New York Comic Con

New York Comic Con was February 6-8th and Poptimal was there!
Day 1 Wrap Up
Day 2 Pics Day 2 Wrap Up
Day 3 Pics Day 3 Wrap Up

Day 3 Pics

Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim at NY Comic Con.

The cast of Fringe at NY Comic Con.  Pictured (l to r): Kirk Acevedo, Blair Brown, and Lance Reddick.

Fringe Executive Producer Jeff Pinkner.

Fringe’s Anna Torv.

Fringe’s Jasika Nicole, Joshua Jackson, and John Noble.

Day 3 Wrap Up

And so it is Sunday and the end of our weekend at NY Comic Con. Today we met with and interviewed the cast of Fringe and got into a special, surprise interview with Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim.  We then left to get a late lunch to reflect on the day’s events.  As you pass the ketchup, any impressions of today?

Jaimie: Daniel Dae Kim is hotter in person than on the show. He was Watch-some! Also, extremely friendly and a lot of fun to sit and chat Lost with.

J.B.: Very true.  He was very approachable in our roundtable chat and, while he couldn’t say much about Lost, we got some insight into his character and approach to the show.  For starters, he knew he’d be back at the end of last season, and his favorite moment for his character, Jin, was at the end of Season One when he says goodbye to Sun before getting on the raft.  We’ve come a long way since then, no?

Jaimie: Yes. He also pointed out that he was at first afraid of how unlikeable Jin was, but is very happy with Jin’s growth throughout. He hinted that we may see quite a bit more of Rousseau in the coming weeks.

And while not knowing a great deal about his character at the start of the show was difficult, he likened it to the way in reality, we can’t know everything, and we learn as we go. A difficult task to craft his character, but he’s been enjoying the challenge.

J.B.: Speaking of challenges, after this season wraps he’ll be appearing in a limited run of The King & I in London.

Jaimie: His first musical. And then back to Hawaii!

J.B.: Well hopefully, that’s if his contract gets renewed for the next season of Lost.

Jaimie: Right. He explained that the actors are contractually obligated to the show for the duration of its run, but that the show isn’t obligated to the actors. See: Claire.

So though Jin’s alive and starting off Season Five, there’s no way to know if or how he’ll finish it, or if he’ll even be around for the end.

J.B.: Exactly.  Now another show hopes it will have as long a run as Lost, and that show is Fringe.  Were you as amused to learn that as I was?

Jaimie: Yes, considering that the two aren’t at all on the same level in terms of writing. And I don’t think Lost is always the best-written show, but Fringe still isn’t close.

J.B.: I agree, although the cast was pumped.  What did you think of John Noble in person? Delightful is the word I’d use.

Jaimie: Hilarious! I think we’d both agree that he is the best on the show. In the interview room: scary yet friendly. He was very happy to meet with all of us and field questions, especially those who were obviously fans and not just there to find out about Anna Torv’s wedding.

J.B.: Yeah what was up with those folks?

Jaimie: I don’t know, but they were buzzkills. As people kept walking into and out of the room where we interviewed him, he was clearly disturbed by the repeated interruptions. So was I, but who am I? He’s John Noble!

J.B.: It reminded me of his character, Walter Bishop.

Jaimie: And a science nerd, to boot, as it turns out. He enjoys doing his own research for the show.

J.B.: Yes, that was one of the questions I asked–how much of the science does he understand.  He said he researches some of the stuff and then later on talked about his interest in studying quantum mechanics and “worm theory,” which I assumed was the wormhole theory.

He also researched mental illness a bit to accurately reflect Walter’s condition, which he suspects is bipolar disorder.

Jaimie: He also explained that there was some humor initially with Walter, but not a lot, and that Walter is not deliberately (most of the time) trying to be funny. It’s a careful line to walk to keep Walter from being a joke.

Someone called him a “scene stealer” (in a complimentary sense), but Noble wanted to make it clear that he is not intentionally (or unintentionally) trying to upstage his co-stars. When Joshua Jackson came in, the issue was raised again, and Jackson insisted that John Noble is extremely collaborative.

The two have a lot of respect for each other and the relationship of their characters, which was clear.

J.B.: Yes, on the later panel, there were a lot of pats back and forth.  It was a marked change from their dynamic on the show, but I guess that’s why it’s called acting.

Before we get to Mr. Jackson’s interview, what did you think about the other people?

