DC Universe released the first episode of the Harley Quinn cartoon, based around the idea of Harley breaking up with the Clown Prince of Crime and deciding to go off on her own and become the big villain in town, herself.
poison ivy
Toxicity in Fandom
We have encountered a major problem within the community of geekery. My fellow nerds and my fandoms were once a safe escape from the rest of the world. When the jerks of the world were making it hard to get through the day, I could turn to my fictional escapes, and to my friends – online and in real life – that shared the same passions. I could turn to Instagram or Twitter or wherever. I remember being excited for new adaptations of comics or books or games, whatever, just because I had a new version of something I cared about to enjoy.
But things have been going downhill for a while now, and not just for me.
Heroes in Crisis: Tom is Still the King
DC has been getting a lot of attention for controversial things the last few months: the BatCat Wedding, the infamous Damned insanity – both things I was completely fine with. I loved both issues. And come on, people. Human anatomy isn’t a big deal in a mature title. No one cares about Dr. Manhattan’s penis being out in Watchmen.
That brings me to a new buzz topic: I feel like there is an Anti-Tom King Club, full of some fairly silly people that either don’t understand what they’re reading, don’t get fed their fan fiction they want, or they’re insanely jealous. At the end of the day, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, of course. But I would like my energy to be devoted to doing the opposite of most people – when I love something, I want to talk about it and praise the creators.
Batman Haul – September 2018
I decided to start posting a monthly haul of what is added to my Batman collection, starting with September. Some months, there could be little to nothing. Other months, we could be at this a while haha. This was a decent month.
Batman Day 2018
Batman Day jams for the drive.
Batman Day was last Saturday, and I made my trip to Barnes and Noble for Batman Day fun.
Planet Comic Con Haul
My haul from this con is more signature based, than things purchased, though I did buy some things while there.
Met Tom King again, and had these pretties signed.
Comic Talk: Why Tom King IS the King
Something has perplexed me in the world of comics, recently: The random whining over the work of current Batman writer, Tom King. For example:
From Tom King’s Twitter.
I couldn’t understand where this was all coming from. I’ve seen it off and on for a bit, now. If you don’t know much about King, you can listen to his first interview on Bat Force Radio – which is ridiculously enjoyable, and I’ve listened to it more times than I can count. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting Tom twice in the last few months – both at Fan Expo Canada and Planet Comic Con. It’s easy to gather from meeting him, or even just the podcast interview – Tom King is a fantastic guy. So, the complaints can’t be based on people disliking him as a person.
I thought more about the things people were complaining about, specifically. And this is where I found my answers:
Superman Celebration 2017
This weekend was sort of insane, in a very nerdy way. Which, I guess, is the best way, if you think about it.
Friday, I finally bought tickets for Six Flags this season and decided to make a quick trip up to ride Justice League, twice. And Sunday I saw Wonder Woman for a third time. But Saturday was probably the biggest part of the weekend: The Superman Celebration.
I’ve made my grumbles about long car rides (you can read about that more here). Honestly, after 1.5 hours, I’m completely done being in the car. So the 3ish hour journey to Metropolis, IL this weekend did NOT sound like a great time for me. But, the drive itself wasn’t terribly difficult, and 3ish hours isn’t SO bad, I guess.
I’ve been meaning to head to Metropolis for a while, now. While the big blue boy scout isn’t my favorite, I do love comic book history and nerdy travel destinations (obviously). I knew I couldn’t pass up a Super Museum in Metropolis. What better excuse to go, though, than during the Superman Celebration.
From the site: The Superman Celebration is an annual four-day festival sponsored by The Metropolis Chamber of Commerce and the City of Metropolis – The Official Home of Superman.
What started as a 1 day “Homecoming” for the local residents has now evolved into a 4-day celebration that attracts Superman Fans and families from around the world. 47 States and 6 different countries were represented at the 2016 Celebration. 2017 marks the 45th year that Metropolis, IL has been designated as the adopted “Home of Superman.”
The Celebration this year will be dedicated to the memory of Noel Neill, who portrayed Lois Lane in the Adventures of Superman television series. Neill, was a repeat guest to the Superman Celebration for many years and was even given the title “First Lady of Metropolis” when a statue of her portraying Lois Lane was revealed in her honor. Neill passed away in July of 2016.
Pretty awesome, right?
It was like a festival / con hybrid of awesome that I was not fully prepared for! Comics, guests, collectibles, food, cosplay, etc.
Guests included: Dean Cain, James Marsters, Margot Kidder, and Sarah Douglas. Plus Artist Alley guests like Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, John Ostrander, and Todd Aaron Smith.
But, of course, there was the big thing I’d wanted to come see: The Super Museum.
I plan to just touch on this, today. I was rushed for time while I was there, and forgot my camera for better pictures. So I plan to go back sometime soon with better planning.
As I said, I’m going back with my camera and more time, so I’ll do a proper post on it, then. BUT! This place was incredible! For a Superman fan, comic nerd, collector, history buff or even someone just casually interested. It’s just $5 to enter, and totally worth it.
My haul:
Keep in mind, I also stopped at Villainous Grounds on my way to Metropolis, and bought that Catwoman in the Walgreens in Metropolis haha.
Some Harley issues I decided to take along for Amanda and Jimmy to sign.
WAAAAAAY more exciting, was this print from Todd Aaron Smith, who worked on Batman the Animated Series. He was an animator for my Harley! This is definitely an amazing addition to my Harley collection.
Over all, the Superman Celebration was actually super fun. (Giggle) I plan to go next year with more money and a better game plan, because it was far better than I had anticipated it would be!
Did you attend the Superman Celebration? What did you think? Grab anything cool, or check out the museum? Let me know in the comments!
-Angel
Wandering NerdGirl 