DangerWrites Web Feed

Getting things sorted.

17/5/2012

This is probably going to be the shortest of all posts on here I promise you. The room is in a right state of shambles, things are missing and I need to tidy up. So let’s start off with last weekend. By rights I should have been at Bristol Expo. Instead I saved the cash, or at least attempted to for another con, more on that later. I’ve been going to Bristol for past three years and only this time round with a heavy heart I decided not to go, I know a lot of friends whom I’ve made at various other cons went there, and it would have been great to meet up with them.

The convention had a few cancellations including the guest of honour, Batman writer Denny O’Neil had to pull out because of health issues and top artists like Mike Collins and Dave Taylor couldn’t attend for various reasons. Bristol’s a nice place to go to and when I went there for the first time back in 2009, I couldn’t believe how busy the place was, it had a great atmosphere. So what did I do in place of sketch hunting and buying comics? I hear you ask? Well I was work doing a nightshift.

I’ve seen a great film called Chronicle which I’m going to post my review of the film shortly but I’m getting ready for Kapow. I can’t believe it’s been a year since the last convention, I know not many fans I spoke to have fond words for Mark Millar’s comic/media fest, tales of over stretched queues, Ive heard them all.

The organisers decided to put the convention a week after Bristol Expo. Which I think had an effect on Bristol and I’ve read differing reports on how the con went down. Prior to getting my tickets for Kapow. I tried interviewing Lucy and Sarah Unwin, who are the brains behind Kapow but I got met with a blank wall. Hopefully they’ll have taken fans concerns on aboard and changed things around.
I’ll be doing a write up of the event next week when I get back and till then I’m going back to sorting my room out.

This is all i'm taking with me to London, two sketchbooks, a few comics, two graphic novels, and two dustjackets from books. The mouse isn't included. I'm travelling light.

Something old, something new

4/5/2012

These lot aren't going to last long...

I’ve been keeping my eye on the new 52 as DC likes to call it, I’ve added Batman and various other books to my pull list and this week they bought new titles Earth 2 by James Robinson and Nicola Scott and World Finest by former DC head honcho Paul Levitz and George Perez and Kevin Maguire sharing art duties on the book.

Since they started afresh last year, or well copied with what Marvel did back in 1996 and in recent times, sales have been good and books like Batman, JL and various other books have sold well but it's also divided fan opinion. Now outside of Batman, I’ve struggled to understand the complexities that is the DC Universe. But I’ve always picked up books like Kingdom Come, Crisis On Infinite Earths, Infinite Crisis which both deal with the sprawling continuity are well worth reading. Post new 52 writers Levitz and Robinson have gone back to reintroducing the alternate worlds that DC have done so well prior to the revamp.

Having given carte blanche, Robinson embarks on a dramatic overhaul of characters like Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and Flash, who are normally mainstays of the Golden Age and are best seen in a period setting. However they’ve been transferred to modern times and the former writer of Superman starts off by de-aging Alan Scott who is an early incarnation of Green Lantern for those of you who’ve just seen the Ryan Reynolds film.

Scott lives on an alternative earth recovering from a devastating attack by big bad Darkseid and Steppenwolf (not the seventies band) and a legion of Parademons, last seen in Geoff Johns and Jim Lee’s Justice League. Robinson wastes no time in killing off Superman and Wonder Woman and Batman sacrifices his life to save the world. With a line drawn in the sand, In other words he’s going down the same route that Mark Millar and Brian Michael Bendis did for Ultimate Marvel. Robinson’s got artist Nicola Scott to back him up. Her clean and crisp pencilling sells for it me and it’s worth keeping an eye on this one.

Told ya so!!!

Robinson and Scott’s new book neatly segue ways into the first issue of World’s Finest: Huntress and Power Girl. I felt that I had to get Earth Two to understand what was going on in World’s Finest. Like many super heroines Power Girl has to rank as one of the sexiest comic book characters most likely to her... well cleavage.. So out goes the white leotard for something more conservative for the former Supergirl. DC have drafted in George Perez and Kevin Maguire doing the art duties for this book and both of them know how to draw women so that helps.

