Why So Blu?

Comic-Con 2017: Basking In The After Glow Of Hall H’s Justice League

I’d be lying if I said the Justice League Hall H presentation wasn’t my most anticipated panel of Comic-Con 2017, because it so is!  I didn’t even mind that much when Disney recently said Star Wars would be absent this year.  Whatever!  As long as Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher were sitting front and center in front of the captive audience of 6,000 plus with me in attendance that’s all that truly matters.  Honestly, I never thought I would ever say that before either.  Up until last year Star Wars has been my life, but not anymore.  There’s a 6-member elite team (yes I said 6) that stole my heart and has commanded my undivided attention ever since last year’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.  That’s the film that kicked all of this off within me.  The majority of critics didn’t get it, but every time I sit down with it (19 times now), Batman v Superman just keeps getting better and better.  I know what you’re thinking.  I’m crazy right?  Well I probably am, but I have yet to be diagnosed as so.  Therefore, I am not!

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s (Henry Cavill) selfless act, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) enlists newfound ally Diana Prince (Gadot) to face an even greater threat. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to recruit a team to stand against this newly awakened enemy. Despite the formation of an unprecedented league of heroes — Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman (Momoa), Cyborg (Fisher) and the Flash (Miller) — it may be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Press is shown no preferential treatment at all at Comic-Con (we wait in the same long lines as everybody else) and as I found out firsthand neither is the ADA crowd, but I digress.  We worked together as a team (thanks to our new friends Gary and Debbie) to start camping out at 5 AM Friday morning just to obtain a wristband for Saturday’s Hall H panel at 8:30 PM that evening.  However, the fun did not stop there.  We arrived at 3:30 AM Saturday morning to wait in yet another line for the start of the 11:30 AM Warner Bros. panel.  Now after a three year absence from Comic-Con all I can say is Warner Bros. goes all out for this Hall H presentations, which this year included Ready Player One, Blade Runner 2049 and the reason we’re all reading this post, the DCEU movie universe.  Before we get started here I want to remind our readers that exclusive coverage of the first two panels can be found here and here courtesy of Jordan Grout (he also has Justice League panel coverage here too).   

Since this was my first time back to Hall H in three years I had no idea how massive Warner Bros. makes their presentations.  Let me paint a visual canvas for you.  There’s a massive screen at the front of Hall H on the stage and 6 other big screens throughout the hall and too ensuring no one has a bad view of onstage events no matter how far back or to the side you sit.  Now when the Warner Bros. panel begins the curtains on both the left and right side of the hall pull back and expand and when the video starts playing on them it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before in your life.  It’s like sensory overload and makes IMAX feel a bit small.  Do you look left or do you look right?  Heck do you look straight?  I sat there in sheer amazement and giddy, newfound joy.  Below is an example of the corner of the wall in Hall H at the beginning of the Justice League panel.  

Now I bet you can never guess who they got to moderate this panel?  If you said the next Ryan Seacrest of pop culture, you’d be right!  If there’s a talk to be had, it’s Chris Hardwick you need!  Before I get ahead of myself though, I’d be doing you “injustice” if I didn’t mention the new Justice League poster announced before the panel visible here (or down at the very bottom below).  You have to love the way they begin the slogan by utilizing each character’s symbol, logo or whatever you want to call it.

So getting back to why we’re all here, the DCEU panel.  The crowd erupted in cheers and roar when the 3 walls of video showcased all our favorite DC Comics heroes and villains and mentioned upcoming feature projects such as Green Lantern Corps, Wonder Woman II, Suicide Squad 2, The Batman, Batgirl, Justice League Dark and more.  We stopped on Aquaman though and that’s where the captive Hall H crowd literally went batshit crazy as Jason Momoa ran from the back of the auditorium down the center crowd to a blasting guitar solo while thrusting his Aquaman trident spear up and down in the air.  The crowd was electrified at his energy as he charged the stage with both the utmost of authority and excitement.  I never seen anything like it that can match the level of enthusiasm he has for his casting of Aquaman and being part of this DCEU movie universe.   It was infectious to say the least. 

