Plastic City Comic Con is a local comic book convention that was new to me and boy, I am glad I discovered it. It is a true comic book convention and a perfect beginning to my convention season.
The big draw for me was that J.M. DeMatteis was in attendance. I have been a fan of DeMatteis for a long time and the idea of running into him at a smaller con made me think I might have some time with him to ask some questions. And I did, a brief amount. Because he is a popular creator and lots of people were there to meet him.
I also was able to meet and shake hands with the show runners of Terrificon, which has become my big con during the summer. It was a flyby meeting but I wanted to let them know I appreciated the show and was gearing up to attend.
But this was also a chance for me to actually thumb through back issues and buy comic books. As I have said before, I am usually busy with creators at the bigger cons. I am trying to get commissions and autographs. I rarely have time to just kick back and flip through back issues.
Not only did I have time to shop for books, I found some great books. Great books.
On to the show.
The convention was held in the Wallace Civic Center on the Fitchburg State University campus. The Civic Center looks like a standard local arena that doubles as a hockey rink for local schools. The con was three lanes of dealers and local artists.
Here is the main thing about that day. The place was unbelievably cold! Like meat locker cold. I had gone to the show in only a t-shirt because usually in cons I get overheated. This time I was truly suffering. Maybe this was some cosmic aberration but lesson learned. Next year, I'll have a sweatshirt in my backpack just in case.
As I said, the big draw was meeting J. M. DeMatteis and early on I was able to head to his table and get some books signed.
I was most thrilled to get Wings signed by him, a little known Elseworlds that was written during the Peter David run. I asked if he approached DC about the project or vice versa. He said since he had written spiritual stuff before DC approached him. He definitely liked that project.
I also gave him some of the Kara specific Justice League 3001 issues for signatures. I said it seemed like the book was a mashup of several continuities. He said when writing it, he simply placed it in the continuity of the Justice League book he wrote with Keith Giffen. Regarding 3001, I asked him what Superman had done to Lois Lane to anger her so much that she became a super-villain. He said that their plan was to have Lois have Superman's baby who would be a mutated villain. And that made her furious. That son would be part of Lady Styx's army. Fascinating.
I also got some of the Supergirl specific issues of his Adventures of Superman run as well as Justice League #1 signed. That JL book had already been signed by Giffen and Maguire.
It was fantastic to meet DeMatteis. I wish I had stuck around at his table longer to ask more questions.
With that out of the way, I moved on to shopping.
And this con is the perfect convention for all levels of comic collectors. There were quarter boxes, a rarity in the Northeast. Perfect for young or new collectors or old timers who want to pan for gold.
There were fifty cent boxes.
There were dollar boxes.
There were $5 boxes, but 'buy 4 get one free'.
And there were more high end dealers with expensive books.
That is the whole spectrum of comics to buy.
And I was in heaven!
In the quarter box, I found all 20 issues of The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, Deluxe Edition. All twenty issues.
Unbelievable.
The best $5 I had ever spent.That is finding gold in the quarter box.
In the fifty cent box I found 4 issues of Amethyst I was missing. I needed Amethyst 1,2, and 8 to complete my regathering of the maxi-series. Amethyst #8 is pretty scragged so I'll keep looking for another copy.
But the real find was that Amethyst Special. I love that book. And it includes a short story with art by Esteban Maroto, famous for art in the Giffen/Newell Amethyst mini-series which came out shortly thereafter.
That is finding gold in the fifty cent box.
And then I went to the five dollar box and found these five issues.
Secret Society of Super-Villains #1. Perfect Bronze Age goodness!
DC Super Stars Special #16 -Star Hunters (perfect for a David Michelinie signature at Terrificon).
Madame Xanadu Special #1 with stories by Steve Englehart and JM Dematteis with art by Mike Kaluta and Brian Bolland!
Detective Comics #447 guest starring the Creeper!
And then Green Lantern #42, a very very beat up copy but the first appearance of a favorite of mine, the Warlock of Ys!
What more can you ask for from a con than meeting a favorite creator and leaving with a ton of great books all found cheap.
Suffice it to say, Plastic City will be on next year's con list. Hope to see you there.
Congratulations on having a great time and a successful comicbook hunt.
ReplyDelete"I was most thrilled to get Wings signed by him, a little known Elseworlds that was written during the Peter David run. I asked if he approached DC about the project or vice versa. He said since he had written spiritual stuff before DC approached him. He definitely liked that project."
So Dc wanted him to write that project? Interesting. I wonder... Were they trying to push the main book? Peter David knew about it? Did he approve of DeMatteis' take?
"He said when writing it, he simply placed it in the continuity of the Justice League book he wrote with Keith Giffen."
So he regarded it as a kind of JLI continuation. Again, interesting. I guess we know at last why neither Superman nor anybody had ever heard of a "Supergirl" or super-pets. Kara remained continuity-exiled during that run.
And why she looked like a Silver Age Kara with her Bronze Age temper and attitude.
I'm convinced that Giffen was one of the few creatives who dared to love the original Supergirl back in the 80's.
"Regarding 3001, I asked him what Superman had done to Lois Lane to anger her so much that she became a super-villain. He said that their plan was to have Lois have Superman's baby who would be a mutated villain. And that made her furious. That son would be part of Lady Styx's army."
And so, the mystery has been revealed.
But seriously? Lois hated Superman because of something he had no control over, to the point of wanting to killing him twice?
"Hope to see you there."
I hope someday you find an Action Comics #252 in good condition and at an affordable price.