Jaimie: Blair Brown was great – we see very little of her character, Nina Sharp, on the show, but she hinted that there’s much more to her relationships with the Bishops than we’ve seen…or that she even knows.

Exposition…er, Astrid (Jasika Nicole), rather, was very nice, helpful, talkative…but she didn’t really have much to talk about, as her character never does anything.

Which I think she handled gracefully.

J.B.: She did.  She seemed like a lot of fun and was very excited about the show.  I asked her if we’d get to see more of her and she was optimistic.

Jaimie: According to her, everything on the show happens for a reason, everything from props to throwaway lines, so that seems to hint at more for her in the future.

Kirk Acevedo was also there, but it was impossible to tell if he really wanted to be. He was a little less forthcoming, BUT!

He did tell us to expect an episode soon that will explore a possible romance between Charlie Francis and Olivia…or explore why one isn’t possible.

J.B.: We also heard from Lance Reddick that he will be back on Lost in two weeks (Episode 5).

Jaimie: I’m sure he wasn’t supposed to say that.

J.B.: Someone asked and he answered. Works for me.

What was most interesting to me was Joshua Jackson’s explanation of his character, Peter. It was far more compelling than what we’ve seen so far–with the exception of the last few weeks.

That and he’s a big sci-fi geek.

Jaimie: Which only makes him cuter!

Yes, he was very interested to talk about Peter, and Peter’s dynamic with Walter. He also seemed intent on squashing any thoughts that Peter and Olivia might have a romantic connection.

J.B.: I think that was a red herring.

Jaimie: Yes. Otherwise, he’s eating his words next season when they’re making out.

He spoke very passionately about Peter, his motivations and world view, taking a lot of time with each question. His description of Peter was of a very layered character, which unfortunately, we haven’t had a chance to delve into on the show.

J.B.: From his comments, though, I’m optimistic.  Plus he compared Fringe to She-Ra and that was brilliant.

Jaimie: Afterwards, we joined the little people, i.e. everyone without a press pass, in the larger IGN Theater for a panel with all of the actors, including Anna Torv. We were shown the first act of next week’s episode, which the moderator called “Bananas!”

It was typical Fringe – freaky and fun, but more importantly, it signals the return of Mr. Jones, as well as Mitchell Loeb. And as we’ve learned, episodes with Loeb are always good, and episodes with Mr. Jones are even better, so we can expect a good one, I think. Finally.

J.B.: And the return of the cow!

Jaimie: Which probably means Exposition won’t get any lines!

J.B.: Probably not, but she said she’d like a musical episode some day. Now that would be something.

Jaimie: Also dropped – we may have met William Bell already, and The Observer we know and love may not be the only Observer out there.

Interesting note: Those of you watching the Eagles/Giants game may have seen The Observer on the sideline. According to Executive Producer Jeff Pinkner, Fox executives tried very hard to get The Observer on the platform during the Inauguration. That would have been hilarious. Probably not appropriate for the occasion, but still hilarious.

J.B.: And in case anyone was wondering, the creature from last week’s episode was a “Porcuman,” at least that’s what Pinkner called it.  He also explained that there are games embedded in every show, such as searching for The Observer and a visual clue in each episode pointing toward the next episode.

Jaimie: Also of note, Joshua Jackson received some questions about the show’s comparisons to the X-Files and connections with Lost. Of the first, he said he’s happy to be compared with X-Files, as a huge fan of the show himself. He then made his point again that Fringe is really a different show, and the Scully/Mulder comparisons don’t hold up as well because the characters of Olivia and Peter have very different motivations from Scully and Mulder. Apples to oranges, basically.

As to the second question, he managed to not respond one way or the other, calling himself a huge fan of Lost, but “that question’s above my pay grade.” He can’t deny that there are similarities between certain aspects of the show, but he doesn’t know or couldn’t confirm anything else. He gets as much of a kick out of hunting down the clues as the rest of us.

J.B.: After catching the tail end of the Q & A for Dollhouse, we didn’t have the strength to listen to any more commentaries from the audience. Needless to say, I’m sure the first questioner is still talking.

Jaimie: Yeah, I’m a little tired of Joss Whedon and his crazy fanatics. I’m glad we caught only the end of that.

J.B.: At least we got to hear him call Nathan Fillion a cock for teasing audiences with a second Serenity film.

Jaimie: At the risk of receiving hate mail from the Joss-lovers out there, we’re going to end our Whedon coverage with that.

