Wizard World Impressions.

[The Truth]

Yep. Yep yep yep yep yep......

Celebrities, Cosplay, and Goth Chicks Galore. Welcome to WWC 2004.

Now as I said, I bought my three day ticket some time ago and planned on attending at least two of the three days. Well I went all three and I gotta say...well....just read the lists.


Friday Day 1
~~~~~~~~~~
The Good

1. The Crowd - Helps me remember I'm not the only fan in the city.
   
2. "The Batman" Trailer - Sweeeeet. Matsuda does it again as he brings a new take to a rejuvinated Batman franchise.
   
3. She Ra - Yeah! She Ra was there. What more needs to be said?
   
4. The Fan Films - World's Finest, Batman: Dead End, Grayson. Maaaan if you've never seen the Grayson trailer my heart weeps for you.
   
5. Celebrity - I met Mr Thursday Night, WWE Superstar Rob Van Dam. Again! Wasn't on the guest list as far as I know, but that didn't stop him from stopping by to say hi to a few of his buddies, putting me in the right place at the right time.

The Bad

1. The Crowd - Sometimes I just hate people. I mean...they were everywhere! I left that place feeling cheap and used and like someone at least owed me a dinner.
   
2. The copious amounts of Anime - Not saying Anime's garbage...but I thought we were there for comics, ya know?
   
3. Time restraints - Had to leave early to go to work.
   
4. Freakin' Cosplayers - The one dressed up as Dark Phoenix was nice...some of the others, not so much.
   
5. Bunny Problems - 80 bucks for a Usagi Yojimbo statue? Seriously?

The Ugly

1. Black Bastard - I mean...why would you even name a comic this? Let alone make the main character look like Power Man with an afro?
   
2. The copious amounts of Anime Porn - Seriously people. There were children there.(Won't someone think of the children?)
   
3. Men in capes - Going in costume is one thing, Walking around in street clothes and a cape just seems kinda....fruity.
   
4. The Lines - If Thor and co. thought the lines Saturday were bad, they should have seen them Friday
   
5. Talentless - Hardly any big names were there Friday. Not to say the guys and gals in The Row didn't have talent....but I'm not going to stand in line for two hours, just for the privilege of standing in another line for a hour to get any of their autographs.

Saturday Day 2
~~~~~~~~~~
The Good

1. Thor, Chanty, Nova, and Silver. - Always nice to get a little face time with friends.
   
2. The cosplayers - Jack Sparrow, a supposed hot looking Scarlet Witch, faires, Fetts, Aragorn, and a host of others in Sci-Fi and comic garb
   
3. Shiny Objects - Weapons weapons and more weapons. I know of at least three booths that were all selling tools of carnage and bloodshed. To the general public no less!
   
4. The Signings - Mike Turner, Kev Smith, even Alex Ross all there, and all happy to sign. Ross didn't even have a limit. If you wanted him to sign 100 things, he'd do it. Now there's a man who appreciates his fans.
   
5. Artist Row - Not that I have a thing for artists....but I'll be damned If there weren't some hot chicks about. Always a plus when the artist brings his model along for show.

The Bad

1. Time retraints - Had to leave early to go to work.
   
2. More freakin' Anime - Arrrggghhh!!!!
   
3. The other Cosplayers - A guy as a giant eyeball? GI Bro? Aragorn on a Cell Phone!?! Arrrgh!! I've been disenchanted!
   
4. Power Man - Seems like everywhere I went, there he was, mocking me. We all know I love Luke Cage, but Power Man pisses me off and it seems like every booth Chanty gravitated towards had a bust of him.
   
5. One Butt Cheek - Please people....no more half assed costumes. Wearing a mask and having "The Right hand of Doom" does NOT make thee Hellboy. Shmuck.

The Ugly

1. Black Batman - A black guy dressing up as Batman is fine by me. But a Fat black guy dressing up like Batman......
   
2. JL Unlimited - Got home just to find out that that my tape cut off the end of JLU.
   
3. Power Man Busts - Yeah...I hate him that much.
   
4. 2 Dollar Whores - Not that the women in Playboy are whores, far from it. I just couldn't think up a catchier title. Anyway, if you wanna sell Playboys at these things, fine. But have a small sign or something. Don't put 8 boxes out on display with eight signs reading "Playboys $2" where the kids can get to them.(Please please....think of the children!!)
   
5. Mighty Mouse Undies - I don't know about anyone else...but I'll be damned if I ever compare my Man Junk to a mouse.

Sunday Day 3
~~~~~~~~~~
The Good

1. "Batman Begins" Trailer - It was the first time I'd ever seen it, and it was good. As Chanty said, you don't even know it's for Batman until the end.
   
2. "Constantine" Trailer - Keanu may not be my fav actor, but this movie looks like it has promise.
   
3. No Time Restraints - Sweeeeeeet......
   
4. Cosplay Minis(Or whatever the plural of Mini is) - I normally don't do "cute", but even I had to smile at pint sized renditions of Flash and GL running about playing happily with each other.
   
5. Goth Chicks - ~Shrugs~ They just do it for me.

The Bad

1. Impulse Buying - I think I spent more Sunday Morning than I did the other two days combined.
   
2. Deal-Be-Gone - Anyone attending for the first time Sunday was going to have a hell of a time finding a good comic as a great price. The Excellent ones were snatched up Friday morning, and the rest Saturday.
   
3. Yuyu Hakusho - Why that undead bastard needs his own fighting game I'll never know.
   
4. Tanks!! - Playstation's "Killzone" is awesome. Great graphics, tight controls, and no discernable story from what little I played. I just wish those blasted tanks would quit shooting at me!!
   
5. Heroes No More - I know I played City of Heroes at some point while I was there Saturday (lost Thor and Chanty, tee hee), but come Sunday it was no where to be found. And I was just getting used to the idea of playing as a four foot three yellow chick with super speed I couldn't deactivate for the life of me.

The Ugly

1. Price tags - I thought with it being Sunday a lot of booths would slash their already rediculously low prices in hopse of moving some merchandise before leaving. But alas, they did not.(For the love of God, won't someone think of the children!?!?)
   
2. Athens 2004 - Why I even bothered with this game is beyond me.
   
3. Yuna - I know, I know...lay off the Cosplayers. Don't get me wrong...I like a good costume on the right person...but this chick... C'mon. Yuna's not blond. Sheesh. Nor did she hang out with a elf chick.(Who's costume was actually rather good)
   
4. Fan films - Not all of them, obviously, but I did happen across a showing of Punisher vs Wolverine. Eck.
   
5. Errrr... - Uuummmm..... That one guy. With the hat.

Suprise Hits
These are the little things that I saw and heard and experienced that came as a bit of a shock to me. Some were good. Some were bad. I'll let you decide which ones are which. Well...if you can.

1. Being left behind not once, not twice, but Thrice by a pregnant Enchantress.
   
2. Running into a guy from work.(Wiggy..)
   
3. Running into a guy I knew growing up.
   
4. A clear variant Fathom bust.
   
5. Fathom's bust in general.
   
6. Tracking down and buying the Final Fantasy Tactics soundtrack.
   
7. Not being able to track down a single dealer/booth that sold shades.
   
8. The Wizard Wheel of Free stuff!!
   
9. Watching four different Mandalorians all walk about without some sort of deathmatch breaking out.
   
10. Miniature Chainsaws at the Evil Dead booth. (Finally!! Its about time someone started thinking of the children! )