"Every generation gets a chance to change the world; pity the nation that won't listen to your boys and girls, cause the sweetest melody is the one we haven't heard." - Bono
Everyone has a group in which they, for better or worse, have to identify with. These groups are called generations.
I, myself, am apart of Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, and also known as the Echo-Boomer Generation. In my case, I'm apart of a very rare type of generation which not only ended a previous thousand years, but also ushered in the current one. Pretty cool, huh?
Overall, though, my mission with this series of five posts (which will be posted consecutively for the next four weeks), is to document the many things - ranging from all areas of entertainment and current events - which I personally feel, already have or will, come to help define my very own generation for the many subsequent years to come.
Also, just to clarify, the things which I'll be listing in these posts aren't going to be listed in any particular order, but rather.... just listed.
And, so, here goes nothing (and remember, there's no particular way in which they're ordered)....
#1: Burn Notice
Synopsis: Telling the long-suffering tale of wrongfully burned spy, Michael Westen, as he relluctantly rebuilds his long-forgotten civilian life with his family and friends in Miami, Florida, while he searches for a way to get his old job back as a freelance covert operative. Meanwhile, to keep busy: Michael, along with his washed-out former Navy SEAL friend, Sam Axe, and Michael's trigger-happy ex-flame and former IRA gun-runner, Fiona Glenanne - the three set up an unoffical private investigation service to help the occasional Miamian who may come to them for help out of desperation.
Why It's On The List: The first of any serious post-Cold War spy tales, Burn Notice proved, in 2007, to be the contemporary answer to my generation's call for a spy saga of which we could call our own.
Episodes That I Recommend: "Pilot" (1x01), "Drop Dead" (1x11), "Loose Ends" (1x12), "Breaking and Entering" (2x01), "Double Booked" (2x08), "Good Soldier" (2x09), "Do Not Harm" (2x10), "Sins of Omission" (2x15), *"Lesser Evil" (2x16), "Friends and Family" (3x01), "Fearless Leader" (3x04), "The Hunter" (3x06), "Long Way Back" (3x09), "Noble Causes" (3x12), "Good Intentions" (3x15), "Devil You Know" (3x16), "Friends and Enemies" (4x01), "Made Men" (4x03), "Breach of Faith" (4x04), and "Entry Point" (4x06)
#2: September 11, 2001
Synopsis: Never before, in U.S. or World History, had such a day rocked all of modern society to it's very core. Without a doubt, what that fateful day in history saw were THE most terrifying and horrible acts of pure evil that the world had witnessed in ages. According to the authorities, the "official" and most widely accepted story was that nineteen Islamic extremists hijacked four airliners and crashed them into the Pentagon, the World Trade Center, and in the woods of Shanksville, Pennsylvania in hopes of starting a world-wide Jihad.... a Holy War.
Why It's On The List: What some, including myself, have come to view as the day when the entire world was drastically changed - has affected the ways in which the masses have gone about living their everyday lives ever since. Creating an ever-lasting air of cynicism and darkness around the world: 9/11 has become the daily reminder of what's at stake for our present lives, and more importantly, for the very future of our shared world.
#3: The Dark Knight
Synopsis: Picking up where 2005's "Batman Begins" left off, "The Dark Knight" re-invented the inaugural first battle between Batman and the Joker for the future of Gotham City. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne contemplates leaving the mantle of the caped crusader behind in doomed hopes of starting a life with Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes.
Why It's On The List: The contemporary equivalent of "The Godfather, Part II", The Dark Knight wasn't just the biggest movie of 2008, but probably of the past decade. The first of many comic book-adapted films to achieve such universal praise both from critics and fans alike, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight has become the trend-setter for all films of it's genre since it's release over two years ago. Without so much as a second thought, the film has become the bar of quality for which my generation has, and probably always will, set for pretty much ALL films.
#4: Supernatural
Synopsis: Two brothers in their mid-to-late-twenties, who lost their mother while they were extremely young and were raised as warriors to fight and defeat the evil of the paranormal underworld, begin a quest across the country to find their legendary father who's recently gone missing. Along the way, coming across many unique characters and unimaginable situations, the brothers try to hold on to their relationship as life on the road take it's toll on the both of them. Spanning what is soon to be six seasons, Supernatural has seen the brothers fight the evil forces of Hell, such as the Devil himself, to the ruthless forces of Heaven, like the Archangel Michael.
Why It's On The List: What started out as a monster-of-the-week anthology series geared towards teens, quickly became one of the best written dramas on television. In many ways, a sole successor to "The X-Files", Supernatural has also taken the likes of fiction and put a real-world twist on modern events much to the style of it's predecessor. Of all of the series' many qualities, it's clear dedication to continuity, among other things, has become one of the defining trademarks of the series. Bottom line: If "The X-Files" was Generation X's king of sci-fi dramas, then "Supernatural" is definatley ours.
Episodes That I Recommend: "Pilot" (1x01), "Home" (1x09), "Asylum" (1x10), "The Benders" (1x15), "Shadow" (1x16), "Dead Man's Blood" (1x20), "Salvation" (1x21), "Devil's Trap" (1x22), "In My Time of Dying" (2x01), "Bloodlust" (2x03), "Croatoan" (2x09), "Hunted" (2x10), "Houses of the Holy" (2x13), "Heart" (2x17), "Folsom Prison Blues" (2x19), "What Is and What Should Never Be" (2x20), "All Hell Breaks Loose, Pt.1" (2x21), *"All Hell Breaks Loose, Pt.2" (2x22), "The Magnificent Seven" (3x01), "Bad Day at Black Rock" (3x03), "Sin City" (3x04), "Fresh Blood" (3x07), "A Very Supernatural Christmas" (3x08), "Dream a Little Dream of Me" (3x10), "Mystery Spot" (3x11), "Jus In Bello" (3x12), "Time Is on My Side" (3x15), "No Rest For The Wicked" (3x16), "Lazarus Rising" (4x01), "Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester" (4x02), "In The Beginning" (4x03), "Metamorphosis" (4x04), "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester" (4x07), "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (4x09), "Heaven and Hell" (4x10), "Death Takes A Holiday" (4x15), "On the Head of a Pin" (4x16), "The Monster at the End of This Book" (4x18), "The Rapture" (4x20), "When The Levee Breaks" (4x21), "Lucifer Rising" (4x22), "Sympathy For The Devil" (5x01), "Free To Be You And Me" (5x03), "The End" (5x04), "Changing Channels" (5x08), "Abandon All Hope" (5x10), "The Song Remains The Same" (5x13), "Dark Side of The Moon" (5x16), "Hammer of the Gods" (5x19), "Two Minutes To Midnight" (5x21), and "Swan Song" (5x22)
#5: The Election of Barack Obama
Synopsis: Emerging out of left field: Barack Obama, then-senator of Illinois, initially brought along with him some common themes such as "Hope" and "Change" to the national landscape, but it wasn't until after he announced his candidacy to run for the White House, that he began to actually EMBODY those themes mentioned before.
Why It's On The List: For my generation, the first in a very long time, who were obviously worse off compared to the previous generation (who's actually to blame for our bleak situation), we'd fallen out of favor with our own government due to the unsafety felt after the September 11th attacks years prior, and because of the clear incompetence of George W. Bush and his lackluster administration. But much like our very own JFK, we identified with a younger and more identifiable politician - and, as the very first decision we were able to make on our own: We elected the first black President into office. Forever, his getting elected to office, will be our first crowning jewel.... and our very own (and very big) "fuck you" to the generations before us.
#6: Marvel's Civil War
Synopsis: The Marvel Universe had been on the verge of boiling over for a few years prior to the actual release of this remarkable mini-series, and all it took was one spark to set off a Civil War between the many, many, many, many, many superheroes in Marvel's Mainstream 616-Universe. The spark, of course, was lit when the New Warriors failed to apprehend a supervillain called Nitro, and he used his explosive powers to decimate six (or was it seven?) city blocks in broad daylight - one block, of which housed an elementary school on it. In a nutshell: A bill which required all superheroes to register with the government (similar to the plot device of "The Watchmen") was passed and Iron Man was the spearhead for the new law, while Captain America opposed it.... hence, the title: Civil War.
Why It's On The List: Comics-wise: Generation X had DC's Watchmen, but we (Generation Y) had Marvel's Civil War. Not only, just like "Watchmen", was our story a commentary on the times which we lived in, but it was also the BIGGEST comic book event of the decade. In the way that Generation X's "Watchmen" had affected their comics' quality since it was released, our "Civil War" had effectively influenced our comics' storylines forever.
Best Issue Of The Series: Civil War #7 - The Big Fight....
#7: Social Networking Sites
Synopsis: Since about 2003, people have been able to keep in contact using websites such as Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter - among others - and to stay connected where physical circumstances might not allow them to be apart of each other's lives for any given reason.
Why It's On The List: This technology - which allows it's users unlimited resources, privileges, and advantages - has never been seen before, while it also allows for tons of new (and previously unseen) creative formats to arise. And without a doubt, this era will one day be known as the cyber-networking phase which marked the beginning of what's sure to be a staple of everyday life in the far future.
#8: Smallville
Synopsis: Ever wonder what it would be like to grow up with the guy who'd one day become Superman? This show put a stopper to all those kinds of questions. What was originally only supposed to be a twelve-episode mini-series was quickly expanded upon to become a serialized television show. Throughout (what's soon to be) ten seasons on the air, my generation was able to witness a newer and fresher take on the origins of Clark Kent. From the earlier seasons, we learned of where the future Man of Steel learned his morals from, how the strong friendship between himself and his future archenemy - Lex Luthor - slowly deteriorated into the stuff of legend, what Clark was like when he first fell in love, and most of all: What the road to becoming Superman was really like for him.
Why It's On The List: The premise of the series is just plain awesome! The fact that my generation was gifted with a version of Clark Kent who was apart of our very own generation, has been a true gift like no other. Where Generation X had Christopher Reeve's version of The Man of Steel, my generation was granted Tom Welling's - an equally impressive and much more down-to-earth version of the famed character. But much to my generation's own credit: Our Superman lasted the longest compared to any other take on the character.
Episodes That I Recommend: "Pilot" (1x01), "Metamorphosis" (1x02), "X-Ray" (1x04), "Hourglass" (1x06), "Jitters" (1x08), "Tempest" (1x21), "Vortex" (2x01), "Insurgence" (2x12), "Rosetta" (2x17), "Exodus" (2x22), "Perry" (3x05), "Relic" (3x06), "Shattered" (3x08), "Memoria" (3x19), "Talisman" (3x20), "Covenant" (3x22), "Crusade" (4x01), "Gone" (4x02), "Pariah" (4x12), "Commencement" (4x22), "Arrival" (5x01), "Lexmas" (5x09), *"Reckoning" (5x12), "Cyborg" (5x15), "Vessel" (5x22), "Zod" (6x01), "Wither" (6x03), "Arrow" (6x04), "Justice" (6x11), "Phantom" (6x22), "Bizarro" (7x01), "Kara" (7x02), "Arctic" (7x20), "Odyssey" (8x01), "Bride" (8x10), "Legion" (8x11), "Doomsday" (8x22), "Savior" (9x01), "Metallo" (9x02), "Pandora" (9x09), "Absolute Justice" (9x11), and "Salvation" (9x22)
#9: Batman: Hush
Synopsis: As everyone and their mother knows by now, Batman has made a ton of colorful enemies over the years. But, starting with Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's mini-series, a new villain named Hush was introduced who seemed to know just a little bit too much about Batman's alter-ego: Bruce Wayne. Spanning eleven issues of DC's "Batman" title, Batman: Hush was written in a very to-the-point way, not only just taking a look back on the dark knight's very long career - but, also - Bruce Wayne's early childhood: Something which had never really been explored up until then. The story details everything from almost all of Batman's enemies and their motives against him, to his relationship with Catwoman (the only woman he's clearly suitable to be with), to his partnership with Superman (his polar-opposite), to the somewhat out-of-whack relationships with a number of the many proteges who he's trained over the years (particularly Nightwing).
Why It's On The List: This mini-series brought back the "blockbuster" way of storytelling to the comic book industry. Not only does it pre-date the greatness of Christopher Nolan's film franchise, but it also sparked a new interest in the character of Batman for those my age, or somewhere near or around my age. It's no secret that "Batman: Hush" is my most favorite comic book story ever written, but in all honesty, I feel as if this particular story - which was written as I, along with the rest of my generation were coming up - is truly THE epitome of who Bruce Wayne is at heart, and what the Batman SHOULD be in the world of comic books.
Best Issue Of The Series: Batman #608 - The Start Of One Hell Of A Ride....
#10: Coldplay
Synopsis: For a band nicknamed "The Next U2", you'd think Coldplay would've fallen a bit short by now.... but they haven't. If there's one thing that I would have to give to Generation X, it's that they had way better music than what my generation does, but one of the many things my generation truly can be proud of is the fact that where the last generation had (my overall favorite band ever) U2, we've got what I'm pretty sure will one day be called "The Greatest Band In The World" just as U2 has been called for quite a long time now. To their own credit, though, Coldplay's music has never faded away with such timeless classics such as "Clocks", "Viva La Vida", "Yellow", "Speed of Sound", and "The Scientist".
Why They're On The List: Like I said before, my generation doesn't have too many musicians, just people who make alot of noise, but Coldplay have proven themselves to be one of the handful of artists who seem to truly want to do something more with their albums. Anytime an eight year old song as great as "Clocks" can be heard regularly on stations geared towards Generation Y, and it isn't necessarily of the hip-hop, pop, or rap genres, you know you've got something special on your hands. Coldplay's dedication to their music, as well as to their fans, are something which haven't been seen since the likes of U2 in their early days. Generation X had "The Joshua Tree", but we've been blessed with "A Rush Of Blood To the Head", an amazing rock album which recieved just as much critical acclaim, sales, and reputation as U2's most famous outing - and that's what makes Coldplay the best band of the past decade, as well as the very best of my generation....
Continued Next Week....
Everyone has a group in which they, for better or worse, have to identify with. These groups are called generations.
I, myself, am apart of Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, and also known as the Echo-Boomer Generation. In my case, I'm apart of a very rare type of generation which not only ended a previous thousand years, but also ushered in the current one. Pretty cool, huh?
Overall, though, my mission with this series of five posts (which will be posted consecutively for the next four weeks), is to document the many things - ranging from all areas of entertainment and current events - which I personally feel, already have or will, come to help define my very own generation for the many subsequent years to come.
Also, just to clarify, the things which I'll be listing in these posts aren't going to be listed in any particular order, but rather.... just listed.
And, so, here goes nothing (and remember, there's no particular way in which they're ordered)....
#1: Burn Notice
Synopsis: Telling the long-suffering tale of wrongfully burned spy, Michael Westen, as he relluctantly rebuilds his long-forgotten civilian life with his family and friends in Miami, Florida, while he searches for a way to get his old job back as a freelance covert operative. Meanwhile, to keep busy: Michael, along with his washed-out former Navy SEAL friend, Sam Axe, and Michael's trigger-happy ex-flame and former IRA gun-runner, Fiona Glenanne - the three set up an unoffical private investigation service to help the occasional Miamian who may come to them for help out of desperation.
Why It's On The List: The first of any serious post-Cold War spy tales, Burn Notice proved, in 2007, to be the contemporary answer to my generation's call for a spy saga of which we could call our own.
Episodes That I Recommend: "Pilot" (1x01), "Drop Dead" (1x11), "Loose Ends" (1x12), "Breaking and Entering" (2x01), "Double Booked" (2x08), "Good Soldier" (2x09), "Do Not Harm" (2x10), "Sins of Omission" (2x15), *"Lesser Evil" (2x16), "Friends and Family" (3x01), "Fearless Leader" (3x04), "The Hunter" (3x06), "Long Way Back" (3x09), "Noble Causes" (3x12), "Good Intentions" (3x15), "Devil You Know" (3x16), "Friends and Enemies" (4x01), "Made Men" (4x03), "Breach of Faith" (4x04), and "Entry Point" (4x06)
#2: September 11, 2001
Synopsis: Never before, in U.S. or World History, had such a day rocked all of modern society to it's very core. Without a doubt, what that fateful day in history saw were THE most terrifying and horrible acts of pure evil that the world had witnessed in ages. According to the authorities, the "official" and most widely accepted story was that nineteen Islamic extremists hijacked four airliners and crashed them into the Pentagon, the World Trade Center, and in the woods of Shanksville, Pennsylvania in hopes of starting a world-wide Jihad.... a Holy War.
Why It's On The List: What some, including myself, have come to view as the day when the entire world was drastically changed - has affected the ways in which the masses have gone about living their everyday lives ever since. Creating an ever-lasting air of cynicism and darkness around the world: 9/11 has become the daily reminder of what's at stake for our present lives, and more importantly, for the very future of our shared world.
#3: The Dark Knight
Synopsis: Picking up where 2005's "Batman Begins" left off, "The Dark Knight" re-invented the inaugural first battle between Batman and the Joker for the future of Gotham City. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne contemplates leaving the mantle of the caped crusader behind in doomed hopes of starting a life with Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes.
Why It's On The List: The contemporary equivalent of "The Godfather, Part II", The Dark Knight wasn't just the biggest movie of 2008, but probably of the past decade. The first of many comic book-adapted films to achieve such universal praise both from critics and fans alike, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight has become the trend-setter for all films of it's genre since it's release over two years ago. Without so much as a second thought, the film has become the bar of quality for which my generation has, and probably always will, set for pretty much ALL films.
#4: Supernatural
Synopsis: Two brothers in their mid-to-late-twenties, who lost their mother while they were extremely young and were raised as warriors to fight and defeat the evil of the paranormal underworld, begin a quest across the country to find their legendary father who's recently gone missing. Along the way, coming across many unique characters and unimaginable situations, the brothers try to hold on to their relationship as life on the road take it's toll on the both of them. Spanning what is soon to be six seasons, Supernatural has seen the brothers fight the evil forces of Hell, such as the Devil himself, to the ruthless forces of Heaven, like the Archangel Michael.
Why It's On The List: What started out as a monster-of-the-week anthology series geared towards teens, quickly became one of the best written dramas on television. In many ways, a sole successor to "The X-Files", Supernatural has also taken the likes of fiction and put a real-world twist on modern events much to the style of it's predecessor. Of all of the series' many qualities, it's clear dedication to continuity, among other things, has become one of the defining trademarks of the series. Bottom line: If "The X-Files" was Generation X's king of sci-fi dramas, then "Supernatural" is definatley ours.
Episodes That I Recommend: "Pilot" (1x01), "Home" (1x09), "Asylum" (1x10), "The Benders" (1x15), "Shadow" (1x16), "Dead Man's Blood" (1x20), "Salvation" (1x21), "Devil's Trap" (1x22), "In My Time of Dying" (2x01), "Bloodlust" (2x03), "Croatoan" (2x09), "Hunted" (2x10), "Houses of the Holy" (2x13), "Heart" (2x17), "Folsom Prison Blues" (2x19), "What Is and What Should Never Be" (2x20), "All Hell Breaks Loose, Pt.1" (2x21), *"All Hell Breaks Loose, Pt.2" (2x22), "The Magnificent Seven" (3x01), "Bad Day at Black Rock" (3x03), "Sin City" (3x04), "Fresh Blood" (3x07), "A Very Supernatural Christmas" (3x08), "Dream a Little Dream of Me" (3x10), "Mystery Spot" (3x11), "Jus In Bello" (3x12), "Time Is on My Side" (3x15), "No Rest For The Wicked" (3x16), "Lazarus Rising" (4x01), "Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester" (4x02), "In The Beginning" (4x03), "Metamorphosis" (4x04), "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester" (4x07), "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (4x09), "Heaven and Hell" (4x10), "Death Takes A Holiday" (4x15), "On the Head of a Pin" (4x16), "The Monster at the End of This Book" (4x18), "The Rapture" (4x20), "When The Levee Breaks" (4x21), "Lucifer Rising" (4x22), "Sympathy For The Devil" (5x01), "Free To Be You And Me" (5x03), "The End" (5x04), "Changing Channels" (5x08), "Abandon All Hope" (5x10), "The Song Remains The Same" (5x13), "Dark Side of The Moon" (5x16), "Hammer of the Gods" (5x19), "Two Minutes To Midnight" (5x21), and "Swan Song" (5x22)
#5: The Election of Barack Obama
Synopsis: Emerging out of left field: Barack Obama, then-senator of Illinois, initially brought along with him some common themes such as "Hope" and "Change" to the national landscape, but it wasn't until after he announced his candidacy to run for the White House, that he began to actually EMBODY those themes mentioned before.
