I am a comic-book fan. I am a popular television and movie fan. And I’m also a huge fan of anything and everything in pop culture that catches my eye on page, or on screen. And it is this particular eccentricity, a little something I’m sure I share with a lot of other people that has me burning green with envy as 150,000 lucky ones attended the San Diego Comic Con, or simply, Comic-Con, this year. 150,000 attendees. That is almost the number of people trying to book a Tatkal ticket at 10 every morning.
What’s with the Comic Con?
Comic-Con is the largest convention of its kind in the world and in the U.S alone; it has a popularity that rivals the Super Bowl. It is, simply put the Mecca of genre fans of comic books, television and film. From its humble beginnings in 1970, the San Diego Comic Con has today become not only an opportunity for geeks and nerds worldwide, but has also inevitably become an essential element of modern-day pop culture, with even television shows and films paying a long visit every year.
Anyways, enough about Comic-Con. I won’t have myself exploding with envy on my keyboard, glooming over the lost chance of wearing my Spiderman costume to Comic-Con. Let’s talk about the clip that literally broke the internet today (And no, I’m not talking about Justin Bieber’s bare show).
Justice League Begins
The highlight of course, was the dropping of the new Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer yesterday to a standing ovation in the iconic Hall H of the San Diego Convention Centre. Starring Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as the British-sounding Man of Steel, some ‘Gal’ as Wonder Woman, Khal Drogo as Aquaman and Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luther, the fresh new trailer sheds a bit more light on the first Justice League movie, a film which DC hopes will challenge Marvel’s stranglehold on the comic-book cinematic universe.
The trailer begins where Man of Steel left off. Metropolis is pissed (obviously!) after Superman’s city-leveling efforts to prevent General Zod from achieving his own vision of Darwinism. However, if there is one person who looks more pissed than the people and senators of Metropolis, it is Bruce Wayne aka Batman who apparently had his own monolith, Wayne Towers destroyed at the hands of Kal-El’s laser beams (It would seem Wayne finally expanded out of Gotham). Dark, grumbling and cynic as he is, Batman vows revenge, and confronts this alien from Krypton in a new beefed up armor that apparently looks like it has been dusted by cobwebs.
Hot or cold?
Now, don’t get me wrong. The trailer is very, very good. Even the use of the word ‘amazing’ may just be justified. But, I think I see the same issue that plagued Man of Steel previously, where sheer spectacle and action trumped substance and story. If what the trailer shows is any indication, I won’t be surprised if later, Metropolis issues a restraining order against Superman. Secondly, despite my best efforts I’m yet to cheer for Cavill and Affleck as Superman and Batman. Superman especially is severely handicapped because, the guy is a boy scout. A plain jane superhero, if I may. I really wish DC overhauls his character as well as Marvel did to Captain America. Affleck looks better but again, and this might be my Christian Bale-fanboy speaking, I don’t see him as the Dark Knight, yet.
Oh, and we see the Wonder Woman (Complete with bullet-proof bracelets and lasso of truth), who doesn’t have anything particularly to do except walk around like Catwoman from TDKR. And we see Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luther, in all his pre-bald glory. I believe I was in the minority who did not despise his casting as the iconic villain. I wasn’t disappointed.
Until the Deadpool or X-Men Apocalypse trailer breaks out, I believe Batman vs Superman is here to stay. I look forward to it, and I’ll be there right at the front of the line when it releases next year.
P.S: Does anyone know why Republicans will boycott Dawn of Justice next year? Answer: Because Superman is an illegal alien.
Okay, I’ll stop now. Stannis out.
