This past weekend I had the privilege of attending Special Edition: NYC from the people who bring us New York Comic Con. It was very different compared to the big one coming this October. Not too many vendors, but enough to lighten your wallet. Also, not too many cosplayers but enough to appreciate the time and effort they spent getting into character. And finally, a handful of panels to get a taste of what’s to come in the foreseeable future.
What this con was truly about was bringing together comic book fans with having a wonderful array of talented writers and artists. This was a throwback to what Comic Cons use to be like. It was like the ones I remember growing up. It wasn’t too hectic and it was very easy to get around and socialize with the talent. Along the way, I was able to attend a couple of panels and both were outstanding.
The first panel I attended was Batman 75 that featured the talents of Gail Simone (Batgirl), Greg Pak (Batman Superman), James Tynion IV (Batman Eternal) and Francis Manapul (Detective Comics). It was very good both informative and engaging. Some of the Q&A questions posed by the audience was “Who they (the panel), thought has been the most influential to Bruce other than Alfred?” For Manapul it was Damien, Tynion picked Jim Gordon and Simone picked Dick Grayson. My personal choice would be Gordon as well.
Another question, why does Batman appear to be more relevant today than Superman? I thought the most interesting answer came from Manapul when he said that Superman is someone who we (society) strive to be, while Batman is who we are. Where Superman sees things as black and white, good and evil, Batman sees gray. It was a thought provoking answer and one that is hard to argue against.
The other and probably the most entertaining panel featured industry veterans Peter David (The Incredible Hulk) and Chris Claremont (X-Men). Both men were so engaging with the audience. It was a pleasure to listen to both. There was such a wealth of knowledge and history between the two that if you’re a comic book fan, you cannot help but be caught up in the richness of what they had to share with us. One of the most fascinating facts of the panel was finding out that Claremont is responsible for creating over 703 Marvel characters to date.
For the record, David’s favorite Marvel film is Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man film and for Claremont, it’s the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy. That alone is a ringing endorsement.
All in all, I had a very good time. It was a nice change of pace. It reminded us why we love comics to begin with. Conventions were a place to come and share your fandom with like-minded individuals. Some feel that it’s gotten too big and it has lost some of its charm and intimacy. I’m not one of those. I love the big Comic Conventions. I see them as a celebration. But, I also have a deep appreciation for the no frills, less corporate setting that drew me in over and hasn’t let go since I was a teenager. Special Edition: NYC did just that for not only me but from judging the expression of all those in attendance, for everyone else as well.
I will see you all in October at New York Comic Con.
I will see you all in October at New York Comic Con.
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
