WonderCon 2025: Day Two Recap

I started my Saturday at WonderCon the way any con veteran would expect: standing in a very long line. But this wasn’t just any line: I was on a mission to get my Absolute Batman #1 (B cover) signed by none other than Jim Lee! The CGC booth was already buzzing when I arrived just after the floor opened (~10 AM) to queue up for his noon public signing block. After spending a couple hours connecting with my fellow line-mates on their favorite Jim Lee books, and wishing that the WonderCon floor was carpeted, it was my turn!

Jim Lee is an icon, and getting the chance to talk to him for even a moment was unforgettable. I thanked him for everything he’s done for the industry, and of course, got the signature I came for. Now I just need to get Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta to sign it as well, and I’ll have a killer triple-signed copy for my collection.

Shortly after that, I made my way over to the Funko, Mondo, and Loungefly booths for a quick tour, courtesy of Adrian Figueroa, a Senior Account Executive from 42 West Public Relations representing Funko. Big shoutout to Adrian and the whole team for taking the time to walk me through some of the weekend’s most exciting collectibles.

Mondo had some seriously cool new figures on display, including their line of soft vinyl Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. These weren’t just fun nostalgia pieces; they had incredible sculpting, vibrant colors, and a collector-quality presence that immediately stood out. Their new Monsters of the Universe deluxe figures and statues were also real showstoppers, offering high-end detail for fans of horror and fantasy genres.

Over at Funko, the buzz was electric. The biggest draws, unsurprisingly, were the con-exclusive Pops, especially in the anime category. The most coveted figures included Kuma and Nami from One Piece, along with Madara and Sasuke from Naruto. I also got to check out their upcoming Bitty Pop Arcade line, which features mini arcade cabinets themed around retro games like Tron, Sonic, and even Wreck-It Ralph. It’s a clever mashup of gamer nostalgia and Pop design, and I can see these offering a unique draw for the more gamer-centric Pop collectors.

Loungefly had some awesome releases on display too. My personal favorite was the new backpack inspired by Chopper, the droid from Star Wars Rebels. It features light-up eyes, adjustable robot arms, and a bold design that really stands out. If you’re looking to splurge on a high-quality, IP-driven bag or purse, Loungefly continues to be a top-tier option. I was also gifted a few exclusive Pops to take home, including a Voltron that’s absolutely going on display (out of the box - yeah, I said what I said). Again, huge thanks to Adrian and the Funko team for the amazing experience!

After a quick bite and a recharge, I headed to one of the standout panels of the weekend: DC’s official Superman spotlight, featuring writers Mark Waid and Dan Slott, with Marie Javins, Editor in Chief at DC, moderating. This one was packed, and with good reason. The panel centered around the upcoming "Summer of Superman" publishing initiative, which will run in tandem with the release of James Gunn’s Superman film later this year.

The event kicks off with the Summer of Superman Special #1, hitting shelves April 16, and includes a new title, Superman Unlimited, written by Dan Slott. Waid, Slott, and Joshua Williamson are all contributing to this initiative, which promises to refresh and re-energize Superman stories across the board.

Waid also introduced his upcoming series The New History of the DC Universe, a four-part project aimed at encapsulating the entire history of the DC Universe, from the dawn of time to the present, into 120 pages. His goal is for readers to feel like they are experiencing the timeline as inhabitants of the DC Universe themselves. Each issue will include supplemental timelines, offering deep lore for longtime fans and newcomers alike. Waid later shared something very personal and vulnerable during the panel: sharing how the original Christopher Reeve Superman film helped him through a dark period in his youth and has remained a personal inspiration. It then led to a question to the broader audience on why they love Superman, and one answer from an attendee really stood out: “No matter how high or how low the stakes are, Superman succeeds when he’s being his most human.”

