Recapping 2023 in comics, films and more
Word Balloons #1195: What were the most popular posts of the year?
The year 2023 nears its conclusion as I wrap up my first calendar year writing at this location.
I started writing for Substack in February, as my column at The Oklahoman was coming to an end. I’ve continued writing weekly here, and generally more, with today’s column marking my 98th post for 2023.
The following are the 10 most popular posts for “Word Balloons and Other Nerdage” in 2023.
10. Matt’s top 10 comic-book reads, October 2023
Each month, I try to recap my favorite comics I read. These are harder to put together than I had figured – thus, I have yet to post November here as December ends – but they seem to be fairly well-read pieces on average. “Transformers” #1 topped my October list.
9. Dracula to rise again in comics
Reporting on the announcement of Universal’s Dracula returning to comics from Image/Skybound was my #9 post for the year.
8. Thanksgiving with the superheroes
I did a lot of Christmas comics coverage, but the holiday that broke into the top 10 was my Thanksgiving comics write-up.
7. Movie review: Godzilla Minus One
One of my favorite films of 2023, Godzilla Minus One, looks at Japan trying to recover and rebuild after World War II. The action is plentiful and well-directed, but what viewers will remember just as much is the human drama about a man and a country facing the aftermath of a traumatic war.
6. Superman: The Movie to be celebrated in theaters
In these days of so many superhero films — something I couldn’t have fathomed as a kid — there’s still something special about this movie and this character. The film was re-released in theaters in 2023 to celebrate the film’s 45th anniversary and the character’s 85th anniversary.
Keith Giffen, the comic book artist and writer with a decades-long comics career spanning the creation of characters including Rocket Racoon, Lobo, Ambush Bug, Trencher, and many more, died at age 70 in October.
4. Comic creators heading for Tulsa show
I try to keep people up with Oklahoma shows when I can – Tulsa-based comic book writer, critic, and novelist R.A. Jones appeared at the RetroMania Collectibles show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in November.
3. Underrated Superman comic books
This is one of several collaborations with Dean Compton of theunspokendecade.com from this year. Dean and I each picked five issues or series we considered underrated or undervalued from the long history of Superman comics.
2. Oklahoma’s Christian Kane returning for season two of “Almost Paradise”
Norman, Oklahoma native Christian Kane returned for the second series of his adventure series “Almost Paradise” on July 21.
1. Looking back at 25 years as a comic-store owner
My most popular post was also probably my most personal, as I shared my thoughts on Speeding Bullet Comics reaching the 25-year mark in June.
Thanks for reading in 2023, and I hope to continue to entertain and inform you with posts on comics, films, and more in 2024!
Matthew Price, matthew@matthewlprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman, Oklahoma.