Deadpool's Spanking New Comic Review of Spider-Gwen #1 (2015)

Greetings fellow humans and Skrulls! Your awesome buddy Deadpool, here! It's been a while since I've done one of these super-special-awesome-spectacular reviews (which you can thank Justin for with all that freaking "stream this" and "let's play" that bee ess. What a dick... stein. Dickstein.). Anyways, now that I've got him tied up in the corner, we can finally get back to the things you REALLY love to see, like my awesome-tastic reviews of course! And what better way to kick things off than to review a freaking comic!!? I know, I'm excited about this s@#t too!!!

(Justin made me promise not to say all of the sexist things that come into my head while I write this, so I won't... But oh MAN, there's so many things! I mean look at her... wow! Okay, okay, I'll stop... Maybe...)

How did Spider-Gwen come to be? Well, during the interesting Edge of the Spider-Verse storyline (issue #2 for you NERDS), one of the alternate universes we visited was one where Gwen Stacy had been bitten by the spider instead of Peter. An even bigger twist resulted in Peter being her first major villain, leading up to his DEATH! No, this is not a spoiler; this is in the very INTRO of the first issue, so don't go judging meh. Gwen proceeded to dawning an awesome costume, complete with some really confusing blue shoes that still kind of work somehow. This issue quickly became uber popular, to the point where it went into its fourth freaking printing in no time at all! That popularity rode it over to this new spin-off series we now have in front of us. Ahhhh, origin stories...

But we're here to talk about issue #1 now! It's all about #1 for the Gwen, baby! Leaving out that origin story I listed above, we dive right into the first story arc with the world already being completely established (take notes comic book movie makers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Gwen is a spunky teenage girl, being the drummer in a band and being an expert with smartphones. Her personality is really genuine, and it's a nice take away from all of the "perfectly good" and "perfectly evil" people we see in so many superhero comics. Props! We also get introduced to the first major villain we'll be seeing Gwen take on: The Vulture! We don't get to see the two of them clash web-to-wing much just yet, but this is only a single issue, and for what it is, we still get a surprisingly meaty chunk of story up in here!

The artwork is also nice. It's stylish and artsy, without being TOO artsy as to make you find it unrealistic or outlandish. Great comic art can do both in my opinion, and this one actually fits the bill quite nicely (which is good, because comics are getting freaking expensive! $3.99 to $4.99? Bitch, I got bills to pay!!!). The coloring is also really nice, as you see all kinds of different shades flying about, no matter what time of the day it is. It's not the greatest thing I've ever seen, but as a murderous sociopath with too many guns in the closet (and bedroom, and dining room, and living room, and bathroom...), who the hell am I to judge!?

Without even saying anything else, I have to point out that even for a first issue, this was just plain FUN to read! I don't think I remember getting this type of atmosphere in a comic since the days of Scott Pilgrim. It could be the fact that Gwen is in a band, while getting into cartoony superhero battles on subsequent pages, but it's definitely got a lot of heart and feeling put into it. I can only imagine bigger things to come out of this as the series continues, even if it doesn't follow with a battle against Matthew Patel.



I have also heard some complaints from... that side of the internet, saying ignorant crap like: 1. "Why would they replace Peter Parker like that? Peter is the ONLY Spider-Man!", 2. "They're shoehorning too many female superheroes at us. I will not be forced into this direction!", and my personal favorite 3. "Stop changing these established characters and universes. Create a new series with new people if you're going to do this!" Oye, where to begin? I'll do my points with numbers, since you people (yes, YOU people!) seem to read them better that way:

1. As stated above, this is in an ALTERNATE universe! No matter how many people you tell this to, it's like there's absolutely no way to get it into their heads. By all means, keep wasting our time complaining about things that aren't even happening! Yeeeeeesh!!!