The two ladies are refugees from Earth Two and have made it into the new DC earth after being mysteriously transported there and they’ve been living on it for five years, and the both of them are trying to find a way back home. Writer and co creator of Huntress, Levitz has reinstates the origins of the character from Helena Bertinelli to Helena Wayne, the daughter of Batman and Catwoman from Earth 2.

With Earth 2 and World Finest, I can't help the feeling that something big is going to kick off another Crisis arc??

It’s quite a decent read thanks to the contributions of Maguire and Perez, if they’ll stay on the book then it should be worth tuning in for. It’s the first time I’ve bought a book which Perez isn’t drawing large super teams, still the idea of him back on Justice League is quite a good one...

The Mighty World of Cinematic Marvel.

1/5/2012

Last Thursday, my Facebook feed and Twitter page was surrounded with updates like "I geeked out at that bit in the end credits, cuz I was enjoying it all so damn much!“It was everything it should have been and more.” And the term “Mewling quim” is now a meme. Well if you’re probably dense or well can’t be bothered to go to the cinema then it’s all about Avengers Assemble.

For many fans this was D-day or more precisely Avengers day and people have been waiting for five years for the big pay off. AA thought big like Godzilla big. It’s already made £118 millon in ticket sales and it’s broken worldwide box office records. Joss Whedon’s film resembled a Marvel comic of the old days, or more specifically, Mark Millar’s and Bryan Hitch’s earlier run on The Ultimates. It had the balls to open without an intro or even a montage to all the characters that appear in the film so no soup for newcomers.

This was the culmination of plot threads from both Iron Man films, The Incredible Hulk and the recent Captain America and Thor movies. Backed by a powerful alien force, the Chitauri, the exiled Viking god of mischief, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) steals the Tesseract, a powerful Asgardian object capable of opening rifts in space. If that’s not worse he uses his abilities to control the minds of Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Dr Erik Selvig (Stellan John Skarsgård) to escape from SHEILD director, Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson).

Naturally, our kid Nick decides enough is enough and doesn’t want an evil mother f*cking Asgardian god on his mother f*cking turf. And so, Jules Winnfield reopens the Avenger initiative and brings Captain America (Chris Evans) Iron Man (Robert Downey Junior) the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and superspy, Black Widow (Scarlet Johannson) into the fray to stop Loki’s evil scheme of conquering the planet.
After Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and Black Widow apprehend the evil demi god, personalities begin to clash, atop the SHEILD helicarrier. Soon Iron Man wants to knock Cap’s lights out, Black Widow needs to sort out a mind controlled Hawkeye, and thanks to Loki’s plotting, an enraged Hulk soon appears, leading to an almighty scrap between him and Thor. The spectacular clash between them makes the Lou Ferrigno and Eric Kramer bout look like a school ground brawl.

Everyone gets some good screen time; after all it’s an ensemble film. Evans clearly has refined his role as Steve Rogers, RDJ’s Tony Stark benefits from Whedon’s trademark humour. Hiddleston’s Loki goes to new extremes as the main bad guy Loki in particular, in a scene involving him and Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff.

But it’s all about the man in green, “the other guy” as Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner points out. Some Hulk fans, like myself might moan that his appearances have been reduced to just two Hulk outs which is like the TV show. When the Hulk’s on screen it really does matter. Ruffalo’s Hulk and Banner is a revelation to be seen. ILM who animated the green big'un back for Ang Lee’s film have finally cracked it.

Apparently a new Hulk movie is planned for 2015, just in time for hoverboards, Gray's sports almanac, electronic Nike trainers and all I need is a De Lorean to see this film.

The new Hulk courtesy of Ruffalo’s motion capture blending in the actor’s likeness. Having inherited the role from previous Banner, Ed Norton. The former nuclear physicist has moved on from what happened in the 2008 film and adding a Bixby like coolness to the part.
So is this the film the big game changer for all comic book films? Well apart from seeing Christopher Reeve fly one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen at an early age was Adam West’s Batman and Burt Ward taking on “the United Underworld” which included Catwoman, the Joker, Riddler and the Penguin atop a submarine.

