Look, up in the sky! It’s Superman and Wonder Woman!
It’s not a bird or plane, it’s even better. For the first time in the Justice League’s existence, Comic Con will be making its way to NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, offering locals the chance to see the latest in gaming, TV, film, collectibles, comics and virtual reality mere minutes from home. The event, which begins Friday, Dec. 8, and concludes Sunday, Dec. 10, will be headlined by Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot, most famous for their respective roles as Superman and Wonder Woman.
“First of all, we’re so excited,” said ACE Universe cofounder and CEO Gareb Shamus, who, with brother and cofounder Stephen, organized the Long Island event. “Especially with our pioneering way of bringing an event like this into an arena, it was important to find the right environment. And with the Coliseum, they just redid it and it’s very beautiful. Because it’s so new, the way it played out is perfect for us and what we want to do.”
Besides Cavill and Gadot, attendees can look forward to appearances by Ray Fisher (Cyborg), Ezra Miller (The Flash), Jason Momoa (Aquaman) and Ciaran Hinds (Steppenwolf). Shamus, in reference to the caliber of celebrities on-hand at the event, noted that ACE took a different approach to planning that was based upon catering to the stars’ availabilities.
“What we did differently than in the past is, typically you book an arena first, and then once you book dates, you see who’s available,” said Shamus. “We did the reverse. We wanted to see who the headliners could be and then book around that, because their schedules are so busy and they’re difficult to book. We feel that the diversity of the cast will attract people of all ages to the show and appeal to a whole new audience.”
Other attractions include a jumbotron that will allow fans to see what’s happening from anywhere in the arena, whether they’re in line for an autograph or by the stage, as well as several iconic artists and comic book writers. Shamus believes the key focuses in planning the event were variety, curation and the ability to offer something new and exciting.
“We didn’t want a situation with unlimited space. We wanted to keep everything to its core. We wanted to have all of the right artists—same with the vendors. We were able to take more chances, because we didn’t want people to feel like they were seeing the same things over and over again,” Shamus said, before singling out Gadot as a reason new fans will have interest in the event. “She’s done an incredible job of embracing that character and being someone who embodies female empowerment. It’s a strong sort of character that hasn’t existed before. That’s really cool, so a lot of people will want to meet her. We’re doing everything we can to ensure that people who come have a great time.”