And that was New York Comic Con 2009! I know we’ll be working on a podcast for a final summation, but any last thoughts?

J.B.: Even with the exhaustion, I had a fun time. This may have steeled me up for going to San Diego, you know.

Jaimie: Glad to hear it. And we made it through without any restraining orders against either one of us.

J.B.: Which is more than we can say for some of the other press folks talking with Joshua Jackson.

Jaimie: Time for sleep and a few more martinis. Hopefully you’ve all enjoyed Poptimal.com’s coverage. Stay tuned for more from the J Factor.

J.B.: Excelsior!

Day 2 Wrap Up

J.B.: So it’s 12:45 A.M. at the end of a very long second day of New York Comic Con.  By mutual agreement we kept to a two drink maximum tonight but those drinks ended some time ago, so at this point, it’s just going to be brutal honesty on the day.  Are you up for the challenge?

Jaimie: Bring it!

Let’s start with our first panel of the day, as provided by Warner Bros.

We were lucky to see the opening 18 minutes of the new Watchmen movie, as well as an exclusive, NYCC clip from later in the film. Then a Q&A with co-creator Dave Gibbons.

Then a short, weird Friday the 13th preview, and then McG stopped by to defend the Christian Bale outburst, as well as pimp for the new Terminator: Salvation movie.

First up – how awesome was that Watchmen clip?

J.B.: Awesome! No wait, I meant “a lot.”  How do you quantify awesome with something so awesome?

Jaimie: It was the awesomest piece of awesome ever?

J.B.: Awesome

If the rest of the film is as good as what we saw then I can’t wait for it to come out on March 6.  Hopefully I’ll finish reading the graphic novel by then.

Meanwhile, the clip we saw is about as much as I read and it’s amazing, dare I say “awesome,” how Zack Snyder managed to capture the original comic almost panel by panel.

Jaimie: Yes, Gibbons mentioned that Snyder tried to stay as true to the source material as possible, while making some necessary changes to the story. Changes made only to help the transition from graphic novel to movie.

J.B.: Yes, I was going to clarify that point, lest people start rioting.

Jaimie: Wait, they almost did in the Q&A session.

J.B.: Something about the squid, right?

Jaimie: Apparently, the squid is the heart of Watchmen, but don’t get your hopes up, America, that’s all I’m saying.

J.B.: Or just eat some fried calamari after you go see the film.  Mr. Gibbons plans to.

Jaimie: I really appreciated hearing how much Gibbons loves the final product, since as a creator, if he thinks the spirit of the book was captured, then we know that Snyder got a number of things right.

J.B.: And I think you’d agree that, although not involved with this production, author and co-creator Alan Moore was definitely there in spirit.

Or as he was affectionately labeled by a questioner, “bat shit crazy.”

Jaimie: Speaking of questioners during the Q&A…talk about bat shit crazy. Although Watchmen’s fans were the smartest of the three groups. And Dave Gibbons was an entertaining panelist, enjoying every minute of it. I think it eased a lot of people’s minds that he would not support Warner Bros. moving in with a prequel or sequel if the film succeeds.

J.B.: Thankfully he went first because it was downhill from there.

Jaimie: On to the Friday the 13th panel! And though I’ll be reviewing this movie for Poptimal.com, even I was bored through this bit.

J.B.: To paraphrase all of the questioners, why are they making this one again?

Jaimie: Really bad form on the part of the questioners, if you ask me. The answer is always cash.

J.B.: Listen, these fans were tormented as children and now it is their goal to bring that pain down on others by dressing in funny costumes and ridiculing how these folks are going to take baths in money while giving lip service to “honoring” the prior films.

Not to denigrate the panelists’ sincerity, but come on.  They’re making this again because they think it will be a cash cow. That or because they don’t know what 16 is in Roman numerals.

Jaimie: Neither do I, but then again, I volunteered to review this one. Did you have an opinion on the clip? I know you’re not really a horror fan.

J.B.: What’s the opposite of “awesome”?

Look, there’s no complexity to these films.  Crazy person kills a lot of people who are either drinking or having sex (or both) and in the end someone survives to tell the others in the sequel.  I’ve seen Scream AND Scary Movie so I’m practically an expert by now!

