Supanova 2017 Brisbane Review @ Brisbane Convention Centre

With so many events on offer, the hardest part of attending a Con like Supanova is always figuring out what’s ‘must see’, what’s ‘want to see’ and what you can live without if you really have to.

This year’s Brisbane Supanova made it surprisingly hard to choose, with an epic gathering of celebrities, cosplayers and stalls to steal your focus and derail your budget.

Every Supanova is special in its own way, but you know it’s going to be a wild weekend when the King of Cameos is in town. Of course, the fan favourite this year was iconic nonagenarian Stan Lee, and who can blame them?

Stan Lee is an icon; the face of phoenix-like comic company Marvel, Stan has a habit of making Marvel universe movies (and, oddly, ‘The Princess Diaries 2’) that little bit more special with a wry, generally hilarious cameo.

Fans queued for hours for a chance at a photo or autograph, and even to attend his panel discussions. Stan’s panels were lively, with his trademark wit and graciousness on display. It’s incredibly hard not to love Stan Lee: he’s funny, with the sort of showman persona that falls away to heart-melting earnestness if he can’t give an answer to a question.

Though age means Stan needs a translator to repeat questions to him, even this minor issue ended up as comedy gold, with more than a few fans wishing for a reality show of Stan and Max.


For some fans, though, the ‘True Believer’ ticketing was a source of confusion, even frustration. The tickets, which allowed for general entry over the three days of the event, also gave holders one-day access to near-front-of-line line hacks to Stan’s photos, autographs, and panel events.

For those who wanted to do it all in one day, there were no issues, but those hoping to spread their Stan Lee encounters over the weekend were sometimes left disappointed.

If you weren't into Marvel, ‘Stranger Things’ star Millie Bobby Brown was a clear favourite, with fans lining up for over an hour just to get into her panel events.

Fans were quick with questions about the new season of the hit Netflix show, and what’s next for the actress.

Shelley Hennig (who we spoke to recently about life after ‘Teen Wolf’) flexed her comedic muscles, quick with a joke or a story about her shift from horror and supernatural roles, into more comedic pursuits.

Perennial sci-fi and supernatural eye candy James Masters – best known for his role as poetic vampire Spike in ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ – stole hearts as he talked about shifting from DC and into the Marvel universe, and the perks of being a drama nerd.

For the lucky few, Friday night was a chance to hear him perform live with the concert deemed an utter success by music-loving fans.


The cosplayers featured a staggering array of characters and costuming, all quick to pose for photos and give advice to novices and aspiring cosplayers.

It’s hard not to be impressed by the creativity and dedication that goes into cosplay, and the cosplayers of Supanova clearly worked hard to bring their creations to life.

Given the sheer drawcard power of Stan Lee, it seems hard to imagine how Supanova will be able to top this year’s Con. But if anyone can do it, it’s the Supanova team.

Supanova will be back in Brisbane in 2018, but for those still desperate for a Stan Lee pic or signature, he’ll be at this year’s Adelaide Con 17-19 November.