Wednesday, December 20, 2017

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! A Rock'n'Soul Music Player


Hear hundreds of great Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa songs, all in order from 1947 to Today!




Rockabilly! Jazz! Blues! Soundtracks! Soul! Country! Garage! Psychedelic! Funk! Glam! Reggae! Punk! New Wave! HipHop! Electro! and more!

Spotify playlist title= HAPPY HOLIDAYS!: Rock'n'Soul Playlist
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

*(The Player is limited to the first 200 songs. Hear the unlimited Playlist here.)


Featuring:
Julie London, Elvis, LaVern Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, Ramsey Lewis, John Coltrane, The Everly Brothers, Aretha Franklin, The Ronettes, The Surfaris, The Beach Boys, Jimmy Smith, The Sonics, Stevie Wonder, Booker T & The MGs, James Brown, The Who, Isaac Hayes, Jimi Hendrix, Donny Hathaway, The Temptations, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Laura Nyro, Marvin Gaye, Johnny Cash, Big Star, David Bowie, The Damned, Kurtis Blow, The Yobs, Al Green, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Queen, Prince, Fishbone, Run DMC, The Bangles, U2, Los Lobos, Ramones, El Vez, Luscious Jackson, The Fall, Reigning Sound, The Flaming Lips, William "Bootsy" Collins, The Smithereens, The Hives, Bob Dylan, Sharon Jones And The Dap Kings, 45 Grave, Jeff Buckley, The Black Keys, and many more!



© Tym Stevens



See Also: -The Real History of Rock and Soul!: A Music Player Checklist

-THANKSGIVING!, with Music Player
-DIA DE LOS MUERTOS and HALLOWEEN Rock En Espanol, with 2 Music Players
-HALLOWEEN!, with Music Player

Sunday, December 17, 2017

BEST MUSIC: 2017, with Music Players!


Curtis Harding




ALL THE
REAL MUSIC!


Nevermind all those suburban-angst
"Best Music" lists that taste like paste!


These tunes will altitude your attitude
and amok your badonkadonk!


Shortcut to Music Players:





Julie Byrne
(photo by Tonje Thilesen)


B E S T
N E W
A L B U M S :

2 0 1 7


BEST ALBUMS 2017
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.



This music player has songs from the following albums, in the same order.




-Curtis Harding, "Face Your Fear"
Psychedelic Soul.

-JD McPherson, "UNDIVIDED HEART & SOUL"
Rockabilly and Soul.

-Julie Byrne, "Not Even Happiness"
Ethereal Folk.

-Thundercat, "Drunk"
Eclectic Soul.




-Temples, "Volcano"
Psychedelic Pop.

-St. Vincent, "MASSEDUCTION"
Future Rock.

-Father John Misty, "Pure Comedy"
Lacerating Folk commentary.

-Here Lies Man, "Here Lies Man"
Afrobeat Rock.




-Groovy Uncle, "A Clip Around The Ears"
Beatlesque Pop.

-Dan Auerbach, "Waiting On A Song"
Country Soul from Black Keys leader.

-Bootsy Collins, "World Wide Funk"
Hybrid Funk.

-Deerhoof, "Mountain Moves"
Melodic Noize Pop.




-The New Pornographers, "Whiteout Conditions"
Complex Pop from Indie supergroup.

-Zara McFarlane, "Arise"
SoulJazz angel chorales.

-Las Cobras, "Temporal"
Moody trance-adelic from Uruguay.

-The Secret Sisters, "You Don't Own Me Anymore"
(The secret sisters of the Everly brothers?)




-Songhoy Blues, "Resistance"
Desert Blues from Mali.

-Las Odio, "Futuras Esposas"
Garage Punk from Spain.

-Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm, "Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm"
Memphis Soul.

-Feist, "Pleasure"
Edgy Chamber Folk.




-Satellite Jockey, "Modern Life, Vol.1"
Psyche Pop.

-Nicole Atkins, "Goodnight Rhonda Lee"
Multifaceted Soul, Country, and Dream Pop.

-Ariel Pink, "Dedicated To Bobby Jameson"
Electrodelic.

-D/troit, "Soul Sound System"
Funky Soul from Denmark.




-Queens Of The Stone Age, "Villains"
Cold Glam with Boogie.

