Cappuccino with Jules

It’s here. It’s now. It’s Comic Con! All fandoms and pop culture lovers in Indonesia shall rejoice! In collaboration with the New York Comic Con and supported by the XM Studios, this fantasy and action-packed event is finally returning.

From Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts to Suicide Squad, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Arrow, almost every merchandise related to all the big superheroes and action film/TV characters we all enjoy are put on display, ready to be taken home to be added to our collection. And we’re not only talking about American favorites but also a lot of stuff from popular comic books and shows in Japan. Think Sailor Moon, Final Fantasy, the Gundam series and Death Note. Even Disney exclusives are available.

Meet and greet sessions with notable stars like Deadpool actress Brianna Hildebrand, The Legendary Kamen Rider Ichigou creator Hiroshi Fujioka, Indonesia’s very own Ardian Syaf who’s signed with Marvel and DC Comics and Alex Milne (Transformers comic artist) are also part of the 2-day con. In addition to all those, local and international illustrators, comic creators, graphic designers and special effects teams are setting up their own stands to showcase and sell their drawings, digital art, sketchbooks and other works.

Thanks to my friends Tifany and Michelle, we got to attend the Saturday Comic Con’s opening day at a Rp 90.000 presale price (on-the-spot tickets cost Rp 120.000). For all die-hard Comic Con fans in Jakarta, today is your final chance to experience this exciting event, so be sure not to miss it.

Below is a list of some of the stands we got to visit throughout our Comic Con adventure, complete with photos of stuff that stood out:

• Star Wars-verse ~ The shop has popular merchandises that cover The Force Awakens, the earlier movies and the upcoming Rogue One film (the Rogue One promo is all ablaze, and I definitely approve). Also, visitors are given that opportunity to own the “limited edition” Star Wars medallions – the first in Indonesia. Sphero’s newest Force Band is also available to purchase – a Jedi essential.
• Comics ~ Presented by Books Kinokuniya, various graphic novels, mangas and books are on sale: Supergirl, Fantastic Four, Suicide Squad, Gotham, Batman, Superman, Batgirl, Spiderman, Attack on Titans, Sailor Moon, The Legend of Zelda, you name it. My goal was to find Agent Carter, DuckTales and Darkwing Duck comics but unlike in NY and San Diego, they weren’t in stock so I’ll just look them up on Amazon/eBay.
• Lego’s Spooktacular Shop ~ All sorts of Halloween-themed Legos can be spotted, including Scooby Doo, Ghostbusters and one with the main Disney characters.
• Cosplay Area ~ Where all the cosplayers get to mingle. