Dallas Comic Con 2013 - Saturday, Part One

A word of advice to the organizers of Dallas Comic Con.  Next year, it might be a good idea to schedule more volunteers to monitor the back of the line should it stretch out past the parking garage.  When I got to the convention center at 11 AM, there were two lines circling around the building and nobody seemed sure which was which and where the end was as the line became an ouroboros and circled in on itself.

There was also some confusion as someone told the atendees who already had their armbands that once the doors opened at 11 they could enter the convention center using the outside stairwell.  I was part of the crowd that was halfway to the second floor before another volunteer told them to turn back.  Naturally, this made a total mess of the lines - such as they were at that point - and I opted to sit in the shade and wait for things to clear out before trying to get into the building.

Thankfully, my partner in crime for the day, Janna, was running late, so this left me in a nice visible location for her to track me down before we entered the convention center - Green Arrow and Black Canary.



This is the one picture I have of the two of us together - ironically with another Black Canary cosplayer, who wanted a pic with me.  Janna is the Black Canary on the right.  I didn't catch the name of the Black Canary on the left.  I don't think I will ever look as awesome as I do in this picture ever again in my life. XD

For the better part of the day, I spent more time posing for pictures than I did taking them.  I didn't get much chance to play photographer until after the cosplay contest, when everyone was milling about waiting for the results.  Still, I did get some choice pictures and saw some amazing costumes.


Rene Montoya a.k.a. The Question

I've seen a few Ariel cosplayers before but this is the first time I saw a Prince Eric.  

Thor and Sif   
Tensions flare as an argument breaks out over who has the best green costume. 
Good thing I'd been playing Injustice: Gods Among Us for just such an emergency.     Actually, Jade from Mortal Kombat and I had a good talk while waiting for Kevin Conroy.
No Cosplayers Were Harmed In The Making Of This Photo. 


Elektra.  

Poison Ivy and the New 52 Supergirl.   

A Trio of Asgardians - The Executioner, The Enchantress & The Odinson Himself!   

The Riddler from Arkham City.    
Anna of Glitzy Geek Girl as Fiona from Shrek 3.    
Reese of Reese's Pieces handily won the children's cosplay contest as a Lil' Borg Queen.  

The Hellfire Club. With Lhars Ebersold as The White Queen, Cody Phillips as The Black King and Taffeta Darling as The Black Queen.

All-Con 2013: Day Two - Part Two

I can't say for certain that All-Con 2013 was the biggest one ever.  I haven't heard any specific numbers from the convention organizers nor have I heard any statements to that effect.  But I suspect it probably was the biggest All-Con ever for one reason and one reason alone - it took me the better part of an hour to find a place to park after I came back from lunch.

However, once I'd eaten, parked, power-napped for an hour and showered, I was ready to hit the floor for some more socializing and picture taking.

    I ran into this lovely Poison Ivy on the way from my hotel room to the convention floor.

    I've mentioned before how increasingly common cosplay mash-ups are becoming. Well, this is one of the best ones I've ever seen. This dapper fellow is a Steampunk Blue Lantern.

    He was paired-up with this lady, who was dressed as a non-Steampunk Indigo Tribe member. She looks more like a lounge-singer than a tribal to me, but it's a good costume regardless.

    Ms. Marvel - not yet a Captain - in a slightly more modest version of her Warbird costume.

    I think Emperor Palpatine is planning to steal that TARDIS.

    Speaking of the TARDIS, here's the cutest little Doctor you ever will see. Well, the cutest Tenth Doctor, anyway. I heard that someone had a baby dressed up as The First Doctor but I didn't see them.


Remember: The Geeks of Tomorrow Are All Our Responsibility. Support Youngling Geeks!


Speaking of younglings, here's Asajj Ventress from Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

    There's always at least one Catwoman at any con and this is a damn good take on the Adam Hughes version.


One of the high-points of All-Con is the yearly Roller Derby demonstration by the ladies of  Assassination City.  This is partly due to the fun of their presentation and partly due to the colorful geek-friendly costumes you'll see the ladies wearing throughout the day, on-wheels or off.  I snagged a picture of this stunning Elektra while she was off-wheeling it in the hotel hallways.