-The Pen Friend Club, "Wonderful World Of The Pen Friend Club"
A happy world of Pet Sounds from Japan.

-Childhood, "Universal High"
Sunshine Soul.

-Nicole Willis, "My Name Is Nicole Willis"
Soulful Funk.




-Roger Waters, "Is This The Life We Really Want?"
The Wall for the FakePrez era.

-Mavis Staples, "If All I Was Was Black"
Compassionate Gospel Soul.

-The Darts (U.S.), "The Darts"
A Garage Punk spin-off of The Love Me Nots.

-Jeb Loy Nichols, "Country Hustle"
Soul Country Folk Reggae Blues.




-Antibalas, "Where The Gods Are In Peace"
Political Afrobeat.

-Don Bryant, "Don't Give Up On Love"
Memphis Soul.

-Liam Gallagher, "As You Were"
Let It Be some more.

-Chicano Batman, "Freedom Is Free"
Latin Funk.




-Tashaki Miyaki, "The Dream"
Like Slowdive jamming with Crazy Horse.

-Nick Hakim, "Green Twins"
Kaleidoscopic Soul.

-Jane Weaver, "Modern Kosmology"
Harmonious Kraut Psyche.

-Perfume Genius, "No Shape"
Coldwave Soul Rock.




-The Claypool Lennon Delirium, "Lime And Limpid Green"
Covers E.P. of Psyche and Prog gems.

-Benjamin Booker, "Witness"
Soul Blues.

-Samehada Shiriko And Dynamite, "Brand New Dynamite"
Refracted Psyche maelstrom.

-The Como Mamas, "Move Upstairs"
Gospel.




-Glim Spanky, "Bizarre Carnival"
Baroque Pop.

-Guadalupe Plata, "Guadalupe Plata 2017"
Scary Spaghetti-billy.

-The Coathangers, "Parasite"
Punk trio with Pop hooks.

-Sunshine & The Rain, "In The Darkness Of My Nights"
Girl Group Buzz Punk.




-The Kaisers, "Wishing Street"
Perfect Merseybeat.

-Jessica Lea Mayfield, "Sorry Is Gone"
Alt-Country with a Grunge edge.

-Spoon, "Hot Thoughts"
Austin's finest Alt-Rock.

-Robert Plant, "Carry Fire"
Roots to the future.




-Angelo Badalamenti, +, "TWIN PEAKS (Limited Event Series Soundtrack)"
From the darkness of future past.

-Chrysta Bell, "We Dissolve"
David Lynch's protege graduates.

-Robert Johnson And Punchdrunks, "Morte di Seeburg"
Terse Cinecitta-style soundtrack chills.

-Sharon Jones And The Dap Kings, "Soul Of A Woman"
The swan song of the true queen of modern Soul.
Rest In Power.


Sharon Jones







C O O L
S O N G S :

2 0 1 7



All the REAL MUSIC
beyond the box!


Nevermind Gloss Pop, Stepford Idols, Karaoke Choruses, Ego Brats, Brittle Bombast, and Robot-o-Tune schlock!

Here's the
D R E A M
J U K E B O X !

COOL SONGS 2017
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

*(The Player is limited to the first 200 songs.
Hear the unlimited Playlist here.)


This year's jukebox is sequenced into groups of sound, instead of randomly.
All the songs elasticize their genres.
Get your groove on in this sonic order.:

Ethereal! Soul! Rockabilly! Garage!

Psychedelic! Glam! RESIST! Covers!

Country! Funk! AfroBeat! Riot Grrrl!

Alt-Rap! Electro! Soundtracks!

Nicole Atkins; Thundercat;
The Darts; Glim Spanky


20 hours of mind-staggering, booty-swiveling music, featuring:

Julie Byrne, Chrysta Bell, Chuck Berry, The Secret Sisters, CTMF, The Shelters, Charlotte Gainesbourg, Thee Oh Sees, Beck, Louise Burns, Melvins, Nick Hakim, The Heliocentrics, Fleet Foxes, The Dirtbombs, of Montreal, Moon Duo, Sampha, THEEE BAT, Ruby Velle And The Soulphonics, Las Rosas, Tinariwen, Tony Allen, Sleater-Kinney, Beth Ditto, EMA, Moses Sumney, Wire,
and throngs more songs!






