Comic-Con: A new geek world

Comic-Con 2010 in San Diego has become double-edged light saber for comic fans. With every announcement of Joss Whedon as a director of The Avengers, there is a Glee panel spoiling a future Rocky Horror Picture Show/Britney Spears episode and a gooey Zac Efron preview to keep a geek’s Spiderman underwear in a wedgie bunch.

With Hollywood touted to own the convention already, these geeks are at a loss. The cool kids have once again crashed into their own subculture festival, just like the ‘90s grunge mosh pit. Tron and other films’ buzz squashed the comic events such as the appearance of five new mutants in X-Men after a five-year ban on new characters since 2006. The applause for these hyped-up storylines was drowned out by cheers of videogame fanatics over Street Fighter vs. Tekken.

Is this the astonishing one-panel death of the ponytailed slob that is the comic book guy? Yes, it might be the end. Yet, like any good gimmicky plot, there is a resurrection.

With his extinction, there is the birth of the new geek, the superhero fan. As the encyclopedic comic book guy was a stickler for continuity on the printed page, the superhero fan embraces the freedom that their favorite characters now have to roam and fly into cinemas and TV screens and swing back to graphic novels without restraint, building their own mythology for everybody to enjoy; and simultaneously encouraging fans to join the storytelling process through videogames like DCU online that allow players to become caped crusaders side by side with Batman and the entire Justice League in a virtual multiplayer world.

So, with every report of a pen-stabbing incident over long lines to see a preview of Cowboys vs. Aliens starring Harrison Ford, there are victories for fanboys at the end of the line. It is the thrill of seeing capes and creatures flying all around you. In the pre-Matrix era, all this hype would be contained underground or in an issue of Wizard magazine.

Today, you can’t help but thank Hollywood for this revolution despite some hot air productions like the Last Airbender. Even with its commercialization, fandom can’t complain because the projects are written under the right pens. J.J. Abrams is bridging the gap between Star Trek type sci-fi and the common viewer. 300 director Zack Synder is bringing Kill Bill-type cheese with Sucker Punch. The film adaptation of Green Lantern and the Spider-Man videogame are overseen by fan-favorite comic writers. There isn’t much to be angry about in Hulk-smash fashion because geeks now rule the world. Like Spiderman, the time is now for geeks to embrace this new status with responsibility, suit up, and enjoy the ride.

Geek Survival 101

With this new status quo, there are new rules in fandom for the now prehistoric comic book guy. He must learn to adopt and evolve like a mutant. Below is a super speedy guide to geek survival and trends in 2010.

1. Indie rules: Aside from the Avengers film, the second biggest Comic-Con buzz came from independent publishers. The small-town zombie series The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman had the most buzz for its upcoming cable TV series. With this much freaky hype, it might chomp on True Blood’s entrails and catapult zombies as the next “It” monster. Indie book-films are getting tons of support because their creators are being  fully paid and recognized unlike their characters in major publications. 

2. Share your world: Worlds are colliding as media is meshing continuity into mythology and ushering new subcultures. Made-for-TV characters like Chloe from Smallville and Batman Beyond are sliding into comic book form. Tron, Fringe and even Lady Gaga are jumping into it, too, and making their fans turn into graphic-novel readers. In the virtual world, Tekken is finally dueling with the Street Fighter crew with their respective developers coming out with their own version of the game. The once male-dominated arena is being invaded by female geeks with Glee productions, cosplay attire and bad Twilight makeup. The rise of female fans isn’t so bad because geek love might finally come true for the lonely nerd. If not, they can always play nice online with Marvel and DC’s multiplayer worlds.

3. Look like Mr. Fantastic: The paparazzi presence of Entertainment Weekly and other big press in the Comic con has been a cue for overweight stubbly Jedis to finally shape up and look like the real Han Solo. Geeks are slimming down and finally fitting in their tights. Today’s superhero fan may not look like a Bench model, but his odor at least will no longer repel like kryptonite.

4. No more dreary capes: Mainstream stories are ushering in an age of optimism because the past years have been mostly about shock and awe. Superman is not flying but walking across America to give hope. X-Men’s hottest character today is named Hope. The Avengers have begun a new Heroic age and DC has a title starring Aquaman called Brightest Day. It is time to put your Neil Gaiman goth outfit away and look forward to a more exciting superhero world.

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E-mail me at readnow@supreme.ph.