The Top Ten Moments of Comic-Con '07
(as originally written by Neil Miller)

Being about a week removed from the heart of this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, I can say that now is the time to look back and reflect on some of the most memorable things that happened. If you were there, you could probably jot down 20-30 great moments in a matter of minutes. It was that much fun. If you weren’t there, here are 10 things that should have you kicking yourself for missing the event:

10. Tony Stark’s Car at the Omni Hotel.It wasn’t enough just to have the man himself, Robert Downey Jr. (aka Tony Stark in 2008’s IRON MAN) in the house, they had to bring his slick ride along as well. On Saturday during the Marvel Studios panel, this hot ride showed up in front of the Omni Hotel directly across from the Convention Center. I bet I could get chicks too with a ride like that…

9. The Heroes Panel . Any time you put Hayden Panettiere in a room you are going to get a reaction. The reaction was extremely positive as Hayden and her castmates gabbed on about the upcoming season of Heroes and the spin-off show, Heroes: Origins. Also exciting was the announcement that Kevin Smith would write and direct at least one episode of Origins. The show had a huge presence at this year’s Con and that’s a good thing — people just can’t seem to get enough of it.

8. The Stars of Balls of Fury.Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon and Dan Fogler were all on hand to promote their upcoming flick BALLS OF FURY. Their panel, which was part of the Focus/Rogue Studios presentation, was one of the most entertaining panels of the entire Con. “Reno 911″ co-star Cedric Yarbrough showed up in the Q&A align along with some interesting characters like Bob Stencil (more on him later). From talking about the gayness of mustaches to Thomas Lennon in spandex, these guys really know how to entertain. If their movie is half as entertaining as their panel, it is going to be one you won’t want to miss.

7. Stan Lee shows up to the Marvel Panel.Comic-Con just wouldn’t be Comic-Con without an appearance from Stan Lee. And as if it wasn’t enough that the crowd that assembled for the Marvel Studios panel was getting bombarded with footage from IRON MAN, the man himself decided to drop by and give his blessings to the flick. Stan was pumped up for IRON MAN. You should be, too.

6. The “Masters of the Web” Party and Panel.Sure there was some controversy over Robert Sanchez at IESB’s comments during the “Masters of the Web” panel on Sunday, but we should not let that overshadow the great time had by all. Saturday night’s party was one of the highlights of the entire week, hands down. Robert and Kelvin Chavez from LatinoReview.com truly know how to throw a bash. Plus the panel the next day, a panel of guys for whom I have immense respect, was both insightful and entertaining.

5. The Joyous Masses.No, I am not referring to the cult-like nature of some comic book factions. I am referring to the 123,000 strong who attended this year’s Con. They are dedicated and often costumed, but they are to be taken seriously. Like die hard sports fans, these folks are honest with themselves and not afraid to just “geek out” — something that is honorable, indeed.

4. Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy.We can’t claim to have scooped the fact that Zach Quinto would be named as Spock in the upcoming STAR TREK flick, but we can say that it makes sense. Not only was the announcement a delightful surprise, but the fact that Leonard Nimoy would be involved was also good to see. Seeing these two on stage side-by-side was eerie. Can’t wait to see the film.

3. Bob Stencil.Bob Stencil was a rather interesting character, constantly popping up to ask questions in Hall H. It turns out that he is a Comic Con veteran and a traveling comedian of sorts. His crowning moment was his discussion with the guys from BALLS OF FURY about the gayness of his mustache. Check out his MySpace page for more… You shan’t be disappointed.

2. Kevin Smith vs. a Heckler. This rather infamous event was twice as funny in person as it was watching it again later on YouTube. A non-believer in fan favorite Kevin Smith grew a pair and attempted to call him out asking, “Are you ever going to make a movie with original characters that doesn’t suck?” He forgot rule #1 of Q&A: Don’t mess with the guy with the microphone. Don’t worry, Kevin Smith reminded him. Check out the video here.

1. Jon Favreau Showing off Iron Man. By and large the best moment of the Con came on Thursday of all days. No one expected Jon Favreau to show up during the Paramount Panel, as IRON MAN had been officially moved to Saturday’s Marvel panel. But he did show up and he did show off IRON MAN. A shockwave of chills flowed through Hall H as the clip displayed Robert Downey Jr. embodying Tony Stark and donning not one, but two suits. Then as if to add the cherry on top, Iron Man was shown flying through the air followed by 2 F-22s. From that moment there was no two words that got more play during the Con than IRON MAN.

So there you have it, my own personal Top 10 Most Memorable Moments from Comic-Con 2007. I guess that closes out our Con coverage for the year. It is a little sad, really. As a Comic-Con virgin, I have to say that I have never seen anything like it. The fans. The spectacle of it all. The great people I met both in and outside of the business. It was all a bit surreal. And I can’t wait to go back next year.

To check out more on Neil Miller and his blog page, click here.