B E S T
R E I S S U E S :

2 0 1 7


Quality is timeless.

The act
you've known
for all
these years.


BEST REISSUES 2017
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.


This music player has songs from the following albums, in the same order.



1950s

-Little Richard, "Here's Little Richard" (1957)
The Voice of Rock'n'Roll.



1960s

-Various Artists, "Girls With Guitars, Vol. 4"
Rock grrrls of the '60s.

-The Golliwogs, "Fight Fire: The Complete Recordings 1964-1967"
The early Beat and Garage songs of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

-The Creation, "Action Painting" (1967-'68)
Mod/ Garage.

-The Monks, "Hamburg Recordings 1967"
Garage.

-The Beatles, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967)
The Greatest Rock Album Of All Time.

-The Rolling Stones, "Their Satanic Majesties Request" (1967)
Psyche response to Sgt. Pepper.

-The Beach Boys, "1967- Sunshine Tomorrow"
Box set of all their 1967 works.

-The Moody Blues, "Days Of Future Past" (1967)
Chamber Psyche.

-Tages, "Studio" (1967)
Swedish Psyche response to Sgt. Pepper.

-Various Artists, "Soulsville U.S.A.: A Celebration Of STAX" (1960-1976)
Stax Records box set.

-Marta Kubisova, "Songy a Balady" (1968)
Czech Soul balladeer.

-Sunny And The Sunliners, "Mr. Brown-Eyed Soul"
Latin Soul.

-Os Brazoes, "Os Brazoes" (1969)
Brazilian Psyche.




1970s

-P.P. Arnold, "The Turning Tide" (c. 1970)
Lost Rock album produced by Barry Gibb.

-Pink Floyd, "1970 Devi/ation"
All their 1970 works.

-Chris Bell +, "Looking Forward: The Roots Of Big Star"
Chris Bell's various projects before Big Star.

-Piero Piccioni, "Puppets On A Chain" (1970)
Groovy soundtrack.

-Pappo's Blues, "Pappo's Blues, Vol. 1" (1971)
Argentinian Blues-rock.

-The Stylistics, "The Stylistics" (1971)
Debut album produced by Thom Bell.

-Rain, "Rain" (1972)
Beatlesque Prog.

-Mulatu Astatke, "Mulatu of Ethiopia" (1972)
Ethiopian Jazz.

-The Delfonics, "Tell Me This Is A Dream" (1972)
Philly Soul.

-Isaac Hayes, "The Spirit Of Memphis (1962-1976)"
A box set overview of the Soul Man.

-Yoko Ono, "Fly", "Approximately Infinite Universe" , "Feeling The Space" (1971, 1973, 1973)
Crucial experimental Rock.
Approximately Infinite Universe is one of the greatest Rock double-albums ever made.

-Minnie Riperton, "Perfect Angel" (1974)
Produced by Stevie Wonder.

-The Stooges, "Heavy Liquid: "The Album" (1974)
The great lost follow-up to Raw Power.

-Sly Stone, "High On You" (1975)
Underrated Funk classic.

-Neil Young, "Hitchhiker" (1976)
Legendary unreleased acoustic demos album.

-The Jam, "1977"
All of their 1977 works.

-The Cars, "Candy-O", "Panorama" (1979, 1980)
The brilliant second record and the underappreciated third.

-The Pop Group, "Y" (1979)
PostPunk/DubNoize protest album for the ages.




1980s

-Tradition, "Captain Ganja And The Space Patrol" (1980)
Essential breakthrough Dub album.

-Maximum Joy, "I Can't Stand It Here On Quiet Nights: Singles 1981-82"
PostPunk Funk from the early-'80s NYC revolution.>

-The Rain Parade, "Emergency Third Rail Power Trip" (1983)
Neo-Psyche from the Paisley Underground scene.

-Annie Anxiety, "Soul Possession" (1984)
Damaged Spoken Punk.

-Prince And The Revolution, "Purple Rain" (1984)
A massive expansion of the best album of the '80s.

-Nick Lowe And His Cowboy Outfit, "The Rose Of England" (1985)
Rockabilly.

-INXS, "Kick" (1987)
Aussie Funk.

