Why 2012 will be Awesome

So, another year has come and gone. As with any year, there have been some highs and some major lows in the entertainment industry. There was the controversy of DC's New 52, as well as Marvel's decision to introduce a black Spider-man (the person, not the suit). But as eventful as 2011 has been, it's time to move forward and look to 2012. And frankly, there's a lot to be excited for. Despite what John Cusack might have you believe, 2012 looks to be a great year.

Film

A lot of great stuff came out in 2011, but very few of them were movies. There were some fine films to be sure, but there were very few game-changers (and no, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 was not one of them, so hush). And frankly no matter how many Tree of Lifes, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spys, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes there were, I'll always remember 2011 as the year with the sucky Pixar movie.

2012 will hopefully give us a lot more to work with. Those who have been following this site already know about the plethora of Marvel and DC films coming our way this year. It's possible that Spider-Man and The Avengers might suck. The Dark Knight Rises won't.

If superheroes aren't your thing, there's still lots to look forward. Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino's new film about an ex slave turned bounty hunter, certainly holds promise, especially considering the all-star cast.

I mentioned that this year we got a crappy Pixar movie, which is unusual considering the high calibre brought by the past few years with movies such as Toy Story 3, Up, and Wall-E. Well, this year looks to be a return to form with an all-new story, Brave, set in what appears to be a medieval fantasy setting. It also looks to be the last original setting for the next few years, with Monsters University and Incredibles 2 coming in the following two years, respectively. And hey, not a Car in sight, so enjoy it.

But personally, the movie I'm looking forward to the most is Gravity, a new film from Alfonso Cuarón. This is his first feature film since 2006's Children of Men, perhaps the greatest film of the last decade (full disclosure: I have not seen every movie from last decade). It's a sci-fi film about a woman stranded in a space station, desperate to return to her daughter, and if it's even a fraction as good as Children of Men, it'll be awesome.

Oh yeah and The Hobbit's neat I guess.

Comics

While I'd be surprised if the comics industry undergoes an upheaval this year similar to 2011's New 52, there's still quite a bit to look forward to. While we all know that there will be about half a dozen “Big Events” coming from Marvel and DC, past events have taught us that these aren't necessarily titles to go crazy over.

But how about Fatale, the new Brubaker/Phillips collaboration? After their last stellar arc on Criminal, I'm excited to see how the two manage to infuse the horror genre with the noir sensibilities they're known for. By the time this article is published Fatale should already be on sale, so pick it up!

Perhaps the biggest thing on the horizon is March's Saga, a brand new sci-fi fantasy epic by Brian K. Vaughan, returning from his comic hiatus since the end of Ex Machina. If you loved Y the Last Man or The Escapists, you'll want to check out Saga, which Comic Book Resources described as “Game of Thrones meets Star Wars”. 

In addition, we have important milestones for ongoing titles, like issue 100 of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead. While it's too early to know what to expect from the issue, past Walking Dead milestone issues have been major game-changers, so I'll definitely be looking forward to this one.

Finally, let's not forget that 2012 will hopefully be the year that some of the more outstanding titles of DC's New 52 really get underway and hit their stride. As much as I loved the first 4 issues of Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Justice League Dark, and all the rest, I hope to see them only improve in 2012.

Books

There's a new Jodi Picoult coming out or something?

Video Games

Arkham City. Skyrim. Call of Duty 3. The 3DS. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Uncharted 3. 2011 was a spectacular year for video games, and will be a tough act to follow. But there are quite a few things coming up in the video game industry that you should definitely get excited for.

The closest game to be released will be this month's Final Fantasy XIII-2, the sequel to the polarizing Final Fantasy XIII. Though many were turned off by XIII's linear progression, XIII-2 seeks to remedy this and other similar criticisms. While it's still uncertain whether this will be the perfect realization of XIII's promise, I look forward to finding out.

February looks to be an exciting month for portable gamers with the release of Playstation's PSVita, the follow up to the PSP. Those looking to check it out should definitely pick up the launch title Uncharted: Golden Abyss as well. For those who are happy to stick with their 3DS system, February also sees the release of Resident Evil: Revelations, which looks to be one of the most ambitious titles for a portable system.

And then in March, we get the title I'm most excited about: Mass Effect 3, the final title in the Commander Shepherd series. Personally, I think Mass Effect is one of the best new video game franchises to come out in the past decade, with some of the best video game storytelling around. I can't wait to insert this disc and discover the fate of all my favourite characters.

And that's just the first three months. There are countless other games coming out in 2012 to look forward to, such as Halo 4, Diablo III, Bioshock: Infinite, Kid Icarus: Uprising, the Wii U... the list goes on.

Looking at this list, it should be clear that, barring apocalypse, 2012 could be an amazing year. What are you looking forward to most? Let us know in the comments below!