2. Creating new female superheroes is not a sign of shoehorning. Forcing them in might be, but this (as well as just about any of the other female superheros Marvel has added to the mix like Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel and Kamala Khan as the new Ms. Marvel) is definitely NOT in that camp! Oh, you don't like that there's a female Thor now either? Guess what? The original Thor is still JUST fine, and will likely be back under the main Thor title before you know it! Gah, you're like the idiots who thought Superior Spider-Man was going to be the permanent status quo. Get a grip!!!

3. Aside from what I stated above in that this does NOT affect continuity in the main (or as the nerds now refer to it, 616) Marvel universe..., at least until the new Secret Wars story... maybe, creating an all-new series completely from scratch simply isn't going to sell for any character; whether male, female, or skrull. This works well for independent properties like Image, but in Marvel and DC's case, it does close to absolutely nothing. The only ones that succeed here, are the ones spinning off of other established worlds and stories. Go ahead and look at the top 10 best-selling comic books of 2014 and show me how many titles in that list don't have "Spider-Man" or "Wolverine" in them somewhere. Not a whole lot, is it? That's why you have to break out using those established worlds and do more with them.

There's only one simple way to say this, because no matter how many times people utter it, it never seems to click: WOMEN. READ. COMICS. TOO. In fact, almost 50% of comic readers these days are women. That female Thor we were talking about? Well, guess what? HER first issue IS in that top 10 list I was talking about. Winner of most of the "Best New Comic of 2014" lists? Ms. Marvel, baby! Am I saying all the people who read these titles are female? Of course not, but we are finally seeing some necessary changes. Years back, guys used to complain that women weren't into the same things as them. Now, it's finally happening and it seems like a bunch of guys are complaining about that too. Seriously, what do you guys want!? If I can get more women into the same things as me, then hell yes I'm going to do it. Who wouldn't want that? I can now schmooze with a lady, AND talk about Uncanny X-Men with her in the process! That's a WIN WIN! <3 <3

But I digress... This is about Gwen's big day, so let's give it to her! This series is off to an awesome start, and I can't wait to read the whole story arc in completion once it's done! This is THE big thing right now, and for good reason, so you may want to get in on this awesome if you haven't already. Also, "Death from a butt" may be my new favorite phrase ever.


9 Peter Parker Death Jokes Out Of 10


So I guess I do have one minor complaint with all of this, besides just wanting to read more asap... "Spider-Gwen?" Really? I know that was a name the fans came up with, but could we really not give her anything better to work with? No, I don't have anything better in mind at the moment, but surely someone within the fine minds at Marvel could take 20 minutes to figure it out! Ergh. Anyways, enough about my little rants. Awesome first issue! Read it! Rawr!

New Nintendo 3DS XL Impressions

I originally went into the New 3DS with some skepticism, mainly because the details we had on it didn't sound like much right off the bat. "Are people really going to care that it's a little faster, especially if there won't even be any unique titles for it until April?" I said a lot. And yet, I found myself shelling out for one anyway. Perhaps the power of Nintendo compelled me. Maybe deep down, I had a glimmer of hope that there would be much more to this than initially thought. Well, color me impressed. My hunch's can be wrong from time to time, and in this particular case, I'm very glad.

Awkward console naming aside, the New 3DS actually has quite a lot to make it worthwhile, even as we're waiting for its own unique titles to emerge. Let's start with the look of this thing. Since we did not get the standard New 3DS in the States (much to my dismay), and only the XL model, I will be focusing specifically on that.

If you're familiar with the look of the 3DS XL, there won't be many immediate differences. The structure is generally the same, with some minor tweaks throughout. The obvious change you'll notice right away is the analog nub on the right side of the bottom touch-screen. Made to emulate the 'C-Stick' seen on previous Nintendo controllers, this little nub is used in the same way as the second analog stick on the circle-pad pro. Depending on the game played, it's normally used to move around the camera for focusing. This is also especially useful in the game Kid Icarus: Uprising, where left-handed gamers were actually left out in the dust if they didn't purchase the circle-pad pro accessory. While it's no second circle-pad, it's definitely a giant improvement over having to pay extra money just to play a game that others didn't have to pay anything for. I wish Nintendo could have somehow just fit a second analog stick onto the system, but I can't complain too much since it's more than functional as-is.



