DC Fandome went live on August 22nd, 2020 as DC Comics, Warner Bros. Entertainment and Warner Bros Games launched the first and biggest DC Comics themed virtual convention experience. The show was composed of many panels and lasted about 8 hours. It celebrated the upcoming movies, TV shows, video games and some of the comics.
I will be listing my 5 favorite things about the DC Fandome Event, but first, one thing that was very disappointing but maybe it will be addressed as part of the events that will be taking place in September.
The big downer was the lack of comic book content in the event. The exception was a few of panels that will be addressed in the list below and with Jim Lee all over the place there was no mention of the comic books. No writers in ongoing books, no artist spotlights or any other mention of anyone currently working on the comics side of the business. We know SDCC just happened last month and there was a lot of focus on the comics, but also a big restructuring happened in DC Comics after the WB Media layoffs.
The top 5 things that happened at DC Fandome
5 – The Mini-Panels in between the Movie/Events.
An avid convention attendee knows how tough it can be to get into the big panels with the movie stars. A nice alternative is to visit the smaller, more intimate panels. At DC Fandome there were some very interesting and even unexpected panels. From Jim Lee, doing an artist portfolio review, to a visit with Batman voice actors from all over the world. The biggest surprise of them all, the Milestone Media panel hosted by Marc Bernadin. These were intimate conversations about topics that are very relevant to the work but not always in the spotlight.
4 – The Suicide Squad directed by James Gunn. This panel garnered a lot of buzz because there was little to no information about this movie. James Gunn addressed some fan questions, then revealed the cast and the characters they’re playing. Even as an avid comic fan, I had to keep the Google search handy. Lastly, we got a very interesting Behind the Scenes teaser for the movie.
3 – Wonder Woman 1984 directed by Patty Jenkins. like in the Suicide Squad panel, the cast along with the director, addressed fan questions. Unlike the Suicide Squad panel, a lot of the cast was participating. We also got a look at the final trailer that revealed what Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) will look like in different stages of the film. WW84 is set to release next month and the excitement is palpable.
2 – Zack Snyder’s Justice League. This panel focused on explaining how the upcoming project will be released on the HBOMax platform as well as globally.
The cast joined in (pre recorded segments) where they asked questions from the fans. Snyder also has a chat with fans involved in creating the petition and movement to get the movie released as Snyder’s version. Lastly, we were treated to a trailer that was recut, with new or unseen footage. 2021 cannot get here soon enough.
1 – The Batman directed by Matt Reeves. I’ll keep this brief since it echoes a lot of the above. Robert Pattinson introduced the panel but was unable to give much information other than mentioning a “big surprise” at the end. Then Matt Reeves and host Aisha Tyler (shout out Tyler for a long day of had work) addressed questions and Reeves expanded on the feel and influences of the movie building up to the release of a teaser trailer. As a Batman fan, this is where I passed out.
Overall DC Fandome has set the standard for virtual conventions and was an outstanding success
Written by Daniel co-host of the Next Issue Podcast
@eckospider on Twitter.
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