Slott, meanwhile, gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at his storytelling approach. He talked about how in the upcoming Superman Unlimited run, Kryptonite is going to be a more valuable and readily-available resource. Robbers will have kryptonite bullet-clips to load once they hear Superman is on his way…and as a result there’s going to be just a bit more danger in the day-to-day crimefighting of Superman. However, as The Man of Steel points out in the first issue: “I’m a farm boy from Kansas…I’m not afraid of a little hard work.”

Immediately following that panel was another fan-favorite: a joint spotlight on Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane, which turned out to be one of the most entertaining and heartfelt hours of the weekend. The two legends walked us through their careers, their early struggles, and their role in the creation of Image Comics. The chemistry between them was genuine and often hilarious.

Todd recounted how his parents gave him a drafting table for a Christmas gift, which became the foundation for his early comic work on titles like Spider-Man, Spawn, and The Incredible Hulk. He shared a story of a young fan who waited seven hours to get his Amazing Spider-Man #300 signed, only for his mom to ruin the comic as she came to pick him up (“She folded it in half, and, I had never seen this before, folded it in half again!”) A heartbreaking moment that got a big reaction from the audience, as we all collectively mourned the loss for the young collector.

Jim Lee got a bit more introspective, opening up about how his parents were initially unsupportive of his artistic career. After finishing college, he had a major argument with them before taking a year to give comics a real shot. It was at his first convention in New York that he met legendary editor Archie Goodwin. For those unfamiliar, Goodwin was one of the most respected writers and editors in the industry, best known for his tenure at Marvel and DC, where he championed creator-driven storytelling and helped nurture the careers of countless artists and writers. After seeing Lee’s portfolio (which he was effectively cornered into when Lee overheard that he was waiting to review someone else’s portfolio), Goodwin gave him a six-page tryout, which led to a fill-in issue of Alpha Flight - and from there, everything changed.

Lee also shared a funny moment about the double-edged sword of his parents coming around to supporting his career: constantly comparing him to Todd McFarlane. “Jim, why aren’t you number one on the Wizards Top Ten hottest writer list? Why is Todd beating you?” It was equal parts charming and, from what I could tell in the audience’s reactions, relatable.

The two artists shared how they first met in Canada and how Lee, seeing the huge line for McFarlane’s signatures, assumed he was a rock star. McFarlane said Lee had the harder path, taking over Marvel’s top-selling X-Men title after legends like John Byrne, while he was handed a mid-tier Spider-Man book and told to do whatever he wanted. Lee had a bit of an epiphany mid-panel, saying, “Who the hell am I to take on the number one book?”

Ultimately, when reflecting on the creation of Image Comics, Todd lauded Lee with admiration, saying that having Jim on the Image Comics founding team was a big reason they succeeded. He called Jim the “consummate employee” and “a real professional.” and he served as a great balance to the “rebels” on the team like Rob Liefeld and McFarlane himself.

Following back-to-back legendary panels, I headed back onto the convention floor to visit Artist Alley and pick up a few commissions I had arranged earlier. I snagged a slick drawing of Doctor Light from Kevin Tran, a quick but energetic sketch of Boomer Kuwanger from Sean Murphy (Mega Man X fans, you know the name), and an absolutely gorgeous head sketch of Silver Surfer by none other than Ron Lim.

For those unfamiliar, Ron Lim is one of the definitive Silver Surfer artists, particularly known for his work during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His dynamic, cosmic illustrations defined the look and feel of the Surfer for an entire generation of Marvel fans. Lim was a key artist on Infinity Gauntlet, Silver Surfer, and numerous other spacefaring titles during the era when Marvel’s cosmic storytelling was at its peak. Getting a sketch from him felt like acquiring a piece of Marvel history.

By the time I looked up, the day had flown by. Between the panels, the exclusives, the new reveals, and the incredible artists, Saturday at WonderCon was a blast from start to finish. I came in hoping to check off a few bucket list items and ended up with a bag full of goodies, new insights into Superman’s future, and stories from two of the biggest names in comic book history. Only one day left, but Day 2 is going to be hard to top.

Stay tuned for my Day 3 wrap-up!