A list of all the games that are circle-pad pro/c-stick nub compatible:

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy (Japanese version only)
Dynasty Warriors VS
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
Nano Assault EX
One Piece Unlimited World RED
Resident Evil: Revelations
Samurai Warriors Chronicles 2nd
Steel Diver: Sub Wars

Of the games above, I currently have Kid Icarus, Kingdom Hearts 3D, Majora's Mask, and Resident Evil: Revelations. The nub definitely comes in handle for these titles, even if it's not a complete replacement for the analog stick. I'm looking forward to trying it with Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate next, as I have a feeling that game will more or less demand it.

Turning the device over, you'll see quite a few more things have been changed around. The cartridge slot is now on the bottom of the console, as well as the stylus holder location. It felt a little strange at first, but I don't think this will be a deal-breaker for anyone. On the top, there are now two additional shoulder buttons, labeled "ZL" and "ZR." The shoulder buttons are in the same places, while the new ones are slightly toward the middle. It may look awkward from the pictures, but thankfully, they are not difficult buttons to reach. My fingers had little trouble using them on the fly after a few tries.

The next thing I should talk about is the new top screen. Whether or not you cared about using the 3D feature in the last version of the 3DS, there have been massive improvements made to it. The screen now uses stereoscopic 3D, which allows for wider 3D viewing. While it doesn't work for looking up and down, it does work for looking left and right, which greatly improves the overall focus without causing as much headache. This may be the second biggest improvement to the entire system.

So what's the biggest? Why, that would be the processing power! Yes, this is what's going to cause the most people to upgrade their handhelds the most. The hardware of this system has been significantly improved since the last time, now boasting faster load times and a more fluid dashboard. While this is all excellent, we unfortunately won't get to see much else out of it until more games (like Xenoblade Chronicles) come out for it.
Another new feature is the ability to use Amiibos by placing them onto the system's lower screen and loading the data off of it. Again, there are not many games that you can test with yet (mainly Smash Bros. as far as I am aware), but it's another welcome addition and something I'm sure will prove more useful as more games are released.



All these changes are great overall, but I'm afraid it's not all sunshine and rainbows. For starters, Nintendo has now changed the memory method from SD to Micro SD cards. While likely a better hardware design choice, this is naturally causing a lot of longtime fans to feel some annoyance. It also doesn't help that in order to change your Micro SD card, you have to actually unscrew the back of your system with a small Phillip's screwdriver. For a company that has always provided generally user-friendly interfaces, this is quite jarring. The system does include a 4GB Micro SD card thankfully, but anyone wanting to upgrade to a higher amount of space will have to endure this disappointing process.

Transferring your data is a long and tiresome process, due to Nintendo still having no unified account system, seen in platforms from both Sony and Microsoft. You have options, though none are really ground-breaking. The first is to wirelessly transfer the data from one DSi/3DS/2DS to the other. This is also the longest process and not recommended (I found out the hard way...). The second (and slightly more useful) method is to copy the data using a PC (I don't know if Macs can do this too, as it only references PC in the option menu).



There's one more small negative I need to add to this. As most people are already aware, Nintendo has decided to not include the AC adapter with the system this time around. Were you planning on selling your system toward getting a new one? Be ready to drop another $10 for an extra adapter in order to do so. Nintendo advised this was done to lower the system cost, but I (and many others) feel this was unnecessary and a very disappointing choice all around. I believe this would be the first time since the Gameboy Color that Nintendo has decided not to include a charger like this.

