5 Panels to Watch at Phoenix Comicon

For those of you that follow my con adventures, you know that one of my favorite things about Phoenix Comicon (PCC) is the variety of guests and panels that PCC offers. Not only does this four day show provide some of the best in pop culture, but it also provides these guest in a variety of formats to their panels. This means that PCC packs a schedule that can take hours to analyze. In fact, San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) is the only con that I spend more time planning my panel schedule. Fortunately, one huge difference between SDCC and PCC is that there aren’t the same time commitments regarding lines. That being said, it is easy to miss some great panels, so here are a few I spotted for you that might otherwise get lost in the glitz of some of the larger ballroom offerings:

 

5. Meet George Perez (Friday, 12:00 PM-1:00 PM): This is an hour with one of the Godfathers of comics. This is a creator whose fingerprints are all over the DC and Marvel universes with some of the most notable contributions coming on books like Avengers, The New Teen Titans and Crisis on Infinite Earths. For some reason, spotlight panels like this are often underappreciated and in the end offer some of the most touching, fun and real moments of a convention. Make sure to hit this panel and hear a true icon speak about the craft he loves.

 

4. Bleeding Cool: The Gossip (Saturday, 7:30 PM-8:30 PM): Most fans of comics and pop culture are familiar with Bleeding Cool and the constant cultural news that they provide. This panel offers PCC attendees to get behind the scenes with those who have their finger on the pulse of pup culture better than most any. Bleeding Cool panels are normally full of fun and offer some interesting insights into the business of broadcasting geekdom info 24-7.

 

3. DC Universe: The Flashpoint Effect (Sunday, 4:30 PM-5:30 PM): Although there are a number f DC panels that sound interesting, this one’s focus on what has become one of the most pivotal points in comic history stands out the most to me. With creators like Francis Manapul, Alex Sinclair, and Freddie Williams II on-hand, I think there’ll be some really interesting insights into the new world of DC. Also, the timing of this panel is important in that we are nearly a year into the post-Flashpoint world and thus far it has changed everything.

 

2. Cartoons from the 1980’s (Sunday, 10:30 AM-11:30 AM): Where to start? What 80’s cartoons did I not watch? Although current day viewing of these shows may not always hold up well to the tests of time, the volume of nostalgia offered in a viewing of something obscure like Shirt Tales cannot be matched. Grab your blanket and bowl of Frosted Flakes and travel back to the Saturday mornings of your childhood.

 

1. Writers vs. Artists (Saturday, 12:00 PM-1:00 PM): This is always an interesting topic, but it’ll be even more so with some of the heavyweight comic talent that this panel offers. Bringing the likes of Ethan Van Sciver, George Perez and John Layman all together to discuss the creative process behind some of the most important books of the last 30 years is a must attend event. Where else can you hear the genius behind Crisis on Infinite Earths and Chew talk shop together? I’ll be at PCC for a number of reasons, but if I needed just one…this would be it!

 

So, I hope this list gives you an idea of some of the depth that PCC offers. This is a show that is packed with fun from Thursday-Sunday and the panels are arguably not even the largest contributor. I’ve said it a number of times, but this is a great show. There are none that offer better customer service and more fun. As always, if you absolutely can’t make it to this year’s show, follow me on Twitter for updates throughout the weekend: @The_Con_Fluence.