Top 5 Vertigo series

5.Sandman

At one time I considered Sandman to be the best comic book I had ever read. But over the years it has fallen in my eyes. While it is good. It isn't great. And it gets way more praise than it should. But it is still worth reading. If you are a fan of the various mythologies of the world this is a comic to check out. The first 50 issues are really good. But from issue 51 till then end there is some issues that are not needed.

4.Doom Patrol

Doom Patrol sometimes feels like it is the forgotten Vertigo series. Starting with issue 19 Grant Morrison took the series over. And made it one of the most surreal series I have ever read. Stuff like gender identity,Dadaism and the cut up techniques of William Burroughs are all explored. With issue 64 Morrison left and Rachel Pollack took over the writing duties. She had been writing letters into the series for a long time. Sadly the series was canceled with issue 87. The Doom Patrol has had a few series after this. But none of them have come close to how great the Morrison and Pollack runs were.

3.Fables

This is the only Vertigo series that is still being published that I read. Written by Bill Willingham. The basic plot is simple. Every fairy tale,fable and piece of folklore you heard as a kid is true. All of those people,animals,etc lived in another world. Over 100 years ago a great evil started taking over this parallel world. So all the human looking fables escaped and now live in a small neighborhood of NYC. If this sounds somewhat like the ABC TV show Once Upon a Time, there is a good reason. ABC/Disney optioned the rights to Fables a few years back. And once that option expired they came out with Once Upon a Time.

2.Animal Man

This series is the most under-rated Vertigo series. I can hear the fanboys out there shouting "But Double T everyone remembers the Morrison run on Animal Man." And that is true. But that is only 26 issues out of a 90 issue run. Buddy Baker is Animal Man. He has a pretty versatile super power. He can gain the ability of any animal. After Morrison's run the later writers explored all kinds of issues. Stuff like animal rights,freedom of religion and how the hell a superhero with a wife and kids makes money. With Buddy Baker at first he makes a living by doing stunt work in films. Usually every 2 years I sit down and read all 90 issues.

1.Preacher

Preacher is one of the best comic series I have ever read. What starts off as a simple quest for knowledge and revenge. Morphs into a love story. About two people who are destined to be together. I love how the entire series has the same artist and writer. Garth Ennis wrote every issue and Steve Dillon drew each issue. If you want to know more about Preacher check out this episode of the Asshat Podcast.
Asshat Podcast Episode 14

Top 5 currently airing TV shows

For years I watched lots of TV. But after the writer's strike in the fall of 2007 I realized that there was many shows I was watching just to watch them. Not because I enjoyed them. Since then I have majorly cut back on how much TV I watch.

Warning there will be spoilers.

5.American Horror Story

American Horror Story airs Wednesday nights on FX.The third season started not that long ago. I am a huge horror fanatic. And loved season 1. Which I have heard is now known as Murder house. The acting,plot and pacing were all well done. Season 2 I watched about half of. Then I got way behind and decided to just wait for it to be released to DVD. I bought the Season 2 aka Asylum set a week ago. But haven't started watching it yet. Season 3 I have been DVRing. I think I will just wait till the season is over. Then sit down and watch the entire season in 2 days. I love how each season has no connection to the other seasons. Plus it is pretty neat how they bring back some of the same actors/actresses but they are playing totally different parts.

4.Sons of Anarchy

This is another great series that airs on FX.FX really has stepped up in the past decade. And has aired some great dramas like The Shield,Rescue Me,American Horror Story and this show. Jax Teller is the lead. By this season he is the president of SAMCRO. And the former president,Clay Morrow, is in jail. Jax is trying all he can to get the club to go totally legit. They are working with a local high priced escort group. And are talking about going back into the porn business. But of course there is obstacles. Jax's wife is planning on leaving him and moving out of the area with their two sons. I do like how this season Peter Weller has showed up. As a former cop that does a bunch of grey market stuff. Plus since Jax is wanting to get out of gun running, the IRA has come after them. My only complaint so far about this season is Donal Logue died way too soon.

3.The Walking Dead

I love horror. I love zombies. And I like serialized dramas. So The Walking Dead is an almost perfect show for me. Season 4 has been very well done. Really out of the 3 1/2 seasons that have aired the only one I didn't enjoy was season 2. Now I do read the comic. But this season almost nothing in the TV show happened in the comic. Some kind of respiratory disease has gotten loose in the prison that our rag tag group of survivors calls home. So Daryl and 3 others are sent to a near by vet's office to get the needed meds. And that storyline has been really entertaining. But what I am really intrigued by is what is happening with Carol. In the comic she was just there. But on the show she has kind of filled the role Andrea had in the comic. We find out early on in this current season that she has been teaching the kids how to defend themselves from the walkers. Her and Rick go out on a supply run. And Carol reveals to Rick a dark secret. Which causes Rick to kick her out of the group. At least he gives her supplies and some other stuff to make sure she will survive. Now currently on the show the big bad villain is The Governor. And until the last episode I saw he had no appeared. But he just made a cameo appearance.

2.Eastbound and Down

Season 4, which is also the final season, of the funniest show in years started almost 2 months ago. Set years after the end of season 3, Kenny is trying to adjust to being a father,husband and working a normal job. But of course Kenny isn't happy. He ends up meeting up with a former Atlanta Braves teammate. This guy has a sports talk show. And Kenny ends up being added to the cast of it. Over the past decade most American sitcoms haven't been funny to me. But Eastbound and Down is fucking funny.

1.Boardwalk Empire

Fuck The Sopranos,Fuck OZ,Fuck every other over-hyped HBO drama. Boardwalk Empire is the best drama to air on HBO. Nucky aka Steve Buscemi has moved into an old hotel on the shore. Chalky White now has a nightclub on the Atlantic City boardwalk. Gillian Darmody is now a heroin addict and trying to sell the whorehouse she was running last season. Nucky ends up down in Tampa Florida and works out a deal to get liquor in from Cuba. While down there he meets up with a bartender played by Patricia Arquette. But the storyline that has my attention is the one with Willy. Willy is Nucky's brother's oldest son. He starts the season off in college. Willy tries to impress some of the richer students. So he gets some booze from  the supply house his Dad and Uncle run. One of these rich pricks pulls a nasty prank on Willy. So Willy gets his revenge. Which backfires on him. Willy drops out of college and I really think they are leading up to him working in the "family business". Also I am enjoying what has been happening with Richard Harrow. He starts the season off by going around killing various people. Then he ends up at his childhood home. But in the newest episode He got married and goes and asks Nucky for a job. I said last season that Richard would end up working for Nucky.