Why It's On The List: For my generation, the first in a very long time, who were obviously worse off compared to the previous generation (who's actually to blame for our bleak situation), we'd fallen out of favor with our own government due to the unsafety felt after the September 11th attacks years prior, and because of the clear incompetence of George W. Bush and his lackluster administration. But much like our very own JFK, we identified with a younger and more identifiable politician - and, as the very first decision we were able to make on our own: We elected the first black President into office. Forever, his getting elected to office, will be our first crowning jewel.... and our very own (and very big) "fuck you" to the generations before us.
#6: Marvel's Civil War
Synopsis: The Marvel Universe had been on the verge of boiling over for a few years prior to the actual release of this remarkable mini-series, and all it took was one spark to set off a Civil War between the many, many, many, many, many superheroes in Marvel's Mainstream 616-Universe. The spark, of course, was lit when the New Warriors failed to apprehend a supervillain called Nitro, and he used his explosive powers to decimate six (or was it seven?) city blocks in broad daylight - one block, of which housed an elementary school on it. In a nutshell: A bill which required all superheroes to register with the government (similar to the plot device of "The Watchmen") was passed and Iron Man was the spearhead for the new law, while Captain America opposed it.... hence, the title: Civil War.
Why It's On The List: Comics-wise: Generation X had DC's Watchmen, but we (Generation Y) had Marvel's Civil War. Not only, just like "Watchmen", was our story a commentary on the times which we lived in, but it was also the BIGGEST comic book event of the decade. In the way that Generation X's "Watchmen" had affected their comics' quality since it was released, our "Civil War" had effectively influenced our comics' storylines forever.
Best Issue Of The Series: Civil War #7 - The Big Fight....
#7: Social Networking Sites
Synopsis: Since about 2003, people have been able to keep in contact using websites such as Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter - among others - and to stay connected where physical circumstances might not allow them to be apart of each other's lives for any given reason.
Why It's On The List: This technology - which allows it's users unlimited resources, privileges, and advantages - has never been seen before, while it also allows for tons of new (and previously unseen) creative formats to arise. And without a doubt, this era will one day be known as the cyber-networking phase which marked the beginning of what's sure to be a staple of everyday life in the far future.
#8: Smallville
Synopsis: Ever wonder what it would be like to grow up with the guy who'd one day become Superman? This show put a stopper to all those kinds of questions. What was originally only supposed to be a twelve-episode mini-series was quickly expanded upon to become a serialized television show. Throughout (what's soon to be) ten seasons on the air, my generation was able to witness a newer and fresher take on the origins of Clark Kent. From the earlier seasons, we learned of where the future Man of Steel learned his morals from, how the strong friendship between himself and his future archenemy - Lex Luthor - slowly deteriorated into the stuff of legend, what Clark was like when he first fell in love, and most of all: What the road to becoming Superman was really like for him.
Why It's On The List: The premise of the series is just plain awesome! The fact that my generation was gifted with a version of Clark Kent who was apart of our very own generation, has been a true gift like no other. Where Generation X had Christopher Reeve's version of The Man of Steel, my generation was granted Tom Welling's - an equally impressive and much more down-to-earth version of the famed character. But much to my generation's own credit: Our Superman lasted the longest compared to any other take on the character.
