2021 is almost over! It’s hard to believe that 2022 will mark two years since the dreaded 2020 lockdown. While we have a vaccine and a booster, it still feels like the pandemic is far from over. 2021 was a fairly decent year especially because there was a lot more going on since I was able to get vaccinated in May.

Movies I Saw In Theaters

• The Suicide Squad
• No Time to Die
• Spider–Man: Far From Home

It’s fitting that the last movie I saw in theaters before the pandemic was Birds of Prey and the first movie I saw in theaters after I was vaccinated was The Suicide Squad. Out of the above three, I would say Spider-Man: Far From Home and The Suicide Squad would be tied at number one.

Besides the above movies, I also watched WW84, From Russia With Love, Rocketman, Just Mercy, Free Brittany, Justice League Snyder Cut, Heroin(e), Charlie’s Angels 2019 film, Untouchable, I, Tonya and Pray Away. The worst movie I watched in 2021 was WW84. All the joy from the first Wonder Woman movie was sucked out of the sequel.

TV Shows I Watched:

• Wandavision
• Harley Quinn – animated series
• Falcon & the Winter Soldier
• Loki
• Bar Rescue
• Dopesick

I didn’t watch as much TV this year partly because I got into Critical Role while still quarantined earlier in the year. My favorite TV show I watched this year was easily Wandavision. It was such a heartbreaking show and Elizabeth Olson did such an amazing job portraying Scarlet Witch and someone suffering from the weight of grief. I did finish watching Dopesick recently which is a documentary series about the rise of Purdue Pharma and Oxycontin. It was intriguing and appalling.

Video Games I Played

• Vampire the Masquerade Shadows of New York
• Miles Morales
• Night Call
• Doki Doki Literature Club
• Nancy Drew & The Haunted Carousel
• Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill
• Animal Crossing New Horizons
• Nancy Drew Alibi in Ashes
• Nancy Drew Message in a Haunted Mansion
• Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 & 5-7

My favorite game I played this year was Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Despite the game being shorter and having no DLC, it was still my favorite this year. I’m normally not a video game soundtrack person, however, I ended up listening to the Miles Morales soundtrack on and off throughout 2021.

The most disturbing game I played was Doki Doki Literature Club. I wanted to play it to see what the game was all about. I will never touch it again. Besides playing through Doki Doki Literature Club, I played through quite a few of the Nancy Drew PC games since becoming more invested into Steam last year.

In 2022, I look forward to starting the Guardians of the Galaxy game since I finally unlocked all the PS4 trophies for Lego Harry Potter.

Gaming in 2021

• Watching Critical Role (for the first half of the year, I couldn’t play D&D in person)
• City of Remnants
• Vampire the Masquerade one shot in July
• Mysterium
• Adventurer’s League

My highlight of 2021 was being able to play D&D in person. Beginning in 2022, I will be playing in a longer semi-weekly campaign and I’m thrilled. Watching Critical Role helped keep my love of roleplaying active while waiting to be vaccinated. This year, I didn’t play very many board games although I finally opened Mysterium for the first time and I loved it. I can’t wait to play again.

Graphic Novels / Comics I Read This Year

Single Issue Comics

• King in Black: #1 – #5
• King in Black: Black Cat #1 – #3
• King in Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage #1 – #3
• Jinny Hex #1
• King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #1 – #3
• Batman/ Catwoman #1
• Future State Kara Zor-El Superwoman #1
• Future State Green Lantern #1
• Future State Wonder Woman #1 – #2
• Future State Catwoman #1
• Home Sick Pilots #1 – #5
• Future State Robin Eternal #1
• Hollywood Trash #1
• King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes #1
• Dark Nights: Death Metal The Last Stories of the DC Universe #1
• Luna #1
• Future State Suicide Squad #1 – #2
• King in Black: Black Knight
• King in Black: Miles Morales #23
• Future State Wonder Woman #1
• Teen Titans Academy #1
• King in Black: Captain America #1
• King in Black Scream #1
• King in Black: The Amazing Spider-Man #1
• James Bond Agents of Spectre #1 – #4
• Witchblood #1 – #5
• DC Suicide Squad #1
• Destiny NY #1 – #5
• Miskatonic University #1
• Vox Machina Critical Role Origins III #1 – #4
• Life is Strange #2.1 – 2.4
• Bettie Page Curse of the Banshee #1
• Alice in Leatherland #1 – #4
• DC Deathstroke #1
• MOM #1

I read so many single issue comics partly due to the fact that I have a pull list at a comic book store. I try and stop in at least once every other week. As I review the above list, I would say there were two series that would be tied for being my favorite comic series in 2021. The first would be the King in Black main series along with King in Black: Black Cat. Another notable standout was Witchblood. I love how the series takes place in the Wild West and it’s a vampires vs. witches standoff series. Other memorable series include Destiny NY, Alice in Leatherland, and Vox Machina.

Graphic Novels

• Glitter Vipers
• The Vision
• Black Mage
• Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi Captain Phasma
• Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren
• Star Wars Adventures Vol #1
• Aquicorn Cove
• Wolverine Season One
• Blackbird
• Mooncakes

This is the first year where I have read more single issues than graphic novels. My favorite graphic novel I read this year was The Vision as I read it right when I started watching Wandavision. A runner up would be Glitter Vipers. I backed the Kickstarter for it as I liked the idea of a group of drag queens getting into vigilante work. I have a huge stack of graphic novels to read in 2022, so I’m assuming this number will be higher next year.

2021 Pop Culture Moments

• Trump Protestors invading the capital (it’s only the seventh day of the new year!!!)
• Afghanistan’s government collapsing to the Taliban
• Free Britany

Podcasts I Couldn’t Stop Listening To

• Fantastic Geeks
• This Podcast Will Kill You
• Not Another DnD Podcast
• Ain’t Slayed Nobody

I didn’t discover any new podcasts in 2021. Listening to podcasts has been a hit or a miss. I usually listen to music while driving around the area and save podcasts for longer trips.

Catchiest Song in 2021

According to Spotify, my top song was “Head & Heart” by Joel Corry x MNEK.

Conventions I Attended in 2021

I attended two conventions in 2021: Planet Comic Con in August and C2E2 in December. I hope to attend Emerald City Comic Con in August next year along with Gen Con and Convergence. I might add one more out of state convention on my list for next year.

Personal Memories

Top Three Memories of 2021

Getting Married

Going on our Mini Moon

Getting Vaccinated