What it’s like to experience C2E2 from a first-time con goer (Day 2)
More Batman comics than you can shake a stick at, a little anime, a little art-buying and even a chance to make friends encapsulates C2E2’s second day.
If Friday eased me into both cons as a whole and C2E2, then Saturday was a whole different thing entirely. There were way more people, for starters, and I upped my number of panels from two yesterday to three and a screening today. Welcome back to Tales from the Con. If this is your first read, suffice it to say that I’ve never been to a con before, and this is my first encounter.
As always, let’s talk some fashion first.
Keeping in theme with yesterday, I again donned a Star Wars shirt, this time featuring Leia Organa herself. I put it under a cardigan that, get this, has pockets.
Some C2E2 fashion from day 2. Image taken by C. Wassenaar.
I started my day off with Ricky Whittle and Yetide Bataki of American Gods, who were the featured guests at a panel for the show. Then it was time to wander and make some purchases… and then go back to panels.
While in line for DC’s Batman-devoted panel (yes, DC had an amalgamated panel and then a solely Bat-panel; yes, it’s wild), I met a Merida cosplayer who happened to need a Tylenol, which I happily provided. See, I’m learning already, and it’s only my second day of my first con!
I’m not sure if that qualifies as making a new best friend, but it definitely qualifies for… something. (Hi, Mary!)
Mary McClimon as Merida at C2E2. Image taken by C. Wassenaar.
Let’s get into the Bat-panel itself. Tim King, Joëlle Jones, Tony Daniel, Clay Mann, Sean Gordon Murphy and Tim Seeley were all on hand, while Jamie Rich moderated. Up first was Batman #44 — also known as the famous issue featuring both Batman and Catwoman trying on their wedding attire on the covers.
The panel also came with a preview of issue 45, which involves Daniel working on both the cover and the interior art. Booster Gold and Hal Jordan both appear, and here’s a spoiler — Booster Gold will save Batman’s parents in the past, so for three issues, we’ll see what happens when Batman doesn’t exist. (Turns out that Dick Grayson becomes Batman anyway, just with guns.) Issue #46 will involve Catwoman escaping Arkham. The cover for Batman #50 was also shown, with a fully costumed Batman kissing Catwoman (her cowl on) in her wedding dress.
DC Nation #0 will have a Joker story with a variant cover that sees him presiding over a version of the Bat-Cat wedding. The story itself has him waiting patiently at a random house for his invitation to the wedding.
Batman: Prelude to the Wedding will also arrive starting in May as a five-issue special series, with the covers all shown — in order, Damian Wayne vs. Ra’s al Ghul, Nightwing vs. Hush, Batgirl vs, The Riddler, Red Hood vs. Anarky and Harley Quinn vs. the Joker. One of the biggest announcements came for Jones: she will start a Catwoman standalone series in July, going on sale on the same day as Batman #50. She will write it as well.
But Bat-things aside, sometimes a girl just has to indulge her manga love, and that’s what led me to the Kodansha panel.
I got what I was coming for within 10 minutes: the announcement of a new edition of Sailor Moon, published in 10 volumes because they’re larger, and with some never-before-published color pages. I am not ashamed to admit the following. My reaction involved me bouncing in my seat. Battle Angel Alita will also get a reprint in hardcover ahead of the Hollywood movie. The short story collection will also arrive in English for the first time.
There was also a giveaway, and I don’t feel ashamed in saying I grabbed the first volume of Again!! by Mitsurou Kubo — one of the creators of Yuri!!! on Ice. In exchange, I asked a question about Sailor Moon (of course) and why it was getting a re-release. Short answer was that it was time to give the series something more “collectible.”
A ton of Kodansha’s books were also on early sale. Yes, I stopped by. Finally, I went to see the first screening of Daphne & Velma — more on that soon.
Here are today’s freebies:
- A “Save the Date” card for Catwoman and Batman’s wedding, listing out the release dates of all the related comics.
- A Kodansha sampler of seven titles.
- A free Attack on Titan comic ahead of Free Comic Book Day.
- A DC Comics poster, and several free DC sampler comics.
- A Joan of Arc comic.
Freebies from C2E2. Image taken by C. Wassenaar.
But it wasn’t just a free day. I went over my budget by a whopping $5 (because food), but I did buy the first volume of Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku and then some art prints.
First up, here’s a Leia print from AsherBee:
Art print by AsherBee; image taken by C. Wassenaar.
And then some, surprise surprise, Sailor Moon prints from Risa “Vylla” Hulett:
Sailor Moon art prints by Risa Hulett. Image taken at C2E2 by C. Wassenaar.
So, what’s on tap for tomorrow? It’s a bit more of a Marvel day for me — stay tuned for tomorrow’s readout of panels and the con experience as a whole!