Later, I ran into this AC Derby member in the dealer's room.  I'm informed that she's a more-than-passable Pinkie Pie from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.


I'm not sure if this young lady was meant to be a specific character or not, but her mask reminded me of Repo: The Genetic Opera so I snagged her picture anyway.  If anyone does know who she is, please speak up in the comments.  I'd love to know.

Only 6 Hints? Well, we're trying to be nice...

SOURCE: 6 Hints That Frank Miller Might Have Issues With Women

Not a very full list (All The Women In The Spirit and All The Women In Sin City are two of the entries) but if you were to name every individual female character Frank Miller created who had disturbing connotations, you could easily go to 60.

You want a real challenge? Name a female character in a Frank Miller story who isn't a whore, a stripper or a teenage girl. I can only think of one - The Queen in 300. And what they did to her in the film adaptation (even though I don't think Frank had a hand in the writing on that) kinda negates that. All she did in the comic was deliver that line about "Come back with your shield or on it."

EDIT: Okay. I just remembered Elektra. That's two. But how sad is it that I forgot what is probably the best character, male or female, that Frank Miller ever created in the wake of all the crap?

Also, Queen Gorgo doesn't count since she was sorta based on a historical character, so she wasn't really created... which brings us back to one.

The Oncoming (Susan) Storm

Oh, the fangirls are not going to like this...

SOURCE: Male heroes draw comic fans

(Side-Note. Isn't that one of the worst headlines ever? It sounds like Captain America and Iron Man are doing caricatures on the street!)

The basic upshot of the article is that it puts forth three main ideas:


1) The reason why comic book movies that center upon female characters do worse than comic book movies centering upon male characters is because most men are uncomfortable with powerful women.

2) Fantastic Four is some kind of exception to this rule because the three main male characters balance out the one female, who is in many ways the heart of the team.

3) Jessica Alba as Sue Storm is a step up from Halle Berry as Catwoman, because she gets a costume that covers her whole body.

And what experts do they get to promote this idea?

The guy who runs Comics2Film and one of the bimbos from G4 TV, which is described as a channel for "video gamers and comic-book devotees".

This seems a bit inaccurate as the only time I can remember G4 covering anything remotely related to comics was when they had some of their staff at The San Diego ComicCon - and then they seemed to be more interested in the girls dressed as Princess Leia than interviewing Jeph Loeb. But I digress.

Let's just say I think there's got to be someone a bit more qualified to discuss women in comics and fanboy psychology. Someone who works for a comic company? A psychiatrist who is an expert on human sexuality and how men view women? At the very least, someone whose career doesn't depend on being vapid eye-candy for a bunch of stoner frat boys who use words like "pownz" in every-day conversation?

Just a thought.

Anyway, this article just disturbs me because:


1) The real reason Spider-Man and Superman made more money that Catwoman and Elektra had more to do with...

a) Familiarity. Nearly every kid knows who Spider-Man is - hardly any know who Elektra is.

b) Advertising. Spider-Man and Superman were more heavily promoted than Catwoman and Elektra. And despite all the movies having PG-13 ratings, Spider-Man was marketed as a family film while Catwoman featured a hot woman in bondage gear. Not exactly the type of thing to make mom want to take the kids out for a day at the cinema.

c) Quality. Superman and Spider-Man were made by experienced film directors who were fans of the comics and endeavored to stay as close to the look and spirit of the original books as possible. Catwoman had absolutely nothing in common with the comics on which it was based - apart from the name of the character - and was made by a special-effects man and first-time director. I know for a fact that fanboys - perfectly heterosexual, red-blooded American fanboys - stayed away from Catwoman in droves simply because they heard about how far it deviated from the comics. The fact that Halle Berry was wearing next to nothing was not even a consideration.

2) I never thought I'd see the day when Sue Storm is held up as the vanguard of feminism in superheroines. The woman who was the epitome of the girl hostage through the 60's who evolved into a stay-home mommy who just happened to be one of the most powerful superbeings on the planet?

