This past weekend was a true nerd’s weekend.
Friday was Star Wars Day. May the Fourth by with you was too obvious a slogan to let pass. I didn’t do anything “Star Warsy” but that doesn’t change that it’s a day for folks like me.
Saturday was Free Comic Book Day. My local comic book store put on an event to celebrate the day. There were comic bagging contests (I won a round), raffles (I won a Cheetah bust), folks in costumes, and of course comic books (free and otherwise). I wore an Age of Animus t-shirt to promote the site, but sadly nobody asked me about it. With a little planning, I might be able to produce something to give away at next year’s FCBD.
Of course, these “freebies” aren’t really free. The comic publishers put them out at a net loss, but the retailers still have to pay a minimal amount for them. The idea being that the folks that take the freebies will like what they see and come back for the real (read: full price) comics. Without the weight of a publishing house behind me, I’ll be absorbing the entire cost and the scope will be limited (my local comic book shop and that’s about it), but it’s a start.
I met a good number of folk at the event and we talked about all kinds of nerdy subjects. It’s nice to meet new people with the same interests to bring a fresh voice or new perspective to the conversations you’ve been having for years with your friends.
Sunday, we went to see The Avengers. I thought it was okay…better than okay, it was good. It’s well worth seeing on the big screen (in 2D), I just didn’t think it was GREAT. There were parts I felt dragged on or didn’t add enough to the movie to be included (like the Pepper Potts scene with Tony Stark in the beginning). What’s funny though is that if they hadn’t been included in the movie and only released as deleted scenes on the DVD, I’d probably have felt they should have been included in the movie. I’m crazy that way.
Joss Whedon did an excellent job of balancing the screen time so that each hero had his or her time to shine. Iron Man/Tony Stark was understandably given top billing, but I felt like the best scenes were the ones involving the Hulk/Bruce Banner. After two disappointing movie efforts, it was nice to see Hulk done right. Mark Ruffalo was great as Banner.
I think it’s inevitable that when The Dark Knight Rises comes out people will compare it negatively to the Avengers because it won’t (I think) be as successful at the box office. I don’t think it will be a fair comparison because the two movies have two different approaches. Nolan’s Batman trilogy is dark, gritty and trying to ground itself a little more in reality. The Avengers, and the movies leading up to it, are colourful, explosive and fun. I think DC needs to get their act together and start handing their properties to people who know what they’re doing to create a cohesive movie universe like Marvel. I want a Justice League movie darnit!
Sadly, my next big nerd weekend isn’t scheduled until September. I’m already looking forward to it.