Superhero-themed parties are quite the rage in the West but for the first time in the sub-continent, Comic-con held Batman-themed parties across four cities simultaneously. Christy Varghese reports
The Batman series, be it the unlimited comic book adaptations or the feature films and the animated movies, have been enchanting people since Batman’s maiden appearance, a minor one at that, in Detective Comics in 1939. All of us Batman aficionados have come a long way since then, with now most of us being captivated by the Joker’s quirky one-liners. So here’s something that would fit into our present itinerary..
The Joker: [to Batman] “Come on, I want you to do it; I want you to do it! Come on, hit me. Hit me! Argh!”
This is the moment when Batman, in all his glory, with his splendid black regalia, explodes on frame and hits The Joker with all his brute force.
But here, at Monkey Bar, Vasant Kunj, all the action that caught our eye involved Batman and Joker sharing drinks and hugging. And this was not at all disappointing, in any way. Comic Con India, Comic-Con International’s Indian chapter, hosted the country’s first official Batman themed party and it turned out to be quite an iconic prospect. Simultaneously, along with Delhi, Comic Con India had also organised parties in Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad to celebrate the awesomeness of the Batman series’ characters.
Jatin Varma, Founder, Comic Con India, shared, “The Batman Celebration Night with the collaboration of Random House India was a lot of fun. We hope all fans had a great time, we know we certainly did! We’ll be back soon with more such events!” Filling us with desperation to gain knowledge of his future plans but with a sly smile he waved all queries away, not wishing to spoil the surprise in store for the animation enthusiasts here in India.
The place was flooding with the black and yellow insignia of Batman, flaunted by the t-shirts adorned by the attendees, none of them sporting empty hands courtesy Monkey Bar’s offers. Two drinks were on the house for those who were attired in proper Batman themed costume plays (Cosplay), and it was quite surprising to notice that not many cosplayers were adorned in the Batman attire. To the contrary it was the attire of a tux with the iconic top hat of the eccentric second-string villain, The Penguin that was noticeably popular here. The Joker’s classic get up comprising of a purple suit, the loud green hair with his iconic face paint and scars were also favoured by cosplayers. Attendees dressed in Batman
T-shirts availed a free drink each.
For the occasion, Monkey Bar, had whipped up drinks with twisted names which implied a lot of things but to our surprise they were actually quite tasteful. With quirky names like The Joker, Two Face, Boy Wonder, Poison Ivy and the favourite by far, Mr Freeze, the hosts ensured that no one had a bad time. With music from all the previous Batman movies, games and activities inspired from the Batman franchise with the decorations in symbolic Batman style, it was as if we were transported to the fictional city of Gotham.
With about 600 participants this time, we will leave the estimates of the crowd for Comic Con India’s next grand party. But allow us to end on a charming note, with another quote by the epic villain, The Joker.
The Joker: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are tonight’s entertainment! I only have one question. Where is BatmanIJ He’s right behind you Joker, watch out!