We’re continuing our ten-year celebration of borg today with our favorite comic books. If you missed them, check out our Top 40 movies here and our Top 40 TV series here.
We reviewed thousands of books and comics that we recommended to our readers since June 2011, and some even made it onto our favorites shelf. We don’t publish reviews of comic books that we read and don’t recommend, so this shortlist reflects 21 comics and creators we view as the Best of the Best.
So let’s get going!
We’re continuing our ten-year celebration of borg today with our favorite genre books. If you missed them, check out our Top 40 movies here and our Top 40 TV series here.
We reviewed thousands of books and comics that we recommended to our readers since June 2011, and some even made it onto our favorites shelf. We don’t publish reviews of books that we read and don’t recommend, so this shortlist reflects only 23 of the Best of the Best books and book series reviewed from June 2011 to June 2021.
So let’s get going!
This week borg wraps its first decade of daily publishing. We’ve published every day since June 10, 2011, with more than 4,000 updates, locating the next big thing we think you’ll want to check out in movies, TV, books, comics, sci-fi, fantasy, action, thrillers, crime noir, popular art, superheroes, retro fixes… if it looks good to us, we let you know.
Personally, I can’t believe it’s been ten years since deciding to see if I could publish a webzine daily with the goal of providing new content at least once per day (which ended up sometimes as several per day as in the convention season) every day for 10 years–the goal from the very first weeks. Thanks to Elizabeth, Art, JAB, and my canine and feline staff for sticking with me every day, and you readers, especially those who were here from the very start. It seems like only yesterday we were sitting in a Borders Books (which, alas, doesn’t exist anymore) going through cups of Seattle’s Best, strategizing an approach.
Today borg turns nine. We’ve published every day since June 10, 2011, with 3,437 updates, locating the next big thing we think you’ll want to check out in movies, TV, books, comics, sci-fi, fantasy, action, thrillers, crime noir, popular art, superheroes, retro fixes… if it looks good to us, we let you know. The past three months have been rough on everyone. What was the best part for us from the past year? Reading and reviewing more great books than ever before, watching and reviewing TV shows and movies from a year with a wider variety than ever before, and meeting other fans, celebrities, and creators at events throughout the year on the convention circuit. Our borg Hall of Fame keeps growing thanks to inspirational futurists who continue to write and design for us. We anxiously search for each new potential honoree for our kick-ass women in film and TV, revealed each year in December, and look forward to assembling our annual best of the year lists.
So what is coming in Year 10? As we claw our way through the new normal preview of dystopia to our tenth anniversary we’ll continue attacking this new stack of books and comics, continue the daily coverage of the best entertainment at the movies, on TV, in print, or in whatever form it’s available, and… we’ll also begin to take a look back. What was the very best of the past decade? What TV series, movies, books, games, reboots, pop culture, and surprise finds did we like that stuck with us–the new classics that we’ve returned to over and over? Over the next year we’re going to figure that out.
You never know what’s coming, and how much your life can change in a decade. Or a year. Or a month. Or a week. Or a day. COVID-19 stole from us a summer of movies (check out all that still haven’t been released yet here in our annual list of 2020 movies), delayed book releases, and all but ensured a weak volley of TV shows this coming Fall. But all the good stuff is just stacking up, ready to get piled back on us any day now. If you want to see more of anything, let us know in the comments or drop us an email.
Thank you for reading. A special thanks to our friends, family, Elite Comics, and all of you who subscribe to borg via email updates or via social media outlets. Running borg is all about having fun and sharing the good stuff. Your positive feedback fuels us onward in a time when ad returns are dropping and search engines constantly favor big corporation Internet traffic. Thanks to all the comic book publishers out there that continue to provide us with previews and review copies, as well as non-fiction and fiction book publishers, TV and movie studios, and gaming and collectible companies that allow us to give you the first look at what’s coming next. Stay safe and keep hanging in there.
Onward and upward!
C.J. Bunce / Editor / borg
Today borg turns eight. We’ve published every day since June 10, 2011, with 3,065 updates, locating the next big thing we think you’ll want to check out in movies, TV, books, comics, sci-fi, fantasy, action, thrillers, crime noir, popular art, superheroes, retro fixes… if it looks good we let you know.
What was the best part for us from the past year? Reading and reviewing more great books than ever before, and watching and reviewing TV shows and movies from a year with a wider variety than ever before. Meeting other fans, celebrities, and creators at events throughout the year on the convention circuit. Our borg Hall of Fame continues to grow thanks to creative writers, artists, and designers. We anxiously search for each new potential honoree for our kick-ass women in film and TV, revealed each year in December, and constantly drive forward to our annual best of the year lists.
