Thoughts on the year so far…
We’re almost exactly halfway through 2018!
Here at Dissecting Fiction, we think it has been quite an interesting year.
So, back when our only platform for publishing was Facebook, we occasionally would post a quick rundown of thoughts. These were always well received and I thought maybe it was time to do something similar on the site. When I realized that it was the halfway point of the year, I knew it was time. Over the past year and a half, we’ve covered many genres, what follows are some thoughts on the three most discussed.
Professional Wrestling:
Business is good. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve seen a time as fruitful for the art in my lifetime. In 2018, we’ve seen an abundance of promotions hitting milestones of popularity and, perhaps even more impressive, cooperation between promotions has grown exponentially.
That even includes the WWE. Unfortunately, the WWE has struggled to find intriguing storylines in recent months. With arguably the finest roster in the world (and boy is it a big one), hopefully they can bring it back around this summer. While Raw and Smackdown look for new phenomenon, promotions like New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Ring of Honor, Progress and even the reborn Impact Wrestling have seen their fanbases grow. They’re only the tip of the iceberg too. Professional Wrestling is thriving.
This fall, the United States’ largest non-WWE or WCW show in decades will take place outside of Chicago, Illinois, All In. Driven by the wildly popular Bullet Club, it could well lead to a seismic shift in the industry.
Comic Books:
Well, business is not good. Sure, this year has seen its fair share of blockbuster books and has provided some wonderful storytelling, the industry has been struggling to bring in new readers or even bring lapsed ones back. Personally, I think DC Comics has made a great effort to right their course, announcing multiple imprints with specific markets. Even they aren’t getting the numbers we all know they want. Marvel Comics seems to constantly reinvent its line, often losing the interest of even recent readers. This is frustrating as some of their books have been incredibly fun, but once you lose faith it is hard to get back. Publishers like Valiant, Image, Dark Horse, IDW and Boom! Studios all have wonderful titles and have shown commitment to inventive storytelling, but can’t carry the industry on their own.
I personally have a lot of hope for the latter half of the year, but the industry continues to face an uphill battle.
Film:
Let’s be frank, this site isn’t known for our coverage of Oscar (R)-bait dramas, so I’ll stick to comments on what we know best. The last few months have shown that one of the most important elements in Science Fiction and Fantasy is reinvention. I’ve touched on this before and will again in the near future. Films like Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2 prove that risks aren’t only rewarding, but a necessity to sustain their genre. Solo proved that…well, I’m going to cover that in length in the near future.
But, what do you think? Is 2018 on track to be one for the ages or as forgettable as 1985?
Sorry, I just picked a random year in hopes it would get your attention, but I’m sure you know what I mean.
Thoughts please.
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