“Netflix, Marvel Studios, and other big names won’t attend SDCC 2023!? What!? No new trailers and special panels!? This is the end of comic con culture as we know it!”
In a nutshell, this is what people were saying in the geeky, nerdy circles prior to the San Diego Comic Con International (SDCC) of 2023. Then the weekend of SDCC 2023 came and went. People came from all over to fill the halls in and out of costume, visited many displays from artists, vendors, and such groups as DC Comics and The Pokémon Company International. As I’m sure many level heads figured, the world of comic con geekdom didn’t come to an end! Let’s take a look at two of my favorite announcements made at SDCC 2023 and celebrate ongoing comic con life!
1. BAM! POW! *GODZILLA ROAR*!?
The dramatic scene laid out! Who will emerge victorious? Picture credit to comicsbeat.com
DC Comics held a panel in which they shared a most recent project coming out soon. DC and Legendary Entertainment partnered with Toho International to put together a dynamite crossover —Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong — which pits the famed league of superheroes against two gargantuan opponents!
The Justice League have taken on giants before, but nothing as powerful as ol’ ‘Zilla and Kong! Apparently what happens in a nutshell is this: the Justice League has yet another battle with the Legion of Doom which somehow opens a doorway between worlds and brings in players of the Monsterverse — Godzilla, Kong, and other monsters — and somebody’s gonna throw *down* in a big way!
“As a comics fan—there’s nothing more fun and exciting than exploring those amazing ‘What If’ situations that come up when fandoms cross streams!” said DC President, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee in a statement shared by IGN.com. “In this case, it’s a matchup of the world’s greatest Super Heroes in the Justice League who take on not only the King of the Monsters—Godzilla—but the mighty Kong himself! It’s a crossover no-holds-barred battle, decades in the making, and no bona fide comics fan will want to miss it!”
Battle with the beasts in Metropolis! Picture credit to comicsbeat.com
I am utterly jazzed and want to read this seven-issue series! I mean I *hope* it doesn’t mean a lot of destruction eye-candy a la Man of Steel (2013), but at the same time such is the way of warring behemoths! I’m curious to see how each League member will take on these two monsters; can Superman, for example, punch Godzilla into space? I want to see him try! Or will Godzilla reduce Superman to nothing with a kryptonite-infused breath of atomic energy?
Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1 will be released in October 2023. The team behind making this series includes writer Brian Buccellato and artists Luis Guerrero and Christian Duce.
2. Goodbye, Old Friends! You Caught ‘Em All!
Ash Ketchum (center) and pals! Picture credit to comicsbeat.com
Yes, it’s the end of at least one era; not of comic cons, but of seeing hero Ash Ketchum and best buddy Pikachu as the central lead characters in the Pokémon saga of shows. I mean twenty-five *years* of this, Ash can’t be — what — thirteen years old *forever*! This conclusion comes in new chapter (I say new; it’s already aired in Japan) of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys. Well, what we’ll see is more like part four of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys which has already been on Netflix since 2022.
***SPOILER ALERT***
Ash triumphant! Picture credit to sportskeeda.com
Here’s my question as a *very* casual Pokémon fan who was there from the beginning with Pokémon Indigo League (known to us US kids of the 90s as simply Pokémon). What will people do if they’ve already seen the news as to how Pokémon Ultimate Journeys ends!? I doubt there’s anyone left who hasn’t heard that Ash finally won the biggest tournament of all and became a Pokémon master… but the fun part may be in seeing just how that long-time dream finally comes true.
***END OF SPOILERS***
This news came from the panel held by SDCC visitor The Pokémon Company International: “Pokémon: Bringing Iconic Animation to Global Audiences”. Part four of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys premieres in the US via Netflix on September 8th, 2023. Parts one-through-three are available at present.
Final Thought
While these were not the only two announcements from visiting companies, they are my favorites. Nothing against Ash Ketchum, but his time has been and passed. As for the Justice League taking on Kong and Godzilla, it’s exciting stuff to see something (or someone) other than the same legions of military forces try to take down the two monsters.
Miles Morales and Peter Parker team up against Venom (center) high above the rooftops of NYC! Picture credit to marvel.com
Meanwhile, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies displayed over twenty minutes of footage from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem; Sony announced a Spider-Man themed PlayStation 5 to tie-in with the new Spider-Man 2 game while PlayStation and Insomniac Games shared a new trailer and more info about said video game at legendary Hall H; cosplayers walked the walk and media representatives talked the talk.
To borrow from Peanuts character Linus van Pelt, in this case regarding the state of comic cons if the SDCC 2023 is any indication: “the world didn’t come to an end.”
How do you feel about the SDCC 2023 and these two announcements? Comment below! Check out this Geek News Now article about “Comic Con Tips! What To Know Before Your First Time!” Also, subscribe to Geek News Now and give its Facebook page a like!
