Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope [Blu-Ray]

In a gathering of marginalized attention seekers, Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold) uncharacteristically, but wisely omits his physical presence for a documentary dependent upon its subjects instead of a gimmicky proposition. That's not to say Spurlock is just filming an orgy of geek love, but by no means does he mock or criticise the conference goers – to the point of ignoring the psychology behind the obsessive-compulsive aspects of extreme fandom entirely. His authorial eye is cast towards the encroaching commercialization of a once quaint insider event. This angle is explored most succinctly through the experiences of an independent comic book retailer who's been feeling the pinch of diluted interests at the conference, which he heavily relies on for an annual sales bump, and via interviews conducted with comic writers and artists, including witty mixed media creators like Joss Whedon, Kevin Smith, Frank Miller, Grant Morrison, Robert Kirkman and Matt Fraction. A great deal of the film, however, omits an overt opinion to simply document and contrast the aspirations of a cross-section of the dreamers who flock to San Diego to feel a sense of community. Categorized according to ambition, "the Collector" seeks a rare Galactus figure like it could provide him with emotional support during an apocalypse; "the Lovers" are looking for a magical engagement moment at the Kevin Smith panel; "the Artists" are hawking their talents for a career in illustration; and "the Designer" leads a squad of aspiring costumers and puppeteers combining their love of Jim Henson and Mass Effect in a bid to win the masquerade, and the notice of their industry heroes. The deleted scenes don't add much of importance and a soft, brief "Behind the Scenes" does little other than reinforce the notion that Spurlock was only allowed into the fandom Mecca because he promised to keep his scrutiny out of the nerd bubble. Full interviews with the aforementioned famous personalities are brimming with interesting and often comical musings and anecdotes, and there's plenty to engage the hardcore comic fans from the likes of the ever-amiable Stan Lee, Marvel editor Joe Quesada, occasional Batman author/very-awkward-man Paul Dini, and Spider-Man revitalizer Todd MacFarlane, among others. Just skip the brainless, self-indulgent ramblings of half-literate waste of attention Harry Knowles and the awkward, guarded appreciation for the medium of Ellen Page.