These aren’t my kind of movies but they are what they are.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. But let’s not make it out to be more than it is, which I felt the producers and two stars were implying. The guy playing Jason, Derek Mears, is a big guy who goes around scaring people.  The male lead, Jared Padalecki, is there for the attractive male lead with decent reading abilities (presumably, I haven’t seen his work on Supernatural).  They’re not telling a compelling story or reinterpreting Hamlet.

Jaimie: And as a fan, even I think you just summed up that portion of the panel perfectly. The Q&A was similarly unenlightening.

Which brings us to the overcompensating, energetic star of the show: McG.

J.B.: Is it already time to discuss McG? Now I regret not having that third drink.

Jaimie: Here are my observations of Terminator: Salvation:

1. The clips we saw definitely intrigued me, though I’m still not sure I want to see this. The fanboys, however, ate it all up.

2. McG is an attention whore, but at least he’s good with the crowd and with fans.

3. I can’t believe the audience was hating on Danny Elfman as the composer of the soundtrack!

4. We had to hear about the Christian Bale incident far too much.

We all know what happened, I don’t think we need to beat it to death, but since the audience did today at panel, allow me to do my part:

http://site.despair.com/christianbale/

Just wear the t-shirt – it’s funnier than having to listen to different versions of “Do you think this will hurt the film?” No, people. Christian Bale is fucking Batman. Nothing can hurt him!

I’m done.

J.B.: I can’t believe you’d bring up the Christian Bale thing again!

What don’t you fucking understand? You and me are done professionally!

Excuse my rantings, I was “in character” for a moment and I thought this was a safe space. Anyway, I can’t disagree with anything you said but I’m glad someone asked about the Christian Bale thing.  Did someone have to ask about it again? No.  Did McG need to call Christian Bale in the middle of the presentation? No, except it was nice when Christian Bale didn’t answer his call.

For those who didn’t realize this movie was even happening, the fourth installment in the Terminator series tells the story of how John Connor (Christian Bale) became the leader of the resistance.  We saw an extended trailer with some raw footage.  It looked good but I can’t say I’m excited about seeing this film.  I didn’t go to T3 and based on the comments today it sounds like I made the right choice with that one.

Frankly, I think a film about McG talking for two hours might be more entertaining. But until that comes out, Terminator: Salvation releases on May 21, 2009.

Back to an earlier point you made, they need to have a pre-convention panel on how to ask questions.

Jaimie: The audience was asked to move things along, but they were also asked not to record or take photos of the clips we saw. And I believe a few people were thrown out. I was happy to see that.

Just follow the rules folks. That’s what the “exclusive” in “Exclusive Clips” means.

J.B.: True.  If you can’t figure out how an off button works, I guess you can’t be expected to not hype your website, mention your ideas for the film based on your film class from the Learning Annex, give a speech about how big of a fan you are, or point out inconsistencies in a film you were not part of.

But look at me setting those high expectations again.

Oh and a big drop dead to everyone who heckled Danny Elfman as the composer for Terminator.  He’s awesome, like Watchmen-quality awesome–”Watchsome!”

There, I quantified it.

Jaimie: For those planning on seeing it, we should point out that McG promised that though the timeline of Fox’s The Sarah Conner Chronicles would not be a part of the “history” of his film, he would be drawing on T1, T2, and a little bit of T3, in terms of timeline and story consistency.

And if you’re a fan of the earlier movies, from the clips we saw, there’s no reason you wouldn’t like this one. Plus, Michael Ironside’s in it, so at least part of it will be good.

J.B.: The morning session ended with a trailer of Orphan and thankfully we were a captive audience because there was no way I’d ever think about reading a summary of that film.  Just go rent The Good Son.  That’s a classic.

Jaimie: I had forgotten about that. Thank you for reminding me of the five minutes I wasted, watching that.

J.B.: I told you I took good notes.

Jaimie: After that panel, it was off to the vendor room! A madhouse of fanboys. What were your impressions, as a newbie?

J.B.: Is this the time when I complain?  Because you promised me there would be time. My biggest problem with the exhibition room was that it was too crowded and that made it difficult to stop and browse the different vendors.  For someone like me who is only mildly familiar with the comic book scene, it was very frustrating.

Now on the other hand, what a parade of people. And who knew you could buy cartoon porn so easily?!?

Jaimie: Everyone crowding that vendor booth. Not that I, uh, recall which one it was. Or anything.

J.B.: Is that were you disappeared to? I was busy searching for some Battlestar Galactica items.