So what is coming in Year 9? We’ll start by attacking this new stack of books and comics. We’ll continue the daily coverage of the best entertainment at the movies, on TV, in print, or in whatever form it’s available. That includes big movies coming in the remainder of 2019 (don’t forget to keep up with our annual movie list here and keep an eye out for our periodic Trailer Park updates of what is coming next). We rarely agree with Rotten Tomatoes and mainstream critics, so if you want a different view from a fellow pop culture fan, you’re in the right place. We’ve just added a new advanced search engine in the right column, and you can scroll down to the bottom of the home page to find a full archive of the site and the day’s top read articles. If you want to see more of anything, let us know in the comments or drop us an email. On a personal note, borg writer Elizabeth C. Bunce is also award-winning author Elizabeth C. Bunce, and I hope you all read her new mystery series coming next spring. Set in Victorian England, it follows a girl detective and her irascible neighbor cat, beginning with the first volume, Premeditated Myrtle. I’ve read the first two books in the series and think you’re going to be blown away. More to come on that later this year!
Thank you for reading. A special thanks to all of you who subscribe to borg via email updates or via social media outlets. Running borg is all about having fun and sharing the good stuff. Your positive feedback fuels us onward in a time when ad returns are dropping and search engines constantly favor big corporation Internet traffic. Thanks to all the comic book publishers out there that continue to provide us with previews and review copies, as well as non-fiction and fiction book publishers, TV and movie studios, and gaming and collectible companies that allow us to give you the first look at what’s coming next.
Finally, thanks to my family, my friends, especially my partner in all things Elizabeth C. Bunce, my pals Art Schmidt, William Binderup, Elite Comics, and the Elite Flight Crew for their friendship, and my intrepid feline support team.
Onward and upward!
C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg
Yesterday borg.com turned (lucky!) seven. That means we’ve published 2,555 days straight, every single day, locating the next big thing you probably want to check out in movies, TV, books, comics, sci-fi, fantasy, action, thrillers, crime noir, popular art, superheroes, retro fixes… and all things borg.
What was the best part for us from the past year? Reading and reviewing more great books than ever before, and watching and reviewing more fun movies, too. The availability of excellent television programming is at an all-time high–the days of 500 channels and nothing to watch are gone. And interviewing writer/director Nicholas Meyer here last year was a sci-fi fan’s dream come true. Our borg.com Hall of Fame continues to grow, and we anxiously search for each new potential honoree for our kick-ass women in film and TV, revealed each year in December.
So what is coming in Year 8? We’ll start by attacking this new stack of books and comics. We’ll keep previewing movies in advance of release when possible. We’ll continue the daily coverage of what seems to be the most interesting content around at the movies, on TV, in print, or in whatever form we find it.
Thank you for reading. A special thanks to all of you who subscribe to borg.com via email updates or via social media outlets. It’s tremendous fun (and we put a lot of hours in) keeping up on the best genre entertainment out there, and your positive feedback fuels us to continue on. Thanks to all the comic book publishers out there that provide us with previews and review copies, as well as non-fiction and fiction book publishers, TV and movie studios, and gaming and collectible companies that allow us to give you the first look at what’s coming next.
And thanks to my family, my friends, especially my partner in all things Elizabeth C. Bunce, my pals Art Schmidt, William Binderup, Elite Comics, and the Elite Flight Crew, all for their ongoing friendship and support.
Onward and upward!
C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg.com
If you’ve read borg.com very long you’ve probably noticed several memorials posted for dogs that have passed away this summer. That’s because I raised a greyhound and then found a coonhound along the interstate in 2001 and brought her home to find she was pregnant. I (I, meaning my wife and I) then raised her nine puppies to adulthood. The last of these passed away this summer, Jade–who died a few weeks after her 16th birthday and Jasmine about two months ago. I challenge anyone to find anything more fulfilling and rewarding than raising dogs or cats as family members (and no, I am not recommending eleven at once, but I had the space and time and could afford it). Like every worthwhile pursuit, good things come with trade-offs. If you raise your dogs or cats well they grow old. With old age comes loss and grief since animals don’t live as long as humans. But you do it anyway.
My wife and I were incredibly lucky that a little stray kitten walked up my driveway a little more than two years ago on a stormy rain-soaked evening. The prospect of bringing a stray kitten into a house where we had five dogs at the time was not really in the cards. But she kept coming back and became a wonderful friend. I found her sleeping in my irises every day and she’d greet me when I came home from work, audibly, cheerily. We’d sit on the porch together. It wasn’t until this neighborhood cat was sleeping out in a neighbor’s driveway, behind a car on a 103 degree humid summer day in 2016 that I decided I had to bring her in to get her into some air conditioning, at least for the daytime hours. Someone had her front claws removed (never do this) and I saw her one night being bullied by another stray cat. One too many nights outside and after getting used to her inside with the dogs more and more, we just kept her inside, for good, got her check-ups, vaccines, etc. Surprisingly she helped our old dogs Flint, Jade, and Jasmine in their final months, providing an immense presence of youth, vitality, and sheer joy to what had become a hospice home for elder dogs. Our new cat–Sophie–became Jadie’s kitty, and Jade showed her the ropes. And Sophie did more, helping my wife and me move forward when our last dog passed away. Sophie completely saved us. And the last two months were extraordinary.