Fans at a younger age might just cringe at seeing the ‘66 film but for me it was a comic come to life. I had the same kind of kinetic buzz when it came to the film’s action packed finale, a Bryan Hitch inspired melee involving invading aliens, Loki and the Avengers that has to be seen in 3D, or even when a furious Hulk throws Loki around like child playing with toy doll.

There’s been other great comic related films, too many for me to list for this review right now but I can say Avengers is now one of them. It’s changed the bar just like the Dark Knight back in 2008, like many naysayers I know quite a lot of them, said this film wouldn’t work. The strength of Chris Nolan’s Batman films is that they’re grounded in reality whereas the “Cinematic Marvel Universe” has always been rooted in super science and fantasy. Now DC/Warner tried this with Green Lantern last year and it didn’t work.

So Joss, you deserve a massive big up. I can’t believe my sister met him a few years ago. Aside from his creations which include Buffy and Firefly, directing a film which includes characters from different films combining it with a large dose of humour and amazing set pieces truly is a large feat but the 47-year old film maker has pulled it off, which makes up for bungling studio execs torching his planned Wonder Woman movie and mauling his X-Men script. Undoubtedly this will propel him into the big leagues.

I didn’t see the Avengers last week I actually saw the breadth and beauty of the Marvel Universe come to life. It’s full of gods and monsters, a lady in skin tight leather who could probably match Emma Peel. I just wish Spider-Man was in it swinging the Manhattan skyscrapers, a cameo from Hugh Jackman would have been nice as well! Some poor cinema goer couldn’t handle all this sensory overload and promptly went sick as the film went on.

But I’ll leave you from a quote from a friend called Mace who saw it last week. “I close my eyes, and I can still see the awesome.”

Friday nights alright for fighting.

27/4/2012

Let’s face it the weather for this month has been abysmal. On Wednesday, I wasn’t planning to buy some comics but the geek inside compelled me to go outside in the pouring rain. When I checked out the local comic hangout there wasn’t many comics I wanted to get so this week and the shelves were quite dry in contrast to the weather outside.

One title that did catch my eye is Avengers Vs X-Men Versus#1. I’m still outside the courtroom regarding my thoughts on Marvel’s big massive crossover for this year. Perhaps I’m suffering from crossover fatigue but versus can be seen as a companion title to the main storyline, when I was at my local comic shop this week I had a flick through at one of the crossover books, a recent Avengers book which left me cold, it was a pointless back-story which was like a bad episode of Lost. Come to think of Lost, I think of all them were bad having seen the way it ended.

In regards to versus, it makes no apologies for the “Awesome Brawling” that’s inside the first issue. Now I would have left this on the shelves had it not been for writer Jason Aaron and artist Adam Kubert.

It’s a joy seeing Adam Kubert back to drawing Marvel characters, using traditional storytelling techniques honed by his father Joe Kubert. The second page done by Kubert utilises the well known nine panel structure and that’s something I haven’t seen in many modern comics and details on and off alcoholic Tony Stark doing Mano-a-mano with Max Eisenhardt, which then gives way to a full two page spread with Magneto about to drop a 170 ton tower on Iron Man ouch!

If you thought that was enough the outrageousness continues as Aaron’s joined in the second half by artist Stuart Immonen as he pencils an epic undersea tussle between The Thing and the Sub Mariner. For those expecting seriousness, go back to reading the Walking Dead. This is probably the most entertaining comic I’ve read this week, it’s come off the back of something that I’m still unsure about but it’s written in a whimsical manner by Aaron. For those suffering from crossover blues this book might be for you.

Double entendres galore as the Thing goes fishing with the Sub Mariner.

Before I go, there’s a little film called Avengers Assemble out right now, it should be called Avengers and I’m currently writing my review on it which I’ll post up sometime next week.

Somebody turn the bloody lights on!