With all of the small negatives aside, it's still very easy to recommend the New 3DS, though many are not going to see much of a point until the system-specific games begin to come out. That's understandable, and it's a hard point to even argue with. If you had a DSi or one of the original 3DS models, then I can say that the upgrade is more than worth it. If you are a 3DS XL owner, it's a little tougher to justify the leap, when the system is not drastically different in any way. Either way, the unique games to come out for it will be the biggest draw for people and until we know more, there isn't much else to talk about in the meantime. Still, I can at least happily say that the system hardware will be worth it if and when you ever do decide to take that plunge.

My Complete Video Playthrough of Grim Fandango Remastered! (PC Version)

Well, it took some time (and some serious trial and error in a few places!), but I managed to beat the game in its entirety and now have the whole thing up on my Twitch and YouTube channels! Links to all 5 parts below! Enjoy!

I Didn't Realize I'm Part Of FIVE Different Websites now!!!

One of the most difficult things about starting a lot of different projects is that you can sometimes lose track of them all if you don't keep with a consistent schedule. So, to get some proper organization going, here is a cheat sheet of all the websites I'm currently a part of. Also know this is only just the beginning!

Transient Guests Are We (My Main Blog Here!) -
http://http://jdomnislash.blogspot.com/


8-Bit Knights (Podcast) -
http://8-bitknights.blogspot.com/


Dissonant Geek (Music Reviews Blog) -
https://dissonantgeek.wordpress.com


My Twitch Streaming Channel -
http://www.twitch.tv/jdomnislash


My YouTube Channel -
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrBs7UWoQmF93eCe22hBW-Q

The Top Ten Best Comics/Graphic Novels of 2014

Seeing as the video game blog was a rousing success (at least as far as views on my blog go...), I am continuing the trend with comic books and graphic novels this time! What I love about top comic lists from people each year is that they are almost always completely different from one another. This post will contain both new series and continuing series (as this would be much more difficult to grade otherwise). As per the last blog, I'll give my selections with summaries to briefly explain. And we're off!!!

10. Usagi Yojimbo: Senso (Dark Horse)



More Usagi Yojimbo is never a bad thing, as Stan Sakai continues to impress even after all of these years with the title. This is meant to be the final battle of our main characters and it shows. The story even follows with a sci-fi twist to stir things up! Good for both old and new readers alike, this is sure to be a finale for the ages.

9. Sex Criminals (Image)



This one was quite unexpected, as the premise hinders on ridiculous. And yet somehow it all seems to work. Suzie and Jon have a unique ability in that whenever they have sex, time literally stops. They begin to use this ability to rob a bank. It's when they discover others with this ability who are trying to arrest them for their "misuse" of power that things really get interesting. Worth reading if you're looking for something different in your comics.

8. Seconds (Ballantine Books)



Brian Lee O'Malley of Scott Pilgrim fame returns with a new graphic novel focusing on a girl named Katie, with dreams of starting her own restaurant. Things begin to slowly prevent her goals from becoming a reality and she wishes for a second chance. She gets that in the form of a mysterious girl who grants her the ability to do so with some magic mushrooms, but it is not without its limits. With humor, emotion, and just the right level of heart, this graphic novel delivers.

7. Captain Marvel (Marvel)



Carol Danvers has become a very inspirational Marvel character, especially over the last few years since she first took the helm as Captain Marvel. What I love most about the writing of this book is that it doesn't make any kind of stereotypical plays on Carol being a female (like so many comics have before it). It's simply GOOD writing all-around, and that's what books like this should be. If you want a respectable female superhero to look up to, then look no further.

6. Edge of the Spider-Verse (Marvel)



While this five-issue mini-series was merely meant to be a major introduction to the currently-ongoing Spider-Verse storyline, they ended up being excellent stories on their own. From fun to horror, these tales pulled you in like nothing we've seen from the main Amazing Spider-Man book in years. Come in for the Spider-Man Noir, stay for the Spider-Gwen.

5. Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream (Locust Moon Press)



Over 100 illustrators and cartoonists worked together to pay proper tribute to Winsor McCay, with new Little Nemo comic strips done in the same style as the classic serial. This massive tone borderlines on overwhelming, and is a real demonstration of what kind of power Kickstarter can have on major industries. Just as beautiful as the original stories, and well worth visiting Dreamland for once again.

