: Disability & Neurodivergence Anthology which successfully funded on Kickstarter this year. Created by a talented group of neurodivergent individuals and those with disabilities, this collection not only generated much-needed representation in the sequential art medium, but it also provided an opportunity for greater awareness and empathy for readers without similar lived experiences.” – Barbra Dillon, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press
“I loved watching Echo and seeing the main character’s ties to the Choctaw people. The series felt fresh and unique, while delivering impactful diverse characters, moving moments, and incredible action sequences. The cast was stellar and I can only hope to watch more from them in this series in the near future.” – Travis Lakata, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor, Creator of the Geeky Parent Guide
“This past year was the end of Star Trek: Discovery, a show that lasted five seasons on Paramount Plus and returned Star Trek to our televisions after a long hiatus. Discovery was definitely a show that embraced the notion that all stories matter. Led by a strong African American female lead in Michael Burnham, Discovery became one of the most diverse casts on streaming TV. It featured one of the best couples on television in Stammets and Culber, two men who portrayed a deep and loving marriage. The show was able to shine a light on so many stories that often go unheard. We were able to see Adira Tal boldly defend their identity as non-binary and root for them and their boyfriend Gray, Star Trek’s first Transgendered character. The gift of Star Trek: Discovery was its ability to show us a future of hope where all of our differences are respected and valued.” – Steven Price, Fanbase Press Guest Contributor
“There are two films that came out that are based on true stories or true events: Sing, Sing and The Seed of the Sacred Fig. Sing, Sing gives humanity to criminals in a prison and shows us the transformative power of the arts, in this case the creation of theatre. The Seed of the Sacred Fig was made in secret in Iran and the filmmaker had to flee the country or be imprisoned. It is about theocracy and the patriarchy and echoes what’s happening in our own country. Both films are power pieces of cinema and even though I’d say that all the things I’ve touched upon matter, the two of these films hit a nerve for me.” – Phillip Kelly, Fanbase Press Contributor