Jason traded some banter back and forth with moderator, Chris Hardwick, handed off his trident spear to him and we were even treated to an offsite, pre-recorded video greeting by Director James Wan who equally excited about the project and showing us some exclusive footage of the upcoming Aquaman movie.   From there we went right into the footage, which looked great by the way.  This whole time Jason never took a seat.   He was amped up about it all to say the absolute least.  Once this concluded the Justice League movie was announced and the Hall H crowd once again rose to their feet as Ben Affleck, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher and my new “Hall Pass” as my new friend Gary called her, Gal Gadot, stormed the center aisle as they made their way from the back to the front of the stage.  I was a mere foot away from my onscreen heroes as the strolled by me in the photos I snapped below.  My fellow peer Jordan Grout told me I should have tackled Gal Gadot and put WSB on the map!  LOL.  If that doesn’t ban you from Comic-Con for life, then I don’t know what would.  

Once on stage Ray Fisher immediately tore apart  his “Borg Life” t-shirt he was sporting to reveal another t-shirt underneath that read “I (heart) ZS” in honor of their personal hero, Justice League’s former Director, Zack Snyder.  

Ezra Miller was equally as crazy wearing this very weird outfit and donning a long, blonde hair wig (see above) that he took off once upon stage too.  

Ben Affleck was calm and docile, but Gal Gadot was simply radiant and her glistening, body hugging dress made her sparkle like a diamond on stage.   I mean wow take a look at all the shots of this radiant gem below and tell me with a straight face that she does not threaten my fond childhood memories of Sharon Stone in that same provocative pose.  Come on!  Those legs! 

Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?  Okay!  LOL.  Let’s get back to our original scheduled program.

So the Justice League team wasted no time in treating the energetic Hall H crowd with their first look at the new trailer for the film, which includes our first gander at the villain Steppenwolf and possibly a hint of Superman at the end. 

Jason was so excited afterward the trailer screened that he picked up his chair on stage and smashed it.  I kid you not! 

The Comic-Con crew wasted no time in providing Jason another chair and the whole team, minus of course Henry Cavill (because Superman’s dead) sat in the center of the stage and answered questions from both Hardwick and the fans.  Ben Affleck dropped a few F-bombs and refuted rumors of him quitting as Batman, Jason dropped an Aquaman movie spoiler about who the villain will be in that and the best question came from a little kid who was broken-hearted not to see his favorite hero, Superman, on stage. 

Gal consoled the little kid saying she believes he will be very happy with the Justice League movie while Jason cut her off saying “get over it kid, Superman’s dead.”  The crowd erupted in laughter while Jason defended his stance saying the kid needs to know.  LMAO.   

One of the highlights for me was sifting through the near thousand of photos I snapped here (all these photos in this post are taken by your truly here) to realize a moment, which I pieced together, that looks like Jason put a piece of duct tape on Gal’s perfect anterior behind.  I caught her in photos (see below) not knowing it was there, realizing it was there and taking it off.  If you look hard enough too you’ll see the name Jason on the duct tape.  Too funny! 

To end the panel Hardwick asked the group to take a selfie with him, caught in the silly photos I took down below. 

The Justice League cast took one final bow for the audience, hugged each other (you can tell they all have a blast together) and we were left to watch the new Justice League trailer once again as my heroes were swallowed by and disappeared into the darkness.

I later saw Gal for a brief moment at the DC Entertainment booth signing autographs, but security was like a Fort Knox and try as I might, despite my best ninja skills too, I could not get close enough to take a few last shots.   Until we meet again, Gal, until we meet again (some final shots of those legs).

So for your viewing enjoyment please feel free to click on, save and share any of my captured photos of the event of a lifetime here within this post.   You’re welcome!

November can’t come soon enough!

#UniteTheLeague