4. The Wicked + The Divine (Image)



This one came out of left field and really impresses. The notion that gods are resurrected every 90 years for a two-year lifespan on Earth is interesting enough, but making those characters rock/pop/rap stars makes things even better. Part murder mystery, part fantasy, this was the dark horse of the list.

3. Saga (Image)



As per previous issues, this series continues to be on the top of everyone's pull lists and for good reason. The story has maintained the same level of quality throughout its run so far, impressing you with both its unique visuals, and completely unpredictable story. If you are not reading this, then you are missing out on something truly special.

2. Multiversity (DC)



Years ago, you would have never believed this story would ever show its face, and yet here it is in all its complexity. Grant Morrison originally planned this project for 2010, so the level of hype was certainly there once it finally surfaced. What we were given does not disappoint. Each issue works as a new #1 within its own part of the DC multiverse, which with you could continue the stories of later on. The scale is so massive, that a map was actually created to explain all of the different realms these stories will take place in. As with any Morrison story (love or hate the guy), you'll need to come into this one with your brain ready.

1. Ms. Marvel (Marvel)



This was almost no contest at all. Not only is this book an absolute joy to read, but I can also see this completely changing the impact of comic books for the young women demographic (yes, it's THAT important). Kamala Khan is a young Pakistani American girl who inherits the Ms. Marvel title after Carol Danvers inherits the role of Captain Marvel. Kamala chose to go by the name Ms. Marvel because of the way she idolized Carol. Even if it was only about the superheroics, we'd still have an awesome title on our hands, but the fact that the story goes the extra mile and gives us Kamala struggling with her faith and her family just brings this to a whole other level of relatability for many. If continually done right, this book could have the same power over young girls as Spider-Man had on young boys for the past 75 years. It doesn't come much more ground-breaking than this, people!

Honorable Mentions

Hip-Hop Family Tree
Rat Queens
Hawkeye
Lumberjanes
Batman
Moon Knight

Hope you enjoyed this list, like the one before it! Happy to hear your thoughts as well. Thanks for reading as always!

The Top 10 Best Video Games Of 2014

I was debating whether I should bother making a list with summaries this year, but some outright disgust at some other websites' choices has caused me to take the plunge. My one rule is that I don't list any remakes or ports of something from previous years. Here are my top 10 Video Games of 2014!

(Also note, I haven't gotten to play Dragon Age: Inquisition, so I can't comment on it yet. I have no doubt in my mind that it would have been part of this list had I played it already though.)

10. Transistor (PC, PS4, Mac, Linux)



The creators of Bastion brought this wonderful project to life. Another awesome action-RPG that pulls you in with it's simple, but fluid gameplay, and a welcome strong female protagonist to boot!

9. Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)



If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Some may try to call this a rehash, but I doubt those people have actually played the game. This entry takes many of the best features from past Mario Kart titles and turns it into one of the best sequels yet. You can always count on Nintendo for fun factor.

8. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PC, PS4, XBOX One, PS3, Xbox 360)



This is easily one of, if not the best game set in Middle Earth to date. Combining some of the best elements of RPGs the Batman Arkham games, with a little Assassin's Creed thrown into the mix, you've got yourself one beast of a game. If Assassin's Creed Unity left you with a bad taste in your mouth, this will do quite nicely.

7. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS)



How do you make an already great game even better? Add more of everything! More music, more characters, and more goodies make this the perfect sequel. Rhythm-based games aren't going anywhere, and this is a great sign of that.

6. Dark Souls 2 (PC, PS4, XBOX One, PS3, Xbox 360)



While not quite as polished as the original Dark Souls, this is still an amazing sequel. You'll die a lot, curse a lot, and still keep playing until you hit that next big bossfight... which you'll curse at even more.

