Comic Block by Nerd Block

OK. So, we have a bunch of posts in the hopper (SDCC summaries, a few movie reviews, a Loot Crate unboxing, etc.), but we haven't actually published anything here since July 13 when we said goodbye to SDCC 2015.

That makes us very bad bloggers.

Farewell Nerdhalla

Batman and Vicki Vale dangle from a flimsy stone precipice in Batman 1989

San Diego Comic-Con 2015 is now in the past. Dangrdafne and I will have a post-con write-up later this week. For now, we are trying to hang onto those good Nerdhalla vibes. We already miss everyone intensely, but we have a few more days in San Diego. And we will catch a show with Dangrdafne's childhood friend before we head back east.

Oh! But first, we'll visit the local comic shop ... again.

Justice League: Gods & Monsters -- A Pre-Review

Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman ... but not Diana, Kal-El, or Bruce!

In what has become a tradition for Dangrdafne and me, Friday night at SDCC was spent watching the world premiere of a direct-to-video film from DC Comics. We have previously seen Batman: Year One (2011), The Flashpoint Paradox (2013), and Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014). This year, we were treated to Justice League: Gods and Monsters which features the return of Bruce Timm to the animated universe he launched with Batman: The Animated Series in the 90s.

But this Justice League -- and, indeed, the world surround them -- are much different than what we've seen from previous Timm productions. It would be easy to say that this grayer version of the Justice League is simply in keeping with DC's current trend of seemingly trying to make their heroes darker and edgier. And there is plenty of evidence to support that claim: This animated film is more violent than previous DC fare, the main characters run full bore across the line to anti-hero, and there is almost a nihilistic tone that can be pulled from parts of the story. However, I would like to offer that there is much more to this film than can be gleaned from the surface.

And I'll post those thoughts in a more complete review at a later date. It's quite late on the West coast now, and I need to get some sleep so I can attack the con once again in the morning. (I did say this post was a pre-review).


But, before I go, here is a quote from tonight's movie and two bits of news came that out in the panel following the movie presentation:

• "Go! Make the universe feel your might!" ~Zod
• DC and Bruce Timm's team are planning a web series to follow the Gods and Monsters movie.
• Next year's DC movie offering will be an animated adaptation of -- wait for it -- THE KILLING JOKE!

Game of Bloggers Meet-Up Wrap-Up (The Short Version)

After hustling and bustling, bobbing and weaving all through SDCC's Preview Night, we had one more bit of exclusive content on our "must" list: The Game of Bloggers Meet-Up. So, we set aside our convention swag and purchases, did a quick change, and headed for the Dragon's Den.

And we had a great time. Seriously, that's all I can write right now. I mean, as far as our east coast bodies are concerned, it's 4:30am. And we're far too tired to adequately post a wrap-up about all the wonderful people and all the interesting conversations. So, there'll be another wrap-up post. At some point. Because we really want to make certain we thank everyone who took the time to talk with us.

So, for now, please consider yourself thanked.

Oh, and here's a photo of us with the guy who brainstormed tonight's gig: Tony of Crazy4ComicCon!

Brainwise, Crazy4ComicCon, and Dangrdafne

We're Here! We're Finally Here at SDCC!

Brainwise and Dangrdafne at the Convention Center

We landed at the San Diego International Airport just before 10am yesterday. Shortly after that, we had checked in at our downtown hotel and hit the streets to do some shopping. We even walked over the the convention center -- I posted a few photos on Twitter yesterday with the caption "SO CLOSE GUYZ!! #SDCC." But, this morning, Dangrdafne reminded me that we had not posted over here letting folks know that the Bookended by Cats crew is in San Diego for the big convention.

Well, consider that oversight corrected.

That's right! We're here in town and ready for Preview Night of SDCC this evening! We've scoped out the area, and can confirm that this place is ready for all of Geekdom, in its various and illustrious forms, to descend upon it in a celebration of all things Nerd!

Dangrdafne Scopes Out the Map!

That means we're also here and ready for Game of Bloggers Meet-Up at the Dragon's Den this evening. In fact, we were so excited about it that we lined up last night:

"Guess we're the first to line up
for Game of Bloggers, eh?"

Bookended by Cats is a fledgling blog, and we're excited about connecting with other bloggers at any level. We're trying to take Tony's "mission" advice to heart. However, we're not sure we have a stated mission just yet. So, we want to know what yours is. Maybe it will inspire us to do something more than write about stuff we read and watch with our cats. Maybe we'll have a connection for you. Who knows! 

So, if you see us here tonight:

Be certain to stop us, say "Hi!," and ask for a wristband!

Connect with Us and get a Wristband!  

Food at SDCC

So I, Dangrdafne, have Celiac Disease, and I need to eat food without wheat or gluten in it. So how in the world do I survive at SDCC? It actually isn't too hard. Brainwise and I pack most of our own food and we do a little shopping after we arrive in San Diego. This ensures that we can eat breakfast in our hotel room and pack our own lunches for each day during the con. Here are the specifics:


What we bring from home:

• Cereal and protein bars, snack-sized veggie chips 
• Gluten free Snyder pretzel packs
• Gluten free Lance cracker packs 
• Lucy's gluten free cookie packs for easy snacks. 
• Mrs. May's Almond clusters (we like carry a bag of with us for a good boost of protein)

What we buy:

• Hard boiled eggs, cereal, and rice milk for our breakfast. 
• Ham, cheese, and gluten free bread to make our sandwiches for each day. 
• Two gallons of water so we can fill our personal bottles each day before we leave the hotel room.

Where we shop:

We head to Ralph's as soon as we get to San Diego to pick up the items mentioned above. Jimbo's…Naturally is another option for natural foods and gluten free options, but we did find them to be a bit more expensive than Ralph's last year when we first found them.

Where we get dinner:

After a long day of Comic Con activities, we like to eat a good dinner. Fortunately, there are some very good gluten free options around the convention center and in the Gaslamp District. Our usual haunts are Burger Lounge, Fox Sports Grill at the Hilton Bayfront, Marina Kitchen at the Marriott Marquis, and The Grand Lobby Bar at Manchester Hyatt. There is the Old Spaghetti Factory, too, but we have not tried it yet.

How we find gluten free options:

A great resource for searching for gluten free options is an app called Find Me Gluten Free. It is customer run/supported. That means all places listed on the app are put there by people who choose to review places and submit them to the app. It might not find all the gluten free options on the area, BUT I do like that it is run by other gluten free customers.

What are your go to foods during the con? Do you have any gluten free favorites to visit when you are in San Diego for the con? Let us know in the comments.


[Draft: Dangrdafne   |   Final Copy: Brainwise]

"What the Heck Should I Take to SDCC?"

"This will all fit in the overhead, right? Right??"

We already posted about what we do with our Comic Con items as we prep for SDCC (see SDCC Boxing), but how about some suggestions for what to actually bring on the trip? Well, we have only two suggestions. And by that, we mean we are recommending posts from two other sources.

1. We've previously referred to Crazy4ComicCon's Ultimate Packing List, and he conveniently has an updated post for 2015.
2. And, over at the Toucan Blog, you can find a perfect list of things to take to SDCC -- straight from SDCC! Check out Let's Get Ready for Comic-Con 2015!

Just remember: Even though packing for a long trip can be frustratingly hard because you don't want to forget anything, you don't want to be this guy either:

This heavy image lifted from The Traveling Professor's blog

How closely do the above lists match what you pack? What are your must-have items to bring to a convention? Please share in the comments!