And lest I be misunderstood on this point, let me say this. I do believe feminism is about choice. You can choose to have kids and stay at home with them just as easily as you can choose to focus on your career. It doesn't make you any less of a woman or a womyn to want to devote your life to raising a family.

It's just that the idea of Susan Storm as a feminist icon - after all the insane and undignified and stereotypical things that have happened to her because of her gender over the years... the Eskimo said to the air-conditioner salesman, "I'm not buying it!"


3) Fantastic Four is also an established franchise, so it's doing so well probably had more to do with that than their being a female character in a body-covering costume. And let's not forget - that costume is TIGHT. And tight is just as bad as skimpy.

I dunno. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

Looking To The Stars: The Elektra Movie in 5 Minutes

Terrence Stamp: Since the dawn of time, there has been a war between good and evil. Sometimes the battle is large. Sometimes the battle is small. Sometimes the battle is within a single person... like a little girl. Pay attention. This will be important later.

CUT TO: A SNOW-COVERED MANSION

Head Security Guard The perimeter is secure, sir.

Some Rich Evil Guy It doesn't matter. She will still get through. She did before.

Head Security Guard Who is that?

Some Rich Evil Guy Elektra.

Sure enough, Elektra gets through, killing several guards, the head security guard and the Evil Rich Guy who has done a whole lot of bad stuff that we'll never hear about now, cause he's dead.

CUT TO: A LOFT APARTMENT


Elektra's Agent: (watching Elektra scrubbing the floor) Why do you do that?

Elektra: Because I'm borderline obsessive/compulsive, although this won't be mentioned until later in the movie and then only as an inappropriate joke. Also, it provides me with yet an opportunity to bend over on all fours, distracting the fanboys even further by how far and away this movie goes from the original comics.

Fanboys: Hee-hee. Boobies!

Elektra's Agent: I've got a job for you.

Elektra: I need a vacation.

Elektra's Agent: Take it after this job. It's a lot of money.

Elektra: Well, if it's a LOT of money.

Elektra's Agent: Will you sleep with me?

Elektra: No.

CUT TO: A MOVIE THEATER

"Starman" Matt Morrison: So, does this movie have anything to do with the Daredevil movie? I mean, Elektra here seems a lot closer to the comic version than she was in that. But why on earth did she become a professional assassin after nearly getting killed by Bullseye?

Director, Rob Bowman: Perhaps THIS will answer your questions!

We get a montage of clips, cut MTV style. Basic gist of which is that Terrence Stamp, in a white robe, brought Elektra back to life after somehow getting her body away from the paramedics who couldn't heal her after having a sai shoved through her heart.

"Starman" Matt Morrison: That didn't explain anything!

Director, Rob Bowman: Oh. Well, then how about we repeat that throughout the movie and say that she's having visions of the future? Or we can do THIS!

CUT TO: A DOJO. SOMEWHERE.

Terrence Stamp: You are the most powerful student I have. But you lack the finesse to learn the subtle, yet really cool ninja tricks like raising the dead, becoming invisible and manipulating time and space.

Elektra: What can I do?

Terrence Stamp: Kneel before Zod! Er, um.. I mean, you must go.

Elektra gets all pouty like she is about to cry.

CUT TO: A MOVIE THEATER

Frank Miller Purist: But.. Elektra... so tough! So unemotional! And Stick... isn't... British...why?

The Frank Miller Purist's Head Explodes

"Starman" Matt Morrison: Wait. So she died. Then she got brought back by this good group of Ninjas headed by a guy named Stick that look a lot like "The Chaste" but we never hear them called that. So when they kick her out, she just goes and becomes a killer for hire? Why? I mean, she could just become a rogue vigilante if she wants to go fight people and be good. And why does she still have that necklace? I thought she put that on Matt Murdock's balcony in Daredevil!

Professional Critics: GRRR! Someone say Daredevil?! We hated Daredevil! Ben Affleck must stop making movies!

"Starman" Matt Morrison: But he was actually pretty good in that. The movie's faults lay more in the director/writer who turned Daredevil into a stone-cold killer because he was afraid people would confuse Daredevil with Batman and...

