by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor
Black Friday is approaching. The holidays are upon us. Now is the time to start planning on what to get for your friends and family, and ComicsOnline has you covered! Check out Matt’s Top 5 Blu-ray Recommendations from 2014:
1. Batman: The Complete Series
If you are feeling generous this year, Batman: The Complete Series is without question the way to go. The series has been fully remastered, and looks and sounds better than it did when it originally aired on television. You can always use this set as a great excuse to revert back to your childhood. BAM! POW! The 1966 Batman series is available as as Complete Series Set, or you can always just get them Season One on DVD. Either way, this gift will definitely make someone happy. Also be sure to check out our video interviews with Adam West, Burt Ward, and Julie Newmar from Comic-Con 2014, where they discussed their time on the series.
2. Arrow: The Complete Second Season
Arrow has definitely become one of the best shows on television, and we highly recommend this series for anyone who enjoyed the Christopher Nolan Batman films. One of the most impressive elements of this show is the creative team and talent’s sheer determination to consistently best themselves. These individuals are always finding new and better ways to do things, from story elements, to epic fight sequences, to stunts that go way beyond what we typically see on television. I believe that this is the reason why the show has become such a solid hit with fans, who can’t wait to see the next new crazy thing that Team Arrow can bring to the small screen. If the person you are getting a gift for hasn’t seen the first season of Arrow, maybe you should get them BOTH seasons!
Who do you call when Batman, Superman, and the rest of the Justice League aren’t available to save the day? Young Justice! The sidekicks of the world’s greatest heroes have assembled. Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad are on a mission to prove they are ready for join the big leagues, and will quickly find that their world is about to get a lot larger. The complete first season of the hit Young Justice series from Greg Weisman (The Spectacular Spider-Man, Gargoyles) and Brandon Vietti (The Batman) was a fan favorite series and definitely has something for everyone.
Aside from Guardians of the Galaxy (which comes out in December on Blu-ray), X-Men: Days of Future Past definitely was my favorite theatrical release of 2014. To the uninitiated, this story is considered to be one of the crown jewels of X-Men mythology. You have time travel, you have giant evil robots, and you have a glimpse into a future that could have been.
Taking on the task of bringing this incredibly powerful story to life is veteran X-Men Director Bryan Singer (X-Men), and good news everyone, he brought some friends along as well. Residing in a dark and twisted future are Sir Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Ellen Page (Kitty “Shadowcat” Pryde), Shawn Ashmore (Iceman), Halle Berry (Storm), and Daniel Cudmore (Colossus) of the original X-Men Trilogy. As if that cast wasn’t enough, James McAvoy (Professor X), Michael Fassbender (Magneto), Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Lucas Till (Havok), and Nicholas Hoult (Beast) return as the younger “First Class” of X-Men in the early 1970’s. Past and future collide as the X-Men race to stop the implementation of the Sentinel program, headed up by Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones). If you walked away from the X-Men movies after X3 or X-Men Origins: Wolverine, now would be a good time to come back.
5. Edge of Tomorrow (LIVE. DIE. REPEAT.)
You only live once…unless you are Major William Cage (Tom Cruise – Oblivion), in which case you get to re-live the same day over and over again. The new sci-fi thriller Edge of Tomorrow (also known as LIVE.DIE.REPEAT. in some marketing materials) was one of the sleeper hits of 2014, and I think you guys would really enjoy this one.
If you saw the trailers or marketing for this film, odds are you probably thought the premise was very similar to the Bill Murray comedy, Groundhog Day. Well in truth, you are partially right. While the premise of reliving the same day over and over and learning from your mistakes is a large part of this film, Edge of Tomorrow definitely expands on that premise to a whole new level. Cruise’s character must die over and over again each day in order to retain the ability to reset the day’s events. If he fails to do so, he runs the risk of not being able to fend off the alien attack. Beyond the time travel element, the other fun component of the film is the mech suits. If you watched Exo-Squad growing up, or loved Ripley’s exo-suit in Aliens, you will definitely get a kick out of these. Unlike the suits in Elysium, these suits are pretty bad-ass.
We hope this helps with your holiday planning, and be sure to check back to ComicsOnline.com for more Geek Gift Guides, reviews, news, and everything geek pop culture!
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