Confessions of a Comic Book Guy is a weekly column by Steve Bennett of Super-Fly Comics and Games in Yellow Springs, Ohio. This week, Bennett gives us his Comic-Con "Pick Hits."Well it's almost time again for Comic-Con and once again I won’t be attending. But even if I were I honestly don't know how many comic book related events I'd attend. Which might be surprising since you're used to me complaining bitterly about the ever increasing encroachment of movie and television related programming at something still being called Comic-Con. But the truth is while I can attend a good comic book panel almost anywhere I rarely get the chance to interact with the creators of some of my favorite TV shows like Community, Futurama, Phineas and Ferb and The Venture Bros. Or see a sneak peak of Nickelodeon’s Avatar sequel The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra, or attend a Doctor Who panel with the actual Doctor himself, Matt Smith, in attendance.
And there are so many odd non-comic book related things scheduled this year I really wish I could be there to see some of them. I honestly can’t decide which is odder, Cirque du Soleil performing on opening night, actress Angie Everhart moderating a Sigmund and the Sea Monsters panel (for no apparent reason) or director Francis Ford Coppola promoting his upcoming horror movie Twixt. Actually probably the oddest is discovering this isn't Coppola's first Comic-Con; I had completely forgotten that he attended back in '92 to promote his version of Dracula.
Apparently last year's special Comic-Con issue did well (see "Confessions of a Comic Book Guy--Return of the Yellow Circle") because TV Guide Magazine will be doing another one. Its contents will include features on Warner Bros. Animation's MAD, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Young Justice, Green Lantern: The Animated Series and their latest direct to DVD animated film Batman: Year One. There will also be a look at three of Jim Lee's new costume re-designs for DC Comics: The New 52 as well as a surprise foldout poster and a Spy Vs. Spy strip by Peter Kruper. It ships with four covers (The Big Bang Theory, Fringe, Chuck and The Vampire Diaries) on July 21st.
The first big comics announcement was teased when a panel titled "First Comics: The First of the Great Independents Is Back With a Fury!" appeared on the schedule for Thursday, July 21st (see "First Comics Return"). I'm as nostalgic as the next comic book guy, especially for an era in America comics which I sincerely consider to be a second Golden Age but I'm really hoping the actual announcement won't just involve a bunch of character revivals and reprints. Because I'm hoping against hope this isn't another example of someone in the entertainment industry with moderately deep pockets buying a defunct publisher because their library of characters would make great video games, movies and cartoons. Rather I hope they do what First Comics did originally; publish really good comics by really good creators who got to own their creations; because we could always use more comics like that.
Like every other year I'll be relentlessly following breaking developments via the Internet, but to be honest, if I could attend just one Comic-Con it would be Comic Con India, set for February 10-12 in New Delhi. Because with its vast untapped audience and large talent pool I remain convinced India is important to the future of comics. And, if I was going to be absolutely honest, I've got a terrible crush on most things Indian, their comics included.
But the really startling thing is one of those obscure characters is someone I never thought I'd ever see in a comic book again, The Whizzer's incredibly racist sidekick Slow-Motion Jones. Characters like this have been successfully reconstructed in the past, Roger Stern did it for The Young Allies toxic stereotype Whitewash Jones (see "Confessions of a Comic Book Guy--The Rehabilitation of Whitewash Jones"), but you've got to admire writer Paul Jenkins for having the audacity to even attempt it.
It's hard to talk about the results since so far Slo-Mo (as he's being called in the comic) has only appeared in a handful of panels but I can’t wait to see what Jenkins does with him in the next issue. Which, interestingly enough, ships today; I hope some of you check it out.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.
