It has been a turbulent time over at DC Comics in recent months. Turbulent mixed with uncertainty has been the narrative of 2020. As we soldier through this pandemic, we look towards the future. This past weekend however some much needed excitement and hope filled with anticipation as DC Comics presented DC FanDome!
This one day 24 hour virtual fan experience featured over a dozen panels for fans across the globe to watch and interact. In a year (thus far) of no conventions, a pleasant alternative took shape over the weekend and while it doesn’t replace the full and immersive con experience we all know and love, DC hit a homerun.
The event kicked off at 1PM EST with a Wonder Woman 84 panel featuring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, director Patty Jenkins along with Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal. It was like the ultimate Zoom meeting but so much better. The panels ran about 25 minutes each in length. Because of the short length, they took a rapid-fire approach to Q/A and overviews on the films themselves. While some offered complete trailers like WW84, others like The Suicide Squad by director James Gunn, gave a roll call of the characters that made it feel like an episode of the Brady Bunch. By the way, The Suicide Squad looked very good.
Some other major highlights of the event was the tease of Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam and the introduction of the Justice Society of America. I am very excited for that and so should you. Need more? Let’s talk about the multiverse with the upcoming Flash movie starring Ezra Miller. The concept art shown during the panel was amazing. Then there was the Snyder Cut teaser for Justice League. The internet driven directors cut by Zack Snyder will be premiering in 2021 on HBO Max. This much talked about Snyder Cut will be presented in four one-hour installments. and will showcase Darkseid.
What’s a DC Experience without the Dark Knight? A lame one. By far the biggest and perhaps most anticipated discussion of the night went to The Batman starring Robert Pattinson. Seconds after the teaser trailer went live, social media blew up. In a word, WOW! We might have a true detective story that pays homage to the original Batman mythos. I for one can’t wait. My take on Robert Pattinson. Having lived through Michael Keaton “can’t be Batman” to now being revered for the role. Or reading about how Heath Ledger can’t be Joker to now having set the bar for the character. All I can say is that I urge the naysayers to reserve judgment on Pattinson. If the teaser is any indication, we may have found our new Caped Crusader and I guarantee you that he won’t glitter.
There is an old cliché that states “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” If 2020 has taught us anything, is that this cliché rings true. The panels that DC showcased fueled our dorment desire that burns once again inside us. We want to be entertained and we want to lose ourselves in fantasy. Quite frankly we’ve dealt with a heavy and often times, a sobering dose of reality since this pandemic began. I am hopeful as I write this piece that better days are ahead. In the meantime, I am happy to be back writing but more importantly, I want all of you to continue to stay safe and stay healthy.
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