-Paul McCartney, "Flowers In The Dirt" (1989)
Now expanded with all of the terrific unreleased demos with Elvis Costello.




1990s

-L7, "Detroit" (1990)
Unreleased live album.

-Angelo Badalamenti, "TWIN PEAKS: Fire Walk With Me" (1992)
Hallucinatory demon Jazz.



2000s

-Anna And The Psychomen, "2002-2004 Complete Recordings"
Garage Punk from Italy.

-Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Fever To Tell" (demos) (2003)
NYC Art-Punk.




© Tym Stevens







"A splendid time is guaranteed for all!"






See also:


· BEST MOVIES + TV: 2023
BEST MUSIC: 2023
BEST COMICS: 2023

BEST MOVIES + TV: 2022
BEST MUSIC: 2022
BEST COMICS: 2022

BEST MOVIES + TV: 2021
BEST MUSIC: 2021
BEST COMICS: 2021

BEST MOVIES + TV: 2020
BEST MUSIC: 2020
BEST COMICS: 2020

BEST MOVIES + TV: 2019
BEST MUSIC: 2019
BEST COMICS: 2019

BEST MOVIES + TV: 2018
BEST MUSIC: 2018
BEST COMICS: 2018

BEST MOVIES + TV: 2017
BEST COMICS: 2017

BEST MOVIES + TV: 2016
BEST MUSIC: 2016
BEST COMICS: 2016

BEST MOVIES + TV: 2015
BEST MUSIC: 2015
BEST COMICS: 2015

BEST MOVIES + TV: 2014
BEST MUSIC: 2014
BEST COMICS: 2014

BEST MOVIES + TV: 2013
BEST MUSIC: 2013
BEST COMICS: 2013

BEST MOVIES + TV: 2012
BEST MUSIC: 2012
BEST COMICS: 2012

BEST MOVIES + TV: 2011
BEST MUSIC: 2011
BEST COMICS: 2011

BEST MOVIES + TV: 2000-2010
BEST MUSIC: 2000-2010
BEST COMICS: 2000-2010


_______________


How STAR WARS Is Changing Everything!

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - Its Transcendent Influence on all Pop Culture, with Music Player!

How SPAGHETTI WESTERNS Revolutionized Rock Music!, with 3 Music Players!

TWIN PEAKS: Its Influence on 30 Years of Film, TV, and Music!, with 5 Music Players!


The Real History of ROCK AND SOUL!: The Music Player Checklist


_______________


THE CANON 1: 50 Books That Created Modern Culture, with Music Player

THE CANON 2: 50 More Books That Created Modern Pop Culture, with Music Player

THE CANON 3: 50 Recent Books That Created Modern Culture, with Music Player



Thursday, December 14, 2017

BEST COMICS: 2017


S T A R S T R U C K :
Old Proldiers Never Die



Shortcut links:
> Best Graphic Novel
> Best Comics
> Best Graphic Novels
> Best Collections
> Best Movies And TV
> Best Websites

> Rest In Power






B E S T
G R A P H I C
N O V E L :





-S T A R S T R U C K :
Old Proldiers Never Die
,
by Elaine Lee, Michael Wm Kaluta, and Lee Moyer

The long-awaited second volume, reprinting a classic story now exorbinantly expanded with 50% new story and artwork, and newly painted color.

Quality is always timeless, and now it's lightyears ahead.


Learn More:





B E S T
C O M I C S :





I D W




-S T A R S T R U C K :
Old Proldiers Never Die
#1-6,
by Elaine Lee, Michael Wm Kaluta, and Lee Moyer

The serialized mini-series, more sophisticated than any other title going by leagues and bounds, and a gift that just keeps giving.

A hardboiled mystery, a galactic history, a cyberpunk noir, a war memoir, a transgressive romance, a second chance.

Smart art for sharp hearts.


> IDW





I M A G E



Art by Fiona Staples; Cliff Chiang


-SAGA, by Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan _______ ⇧
So vital, so brutal.
The best continues to best itself.

-PAPER GIRLS, by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang _______ ⇧
Lazy comparisons to Stranger Things wither; this is far too wide, deep, and complex, an epic cryptogram of its own.




