Day 1 of Comic-Con was nice and relaxed. With few panels of note, I was able to explore some of the other hidden gems of Comic-Con throughout San Diego’s Gaslamp district. But first, let me discuss the two Marvel panels I attended.
The first was Marvel’s House of Ideas panel. This is an annual event where Marvel discuses their digital initiatives and how they connect to fans online. Going back to the days of Stan Lee, Marvel has a legacy of being in touch with their fans. Today the company uses social media and their website to accomplish the same goal. Recently, at SXSW, Marvel announced their original video initiative which includes new online programs like Earth’s Mightiest Show which premiered last week with interviews with Seth Green and Man of Action.
Arune Singh and Ryan Penagos, Marvel all-stars, also invited fans onstage to try Infinite Comics. These are comics specifically designed for viewing on digital devices. Starting two weeks ago, Marvel started releasing one Infinite Comic each week starting with a Wolverine story, conveniently timed to be released around his big summer movie. Following this series, Infinite Comics will continue with an Iron Man story. All those invited up, even those that had never read a digital comic before, raved about the experience of reading the Infinite Comic.
The other Marvel panel of the day was regarding Superior Spider-Man. For those not up to date. Peter Parker’s nemesis, Doctor Octopus, has taken over Peter Parker’s body and is trying to be a better Spidey than Peter Parker ever was. The creators assembled discussed the ramifications and story nuance of this major change to the Marvel Universe. They also revealed that this new Spider-Man will be facing Venom for the first time this Fall.
Speaking of Marvel, their booth transformed from promoting Thor: The Dark World featuring his hammer and some Asgardian guards to promoting Captain America: The Winter Soldier featuring Cap’s motorcycle and some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. One can’t help but wonder if further transformations will occur throughout the convention. While I was at the Marvel booth, I was able to score a ticket to the Agent Carter screening happening on Friday at a local movie theater. I am looking forward to seeing this short that will be on the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray which features Haley Atwell reprising her role from the first Captain America film.
The Disney Infinity off-site exhibit was open to D23 Members before opening to the public on Friday. We were greeted with snacks and beverages and were welcome to try out the game and check out some of the accessories. Everyone was given a goodie bag with a Disney Infinity t-shirt, but if you pre-ordered the game you also got a three-pack of Infinity figures featuring villains; Randall Boggs, Davy Jones, and Syndrome. There were also Disney artists that would make sketches of nearly nay Disney character imaginable from Ariel to Perry the Platypus. Across the street, there was also a photo op where you could climb aboard a Disney Infinity Cinderella Coach with monster truck wheels. Throughout the event, there was buzz about Disney Interactive’s arena presentation at the D23 Expo. Word is that their presentation will be pretty cool.
The Infinity event is an example of one of the many off-site events that occur throughout the Gaslamp District as various properties take over various storefronts. NBC’s Revolution took over a seafood restaurant and added charging stations to assist the tech-inclined Comic-Con guest. TruTV claimed one of my favorite spots, The Broken Yolk, and also offered charging stations, fee-free ATMs, and other prizes. But the best off-site event this year is Legendary’s Godzilla exhibit.
Legendary took over an abandoned warehouse to promote their upcoming creature feature. As you entered there was a museum honoring the monster’s film history that transitioned in to a neighborhood of Tokyo complete with actual Tokyo citizens. After a few moments, the sirens go off any you are ushered into an emergency operations center. As it becomes clear that we have to evacuate we are guided to an “elevator” to head to the roof so we can make our escape. Unfortunately, the elevator malfunctions and our guides have to pry the door open before we make it to the top. As we look outside the office buildings windows we hear a roar and come face to face with the monster. Luckily, we survive unharmed so that we can exit and collect our commemorative poster.
This Godzilla Encounter was an attraction. I bring this up because the company behind the film and exhibit, Legendary Entertainment, recently signed an agreement with NBCUniversal for films, television, and theme parks. If this temporary exhibit is any indication of what they can accomplish with their properties, Universal theme parks may have some pretty cool attractions in the near future.
It is now time for me to get inline for Ballroom 20 so I can see the Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. presentation. Word on the street is that it is going to be spectacular.