Jaimie: Well, in terms of people, it seemed less crowded than last year, actually. I remember getting shoved a lot more during last year’s convention.

J.B.: And here I thought I was just the lucky one this year.

Jaimie: I think there were more vendors this year, especially more video game demos set up. As usual, the Marvel and DC booths were extremely disappointing, made up of only artists signing their work.

J.B.: What else would they have?  Stan Lee arm wrestling the ghost of Bob Kane?

Jaimie: It would help. As usual, there were a number of toy and comic book vendors, a few places selling samurai swords, and you could even purchase your Renaissance Festival gear early this year.

J.B.: Speaking of, any notable costumes/characters? I think Princess Peach and a functioning R2-D2 robot were good. But overall too much spandex for my tastes.

Jaimie: On bodies that didn’t warrant it. I also liked Peach and loved the R2-D2. And though not a Star Wars fan, I always enjoy seeing a gaggle of Storm Troopers hanging out together and patrolling the grounds. Much less costumes this year as well.

J.B.: A sign of the economic times? Or just not enough spandex at Mood?

Jaimie: I don’t know, but there’s only so many old, paunchy Spidermen you can see before you grow too cynical. My other favorite notable “character” was Stevie B, or Stephen Baldwin as he is sometimes known, interviewing with MTV news re: his new comic book. If karma exists, it should do horribly.

J.B.: Oh yes, the old, paunchy comment reminded me about him.  You were pleasantly surprised, no?

Jaimie: Yes. Because as a “celebrity,” he’s hiLARious, because he thinks he is one. Thank goodness for him, Alec is doing so well. I was afraid to talk to him though, as my previous bitterness over his behavior on last year’s Celeb Apprentice would have definitely come through and gotten me in trouble.

J.B.: You’re still not over it so stop talking about it in the past tense.  If he had a handler today, you would have been escorted away. Thankfully some Army recruiters were there, though, in case you got rough.

Jaimie: Fair enough. Any last impressions of Day 2?

J.B.: Well as someone who normally feels out of place in any group setting, I definitely felt like that today in the exhibition hall, but at the same time I was very proud of that fact. On the other hand, while watching people slap fight over a rare copy of Catwoman, I was wondering how many of these folks dressed like superheroes would rise to the occasion in the face of a threat or evil.

Jaimie: They should watch the Wonder Woman movie to learn how to correctly fight with a sword. She gives tips, folks! She’s not all fashion, you know.

We ended the night away from the Comic Con, by stopping to see the new movie Coraline in 3D. I think we were both disappointed in the quality of the story. I thought the animation, however, was gorgeous.

J.B.: The animation was worth the $14 tickets.

Ok, I’m laughing now, I can’t help it.

No, it was top notch animation but a stinker of a story with more endings than Return of the King.

Jaimie: I believe there was even a second breakfast or two.

J.B.: Breakfast for dinner.  Like Denny’s!

Jaimie: It’s hard to make a movie just over 90 minutes long feel endless, but there was a little bit of that here.

J.B.: I’ll grant some leeway because we were tired when we saw it but a better story would have held my attention. Still, I think the Watchmen clip raised the bar too high.

Jaimie: Highest point of the day was Watchmen?

J.B.: Excluding my dinner? Watchmen.  If I could eat that dish again, though, while watching Watchmen, then it would be Mega-Watchsome.

Jaimie: On that note, in closing I think we should give a shout out to the restaurant Fetch up on 92nd and Third Ave, NYC, for putting up with our tired, martini-ed asses for two nights in a row. Good food, and excellent martinis.

And the staff never commented on some unusual conversations they overheard.

J.B.: Skip dessert, though, and just get a third cocktail.  They’ve been very gracious hosts these past two nights while we pick apart the day’s events.

Now tomorrow is all television content for us.

Jaimie: We’re hoping for some Lost highlights, as well as Fringe and possibly Chuck. And maybe even some more ridiculous costumes.

J.B.: We can only hope.  I think I saw the Peanut Butter Jelly Time Banana today.  And while I’m not sure how that is relevant to the theme of the weekend, I’m sure that will be in my dreams tonight only with button eyes or something.

Jaimie: Then it was all worth it, as far as I’m concerned. Until tomorrow, Poptimal Fans!

J.B.: That didn’t make any sense.

Jaimie: Say good night, J.B..

J.B.: Excelsior!

Day 2 Pics

Faker: The Unofficial Mascot of NY Comic Con.