-ROCKET GIRL, by Amy Reeder and Brandon Montclare _______
Three sightings this year!

-SOLID STATE, by Matt Fraction, Jonathan Coulton, and Albert Monteys _______
Concept album turned sci-fi opus.

-BLACK CLOUD, by Jason Latour, Ivan Brandon, and Greg Hinkle _______
What dreams may come.

-SPY SEAL, by Rich Tomasso _______
Clean-line spy adventure fun in the best Tintin tradition.



-MONSTRESS, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda _______
Best-selling author Marjorie Liu's Gothic Fantasy, with stunning art by Sana Takeda.

-THE AUTUMNLANDS, by Kurt Busiek, Benjamin Dewey, and Jordie Bellaire _______
Sociopolitical character-driven Fantasy.

-THE WICKED AND THE DIVINE, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie _______
Live, die, replete.





-SEX CRIMINALS, by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky _______ ⇧
Deeper, faster, harder. >

-DESCENDER, by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen _______
Indiana Croft.

-BLACK SCIENCE, by Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera, and Dean White _______
Dare all pretensions in parallel dimensions.

-INVISIBLE REPUBLIC, by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman _______ ⇧
The king is dead, long live the dream.



-SOUTHERN CROSS, by Becky Cloonan and Andy Belanger _______
Mystery. Eternity.

-COPPERHEAD, by Jay Faerber and Scott Godlewski _______
HIGH NOON in the backwater worlds.

-LAZARUS, by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark _______
The ties that blind.






M A R V E L



Art by Cliff Chiang

-AMERICA, by Gabby Rivera, Joe Quinones, and Ramon Villalobos _______ ⇧
America Chavez to the rescue!
Fascists, beware!


-THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL, by Ryan North and Erica Henderson _______
Too funny by far!

-MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR, by Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, and Natacha Bustos _______
Inspiring all-ages book.
Science, dinosaurs, action!

-PATSY WALKER, a.k.a., Hellcat!, by Kate Leth and Brittney L. Williams _______
Great fun while it lasted.


Art by Russell Dauterman

-THE MIGHTY THOR, by Jason Aaron And Russell Dauterman _______ ⇧
Malekith, the Shi'ar, and The Phoenix take her on.
Even odds.

-MS. MARVEL, by G. Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa, and Adrian Alphona _______
Embiggen your mind.

-SPIDER-GWEN, by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez _______
Does whatever a spider can.

-Invincible Iron Man: IRONHEART, by Brian Michael Bendis and Stefano Caselli _______
She's 15, a genius, and a mecha. Step off.



BLACK PANTHER, by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze/Chris Sprouse _______
Bestselling author Ta-Nehisi Coates' brave experiment in bringing T'Challa forward to his fullest potential.

-ALIAS, by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos _______
The return of Jessica Jones (and her creators). Worth it for her snarky dialogue alone.

JEAN GREY, by Dennis Hopless with Victor Ibanez, + _______
When Phoenix died in 1980, it was as seismic an event in comics as if it had actually happened.
And then Marvel has devalued that endlessly ever since.
This do-over series does precisely what it should, fixing all of that in a bid to give her a better fate.

-SCARLET WITCH, by James Robinson and Various Artists _______
James Robinson (Starman) helmed this artful and character-driven modern Sorcery series to its end.


-SILVER SURFER, by Dan Slott, Michael Allred, and Laura Allred _______
Soaring down into a fine landing on their last ride.

_______________


S T A R
W A R S


Marvel is still nailing it making movies between the movies.


-STAR WARS, by Jason Aaron and Stuart Immonen, + _______
The flagship title covers the Rebel side of events during the period between A NEW HOPE and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

-DARTH VADER: Dark Lord of the Sith, by
Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli
_______
This new, second VADER series covers his emergence immediately after REVENGE OF THE SITH.


-STAR WARS: Screaming Citadel, by a cast of dozens _______
A crossover event between titles featuring the Rebels 'teaming up' with Doctor Aphra.



-STAR WARS: Doctor Aphra, by Kieron Gillen and Kev Walker _______ ⇧
Everyone's favorite anti-Indiana Jones gets her own series.
Scams, chaos, and sarcasm ensue.