13/4/2012

A few months back I was planning to go and watch the Darkest Hour, I hadn’t heard much about this and I wanted to check it out, screw the rest of the critics! On the surface, it’s got some great ideas to it, innovative aliens, an invasion film that’s not set in America which bucks the trend it was shot in 3D which makes it triple bonus and it’s produced by Timur Bekmambetov, the man behind the Nightwatch films. What could go wrong? Read on!

Emile Hirsch and Max Minghella are Sean and Ben, two aspiring American new media entrepreneurs who travel to Russia to seal a business deal that will make them multi-millionaires. No sooner than arriving in the land of Vodka they find out that they’ve been bamboozled by their wily Swedish business partner, Skylar( Joel Kinnamen), who’s made a deal behind their back with Russian business partners.

The duo drown their sorrows at a nightclub where they cross paths with fellow Yank Natalie (Olivia Trilby) and her Aussie friend Anne, played by Rachael Taylor. Just as the party is getting started, all the powers cuts out. Along with revellers they rush outside to see what has happened, the night is lit up like an aurora borealis but when the light falls to the ground like glitter trouble occurs as the light is actually a bunch of aliens in disguise who mark their first hostile takeover on Earth by stopping off in Russia for Vodka I guess.

Actors Taylor and Minghella attempt to skive off filming, by going sightseeing. Ok gang who's got the map?

Like the norm with alien invasion flicks our American friends plus one Aussie and a Swede flee in panic as the Martians begin turning people into dust. Max and co hide out in the cellar of the club for a few days in an absolutely pointless montage. When it came to this point in the film, it went dead for me. Better directors especially those who can make better Sci-Fi films, sadly Chris Gorak isn’t Steven Speilberg. Gorak made the critically acclaimed, Right At Your Door. He clearly hasn’t been doing any research on superior films like War Of The Worlds and countless other films I can name off the top of my head.

The main actors can’t commit themselves to their roles due to the poor story, probably the likes of Hirsh and Trilby were far more interested in going on a sightseeing tour of Russia as opposed to acting. But it’s Russian actors like Veronika Ozerova and Dato Bakhtadze despite having smaller roles steal the limelight from a really pithy script, they play Sergei and Vika, a pair of survivors who meet the travellers whilst fleeing from the aliens. Could the film have been a lot better had it have focused on them? I guess we’ll never know.

These lot run rings around Hirsch and the rest of the young cast. Even the cat does more acting than them...

Now, I can go on talking more about this film and it’s shocking climax, “the fight back begins!” And that’s where Gorak chooses to leave it. But I can’t find the energy to write more about this film. It’s either that or I’ve just found out that I’ve got no Lucozade in the house.

These are the aliens in the Darkest Hour and that's all there is.....

Memorable? At Birmingham Memorabilia Spring 2012

3/4/2012

Compared to ten years ago where I spent an insane amount of time at Memorabila right up to closing time, the hours just flew by and whilst looking for back issues in the bargain bin, I briefly spoke to a comic dealer who didn’t know who the Fantastic Four were.
It’s changed since the last time I went, it reminds me of the Memorabilia of old where there were loads of comics and film related dealers everywhere and that’s goes back to more than ten years. Looking back to those days, I tend to think of the event as my first convention, I went there as press a few times, one of my relatives used to have a stall there as well selling some of my old stuff. But I’m back to being normal punter..

Ever since it’s inception in 1994, the two-day event has always been seen as something for everyone. I began going there in 96 and since then I’ve been a regular; I remember when X-Men artist Frank Quitely turned up to promote a Batman book he’d done. In modern times, a massive queue would form for him like there was at Kapow last year. But back then there wasn’t much of a fuss and I walked right pass the soon to be Scottish comic superstar whilst he was signing and sketching, big all time regret..

