7 Things to Look Forward to in 2012

Happy New Year, fellow geeks! Whatever you may think about the year 2012, there's no denying that it's the most exciting year yet for us geeks, with the most anticipated movies, the coolest new toys, and the hottest new comics all coming out this year! Join me as I list down seven of the most noteworthy things I'm looking forward to this 2012!

Heroclix!

It's been a while since I picked up a Heroclix figure, and 2012 might just be the year I get back to clixing! The collectible superhero miniatures game has had a good 2011 with great expansion sets like Giant Size X-Men and Superman, but the upcoming 2012 sets will blow those out of the water! It's not enough that Wizkids/NECA are making an Avengers movie set (teased with a figure of movie Captain America!), but my man Galactus is set to make his debut inside a freaking booster pack (!) with the upcoming Galactic Guardians set! My wish for a Nova Prime Heroclix just came true this 2012!

Comic Book TV shows!

If 2011 was the year of the comic book movie, 2012 could be the year of comic book TV. A lot of comic book-based TV shows are being developed that we might see happen this year, from a Punisher crime drama to a Guillermo del Toro-helmed Incredible Hulk TV show to a live-action Powers. Good or bad, the very prospect of seeing superheroes on primetime is exciting. Like I don't watch enough TV!

The Avengers movie!

2012 is shaping up to be the year of the Avenger with what arguably is the most anticipated and unprecedented movie in history! Four different heroes from four different movies coming together to kick epic amounts of ass...not even the ho-hum marketing for this movie can dampen the awesomeness of the idea alone. Chris Evans as Cap, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man and Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk in a single movie throwing down against that magnificent bastard Loki? Chalk me up as first in line when the calendar hits May 4!

New indie comics!

Creator-owned comics and indies have been growing in strength, and 2012 has a lot of great indies coming out like Van Jensen's Snow White: Through a Glass Darkly to Ed Brubaker's Fatale to even fun stuff like Sharknife Double Z that are all vying for your hard-earned money. If you're tired of the same superhero comics, 2012 is a great year to try something new!

The DCnU!

When DC Comics relaunched their entire line of books, the first thing they did was do story arcs for all their books. Some of those story arcs will be ending this 2012, and so I'm looking forward to what DC is really capable of. Will they do single-issue stories like they said, or will they just do what they always do? Is the DCnU just a crazed fad or is it here to stay? The time for introductions is done. 2012 is the time to get SOMETHING done!

Marvel Legends!

Hasbro's popular line of 6-inch action figures is set to make a comeback this 2012. Wave 1 will feature figures of Steve Rogers, Iron Man, Hope Summers and the return of the Build-a-Figure gimmick in the form of big bad Terrax! And if that wasn't enough, a new Wolverine, Punisher and a Nova Prime are just some of the figures about to become Marvel Legends! My wallet is so angry at me right now...

The Dark Knight Rises!

Bane + Batman + Catwoman + Christopher Nolan + the final installment of the billion-dollar Batman movie franchise + the cryptic promise that  "The Legend Ends" = the one movie in 2012 you and I would be crazy to miss. Will it be the penultimate Batman movie? Is it as bad as everyone hopes it will be? Will we be watching it? That last one you know the answer to!

There you have it, just some of the exciting news and events to look forward to in 2012. From toys to comics to movies, 2012 is set to keep geeks busy the whole year! So what are YOU looking forward to this 2012?