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Really spoilt for choice again this year and difficult to narrow it down to just three.
I'm going for:

2217 - Incredible Dan Cornwell Dredd image, the cityscape and the colours are brilliant here
2232 - Simon Davis' Thistlebone badger. Simple, stark and loaded with menace.
2248 - Cliff Robinsons Jaegir cover. Christ and Kali imagery and a very striking image.

I was really hard pressed to leave out the 2260's Klegg Jazz Hands cover and Dave Kendalls Mechastopheles cover for prog 2237 - this should be on the front of a heavy metal album. I also especially loved 2219 (Pat Goddards skysurfer cityscape) and 2259 (Bettins fantastic dinosaur)

I think that's definitely it about music having less 'events' to associate with things this year which does homogenize the experience of it a bit, yes.. Almost all the new albums I've enjoyed this year I have mainly heard on my computer in my spare room.

As someone who has been quite involved in the underground music scene, in my experience with any kind of evolution of counterculture stuff, if old fans of the genre don't like it then that's probably a plus.

Violence is commonplace in media nowdays, but if younger people today are embracing diversity and that's pissing off old men everywhere, I'd say that's still got a rebellious edge to it.

As a child I always looked forward to an annual at Christmas, but my favourite was always something from Buster or Whizzer and Chips than Eagle or Battle - the fomer was packed with strips and felt like getting 100 comics at once, whilst the latter did seem quite filler-y even then, although I enjoyed it when you got a full strip printed in one (I'm sure I first read Shako this way). The less said about a TV tie-in annual like Terrahawks or The A-Team the better.

I probably wouldn't buy a Rebellion annual if it were a couple of new bits and then reprints of Visible Man, Night Zero and Joe Two Beans: I'd definitely buy one that was a load of Tom Paterson / Reg Parlett etc humour strip reprints but not sure the market is there for that! I generally take the end of year Prog and my annual nowdays.

[Dredd]

My first Meg for a while, jumping back in for Lawless and ready for Hawk the Slayer. Saving the floppy and text bits but already been through the comics and it's a good read.

Enjoyable Dredd although as many have said here, Dredd is a right bastard here and it did come as a bit of a shock as it's been a little while since we've seen him this harsh. Good stuff.

Death Cap I was looking forward to this based on the previews but a bit like IP I found the killing of [spoiler]Goya's daughters[/spoiler] to really take me away from the enjoyment. This is probably because I'm old now. Some fantastic mutant designs on the Horse especially and the fungus guy.. promising, anyway.

Diamond Dogs - I read the first episode of this way back and then nothing else so skimmed this one.

Lawless Lawless rules!

Surfer Really good opening episode. There's very little actually happening, but the story still pulls you right in. I also really liked the 'Choppers death being a better ending' gag.

The HP Lovecraft Societies Christmas Carols are the go to Christmas music in our house and have been for years now https://soundcloud.com/user-399666829/oh-cthulhu

My favourite's The Carol of the Olde Ones - though I think they've done two or three album's worth now, so really should get up to date

It's all about the earworm that is Y'golonac. Can't hear the original now without breaking into the HPLHS version.
"...and he hasn't got a heeeeadddd"

They do seem a bit slow at the moment, I assume the pandemic has really not helped things.
My copy of 2250 never arrived and by the time subs help were back in touch I'd ended up buying myself one in WH Smiths instead. They're always super helpful though so no complaints. Eager to read this issue though.

Mine also hasn't arrived - I've just pinged the subs help email as in my experience if it's over a week late then I won't see it.
Hope you get yours soon Mr. Knight!

[Rogue Trooper (Fr1day)]

Everything after War Machine with Fr1day was dire, but War Machine I think is fantastic.
Dinosty is in my top 5 most rubbish thrills of all times. Utter rot.
So despite the drag factor, Rogue Trooper (Fr1day) wins it for me.

I've sent you a request also Sheridan.
Tomwe, nice gift! Cheers dude!

Friend request sent! I'm Annoyus on there.

Most of my friends playing have given up as well, although I have a couple of hardcore mates still going. It's become harder to raid here - it used to be that you'd be able to just hang around by a 5 star raid and eventually a bucnh of other people would join in, all trying not to look at each other, but nowdays I rarely see other people playing. Interestingly I've not seen many children playing it: my neices and nephews all had a go at one point but gave up fairly quick.

[Man from the Ministry]

I've read both of these but had a hard time picking one because neither are quite as good as I hoped they'd be storywise. Both look superb. I think on the balance Man from the Ministry edges it for me.

I've been thinking far too hard about this question. I think it's made me realise just how disconnected from any kind of music scene I've become. Which was something that was happening anyway due to life getting in the way but has been massively exacerbated by Covid.

I might be able to relate to this. For me the musical scene implies a sense of community, and that's something I've found on the drift in 2021. The lack of live shows has been a massive factor, but also just the time spent sitting around with friends listening to new records, old records and rambling about music in general has been something I've really missed and hasn't been something to replicate online. I feel like the 'scene' is something edging away from me somewhat (this could just be because I'm getting older however)

Another thing that hasn't helped is that over these last 20 months or so time itself has felt very unstructured: in one way it's lasted forever but also individual chunks of it (like months) speed by very fast with few 'events' to define them and things have started to feel a bit nebulous.

Anyway - that Deep England record was well worth hearing, a very good listen indeed.

I've been playing almost since launch. It's definitely not as much fun as it was: over-reliance on events, paid content, drip feeding new releases and the general malaise of the later gen Pokemon being a bit rubbish have all watered it down a bit, but it's still fun and still something I log onto at least once a day.

I've actually found it a really useful tool to get me out of the house. Our nearest Pokestop is a good 7 or 8 minutes walk from the house, so by going out to spin one every day in all weathers I've ensured I've at least got a bit of fresh air now in these WFH times.

I just wish they'd unlock the rest of the regionals so we can wrap up the Hoenn and Sinoh dex.

I'm still playing this!