I might as well tell you now that the answer to the above question is a resounding yes. Kapow! may have been my first comic book convention, but I can state for a fact that there's never been anything else in the UK that has managed to bring the excitement and star power of SDCC to these shores. Yes, there are plenty of other established movie and comic conventions, but with schedules often full of nobodies and has-been's, it's hard to really want to go to them unless you're a fan of someone or something in particular. That is by no means a dig at the current batch of Cons here, but can any of you who have attended them tell me you saw the likes of Mark Millar, John Romita Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and new footage from the likes of
Green Lantern and
Thor? Not to mention the premiere of a movie not yet released here! (
Super)
It's people like that who really helped Kapow! out from the crowd. Whether it was the guys I've mentioned above or comic creators such as Dave Gibbons, Keiron Gillen and Oliver Coipel, the place was packed full of A-List comic book talent. Not your thing? Then how about Jonathan Ross, Noel Clarke and Duncan Jones? And these are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head. The atmosphere was another big draw that will see me returning to this event year after year. I know that many of you commented on how small it looked in the pictures I posted earlier this week, and I suppose that was true, but it only helped to enhance the experience. I saw several well known comic book creators walking around the floor and there was a real community feel to the whole thing.
This was perhaps best demonstrated by me meeting a few of CBM's most regular users there! I helped
Frecks find a place in the queue for the
Thor panel after she was unlucky enough to be stuck at the back of the line, and who should be in front of us both than
spideydude, who I assisted in getting a ticket after they quickly sold out late last week! And I'm sure you've all seen
RealIrOnMaN's name pop up in many of our articles on the site. Well, I even had the chance to meet him a couple of times to talk comics.
The main floor was made up of a great variation of sellers, although I do hope that the likes of Marvel and DC have noticed what a success the whole thing was and will send over some more of their displays and products next year. It was fantastic seeing some of the UK's best retailers have a presence, but bringing over some swag from the US would be a smart move by the big companies. The floor was spacious and well organised, and the IGN Arena was a nice addition, and something I unfortunately didn't check out as much as I should have. The schedule gave us all plenty of options, and while I was initially disappointed that I missed a few signings or Q&A's due to clashing panels, it does of course make sense. Missed the Thor one? Go see Bryan Hitch instead! A clever move, and I for one would rather have too many options, than nothing to do. I was late for the Millarworld panel on Sunday morning, so instead got three comic books signed by John Romita Jr. Win/Win. However, I'm sure there will be a few minor improvements regarding this sort of thing next year.
The organisers, Lucy and Sarah Unwin (along with Mark Millar) deserve our gratitude for organising such an event for those of us in the UK, and I don't think it's unfair to say that it's already shaping up to rival its US counterparts. Do I still want to go to SDCC? Sure. But with Kapow! Comic Con here in the UK, I no longer feel like I have to. Make sure you get your tickets for next year as soon as they go on sale. With the promise of four big movie panels, I have a feeling it will be even more epic than the 2011 event.