This year’s Comic-Con has been all about surprises, and great appearances from folks who really know how to get some attention. Though we haven’t been able to capture every epic moment that the show has had to offer, we’ve soaked in enough to really give you an idea how startling it’s really been.
We’ve taken ten random moments from the event and put them here in article form to give you a better idea of just how awesome all this stuff really is – and perhaps entice you to maybe want to give the show a try next year.
Here now are some of our favorite moments, in no particular order…
Firefly panel – It’s been ten years since Joss Whedon’s hit TV show was cancelled abruptly by Fox, but left a long-time fan following with such actors as Summer Glau and Nathan Fillion finding a place in their hearts. To pay tribute to them, a special tenth anniversary panel was put together to pay tribute to the show, the fans, and everything, while also providing a new announcement by the Science Channel (those who carry the show for syndication) about a new Browncoats documentary. It was an hour filled with tears and memories, and great moments that really made you feel proud to be part of the show. Simply nothing like it.
Iron Man 3 – If there’s one sequel that’s bound to get a lot of attention next year, especially following the immense success of Marvel’s The Avengers, it’s definitely Iron Man 3. Marvel went all out at their booth with the various pieces of Iron Man armor in the film, which you can still see today, and then there was the panel, featuring actor Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle and, surprisingly enough, former director Jon Favreau (returning as Happy in the third movie), who came through with film footage, behind-the-scenes goodies and plenty of shawarma references. An official piece of Ant-Man was also shown, as well as titles for the new Captain America and Thor movies. Gotta love it.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey showcase – With The Lord of the Rings buzz building back up again under director Peter Jackson, excitement is at a fever pitch to see what he can do with the next chapter in the series, the Hobbit prequels. With that, you can still hit the show floor today and attend Warner Bros. specifically built theater, complete with nifty 3D images of characters from the film. We didn’t get a chance to see what thy were showing yet, but rest assured it’s worth hopping in line for.
Celebrity appearances – Yes, there are TONS of celebrities attending Comic-Con this year, and we’ve run into the best of ‘em, including Paul Scheer, Orlando Jones, Emo Phillips, James Roday and Dule Hill of Psych, Adrianne Curry (from The Tester), Peter Cullen, Nolan North, Gregg Berger, Bruce Campbell…and we haven’t even finished our show experience yet. Keep an eye open – you just might bump into Nathan Fillion. (And if you do, don’t go too overboard, you might startle him. Ha!)
Deadpool crashes the party – We love Deadpool. His snarky attitude and over-the-top combat style is perfect for any given comic book situation. So why doesn’t he have his own video game?! Well, now he does. During the Marvel Games panel at the Comic-Con event this week, he crashed the event, with fellow Deadpoolites in tow, to talk about his new game through High Moon Studios, insulting everyone in the process while trashing everything to his heart’s content. It was hilariously good fun, and the game is shaping up to be sheer madness, especially with Nolan North providing his voice. We’re all in for this one when it arrives next year…even if we’re not getting Hit Monkey.
Cosplay went all out this year – Everywhere you looked on the Comic-Con show floor – and even outside in the streets – there were hundreds of thousands of folks walking around in costume, from inspired Batman and Joker outfits to Earthworm Jim (yes, Earthworm Jim!) to huge deluxe Alien costumes to obscure comic book characters. That’s just one part of the fun that this event brings, watching these guys go all out with their outfits, pose for pictures and just have a genuinely entertaining time with it. It kinda makes us wonder just what would happen if we dressed up to some extent. Where are those Homer Simpson duds and skin cream…?
Video game panels and the fun they bring – Video games have a prominent place in Comic-Con history, and 2012 was no different. The Halo panel was startling and full of information; Mass Effect provided a background of history and memories; Fortnite turned plenty of heads while also serving up fun little T-shirts and fast food hats; Capcom showed no signs of slowing with their individual game panels; and the Street Fighter Anniversary one was a complete blast, with Katsuhiro Harada and Yoshinori Ono, the producers behind the Tekken and Street Fighter games, respectively, leading the crowd in the bigger Shoryuken flash mob ever. Of course, we took part.
Parties – There were no shortage of parties over the week, including private shindigs for Mass Effect 3 (our favorite yet), Halo 4, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, and several others. A great place to spot actors and other celebrity types, and have fun with the snacks and open bar. You haven’t lived until you ate a Halo cake pop after shooting a glass of tequila with producers (so we’ve heard).
Prima Games booth – Finally, we just have to toot our own horn for being on the show floor this year, at #1514. Not only do we have great guides and a playable build of Darksiders II at our booth, but we’ve got some excellent people, along with giveaways for special Sleeping Dogs prints and other goods. Plus you get to stop by and pick on Fernando. Who doesn’t want that?!