Now being at cons like these walking around,waiting for signings, buying stuff from stalls can work up an appetite. When I went to the restaurant I can’t believe how overpriced the food was! £9.85 for Fish and Chips with Coca Cola?! Now that’s taking the urine! Ever since MCM Expo took over there’s been some changes. The weekend gone it had actors from the Walking Dead and the Hunger Games sharing space with veteran actor Leslie Philips Ding Dong! Attendees were queuing for wrestlers and robot wars. The latter I’ve never really understood.

Whilst various stalls were flogging their wares and massive displays of upcoming films, organisers filled the hall by having a mini Comic Con all the exhibitors ranging from artists and small press, indie exhibitors there were all regulars at various conventions I’ve been to. MCM Expo are the biggest convention organisers around, but with criticism aimed at them i.e. that they’re just catering for fans of anime when it comes to comics, and the likes of Kapow and the recent London Super Comic Con nipping at their toes they need to up their game in order to get the comic crowd in. Still a competition was held and good artists like Transformers artist Lee Bradley, Al Davison and the brilliant Huy Truong were present and doing sketches for a busy crowd.

Leading Manga artist, Destiny Blue AKA Alice De St Croix is probably one of the most busiest artists around these days!

I bought a few action figures which I’m trying to cram into my shelf right now, some comics and well that’s about it really, overall the show was ok. If the organisers are serious about competing with other conventions, then why not create some links with those working in the comic industry, perhaps get some more overseas comic artists which they do for their London conventions after all they can spend on getting actors can’t they? Or better yet just leave it to the professionals.

As for pics I've taken, they go here instead of Flickr!

Strawberry flavoured comics

30/3/2012

I don’t know how the hell on earth it happened but the comics I bought earlier this week got drenched in fruit juice one of the books I bought, Avengers Vs X Men#0 is now smelling of strawberry flavoured Oasis.

One of the shop assistant’s at Nostalgia and Comics I spoke to wasn’t quite enthusiastic about this one at all, it’s yet another Marvel event and I share his sentiment. AVX is running for twelve issues with crossovers planned in books such as Avengers, Uncanny X Men and Wolverine and the X Men, I’m starting to think when is the backlash for these awfully big adventures going to begin??

A sane Scarlet Witch returns to what she does best, but is she welcomed with open arms? Computer says No.

Marvel truly have thrown the kitchen sink with this one, prior to it’s release it’s been heavily promoted, in fact next week comic shops in the States are planning parties to celebrate it as a matter of fact some dealers are already selling the first issue via eBay.
The zero issue, aka the prelude, sets the scene for next week’s first issue. It puts the spotlight on two women, the Scarlet Witch and Hope Summers as one of them may end up becoming the host for the all powerful and all destructive Phoenix force, which is going to lead into a massive slugfest involving the Avengers and the X Men. Now as us Marvel fans all know the last person to be possessed by the entity, Jean Grey met a sticky end.

I’m viewing this as a stand-alone, I doubt i’ll buy the rest of the series. Marvel have bought in the big guns Brian Michael Bendis and Incredible Hulk writer Jason Aaron on scribing duties. I don’t read much X Men but Aaron writes a powerful segment detailing Hope’s rebellion against her adopted father, Cyclops, and takes it out on the Serpent Gang and her reaction to the arrival of the Phoenix in such a blasé manner.

The series is undoubtedly off to a strong start with artist Frank Cho on the pencils no wonder the ladies, Scarlet Witch and Hope Summers get a fair share of the attention and that’s not forgetting Spider Woman and Miss Marvel (soon to be known as Captain Marvel) who all benefit from Cho’s stunning artistry. So clearly he’s thrown down the gauntlet for John Romita Junior and Stuart Immonen to follow.

My favourite buy of the week is Avenging Spider-Man#5 which is the late great Marvel Team Up in all but name. No massive cross over to other books, well in the next issue anyway. You’d better make the best of Leinil Francis Yu on this one, he's doing double time on Mark Millar’s Supercrooks and drawing Marvel characters is going to be a rarity, especially how Yu’s Peter Parker is modelled on new Spider-Man actor Andrew Garfield.

The Spidey and Cap bromance!