-STAR WARS: Poe Dameron, by Charles Soule and Angel Unzueta _______
Though he was a blip in THE FORCE AWAKENS, he's become a fully realized adventurer in this fun series.





D C



-MISTER MIRACLE, by Tom King and Mitch Gerads _______
Tom King, lauded last year for the psychological dread of THE VISION, helps the great escape artist elude his inner demons.

-WONDER WOMAN '77 MEETS THE BIONIC WOMAN, by Andy Mandels and Judit Tondora (DC/Dynamite) _______
Because sentimental.





Timely Reminder, Dept.
  • WATCHMEN (1986) is a graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, with color by John Higgins.
  • They are the sole creators of this original saga, despite a copyright swindle by the publisher.
  • This is a self-contained story, period.
  • Any other "before" or "after" supplements, or "crossover integrations", are a complete fraud perpetrated by the greedy and supported by the foolish.





V E R T I G O


-ASTRO CITY, by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson, + Alex Ross _______
Avert catastrophe, support Astro City.





Y O U N G
A N I M A L



Art by Tula Lotay


-SHADE THE CHANGING GIRL, by Cecil Castellucci and Marley Zarcone _______ ⇧
Everything great about the 1978 Ditko original and the Milligan/McCarthy/Bacchalo '90s Vertigo run, made new and vital again.
Psychotropic clean-line graphics and shaded emotional nuance.

-DOOM PATROL, by Gerard Way and Nick Derington _______
Gerard Way tranmutes everything great about Grant Morrison's '90s run into new gold.





D A R K
H O R S E



Art by Gene Ha

-MAE, by Gene Ha _______ ⇧
An all-ages cross-dimensional adventure series by the acclaimed artist of Alan Moore' TOP 10.







B E S T
G R A P H I C
N O V E L S :





-PROVIDENCE, Act 1,
-PROVIDENCE, Act 2,
-PROVIDENCE, Act 3, by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows (Avatar) _______ ⇧
Three volumes collecting Alan Moore's 12-issue maxi-series prequel to NEONOMICON, a terrifying rethink of Lovecraft.




-LOVE IS LOVE, by Various Creators (IDW/DC) _______ ⇧
A benifit anthology responding to the Orlando shooting tragedy, championing all aspects of the human love spectrum. >



Art by Emil Ferris

-MY FAVORITE THING IS MONSTERS, by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics) _______ ⇧
An ink-pen diary and montage on notebook paper, tracing a mystery on many levels.

-CRAWL SPACE, by Jesse Jacobs (Koyama Press) _______
Mindwarping graphics and soul-searching prose.

-MAGRITTE: This Is Not a Biography, by Vincent Zabus and Thomas Campi (SelfMadeHero) _______
Fall into Magritte's world, and become it.
This is not a pipe (dream).



-EVERYTHING IS FLAMMABLE, by Gabrielle Bell (Uncivilized Books) _______
Memoir, diary, confession, dissertation.
Family issues and rebuilding.

-YOU & A BIKE & A ROAD, by Eleanor Davis (Koyama Press) _______
Putting yourself back together again, one sketch and sketchy moment at a time.

-NOTHING LASTS FOREVER, by Sina Grace (Image) _______
Existentialism amid the freedom and fatuousness of the digital age.

-BOUNDLESS, by Jillian Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly) _______
Surreal short stories that challenge the boundaries of self and nature.



-SAIGON CALLING: London 1963-75, by Marcelino Truong (Arsenal Pulp Press) _______ ⇧
This sequel to Such a Lovely Little War brings the Vietnamese expat through the Counter-Cultural Revolution.

-THE BEST WE COULD DO, by Thi Bui (Abrams) _______
Immigration is both escaping and finding continuously.

-POPPIES OF IRAQ, by Brigitte Findakly and Lewis Trondheim (Abrams) _______
Breezy cartooning belies a nuanced work coming to grips with dangerous social upheaval.

-SPINNING, by Tillie Walden (First Second) _______
Competitive skating across emotional thin ice. Finding your own glide.



-SHATTERED WARRIOR, by Sharon Shinn and Molly Knox Ostertag (First Second) _______ ⇧
Fighting galactic repression, with graphics by the artist of Strong Female Protagonist.