Professional Critics: GRRR! Stupid Elektra movie remind us of stupid Daredevil movie! This movie sucks!

"Starman" Matt Morrison: Well... you're partly right.

CUT TO: AN OFFICE BUILDING

Head of Hand Clan: Have we procured 'the treasure'?

Business-Suit-Wearing Hand Clan Executive: Not yet. We are trying subtle methods.

Son of Hand Clan Head: Bah. Subtlety. My group of circus-freaks can easily destroy this woman who keeps getting in our way.

Head of Hand Clan: No, I think we shall keep sending men in black pajamas after our targets for the moment.

CUT TO: A CABIN IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.

Elektra: (into celphone) So what am I doing here?

Elektra's Agent: The client wanted you there for a few days before they gave us the name of who you are supposed to kill.

Elektra: I want to get out of here as soon as possible.

Elektra's Agent: Oh yeah. Getting paid to hang around a cabin must be so horrible. And here you were just asking for some time off...

Elektra hangs around for a few days, working out, undressing, going swimming in the 20 degree waters in a bikini, dressing again, working out some more and undressing. This does nothing to move the plot, but it does keep the fanboys distracted a while longer.

Fanboys: Hee hee. Breasts.

Kirsten Prout: Hi! I'm an annoying klepto in serious need of a mother, who will latch onto you, mimic your every move and eventually dye my hair in order to become more like you.

Elektra: I shall call you Mini-E.

Kirsten Prout's Father: And I'm her father. My name is Mark Miller.

CUT TO: A MOVIE THEATER

"Starman" Matt Morrison: Too easy.

CUT TO: A CABIN IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.

Elektra's Agent: You have a package.

Elektra: About time. Feels like I've been here forever.

Audiences Everywhere: Us too!

Elektra gets her assignment. It is to killer Mark Miller and his daughter. She tries to do this several times, but can't do it.

Elektra: Why can't I just kill these two without thinking about it as I have so many times before? Could it be the annoying girl's hero worship has touched my maternal instincts? Can it be my morals finally coming back to me after the apparent year that I've been a professional assassin?

Director, Rob Bowman: Nope. It's cause if you don't, we really don't have a movie.

Elektra: Oh. Well, that's okay then.

Bad ninjas show up and try to kill Mark and his daughter. Elektra saves them and takes them to go see her old sensei, Stick.



Terrence Stamp: General "you still haven't learned anything" comment.

Elektra: General "I have learned more than you realize." Comment.

CUT TO: A MOVIE THEATER

Another Frank Miller purist Hey! Stick is in a seedy pool hall cleaning up! Even though he's blind! That's good! And those Hand ninjas dissolved into smoke like the comics! That's good!

CUT TO: AN OFFICE BUILDING

Head of Hand Clan: We still have not procured 'the treasure'! Clearly sending a bunch of generic ninjas in their jammies was not a worthy plan.

Business-Suit-Wearing Hand Clan Executive: I will look disturbed at the news of the deaths of my men and leave the room.

Son of Hand Clan Head: Now may my group of scary looking, yet amazingly easy to defeat, circus freak ninjas go?

Head of Hand Clan: Yes! Go Tattoo, master of the living Tattoos. Typhoid, master of plagues. Go Stone, strong as your namesake andâ?¦ the other weasely guy who doesn't seem to have any impressive abilities. Go with my son Kirigi and if you succeed I shall step down and let you take over the clan.

CUT TO: A MOVIE THEATER

Another Frank Miller purist: But... but... Kirigi is a mindless assassin in the comics! Stone is a good guy and isn't black! And Typhoid Mary isn't a poison-using geshia! She's an actress who can set stuff on fire with her mind!

Another Frank Miller Purist's Head Explodes.

"Starman" Matt Morrison: Dunno why that last one bothered him. That was Ann Noncenti.

CUT TO: A FARMHOUSE

Elektra and everyone are safe for a while, until the bad Hand Ninjas show up. They run away and Elektra kills Stone by hitting him with a tree that he is too stupid to move away from. She also kills the weasly guy with no powers. Too bad she gets cornered by Kirigi and Typhoid, who kisses Elektra

Fanboys: Woo-hoo! Slow-mo lesbo action!

