BEST HERO: Thor -
@Lord WraithJust ask Barbara Norris, amirite? But seriously, there are a few real heavy-hitters out there, and it's no easy task to make them feel suitably epic. Luckily, Wraith is more than up to the job. It's not often that I enjoy flashbacks as much as present action, but Asgard and the Nine Realms through Wraith's eyes are always a fascinating read. And it was great to see Thor mashing up (and throwing down) with folks in crossovers and the second MME.
BEST VILLAIN: The Toyman -
@AndyCBack during the midseason awards, I nominated Andy for "Best Story" on the basis of his compelling vision of Toyman. Since that time, we've gotten a lot more "screentime" and backstory on Ultimate Winslow Schott, and... wow. What a depraved fuck. I think this was an excellent Year One/Season One Big Bad for Superman, giving him a chance to flex both his literal and journalistic muscles in bringing him down.
BEST SUPPORTING CAST: Gotham -
@Master BruceYes, that's right. Get your "Play him off" music ready because if there's one thing we know about our venerated GM, it's that he can really get going once he's started. Fortunately, this penchant for verbosity allowed Bruce to fill his stories with vignettes and subplots all over Gotham City. At times, it felt like Bruce was playing five or six characters at once. That's either the mark of a skilled worldbuilder or a clever loophole-finder getting around the one-character limit. (But who am I to talk?)
BEST CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Batman -
@Master BruceAh, fuck. I didn't really give this bastard two solo awards, did I? As if his ego needed more stroking... Well, much as I told myself I would spread out the awards where I could, I just couldn't deny him this one. Ultimate Batman started out his usual curmudgeonly self, unable to accept help from anyone, and eventually grew to trust Oracle and even Superman. If that's not character growth, I don't know what is. Makes me wonder how Bruce would handle a young, idealistic copycat protege... perhaps one with whom he already has an existing relationship...
BEST CROSSOVER: Johnny Storm's Day Out -
@Morden Man &
@HenryJonesJrWhat can I say? I have a soft spot for more banal crossovers. Any opportunity for two characters to just chat and bond. Johnny Storm and Spider-Man have an iconic friendship. Every time they get together in the comics, it's a good time. So, it was great to see that the same is very much true of our Johnny and Spidey. The interaction was played pitch perfectly on both sides, particularly with Johnny making the excited (and incorrect) deduction that Mary Jane Watson was Spider-Woman.
BEST STORY: "Hooray for Hollywood" -
@Byrd ManChoosing a favorite Constantine arc was a tough task, but I have to concur with Bruce on this one. Of everything Byrd produced this season, I feel this arc shines the brightest, highlighting both Constantine's brand of dark, twisted magic and the wonderfully evocative setting of Los Angeles. Shoutout to the Lucifer cameo, too. Can never have enough of that bastard.
BEST SEASON: Fantastic Four -
@Morden ManTo say that Morden Man has accomplished a lot this season would be an understatement. He did so much worldbuilding for not just one universe but basically two, and he found a way to write four separate characters (plus some pretty significant guest stars) without anyone feeling overshadowed or slighted. With Darkseid on the way, I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more of the Ultimate Fantastic Four, and I couldn't be more excited.
BREAKOUT CHARACTER: Blue Beetle -
@SuperboySometimes, it's hard to remember that Superboy hasn't been with us from the very beginning; he has so effortlessly ingrained himself in the DNA of this game. And I think the same is true of Blue Beetle. Superboy's been chipping away, putting together quality solo work, and with Jaime's introduction to the world in the second MME, I think we're seeing the fruits of that labor. Definitely a character to watch in Season Two.
MVP: @SepIf the RPG was a body, Master Bruce would be the brain, Byrd Man would be the liver, I would be the appendix, Lord Wraith would be the genitals, and Sep would be the heart. Consistent posting, participation in multiple crossovers including both MMEs, and highly active in the OOC. How many times has Sep initiated conversation to get the thread talking? There's a lot of ways to be valuable, and Sep has covered them all.
nitemare shape,
Sep,
Fetzen,
Morden Man