5. Five Nights at Freddy's 1 & 2 (PC, Android, iOS, Windows Phone)



Sometimes less can be more, and these games prove that in spades. A point-and-click survival horror series in this day and age? Absolutely! Between the absolute feeling of dread you get despite such a simple setup, and engaging backstory hidden within the lines, these are the must play horror games of the year.

4. Super Smash Bros. (3DS, Wii U)



What even needs to be said about this one? The game causes more people to buy Nintendo systems than any other these days, and is a vast improvement over the last entry on the Wii. This game (just like the others) will hook you in for life with its great mechanics and awesome gameplay modes (multiplayer obviously being the biggest).

3. Bravely Default (3DS)



If you've been having any doubts about the future of JRPGs as of late, your savior is here! Keeping everything you ever loved about classic titles from the RPG "glory days," while also removing all of the conventions that you hate, make this an absolute joy to experience. You'll actually feel spoiled by the time you go back to other JRPGs and realize how much work was put into this game. I for one can't wait for the sequel.

2. Bayonetta 2 (Wii U)



My issues with the blatant sexism in the series aside, this is without a doubt one of the greatest games to come out this year, especially for fans of action titles like Devil May Cry, God of War, and Ninja Gaiden. It has some of the smoothest controls and combat mechanics in any game of its type, and blows just about any other 3D action game out of the water. Every stage and boss fight will leave you feeling like you just climbed a mountain with ease, that's how pumped the action will make you.

1. Shovel Knight (PC, 3DS, Wii U, OSX, Linux)



In an age where a lot of independent games are usually rehashes of classic titles with little bits of personality thrown in (for better or worse), Shovel Knight does just about everything perfectly. From the nostalgic 8-bit music to the odes of gaming's past (Mega Man, Castlevania, Ducktales, etc.), you will not want to stop. Even after you've explored everything and vanquished all foes, there's a New Game + mode just waiting for you jump back into the fray with. If you had an NES in your childhood then this game belongs in your collection without a doubt.

Honorable Mentions:

Wasteland 2
Wolfenstein: The New Order
inFamous: Second Son
Resogun: Heroes
The Banner Saga
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
Azure Striker Gunvolt

So what were your thoughts on gaming this year? Agree or disagree? Thanks for reading either way!

Thoughts on Walker Stalker Con 2014 (Saturday, Meadowlands Exposition Center, Secaucus NJ)

I had first begun to read about Walker Stalker Con about a month or two ago. The event was founded by two serious fans of The Walking Dead (James and Eric as they're publicly known) who originally started a podcast after meeting the cast and crew of the show over in Senoia, Georgia. They decided they wanted to create a convention centering around the same experience they had with the cast and crew, and even started a Kickstarter campaign to get the ball rolling Now, they have events in multiple cities across the country. A friend of mine happened to point me to a Groupon that would allow me to get general admission tickets for about half of the price of a normal ticket, so I decided that was enough incentive to give the convention a try. After all, I've been to all kinds of conventions (New York Comic Con, AnimeNEXT, etc.), but never one specifically themed around The Walking Dead and other horror before. Made even more exciting was all of the guest announcements, as there was a seriously big roster of cast members attending, including Norman Reedus (who plays fan-favorite Daryl Dixon in the show). Sure, some crowds are to be expected at events like this, but it couldn't be all bad, right?

So my friend and I drive over and arrive at about 11:00 AM. The doors opened at 10:30, so we were expecting there might be somewhat of a line, but nothing too crazy. Our faces got quite pale as we saw the actual line. It was completely coiled around the convention center, to the point where you couldn't even see the end of it. "Are they even letting people in?" we thought to ourselves. We get into the line with our hands in our pockets due to the cold, wishing we had gotten some coffee beforehand. The line did move, albeit very slowly and we started to wonder if we would even get inside by 1 PM at the rate things were going. Just about the only thing to keep us entertained during this grind was an amazing cosplay of Pennywise the clown from the book/movie "It." He was very funny and actually kept a lot of people in high spirits. About halfway up, the line suddenly stopped moving almost completely, and people were naturally beginning to complain. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I heard a woman shouting at one of the staff members about something, and within about 15 minutes of that, other volunteers suddenly came outside and began handing everyone the bracelets to get in with. The line that went for half a mile suddenly disappeared within mere minutes. I don't know what that woman said to the staff member, but it seemed to have done the trick.