With great power comes great fitting spandex!

Pac Man chasing something other than a ghost.

Darth Vader maintains order in the line.

Stormtroopers on a break.

Lou Ferrigno signs autographs.

Day 1 Wrap Up

J.B.:  Today is the first day of NY Comic Con. We arrived after work to watch two cartoons: the latest  Futurama movie, Into the Wild Green Yonder and the Warner Bros./DC Comics joint venture, Wonder Woman.  After a late evening of watching cartoons with a hot mess of freaks, geeks, and other social misfits, we retired to the Upper East Side for some martinis and a reflection on the day’s events.

So how do you think it’s going so far?

Jaimie: I think the pro-feminist vibe was unusual. Who was more pro-feminist: Wonder Woman or Leela?

J.B.:  That’s a good question. I would have to say Wonder Woman because she kicked serious male ass.

Jaimie: Better question: who was more annoying about it? Because I’d have to say Leela. Wonder Woman is my new hero.

J.B.: Oh Leela definitely, but that was the point of that role.  To mock feministas who are feministas just because of their genitalia, like it’s a default setting.

Jaimie: Futurama, though funnier than Wonder Woman, surprised me with a little bit of its “We’re going green!” and feminist/anti-feminist messages.

Though everyone’s going green these days, so I probably shouldn’t be so surprised. Green is the new trendy, after all.

J.B.: That’s true and the show has a history of pandering to those things. One of Al Gore’s daughters used to write for the show and he made a guest appearance when they were still making new episodes.

Jaimie: Really? Al Gore’s daughter? Whoever said you were a source of useless information was clearly wrong.

Oh wait, that was probably me

J.B.: Probably.  Excuse me, waiter, can we get another round?

The “green” aspect of the latest film was not that heavy-handed.  It talked about not allowing development to destroy natural habitats and even my crusty old heart can’t disagree with that message.

I think it was more of a commentary on the absurdity of fringe protest groups who do nothing more than come up with stupid chants, see, e.g., Code Pink.

Jaimie: Yes, the movie definitely made its point about the Code Pink-like groups. Though I haven’t seen much of Futurama, absurdity is obviously one of its strong points. And very well done

I’d recommend, even though I’m not a regular watcher.

J.B.: That is true.  They are very good at pointing out ridiculousness and absurd behaviors.  Even though the show takes place 1000 years into the future, it is still a commentary on our modern times.

I think that’s what makes the show so interesting.  That and the regular, random shout-outs to sci-fi and other dorky matters that even I don’t get all the time.

Jaimie: Which is saying something, because you’re one of the biggest dorks I know.

J.B.: One thing I guess even future technology can’t bring, though, is two screens that work. What was up with that at the screening?

Jaimie: Yeah, FYI – big convention featuring sci-fi – try to get the current technology right. We’re in a large auditorium, with two huge screens set up on either side of the room so everyone has a clear view, and the right side’s (our) video screen kept going out.  Not a good way to start the weekend

J.B.: Well, not everyone had a clear view.  Big Head in front of me wasn’t helpful.

Jaimie: But that probably goes to show how good the movie was, that the malfunctioning system didn’t deter us.

J.B.: True.  I squinted like nobody’s business.

Jaimie: So your rating – buy on DVD immediately? Wait for TV?

J.B.: Yes, definitely.  Buy it when it comes out. Don’t wait for the installments on Comedy Central. I know I didn’t with the last three films.

And one thing that’s nice is they finally ended the series with some sense of closure.  Not satisfying closure but some form of closure. We can only hope that Lost or Battlestar will be as good.

Jaimie: Very true. Although I’d say they left the door open for a few more installments, even with good closure.

And now Wonder Woman. Another question: Is it possible to have a crush on a cartoon character? Because Nathan Fillion as Col. Steve Trevor … I’ll take some of that to go, please.

J.B.: I’d drink to that, for sure.  Actually, waiter, another round please.

Jaimie: These appletinis are all vodka.

J.B.: Barely the right color family, which is why I stick to martinis–it’s all clear so there are never any mistakes . . . except this third round.

Anyway, yes, Col. Trevor was nice, even in cartoon form, but the rest of the audience seemed obsessed with Amazonian sexiness, almost as if they hadn’t been with women in some time.  Was the crowd as, er, enamored with the cartoon as I thought?