After writing Amazing Spider-Man back in 2010, Zeb Wells truly has the knack for writing the wall crawler it’s a simple tale of Spider-Man bonding with Captain America over comic book art whilst doing taking down the Serpent Gang those lot seem to be doing the rounds this week....

All images Marvel.

An honest mistake

27/3/2012

Summers back in full flow, the weather is boiling and I’m back to blogging again. I’ve been working non-stop for the past week so I haven’t had the time to post anything on here. Just last week I had something come in the post for me but it wasn’t actually for me. When I went to the London Super Comic Con last month, I gave a blank cover for artist Bob Layton to sketch on but his sketch list was full of people asking him to draw what else, Iron Man!

Normally I don't post sketches of what artists have drawn for me but this one's by Simon Bisley.

Having paid the cash for the sketch, Bob said he’d send it off in the post completely free of charge. About a few weeks ago I had an email showing what Bob had drawn for me I was well pleased with what he’d done. From this point onwards things got slightly skewed as last week I got contacted via Facebook from someone in Greece saying he’s got my remarked cover by Bob and I was going to get his.

When the parcel arrived I opened it, and lo and behold it was the Golden Avenger, Iron Man but it wasn’t mine and it belonged to someone called Costas. Bob made an honest mistake and I guess being a busy man he must have accidently swapped covers around but I’m glad it ended up in the hands of Costas as there’s a lot of dodgy people around these days.

I sent off Costas’s remarked blank cover on Friday. I’m hoping he gets it soon.
Cheers Costas!

Bob Layton's well known for drawing Iron Man but I asked him to draw something else....

Assembling and Dissassembling

16/3/2012

Whilst reading the first issue of Avengers Assemble I thought to myself that it really is a throwback to the decade that style forgot, the seventies. But hey I was born during that period and Star Wars was out as well. Bucking the doom and gloom that’s gone in recent Avengers storylines, writer Brian Michael Bendis probably read old Avengers comics by the likes of Steve Englehart and Jim Shooter for inspiration.

Once again as with all team books it’s all about the new line up in the first issue. Obviously with an upcoming film, the group now resemble their movie counterparts, even with a nod to director Joss Whedon and done for an audience who are all locked and loaded for the film’s release.

Art Adams's variant cover for Avengers Assemble#1. Wouldn't be better if he did the interiors?

As for the storyline, set in current Marvel continuity there’s really no surprises Captain America and co reopen Stark Tower and declare that they are open for business. In the meantime the Zodiac gang, a bunch of super criminals who are really into their horoscopes create havoc and are going to lead into Bendis’s new book after Avengers and that’s about it really.

The writer’s working alongside his former Ultimate Spider-Man artist, Mark Bagley, whose bland pencils are saved by expert inker Danny Miki. Bendis has really gone backwards for this one, completely ignoring Jason Aaron’s current run on Hulk. the green goliath’s gone back to being Hulk Smash a go a go! As of yet, there’s no explanation for it. Personally this incarnation of Hulk is going to have a short stay.

On the plus side it’s got Hulk smashing again which is always a bonus but the story is so by the numbers, I know he’s writing for new readers but surely Bendis can accommodate existing readers? Probably this time next year there will be a new Avengers team, Cap will still be in charge but Bendis and Bagley will be off the book for sure.

All Images Marvel.

Everything but the kitchen sink at London Super Comic Con!

29/2/2012

Originally I was in two minds about going to the London Super Comic Con even after the announcement of Stan Lee and after interviewing convention organiser George Panayiotou. Do I give this one a miss or shall I go? There was a lot of nay saying going on about it and friends I speak to on a regular basis weren’t going and there was doubt as to whether I could go along with convention sketches on top. It all changed when I realised I could actually afford it. After booking a hotel for two days, hotels in London do not come cheap, I moseyed on down to the Excel, it was the second time I went to London and I finally cracked the tube system well, at least I think I have...