Out of the cold and into the convention hall, we looked around to see who was here and what there was to do. Now, at most conventions, you can expect to see certain things: cosplayers, panels, dealers, artists, activities/games, and then of course autographing and photo ops for guests/celebrities. All of these things were technically there, but... people who frequent other conventions must have immediately noticed how much on the back-burner all of these things were besides the autographing and photo ops. You had a couple of small rows worth of dealers with products to sell, and even less rows of artists to follow it, to the point where you could cover the entire area in a pretty short amount of time (minus the difficulty you would have had moving around, but more on that later). There was a small area in one of the corners of the building where you could play a BB gun game, but that was about it for any games/interaction. The panel area was also very confusing. As someone who's gone to all kinds of large and local conventions, panels have always been presented in closed rooms where you could actually hear what the people on stage would have to say. For some reason, the panel floor was right in the middle of the entire building, with absolutely no type of walls around it to block out the sound from around it. This made our attempt at listening to the Comic Book Men panel a disaster, between the shouting going on all around us, and the fact that we had to sit farther back due to being general admission peasants and the only decent seats being reserved for all of the VIP/Gold/Platinum ticket holders. It also didn't help that there was a total of about seven panels for the entire day (a very low number when compared to most conventions, even local), with one of them being cancelled inexplicably.

Moving around the convention hall was extremely difficult. We were literally shoulder-to-shoulder with everyone in the building and getting from one place to another took alarmingly long amounts of time. My friend and I began wondering if this was a fire hazard, it was getting so bad. Between all of the small and large conventions I've been to, never have I experienced such difficulty with simply moving around the convention floor.

After being shocked that we had already seen the entire show floor within about an hour or so, my friend and I went out to get lunch around 1:30 PM. As we were walking out, we immediately noticed an extremely large line to get back into the building once again, and caution tape around all of the big stairs, with multiple police walking around. After going to one of the nearby restaurants, we were reading updates online and found out that people were being told a fire marshall came and temporarily closed off the building. Why this actually happened is slightly confusing, as I was actually given two different stories on the matter. The first, was that multiple people were told at the door that the building was overbooked and that the show was oversold. The other, which was provided by the facebook page of the convention, stated that there was an issue with the flow of traffic and that the building had to be shut down for 30 minutes to alleviate this. While I can confirm that the latter is true (as multiple chairs from the panel area were removed to create more moving room), I can't help but wonder why so many people were allegedly told that the building was filled to capacity if their official webpage is claiming that was not the case. Thankfully, things were cleared up by the time we came back from lunch, and we were able to head right back inside.

There was definitely more walking room the second time we came back in, but I had also heard that some people complained about the wait to get back in and eventually left, so that may have also played a hand. I had already fronted the price for a photo op with Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon) at 7 PM, so I didn't really have any temptation to leave, despite there still not being much to actually do until that time. In the course of the time spent there, I met Emily Kinney (actress who plays Beth Greene) and very briefly shook hands with Chad Coleman (Tyreese) while he started to walk around. Both of them were very nice and polite, great people all around. I also stayed for one more panel near the end of the day, featuring Manu Bennett of Arrow and Sparticus. Thankfully, it was much easier to hear this last panel. I'm not sure if this was due to more people leaving for the day, or the volume of the microphones being raised, but it was a serious improvement to the panels I had heard before, and Manu was an absolute joy to listen to. He even pulled people up on stage with him to act out some funny scenarios.


