Well, hello there.
New York Comic-Con may have been a week ago, but there was certainly no shortage of good ol’ fashioned geektacular news coming from the Big Apple. Along with the panels we covered — DC Comics’ Necessary Evil documentary, the new “Star Wars: Rebels” animated series, more of The Dark Knight’s origin through the Zero Year comic event and the heavily anticipated Arkham prequel, and, last but certainly not least, the reprinted rebirth of Alan Moore/Neil Gaiman’s Miracleman — there were a few more things that needed to be covered.
But due to some technical difficulties (crying babies, loud waiters singing about baseball, airplanes?) our all-too rushed and scrambled NYCC ’13 Wrap-Up Podcast needed to be aborted. But, hath no fear, ye faithful congregants, for the Monsignor is here to answer all of your undying needs. Ask away. I’ll be taking the floor…
For it’s the first annual Pint of Moody. Drink up.
I. Monsignor, what was the biggest surprise at this year’s NYCC?
You’re kidding, my son. Although I shouldn’t have been surprised, I found it awfully difficult to barter with many of the exhibitors at the Con’s Holy Sunday.
Typically, Sunday is the day to barter at conventions and look for bargains, with the mighty assumption none of the comic, toy and merchandise dudes and dudettes wanna bring all — or any — of their crap home. Unfortunately, many of the geek peddlers were NOT falling for the ol’ Moody’s trickery. I’m assuming (and it’s easy to assume since most of these retailers had thick Long Island accents) that most of the exhibitors were locals, who didn’t mind packing everything back up and holding on to their crap until they make the biggest price. Plus, the cost of just having stuff at the convention in Manhattan must have been ridiculously high.
If you plan on making the trek to NYC for the Con next year, folks, please have tons of green — because you’re going to need it.
II. Moody. Loving the website. Glad you got to cover the new Star Wars cartoon since “The Clone Wars” was so awesome!! So freaking excited!! What can you tell us about any other animated TV show you got to see? Got anything for me, man?
Ahh. I’m glad you asked. Nice Robocop T-shirt, by the way. Now there’s a movie that should have been at this Con! (Since it was so movie-lite; which many would say was a good thing…I agree) The other animated series that got this geekligious man’s bones tingling was the return of Nick’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”.
This was one of the sweetest panels at the Con, primarily because it featured everything. While, I was a little apprehensive to check out a “Turtles” panel again — only because I was trying my best to switch things up from San Diego (hence no “Walking Dead” coverage, no “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” crappola, etc.) — I wanted to expose our Neophyte to a ‘toon that captures the essence of the original, throws in many easter eggs from the comic lore, and packs producers and writers who care more about the legacy of TMNT than the biggest freak Turtlehead ever could. Not only did the “TMNT” crew screen the Season 2 premiere for us, they delivered a panel full of entertaining voice actors (Greg “Michaelangelo” Cipes, Rob “Formerly Raphael-now-Donatello” Paulsen) and insightful creator videos. And the return of Pizza Face. Pizza Face!
III. Monsignor! Always so very positive with your 4-Bible reviews. Dude, there had to be one or two panels that pissed you off. Let the faithful hear the “God-honest Truth”!
I didn’t know they allowed liquor in these things. Actually, it was quite shocking to see concessions selling booze. Man, I feel like Boardwalk Empire now. Anywho, there were a couple of things I sat through that made me cringe, but nothing more than the Marvel Video Games panel.
That one hurt.
For one, I’m not a mobile gamer. No matter how much I intend to, and how many awesome mobile devices I own (a Samsung GS4 and a Google Nexus 7), I’d still much rather watch old episodes of “The X-Files” or read comics on my phone and tablet than play games. I know the market is super huge, especially with children and women, and I think the Neophyte said it best during our podcast (that is now going for sale on Ebay): “kids are where the money’s at.” Basically, these mobile games (for Apple, Android, Windows) will get kids to beg their parents to spend their hard-earned loot on the “free to play” game’s in-app purchases…basically making them far from free to play.
Other than the simplistic goodness of chasing Loki throughout Marvel’s Run Jump Smash (a.k.a. Super Marvel Bros.) — and a dynamic-looking Thor: The Dark World mobile game — the panel left diehard consolers in the dust. The questions were asked at the end of the panel, of course, and, of course, there were no current plans for a Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 or X-Men Legends 3. Yup, fuck you. Other than LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (to which we’ll have a review very soon), the panel was full of pinball, puzzle, card, turn-based RPG, and lukewarm receptions to any video game related to Amazing Spider-Man.
I suppose the publisher must figure they’d be nice and let DC be better than them at something.
IV: Hi, Mister Moody. Thanks for being here. I’m so glad I finally got to ask you something (in this long ass line of XXXXL T-shirt-wearing dweebs)! While you’re on the subject of Marvel, were you impressed with their onslaught of announcements? What was your favorite concerning new books in the 616? Thanks!
Ayo, chico. I have to say, hands down, it’s got to be the return of Peter David to his merry mutant detective gang with All-New X-Factor. Sure, he’s going in a far different direction than the one featuring Madrox, Layla, Strong Guy, Monet, and company (definitely my favorite “team book” on the market), but just having Mr. David back is good enough. The fact this, well, “All-New” version of X-Factor will feature both Quicksilver and Gambit, along with a group sponsored by a company like Google, is pretty terrific stuff. Can’t wait.
In FACT, Marvel did an excellent job at NYCC, though, as a whole, I do have my issues. The first Marvel panel I checked out was called “Amazing X-Men,” yet the actual title was talked about for maybe 20-seconds, and the majority of the hour was pushing books by lesser-known scribes in hopes of boosting sales. I get it. But, it’s not what I flew 3000 miles across the country for. The good news: the response to the recent X-Men wide-line event Battle of the Atom was very positive, Brian Wood will be writing Monet for the first time since Generation-X, She-Hulk ongoing coming courtesy of Charles Soule (despite this being announced a week before NYCC via USA Today), and The Trial of Jean Grey looks to be a terrific intergalactic crossover coming from Brian Bendis’ All-New X-Men and Guardians of the Galaxy.
The problems: An all-too Evan Peters-looking Longshot decides to “save” the MU, and Marvel assumes that their fans are going to go to all of their panels. Thus, a lot of the answers to the questions were akin to “stay tuned for this next Captain Marvel panel tomorrow, blah blah, for that announcement.” Sure, DC does the same thing, but Marvel just has the habit down pat.
As usual, Marvel’s Cup o’ Joe was entertaining as all hell, of course with Miracleman, the cool Disney Kingdom comics such as Seekers of the Weird (think Bioshock/Dishonored steampunk; World of Imagineers), the return of George A. Romero with Empire of the Dead (a zombies vs. vampires in NYC comic series featuring art from Alex Maleev), and the explosive Marvel Live! announcement, about the biggest show on earth (or cirque du soleil, rather) going 25-years of villains. Let’s just hope this intensely creative/scripted live stunt show doesn’t “turn off the dark” when prices become unaffordable.
V. Moo-dee! I’d like to thank you and the beautiful Neophyte so much for all that you do. Let’s hope when you return to NYCC in 2-years you bring more of the GHG gang with ya! I know, with your busy schedule and all, that you’ve got to go. But can you please just leave us with one final thought from the Con! Thanks again! Poughkeepsie loves youuuuuuuu!!!!
Yeah, Mike Rowe.
