REVIEW: Wales Comic-Con 2015 – Part 1

“We would never be able to dress like this outside of here,” I overheard a young cosplayer say to her group of friends. And she’s right. Comic conventions are the ultimate destinations for the outcasts, the misunderstood and the under-appreciated. Wales Comic-Con might just be the most welcoming of them all.

There’s a special atmosphere to be enjoyed when walking around the grounds of Wrexham University, fully immersed in the oddities and way of life that you would never seen on your average high street. The same community that might be unfairly ridiculed in the cutthroat modern world are viewed as just regular people, which they rightly should be.

Only at a convention would you see Deadpool facing off against Spider-Man, families dressed as hobbits and new friendships being made wherever you look. There is an especially accepting aura about Wales Comic-Con, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say it’s one of the premier events of its kind in the United Kingdom.

[Tweet “A testament to what can be achieved when you gather a crew of like-minded, passionate people together.”]

Having attended last year’s extravaganza of everything alternative, it was assuring to notice that the organisers haven’t rested on their laurels. The grounds of the university were more bustling than ever, but not an extent that it was uncomfortably busy. There were plenty of things to see and do with the gaming tent proving a popular tweak to the tried and tested formula of years prior. Consoles from all eras were represented here and it was a heartwarming sight to see young children pick up a SNES pad and try their luck at a round of Super Mario.

Some of you more violently minded readers might remember a little cult N64 game by the name of Carmageddon. As well being one of the most controversial pedestrian-murdering simulators ever made, it was also a lot of fun (in an obviously not sadistic way). Well, it’s back and with a mighty powerful bang to boot. I managed to get hands-on with Carmageddon: Reincarnation on the Gamers Bus and can confirm that it’s maybe even more violent than the original. Get it on the Humble store if you appreciate some carnage.

As is to be expected, the main hall where the attendees could meet and greet their heroes was overflowing and full of life. The guest billing was very strong this year, despite one or two marquee dropouts, and it looked like all were happy to be in the company of their fans – there were no diva moments. Constantine’s Matt Ryan and In the Flesh’s Emmet Scanlan should count themselves lucky that they aren’t claustrophobic as the eager queue hardly abated all day. The Red Dwarf cast are always a big draw and their area was also a popular destination for signature seekers. On the other side of the hall, legendary wrestlers mingled and chatted with the best of them with their panel being one of the most scoop-worthy Q&A sessions of the day.

The organisation also seemed much more fluid than this last year, though that’s not to say it was previously below expectations. Everything went smoothly: there weren’t any hiccups of disasters. A testament to what can be achieved when you gather a crew of like-minded, passionate people together. You can only imagine what they could do if given free reign of the entire university, or maybe even expanded further afield.

With another edition to come as early as November this year, be sure to plan ahead if you want to be where all of the geeky action is when Wales Comic-Con returns.