Jaimie: First of all, lest the crowd of fanboys revolt on you, let’s call it an “animated movie.”

J.B.: Oh please, it’s a cartoon with breasts.

Jaimie: Fair enough. As for the movie, I should point out it was produced by the same guys who did Batman: The Animated Series (Bruce Timm) so naturally, the quality was going to be high. And though there were a lot more sex jokes than I’m used to seeing from these guys, and a lot more violent death, it was a pretty good movie. Over the top towards the end, but well-animated, and a better written story than we see in most live-action, Hollywood flicks

J.B.: I’d agree.  The ending was a bit much, but sex jokes, women shooting things, and a lot of action are far better than what we see from most films that make it to the theatre.  This one is just going to be on DVD (March 3!)

They made me say that, sorry.

Jaimie: But worth it. The action was really well done. As was the voice acting. I think I may actually buy this myself.

J.B.: Very true.  I was surprisingly impressed with this film, which is odd since I’ve always enjoyed Batman: The Animated Series. I can’t say I’ll buy this though because why buy the milk when you can get the cow for free.

But on balance, strongly recommend Wonder Woman for when it comes out on March 3.  It’s better than most things you’d see in the theatre.

Jaimie: It was very entertaining. Makes me crazy that Paul Blart has been number one at the box office, and this is going straight to video.

Any other first impressions of Comic Con? It’s only Day One, and Friday is the quiet day, so the costumes should turn up a notch tomorrow

J.B.: What about that Pac Man costume we saw?

Jaimie: That was actually pretty good. A life-sized Pac Man, sadly not gobbling up any ghosts. Hopefully he makes an appearance tomorrow so we can get a picture.

J.B.: True.  I’ll feel like tomorrow will be a success if I just get that picture.  The rest of the outfits though are of weird Japanese cartoons that mean nothing to me.  Where’s Samwise Gamgee?

Jaimie: Getting his feet waxed, I think.

J.B.: I hope!

Jaimie: The new Streetfighter movie comes out this February, and the highlight piece we saw before Wonder Woman didn’t go over too well with the crowd. Lots of boos and laughter over casting choices. It’s all Michael Clarke Duncan, Chris Klein, and the guy from Black Eyed Peas. As long as it’s better than Jean Claude Van Damme’s version, it can’t be too bad, right?

J.B.: That film was all about the original film, though with JVD, right?  Wait, they made a new version of it?  I was only half paying attention, crying in the fetal position.

Jaimie: JVD is not in the new Streetfighter movie. http://streetfightermovie.net/

J.B.: That’s a good thing, but I think people are too harsh on the JVD.  The muscles from Brussels was far superior to Steven Segal.

Jaimie: I agree, especially because JVD was HOT back in the day. But we don’t need to go into that.

J.B.: No, we’re not that drunk. Wait, wait, did you just say the dude from Election is in a movie again?

Jaimie: Yes, unfortunately for us all.

J.B.: More interesting in the pre-show material was that funny Transformers cartoon we saw. (http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1808795)

Well now that we’ve complete lost track of the purpose of this conversation, we should wrap it up so I can go watch Battlestar Galactica.

What are your thoughts going into Day Two?

Jaimie: I think we have a lot to look forward to, visiting the cast of Fringe and Chuck, and maybe some sneak previews of The Watchmen, the new Terminator, and Friday the 13th.

Plus, the costumes! The mayhem! And we check out the vendors tomorrow, so the only thing stopping me from a good weekend is if Joshua Jackson slaps me with a restraining order.

I mean, not that he has reason to, right? Right??  I’m just saying. (bye Joshua!)

J.B.: Um, we’ll leave that to you and your therapist.

I think the most interesting part of the weekend will be roaming the exhibition hall of the Javits Center wondering where our lives went off into this direction.  Oh wait, now that’s clearly the gin talking.

Jaimie: Yeah, let’s not make snap judgments until AFTER you’ve spent a ton of money on toys and merchandise

J.B.: If they have that Darth Maul/Sidious matching salt and pepper shaker, it’s mine!

Anyway, I’m optimistic.  We had two great screenings tonight, a bag of crappy potato chips when all the food vendors closed for the evening, and complaining about the static character developments on Fringe.  What more could I ask for?

Jaimie: Well that’s it for Day One, folks! It can only get better from here!

J.B.: Stay tuned for more updates from The J Factor at NY Comic Con. Until then, help me Joss Whedon, you’re my only hope.