If you have read my writing on this website or Nerd Reactor, you know that I can be a pretty cynical reviewer. I’m extremely frugal and I hold games, electronics and events to pretty extreme standards. Many friends of mine have been telling me for years that I must experience a Stan Lee Comic Con. My usual response was, ” Why? I’ve already done San Diego Comic Con? This one cant be any better than that!” After my first Stan Lee’s LA Comic Con experience, I have to say: I couldn’t have 100% been more wrong.
My only previous experience at the LA Convention Center has been E3 the past three years. While LA Comic Con only takes up about half the space of E3, and a lot less of the “polish” of the carpeted floors and extravagant demonstration booths, it makes up for it in breath-ability. Even on the most busy days, the layout was done well enough and the aisles were spacious enough to where I was never uncomfortably constricted. Badge Pickup and Security were also competent and non-intrusive.
While I’ve been doing the convention thing for a few years now, I am still a sucker for being in the presence of celebrities, and at Stan Lee’s LA Comic Con there is no shortage of sightings of famous people from just about any fandom you can imagine. I’m not the type who pays for greetings of photos, but I just love the thrill of seeing them from a far, as strange as that sounds. I got to see pro wrestler Rob Van Dam, Nickelodeon star Kel Mitchell, and many more. What was really cool was that the main stage area, where they did all of the major panels, like the Netflix series, Luke Cage, which was essentially viewable from the main floor. The guest list for LA Comic Con is about as loaded as it gets, and unlike San Diego, its more condensed, so you actually get to see them around.
Finally, the thing I think Stan Lee’s LA Comic Con does better than any other Con is the vendor area. I never ever spend copious amounts of money dollars at the conventions because most of the time, honestly, there is a big price inflation that makes me feel like I could find the same products cheaper on Amazon. I have no idea what the cause was – healthy competition, lower vender fees, or just the spirit of Christmas – but MOST vendors on the floor were abnormally affordable. I willingly spent more money at this convention than any in my past because I just found that the booths were just so affordable!
In almost every area of criteria I use to rate conventions, Stan Lee’s LA Comic Con comes out on top. I didn’t even mention how amazing the cosplay scene was! The featured cosplayers, such as Ivy Doomkitty, Hendo Art, Kitt Quinn, and Maid of Might, were all incredibly nice and welcoming. The attendees in cosplay were a-plenty, and of some of the best quality and variation I have ever seen. San Diego Comic Con has great cosplay too, but in the heat of summer and the insane masses of people, it does not stand out as much as it could. I am incredibly thankful for the LA Comic Con media team for allowing me to cover this event, as they have most definitely won me over. I will be attending next year and, hopefully, many more to come.
For More info on how to attend next years Stan Lee LA Comic Con, check out their official website here!
Also, stay tuned to the Videogame BANG! Podcast where we will be breaking down the event even further with Maid of Might and Ivy Doomkitty!