It’s also the first time I went to the Excel centre, a very spacious venue and evocative of Birmingham’s NEC and an ideal spot to put a convention after all it’s home to London Movie Comic Expo. The organisers of LSCC really did their homework on this one. There was quite a lot of space between comic dealers, and artists and exhibitors; it’s a good call it gave me a chance to move around the venue compared to other places I’ve been to.

The place was quickly filled out with fans waiting to meet various creators; it was the same thing with small press as Jon Lock’s stall was busy over the two days. There was one booth that was a hive of interest for fans and that was the comicworld stall which had a highly talented troupe of Greek artists sketching and signing, it’s where I met Yakinthos Rubus Sekeris who really should be drawing mainstream comics.

At the con after years of trying in fact I was thinking about buying an illustrated piece in Bristol from Simon Bisley, the artist behind Lobo and 2000ad which would have been £200, I finally managed to get a sketch from him, which I was well chuffed with. Soon afterwards, I handed in my sketchbook to artists Mike Norton, Neil Edwards and Miguel Jorge.

I was more content on getting autographs from various creators there. In contrast people bring suitcases, bags, steel cases of comics for artists and writers to sign on, I just bring a few with me. I was left completely flabbergasted at the sight of someone I know who brings suitcases worth of comics to get them signed by creators, I had to help said person to get to the queue that he was in.

I took a lot of money with me and I spent £100 on getting an illustration done by Marvel mainstay artist Mike Deotato Jr. yep that’s right it’s the most expensive sketch I’ve ever bought, I doubt i’ll do it ever again and fellow art collector Dean Abraham gave me a pat on the shoulder for spending such an amount! I’ve been following Mike’s work since his early days at Marvel featured on such books like Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man and Avengers.

Mike turned up on Sunday with his family as he missed his flight; the Brazilian based artist had a backlog of people queuing for him including myself. I spoke to the artist regarding his work and his artistry has changed since the nineties if anything, he’s starting to go back into his photo realistic style and he told me that he “owes writer Peter David a better Hulk!”

Some artists including George Perez operated a pre convention sketch routine which allowed attendees to pick up commissioned pieces from them at the event. In hindsight I wished I’d done that as there were loads of choices for fans on which artists to get and due to the sheer volume of people attending, artist JK Woodward’s pen ran out and Bob Layton, Glenn Fabry were inundated from requests from fans including myself but I’m confident that I’ll be getting some sketches from them soon.

The main draw was of course, Stan Lee. It’s been alleged that it cost £125,000 to have him visit the UK and without a shadow of a doubt that cost has been recouped. The veteran comic creator recently turned 89 and he’s just a few years older than my Nan but he has the energy of a man half his age.

Whilst I was in the queue, I saw fans lining up and getting out comics for him to sign. One punter had the first issue of the Incredible Hulk which had a shilling logo as opposed to a dollar, that kind of comic is quite rare. When it was my turn I really wanted to shake his hand and thank him for shaping my childhood but someone reached out and blocked me which was, no doubt a bummer, cheers random guy for screwing things up.

Asides from seeing creators and seeing writer Si Spurrier snogging Bleeding Cool's Rich Johnston, it was the con faithful I was glad to see. Friends like Milan Kovacs, video blogger Hannah Pickford and Dom Rand who’s gone up in the world since I last saw him; he had his own stall with Image artist Eric Basaldua in tow.

Along with George, the rest of the team behind LSCC John Skoulides and Imran Ahmed deserve a massive big up. The gang behind LSCC have succeeded in creating a convention that almost like the ones in the US even artist Jamal Igle agrees “It’s just like the US but only much kinkier!” joked the Supergirl artist. Another artist and British International Comic Show, co organiser, Andy Baker commented "it’s been very good, a very successful event and quite well organised all in all, I met Stan Lee!"

I spoke to a lot of convention goers over the two days, most of them gave Kapow a big thumbs down, queues that’s overstretched, confusion over signings etc, but I had a good time last year, money issues permitting I’ll be going there but I doubt I’ll be spending like I did on the weekend.
As with all cons, it left me totally wrecked having said that It’s a great start to the con season, and this has to go down in as one of the best convention experiences I’ve ever had.