I am running on fumes and will be getting up at 5am to return to the convention center to get in line for tomorrow’s Lost panel. HOWEVER, this was an unbelievedable day, and I will attempt to summarize while it’s still fresh.

If I counted the two hours I spent during Preview Night last night, technically this report would be from Day 2.  Either way, I will attempt to summarize my Comic-Con experience thus far.  And please excuse the lack of close-up photos, as well as those with less than stellar quality; even after waiting in lines for each panel, I was not able to secure great seats all day and some pictures are of the screen.

By the way, I am not using the word ‘dork’ in a disparaging way in the title of this post. I feel quite conservative among the very devoted and disguised; it is intended as a complement.

In three words: overwhelmed, ill-prepared and crowded.

This has been everything I expected (the costumes and long lines) and more (casually meeting very cool people I admire).

In addition to the panels, here were some highlights from the day:

a) The  surprise guest appearance by Stan Lee at the’ LGBT in Comics’ panel [see yellow sweater below]! When a legend enters the room and speaks, it is electric. I had goosebumps. It sounds like he will be adapting a version of Perry Moore’s acclaimed young adult novel Hero [the lead character is a gay superhero, so I applaud Stan Lee for taking that risk with this genre].

b) Randomly running into and meeting one of my favorite TV reporters,  Kristin Dos Santos from E! online. She had just arrived, and even though she was about to moderate the Dexter panel, she took a moment to say hello to a dorky fan [hi, that would be me]. 

c) Meeting Lori Petty and getting an autographed Tank Girl photo for my best friend Jo [that's right, there are two of us; it's scary].

So, I attended 3 television panels today. This is exactly why I’m here; I get to sit down in an air conditioned room, watch exclusive clips and interact with the cast & crew of some of my favorite shows.

THE MIDDLE MAN
If you’re not already watching this, set your TiVO. It might be the only series I watch that deserves to be described as ‘fun” (imagine Alias if Sydney Bristow were younger…and had a sense of humor). At the panel, they showed a few scenes from upcoming episodes, followed by a Q&A with creator/exec producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach and lead actor Matt Keeslar. Although I wasn’t able to properly form my question due to nerves, I had the opportunity to ask Javi if he was enjoying the lighter tone of The Middle Man compared to his previous stints working on Lost and Medium. The answer was yes, even if I didn’t phrase the question correctly. Overall, it was a a very entertaining hour.

TRUE BLOOD
You may not have heard of this one yet, because it premieres this fall on HBO. From Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball, it is a new series based on the graphic novels of Charlaine Harris. In addition to Ball and Harris, the new cast was on hand to field questions from fans who are obviously emotionally invested in the books. They premiered the trailer, which looks damn good (and frankly, HBO is in dire need of a new high quality series and hit).  Anna Paquin plays the lead, and not only is she blond (see photo below), she appears to have lost her New Zealand accent completely. Whatever, she was born in Canada anyway. Regardless…I will be on board for a Season Pass when this debuts. Oh, and here’s a new catchphrase that made me laugh: fangbanging. That’s right, this one involves vampires, but not in a traditional way…

DEXTER
First of all, I love the new slogan for Season 3:

Now I will state the obvious. Michael C. Hall is amazing (as well as quite fit and charming in person), and Julie Benz is beautiful. I look forward to further development of her character on the show, and to watching Dexter unravel in the aftermath of Doakes and Lila.

We got to see a preview of the upcoming season, and it looks just as fantastic as the first two. Bonus: Jimmy Smits has joined the cast!

I’m sure I’m forgetting details, but I’m adjusting and adapting as I go, and must get some sleep before another big day. Tomorrow I am thrilled to be joined by my brother-in-law, who speaks the same pop culture language and is a huge sci-fi geek. Team JOpinionated will be in the house!

In addition to the ‘EW Visionaries: Showrunners’ panel featuring the Lost exec producers, I will be attending a panel featuring author Max Brooks, author of The Zombie Survival Guide and a college friend whom I haven’t seen in 14  years. I’m sure he’ll be quite surprised to see me, especially in this capacity.  The Bones panel will be the last of the day for me.

Phew. The lines and crowds only increase from here.  Bring it on. I’m having a hell of a good time.

It was a pleasant surprise to find that gay marriage is one of the storylines in Ex Machina. The early volumes were written several years ago, even before it became legal the first time in California. Writer Brian K. Vaughan has infused this superhero series with several other hot-button political issues, as well as 9/11 references (handled quite appropriately and with respect).

So far, I have a 4-Day Pass, a roundtrip flight, rented car and a place to stay. I’m hoping to have some Get Lost with JOpinionated swag created as well, to pass out to fellow Lost fans. Any suggestions?

I am at the Rookie level with regard to comic and serial novels. I am primarily attending Comic-Con because the following television shows will be holding panels there (which usually include producers, writers and actors…and if we’re lucky, teasers for the next season).

Directed by multi-hyphenate Jon Favreau (who’s previous stints behind the camera have included Zathura and Elf), Iron Man is action packed and tech savvy. It maintains a decent pace, and the story is compelling enough to fill the two hours without thinking about the length as you watch.

Despite Robert Downey Jr.’s personal issues, his talent has always been obvious and admirable. He has clearly shed lingering demons for this particular role, and offers up a franchise superhero with more wit and intelligence than most of the flawed men who jump with capes and powers from the small pages to the big screen.

Jeff Bridges makes an excellent corporate villain. It’s amazing how much a bald head enhances one’s menace. Although many will forever align Bridges as The Dude from The Big Lebowski, I’ve always been partial to 1984′s Starman.

It’s no secret that I have never been on Team Gywnnie, but Paltrow is actually pretty tolerable and likable in Iron Man. She more than holds her own as a female Alfred to Tony Stark, Iron Man’s emotionally unavailable alter-ego. And Terrence Howard plays the perfect patient sidekick to Downey’s crazy genius; I look forward to more of him in the sequel.

pop culture tangent

Lost fans may recognize actor Faran Tahir, who plays lead terrorist Raza in Iron Man. He appeared briefly in “The Shape of Things to Come” two episodes ago, as Widmore’s man in Iraq (the one that Sayid killed when he cornered Ben).

Everyone has their favorite superhero and/or cartoon, and so they view movie adaptations of them with specific personal criteria. Mine just happen to be acting, story and cheese factor. I am a big fan of the Superman, X-Men and Batman film franchises (especially the reinvented Chris Nolan series), and loathe the Spider-Man trilogy and Transformers.

To me, the acting in Spider-Man just killed all three films, whereas horrible dialogue, gratuitous violence and sexism ruined Transformers.

What I love about Iron Man (at least compared to the movies above) is that it combines seamless special effects with a good script and performances, plus eye-opening technology that doesn’t seem unrealistic and campy. In addition, the relationships between the main characters aren’t forced or insincere, and there is an actual and obvious heart and humanity beneath the machinery and superhero facade.