Sneak peak of Alan Moore's 'Watchmen' generates buzz

For a comic book fan, there is nothing more exciting than stepping onto the show floor of the New York Comic Con. Taking up more than half of the huge Javits Center in midtown Manhattan, the convention features every major comic-publishing company along with dozens of comic-book-store owners selling their wares at cutthroat prices. This year's event offered much more than comic books, featuring world premieres of some of 2009's biggest Hollywood productions and video games. Though sometimes a bit too sprawling and poorly managed, the Comic Con was an engaging confluence of all things pop culture and the many devotees who follow it.

On the show floor, comic books remained the focal point, with many renowned artists hanging around DC Comics' and Marvel Comics' booths and offering free sketches of their signature characters. Due to the throngs of fans that typically lined up for these big-name creators, it was often difficult to have a conversation that was any more substantial than "I love your work!" Luckily, Comic Con hosted an "Artist Alley," which featured dozens of lesser-known creators. Artists who specialized in rendering scantily clad females sat side-by-side with independent creators like Tito Na Rua. Instead of drawing the typical mix of superheroes, Na Rua made his name through graffiti comic art on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, producing works that speak to the harsh realities of poverty. The fascinating dialogues that one could have with artists about their creative processes demonstrated that Comic Con was a potent platform for individuals working at all levels of the comic-book industry.

While Artist Alley provided varied perspectives on the medium, many of the panels about comics were little more than rambling banter or hour-long advertisements for companies to shamelessly shill their products. A panel about World War II and comics that featured Joker co-creator Jerry Robinson certainly had potential. Unfortunately, it soon devolved into a series of meandering, sometimes incomprehensible anecdotes about the period. The moderator failed to actively question his prolific subjects, forcing them to awkwardly fill the time.

Other panelists seemed to care little about speaking significantly about their products, choosing instead to provide curt plot summaries and price-point info. Vertigo is a subdivision of DC Comics that has produced Neil Gaiman's seminal "Sandman" and has long been defined by its integrity and commitment to innovative storytelling. You would not know that from its self-serving presentation, in which the editor-in-chief constantly reminded her writers to stress promotion of upcoming sales. It was disappointing and unnecessary that presenters abandoned real insights to market to an audience that is likely to buy their products anyway.

While the forums on comic books were often dry affairs, video-game companies presented their latest offerings with impressive panache. Activision's latest tent-pole title, "Prototype," set to be released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, centers on Alex Mercer, a hero who inexplicably has superpowers. It's a brutal take on the superhero premise that makes the player feel as though he could easily defeat an oncoming army, and in one especially empowering moment, Alex destroys an oncoming tank with his bare hands. While deeply satisfying for a button masher like myself, the game's immersive quality is sometimes hindered by the camera, which fails to clearly follow the action at all times. Nonetheless, "Prototype" was the most exhilarating gem among the many games presented.

For the casual observer, the most exciting aspect of Comic Con was likely the sneak previews for upcoming films. Attendees had a chance to see the first 18 minutes of Zack Snyder's adaptation of the comic "Watchmen." Artist Dave Gibbons, who drew the original graphic novel, promised that this exclusive look would "whet your appetite for what's to come." Judging by the deafening cheers from the audience, the presentation did just that. The footage consisted of a brutal murder of an aged vigilante, followed by opening credits that depicted iconic moments of American history twisted by the presence of superheroes. The meticulously crafted credits, accompanied by Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changing," showed that Snyder has organically and vividly brought the skewed reality of the graphic novel to life. Whether the ambitious director can adequately condense the original's hundreds of pages to a two-and-a-half-hour film remains to be seen.

While "Watchmen" completely won over the crowd, the reception of Joseph "McG" McGinty Nichol's upcoming "Terminator Salvation" was decidedly more mixed. The rough six-minute preview did little to illustrate how the sequel (starring Christian Bale as John Connor) will be anything more than a "Mad Max" ripoff. More entertaining than the film was McG himself, a consummate showman who perfectly worked the audience. When a woman asked about the infamous Bale rant that was leaked last week to the internet, the filmmaker jokingly quoted his angry star by yelling, "You're unprofessional!" His gentle good humor and apparent enthusiasm went a long way to convince the jaded masses about the validity of yet another Terminator movie.

Along with the many dark action films on display, the event provided a brief glimpse of Pixar's latest animated feature, "Up." The director was on hand to present a few clips from the bizarre film about a 78-year-old man who attaches 10,000 balloons to his home so he can fly to South America. Unfortunately, his ideal getaway is hindered when an especially dedicated Boy Scout joins him for the ride. The tightly rendered and uniquely stylized film features a decidedly more macabre edge than the usual Pixar fare: In one scene, the crotchety old man imagines dropping the annoying Boy Scout out of his house midair. These hints of darkness complement awe-inspiring moments, as when the infirm hero races past a flock of birds as though he outpaces his own mortality. "Up" looks to be an often-surreal continuation of Pixar's break with simple story structure that was started with last year's "WALL-E."

After spending just a few hours at Comic Con, many flaws soon became apparent. Screenings were often plagued with technical difficulties, and I spent more time waiting in line than I did inside presentations. Still, the event offered something for everyone, from the hardcore comic fan to the most casual pop-culture enthusiast. Despite technical glitches, Comic Con provided an in-depth look at all the entertainment industry has to offer.

4 Paws

Pros Expansive look at all aspects of the entertainment industry. Sneak previews of some of the year's biggest movies and video games.

Cons Disappointingly dry, self-serving panels on comic books.