One Eye Cast Backward, One Looking To The Future

It's the time of year for being reflective, I suppose. I'm not the type to make New Year's Resolutions, but I'll admit I do feel a bit of the ol' changing of the guard associated with year rollovers.

2006 held lots of highlights, as most years do, when you really think about it. At work, 2006 was the year we Went Agile, as well as ushering in the Age of the Agile Manager. I came to realize just how great a working relationship I had with my boss, partially due to hearing others within my company complain about the bullshit they had to put with from their higher-ups, but also because of reaching a breaking point where I was ready to quit only to realize I had the unique opportunity to redefine my job to make it work for me. Over the last four months, in fact, I'd have to say that my job has been as interesting and challenging as it's ever been, over a twenty year career. When it comes to figuring out what 2007 will hold for me on the job, though, I'm at a loss. I've just moved out of one comfort zone - Feature Lead on a team I felt very close to - and can't imagine where I'm going to find another one. Or even if I should expect to have that sort of security blanket again anytime soon!

Vicki, as far as I can tell, had a very rewarding work year in 2006. She made money all year long, which is always a major victory for a contractor! But more importantly, she liked what she was doing, and was engaged by just the right blend of challenge and reward. At the moment, though, we're in the dark as to whether she'll have anything lined up beyond the end of this month. I guess we'll find out more this week or next.

It was a good year for comics, though not necessarily a great one. DC and Marvel each had their share of hits and misses, but no one in their right mind could argue the Big Two weren't trying last year! DC started off strong and then fizzled, as exemplified by the 7-issue Infinite Crisis mini-series and its follow-up, 52, while Marvel sort of did the opposite, more or less drifting for a good part of the year and then ending on a high note with Civil War shaking up the status quo in ways unimaginable even a few years ago. Away from those big events, there were lots and lots of excellent comics for fanboys like me: Captain America and Daredevil by Ed Brubaker, Justice League of America by Brad Meltzer, Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday, an issue or two of Planetary by Warren Ellis and Cassaday, Lost Girls by Alan Moore & Melinda Gebbie, a new Justice Society of America series by Geoff Johns, some very cool issues of Batman by Grant Morrison, and the odd, unpredictable release of a few Ultimates 2 donneybrooks by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch. I expect we'll see lots more of the same in 2007, hopefully some new Nexus issues by Baron and Rude, a very exciting JLA/JSA crossover, along with some surprises that I couldn't even guess at, and maybe even a new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen special by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill.

Compared to 2004 and 2005, this past year wasn't all that amazing for me in terms of new movies. We had the enjoyable V For Vendetta and the disappointing Superman Returns, but little else that stands out, other than An Inconvenient Truth, which I think more and more about, with each passing day. I recently did a forward-looking comic-movie blog entry, which sums up that category nicely.

And finally, 2006 was of course the year I started blogging. If you're new to this site, and you're reading those last few words and saying, "Started last year and already up over 400 entries?" then you really need to sit down. Those first 400+ posts were done within my inaugural three months of blogging! That's a lot of blathering over a short period of time, which sums up my blog credentials so far. I'm continually delighted at the loyal readership I've built up, friends and family though they may mostly be! It's definitely been one of the more unique experiences of my life. Where it's going to take me: your guess is as good as mine! I have every intention of keeping up the high volume, and continuing to write about whatever interests me, but more than that...? Stay tuned!