Elektra starts to turn cold and sick

The One Fanboy Who Scares The Other Fanboys: All right! Slow-mo lesbo necro action!

Stick shows up with the rest of the good ninjas. The bad ninjas run off and Elektra is fine.

CUT TO: A DOJO: SOMEWHERE, AGAIN

Terrence Stamp: Remember that girl born once a generation I mentioned in the introduction? Turns out it's Mini-E. She is a natural prodigy and destined to become a great master of the martial arts. We hope to train her to join our side instead of The Hand Ninjas.

Elektra: So you were the one who put me on that island and hired me to kill them and this whole thing of sending me away was just part of some big test to see if I would come through for you on this?

Terrence Stamp: Well, it would explain everything except why you chose to become a hired assassin after we kicked you out of here rather than exploring the many options available to a woman good at kicking ass who doesn't want to go on the path of the dark side.

Elektra: Touche.

Elektra reaches out with The Force and talks to Kirigi, getting him to agree to a one-on-one duel "where it all began". It is now that we find out that Kirigi is the ninja who killed Elektra's mother for no readily apparent reason, which set her down the path of being a very disturbed ass-kicking woman. They agree to meet at the now abandoned Natchios Manor. Naturally, he cheats and brings lots of jammie-wearing Norman ninjas as well as what members of his crew aren't dead yet. Elektra blows them all up and Mini-E shows up to kick some butt and need to be rescued.

Kirigi: I will harass you with my amazing sheet-moving ninja powers!

Kirsten Prout: I will run away!

Tattoo: I will make many snakes chase after you both!

Kirigi: I will move really fast at you!

Elektra: I will kill you!

Kirigi: ARRGH! I die!

Tattoo: I will kneel in one place and make myself an easy target.

Elektra: I will kill you and not even slow down!

Tattoo: ARRGH! I die!

Typhoid: I will poison Mini-E.

Kirsten Prout: ARRGH! I die!

Elektra: I will suddenly gain a clearer insight into my ninja powers and throw my sai through twelve bushes that are conspicuously thick for a mansion in disrepair with no groundsskeeper.

Typhoid: ARRGH! I die!

Elektra: I will use my new sense of purpose to bring you back from the dead!

Kirsten Prout: Yay! I live!

Kirsten Prout's Father: Thank you very much!

Elektra: How did you get here?

Kirsten Prout's Father: Apparently the Dojo is not too far from your father's mansion somewhere around New York, presumably... though it looks like it is somewhere in Japan.

Kirsten Prout: Thanks for saving my life!

Elektra: You saved mine. Well, so long.

Kirsten Prout: You're leaving?

Elektra: Well, what else am I going to do? Settle down with you and your dad? Not a very interesting sequel.

Kirsten Prout: Will I ever see you again?

Elektra: Even if they make a sequel? Probably not.

CUT TO: A MOVIE THEATER

"Starman" Matt Morrison: Well, it wasn't THAT bad. I mean, sure it ignored most of the elements of the comics outside of the names and Elektra was nowhere near the amoral assassin she has been through most of her comic book life. Still, this movie did capture the spirit of the more recent books where she was trying to be a more ethical person and ignoring that it wasn't that bad of an action flick. Overall, I'd give it a solid 5 out of 10. The production values aren't bad though it can't seem to decide between being an action movie or a slow romance flick.

Professional Critics: GRRR! Still too much like Daredevil! Worst movie since Daredevil! Or Gigli! Or Jersey Girl!

"Starman" Matt Morrison: Oh come on! It was better than Catwoman.

Professional Critics: GRRR! Critics STILL hate Ben Affleck!

"Starman" Matt Morrison: But he wasn't in this movie!

The Professional Critics Heads Explode

"Starman" Matt Morrison: And here is why I don't consider myself a professional critic... still, while I wish I had waited for it to come out on video, at least this movie let me finally see the Sin City trailer.

Frank Miller: A movie based off one of my stories that will be worth paying eight bucks to see it!

Tune in next week. Same Matt time. Same Matt website.