-KIM & KIM, Vol. 1: This Glamorous, High-Flying Rock Star Life, by Magdalene Visaggio, Matt Pizzolo, Katy Rex, Eva Cabrera, and Claudia Aguirre (Black Mask) _______
Here. Queer. Kickin' your rear.

-THE SMELL OF STARVING BOYS, by Loo Hui Phang and Frederik Peeters (SelfMadeHero) _______
A western where frontiers open up and boundaries dissolve.






B E S T
C O L L E C T I O N S /
R E I S S U E S :





-KIRBY 100, by Jack Kirby, + (TwoMorrows) _______ ⇧
A centennial celebration of the King of Comics.



-THE EC ARCHIVES: The Haunt of Fear, The Vault of Horror, Shock SuspenStories, Tales from the Crypt, Weird Fantasy, Weird Science, Two-Fisted Tales, Panic, Valor, Aces High, by various (Dark Horse) _______
EC Comics was, and is, the revolution.

-BERNIE WRIGHTSON Artifact Edition Cover, by Bernie Wrightson (IDW) _______
Bernie Wrightson was one of the greatest modern heirs to the Golden Age of Illustration.



Art by Gene Day

Larger here

-Hands of Shang Chi, MASTER OF KUNG FU: Omnibus, Volume 4, by Doug Moench and Gene Day, + (Marvel) _______ ⇧
MOKF was a pivotal work of the '70s shamefully kept out of print ever since by legal problems.
Moench's complex and meditative hero forecast the mature comics of the '80s, and Gene Day's astonishing art at the end is the hinge from Will Eisner to J.H. Williams III.





-MICHAEL WM KALUTA'S STARSTRUCK Artist's Edition, by Elaine Lee and Michael Wm Kaluta (IDW) _______ ⇧
The original art pages of the 1984 graphic novel of STARSTRUCK, photographed at actual size.
> IDW

-DAVE STEVENS' THE ROCKETEER Artisan Edition, by Dave Stevens (IDW) _______
The page art of the classic adventurer, photographed at actual size.




-BATWOMAN, by Greg Rucka and JH Williams III (DC) _______ ⇧
An always timely reprinting of the stunning series, unequaled by any other still.

-STREAK OF CHALK, by Miguelanxo Prado (NBM) _______
A 1994 prism for interpretation, anchored around the beautiful watercolor art.


_______________



WHERE WE COME FROM, Dept.

Explore the past to map the future.
Get with, get going.



-LAST GIRL STANDING, by Trina Robbins (Fantagraphics) _______ ⇧
The autobiography of Trina Robbins, whose imprint spans from Vampirella's costume and Wimmen's Comix to Wonder Woman and acclaimed histories of female comics creators.

-HOW TO READ NANCY: The Elements of Comics in Three Easy Panels, by Paul Karasik And Mark Newgarden (Fantagraphics) _______
Using the (deceptively) formal clarity of Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy comic strip as a gateway to the medium.






B E S T
M O V I E S
a n d
T V:



I write and illustrate reviews of all comics-sourced films at the Four Color Films site.


Art by Tym Stevens

-LOGAN

-GHOST IN THE SHELL

-WONDER WOMAN

-SPIDER-MAN: Homecoming

-GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, Vol. 2

-THOR: Raganarok

-JUSTICE LEAGUE



-LEGION, season 1

-THE DEFENDERS, season 1


See also:
> BEST MOVIES & TV: 2017






B E S T
W E B C O M I C S




-The Nib

-Strong Female Protagonist






R E S T
I N
P O W E R




SWAMP THING,
by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson

  • Bernie Wrightson
  • Len Wein

From you, we exist.
Because of you, we persist.





Nuff said, pilgrim. Excelsior!


© Tym Stevens



See also:

-FourColorFilms: THE Comics Film Review Site!


· BEST MOVIES + TV: 2023
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BEST MOVIES + TV: 2019
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BEST MOVIES + TV: 2011
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BEST MOVIES + TV: 2000-2010
BEST MUSIC: 2000-2010
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THE CANON 1: 50 Books That Created Modern Culture, with Music Player

THE CANON 2: 50 More Books That Created Modern Pop Culture, with Music Player

THE CANON 3: 50 Recent Books That Created Modern Culture, with Music Player