As the emergency room doctor said last night, “Sometimes you’re dealt a bad deck of cards medical science doesn’t even understand.” After a routine procedure Saturday morning turned into complications, Sophie passed away last night. She will be missed by this house that has seen far too much despair in the past several years. Sophie was social and talked cheerily like no other cat I have ever seen. She became our best friend, someone who chatted us awake every day, and was a great playmate, and partner in everything. Growing up primarily with dogs, I never figured I’d ever have my own cat–I just never considered it–and she made me a believer, sitting on my lap as I watched TV, being the bright point of every day. But she only got 70 days of exclusive focus and attention after Jasmine left us. She was only about four years old. I find myself down twelve kids and scratching my head asking, “how is it I am supposed to stay positive?” So in an effort to turn the worst day I ever had into something positive: please use this moment as a reminder to go love on your cat and/or dog or other kid or friend or spouse. Don’t squander time. I thought I’d have at least another 10-15 years with Sophie. And if you don’t have a cat or dog, several thousand were abandoned in the floods and fires across America this year and need homes. If you can afford it and you’re willing to provide the attention and time every day that any other family member would need–and deserves–then please check out hurricane and flood rescues and Western fire rescues–and remember any other animals in your local animal rescues that you save will clear rooms for more waiting to be placed into a good home. The world around us is often bleak and dreary. So consider making your life brighter and make their lives brighter at the same time by bringing someone new into your home.
Several charities are out there in need of your help, too. Like these:
Best Friends Animal Society Sanctuary
Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary
Thanks, as always for reading.
C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg.com
We’re flying our borg.com flag at half mast today for our support team member Jasmine, who passed away last evening, who celebrated her 16th birthday two months ago, and was the last of nine sibling hound kids we’ve raised. We’d rescued her mama from the middle of the interstate 16 years and 3 months ago on my birthday, and were immersed in a big family ever since. (Fred Flintstone had nothing on my greeting when I arrived home each day). If you ever are lucky enough to live among a family of dogs, you’ll know how each has as defined and as individual a personality as any two-legged family member, and Jasmine was the self-designated communicator of the group. Something’s happening? Jasmine reported on it. She was also a night owl like me, and was often my reason for being up and around, writing or not, into the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes that’s just when she thought play time should be. And that was just fine.
She was a sweetheart to everyone she met, loved crowds of people as much as crowds of dogs, and was fascinated with other animals, dog variety or not. One of the best experiences I personally have ever witnessed was when I took her out after midnight in the backyard one night as she calmly and cordially encountered an opossum, nose to nose, approaching each other from opposite parts of the yard. Each were taken aback only briefly, as if to say, “oh, excuse me, good evening to ya” and then they both continued along as if they met someone on the street, as friendly as can be.
Jasmine was also a snow bird, but she didn’t like snow fences, and whether she could make it or not, you couldn’t hold her back from hurdling one if she saw something on the other side. We always knew Jasmine was a coonhound, but her border collie genetics were always out front, too–she was always ready for the next activity and always sporting her smile. And, of course, she was a big cosplayer, spending Renaissance Faire weekends for the better part of the past decade in fairy, or Viking, or other garb.
At a week shy of 114 dog years, the girl who thought her name was “Hi, Sweetheart!” passed away simply from old age. She wore out (and didn’t rust out) every system one by one (the way all of us should if we’re lucky), but was riding her bike just the day before she passed and was out looking at the garden flowers only five minutes before she left us. We were lucky to be able to help our old girl squeeze the pulp out of every day. We’ll miss her.
As always, thanks for reading, and for your support.
C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg.com
Six years have gone by already? How did that happen?
It seems like it was only yesterday I was writing our five-year celebratory email. I won’t go through highlights of all the fun we’ve had again right now, but check out my rundown here from last year to revisit some of our past highlights.
So what shall we do this coming year? We’re planning to continue the daily coverage of what seems to be the most interesting content around, entertainment, sci-fi, fantasy, action, thrillers, at the movies, on TV, in print, or in whatever form it’s in. Thanks to you for reading. It’s a lot of fun (and hard work) keeping up on all the great genre entertainment out there. I also want to thank all the comic book publishers out there that provide us with previews and review copies, as well as book publishers and TV and movie studios and collectible companies that allow us to give you the first look at what’s coming next.
Thanks to my family, my friends, especially my partner in crime Elizabeth C. Bunce, Art Schmidt and Jason McClain, my support team, and William Binderup at Elite Comics and the Elite Flight Crew.
Onward and upward!
C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg.com
The borg flag is flying at half-mast today in honor of our support staff member Flint, who passed away Saturday at 15 years old (or 107 depending on if you follow that dog years thing).
Flint was an avid cosplayerhound who was always happy to pose for our photo needs here at borg.com. He was also our pack’s alpha and a great leader and friend to his siblings.
And Flint made for a perfect Krypto.
You may remember we celebrated his 15th birthday this past May here at borg.com. Not bad for a breed with a 12-year life expectancy (coonhounds, not cosplayerhounds).
Flint was a regular for nearly a decade at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival.
He’ll be missed by his sisters Jade and Jasmine and all his family and friends.
Back to normal programming tomorrow. Thanks for reading.
C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg.com