So the time finally came for people to start lining up for the photo op with Norman Reedus... or so I thought. I'll start this by saying that I am no newbie when it comes to photo ops. You are given a ticket with a timeframe to come and get your picture, as well as a designated line to stand in about 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time. I've done this a few times at New York Comic Con now, and the photo ops this year were run by the same group that also did the photo ops for New York Comic Con, so I had hopes that this process would at least be somewhat similar. Unfortunately, I was wrong; dead wrong. People weren't even able to start lining up until after 7:30, and that was only for the Platinum/Gold VIP pass holders. Another half-hour later, it was the guest and regular VIP pass holders turn. After that, they finally began lining up us general admission peons by about 8:00. Standing around waiting to hear which line was yours, just to have to jump into it nervously was a terrible setup, and it was making everyone in the room extremely anxious. It didn't help that the girl with the microphone who was giving directions couldn't really be heard properly by anyone. Now, I am not ignorant. I know Norman Reedus is the most popular character on The Walking Dead, and naturally, he would also have the longest lines. The actual line to see him wasn't the problem however, but rather the terrible organization of the entire setup. There should have been a much clearer designation of where you were supposed to stand and line up instead of telling everyone to go away and wait, and it should have been done in a much more timely manner. If your ticket says 7:00, it's supposed to MEAN the line starts at 7:00. That is not some spoiled mentality, that is how these things are run, and have been run for years.

While finally getting into my proper line, I couldn't help but think about what could have actually caused the lines to get so bad, even leading up to this current photo op, and then it started to dawn on me more. It was the tier-system of ticketing that likely caused this entire situation. At most conventions, you are either given the choice of a general admission ticket, or possibly a VIP ticket for more money. At this convention, you literally have Platinum VIP, Gold VIP, Guest VIP, regular VIP, and finally us lower-lifeform General Admissions. In the time it took to set up the individual lines, at least 15-20 minutes had to have passed for each. This was a serious amount of time spent just to make sure each line was started up before they could begin the next one. I finally got my picture taken around 8:30. Thankfully, Mr. Reedus was awesome to meet, and very enthusiastic to greet all of the fans and take pictures with them.


Whether the pros of this event are going to outweigh the cons is going to depend heavily on what you are expecting at a convention such as a this. If you've never attended other conventions before, and are going solely for the purpose of trying to meet your favorite actors and actresses from The Walking Dead and other horror franchise classics (for a serious amount of money), then you may very well have a good time (crowds be damned). If you are used to other conventions (particularly Comic Con-style events and others like it), then you will likely be quite disappointed at the lack of things to actually do. Not everyone goes to conventions just for the purpose of meeting celebrities, so if you are in that group, then there is very little reason to attend.

I would like to end this blog and review by giving what I believe are some reasonable suggestions to the convention staff for how to make future years more enjoyable for everyone (as this is still a relatively new convention, despite its multiple locations across the country):

- A bigger venue to better fit the large crowds that are to be expected for events such as this. AnimeNEXT used to be at the same convention center, and they spread the event across multiple hotel buildings to help with the crowds and make the panels and other events more personalized.
- More experienced staff. While the volunteers were all very friendly and as helpful as could be (a major plus), they did not seem to be very well-informed, especially during the fire marshall visit.
- Less tiers of tickets. General admission and VIP passes are fine (maybe even Guest VIP as well), but creating more levels above this actually makes things like photo op lines more difficult and time-consuming, and it only makes everyone with a general admission ticket feel even further left out.
- Give fans more things to do. Not everyone goes to conventions with the purpose of meeting celebrities. More panels and events focusing on the horror genre might be a great way to start.
- Don't delete every negative comment you get on your Facebook page, as this makes you come off as shady, rather than efficient.

I want to recommend this convention to friends; I really do. But the bottom line is that as of right now, it really comes off as nothing more than money-grubbing. I hope the best for this event and the people who run it in the future, but unless there is a serious overhaul and changes like the ones I listed above, I doubt I'll be attending this again. Did you go out to this convention or one like it? I'd like to hear your thoughts as well. Thanks for reading!