Episodes That I Recommend: "Pilot" (1x01), "Metamorphosis" (1x02), "X-Ray" (1x04), "Hourglass" (1x06), "Jitters" (1x08), "Tempest" (1x21), "Vortex" (2x01), "Insurgence" (2x12), "Rosetta" (2x17), "Exodus" (2x22), "Perry" (3x05), "Relic" (3x06), "Shattered" (3x08), "Memoria" (3x19), "Talisman" (3x20), "Covenant" (3x22), "Crusade" (4x01), "Gone" (4x02), "Pariah" (4x12), "Commencement" (4x22), "Arrival" (5x01), "Lexmas" (5x09), *"Reckoning" (5x12), "Cyborg" (5x15), "Vessel" (5x22), "Zod" (6x01), "Wither" (6x03), "Arrow" (6x04), "Justice" (6x11), "Phantom" (6x22), "Bizarro" (7x01), "Kara" (7x02), "Arctic" (7x20), "Odyssey" (8x01), "Bride" (8x10), "Legion" (8x11), "Doomsday" (8x22), "Savior" (9x01), "Metallo" (9x02), "Pandora" (9x09), "Absolute Justice" (9x11), and "Salvation" (9x22)
#9: Batman: Hush
Synopsis: As everyone and their mother knows by now, Batman has made a ton of colorful enemies over the years. But, starting with Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's mini-series, a new villain named Hush was introduced who seemed to know just a little bit too much about Batman's alter-ego: Bruce Wayne. Spanning eleven issues of DC's "Batman" title, Batman: Hush was written in a very to-the-point way, not only just taking a look back on the dark knight's very long career - but, also - Bruce Wayne's early childhood: Something which had never really been explored up until then. The story details everything from almost all of Batman's enemies and their motives against him, to his relationship with Catwoman (the only woman he's clearly suitable to be with), to his partnership with Superman (his polar-opposite), to the somewhat out-of-whack relationships with a number of the many proteges who he's trained over the years (particularly Nightwing).
Why It's On The List: This mini-series brought back the "blockbuster" way of storytelling to the comic book industry. Not only does it pre-date the greatness of Christopher Nolan's film franchise, but it also sparked a new interest in the character of Batman for those my age, or somewhere near or around my age. It's no secret that "Batman: Hush" is my most favorite comic book story ever written, but in all honesty, I feel as if this particular story - which was written as I, along with the rest of my generation were coming up - is truly THE epitome of who Bruce Wayne is at heart, and what the Batman SHOULD be in the world of comic books.
Best Issue Of The Series: Batman #608 - The Start Of One Hell Of A Ride....
#10: Coldplay
Synopsis: For a band nicknamed "The Next U2", you'd think Coldplay would've fallen a bit short by now.... but they haven't. If there's one thing that I would have to give to Generation X, it's that they had way better music than what my generation does, but one of the many things my generation truly can be proud of is the fact that where the last generation had (my overall favorite band ever) U2, we've got what I'm pretty sure will one day be called "The Greatest Band In The World" just as U2 has been called for quite a long time now. To their own credit, though, Coldplay's music has never faded away with such timeless classics such as "Clocks", "Viva La Vida", "Yellow", "Speed of Sound", and "The Scientist".
Why They're On The List: Like I said before, my generation doesn't have too many musicians, just people who make alot of noise, but Coldplay have proven themselves to be one of the handful of artists who seem to truly want to do something more with their albums. Anytime an eight year old song as great as "Clocks" can be heard regularly on stations geared towards Generation Y, and it isn't necessarily of the hip-hop, pop, or rap genres, you know you've got something special on your hands. Coldplay's dedication to their music, as well as to their fans, are something which haven't been seen since the likes of U2 in their early days. Generation X had "The Joshua Tree", but we've been blessed with "A Rush Of Blood To the Head", an amazing rock album which recieved just as much critical acclaim, sales, and reputation as U2's most famous outing - and that's what makes Coldplay the best band of the past decade, as well as the very best of my generation....
Continued Next Week....
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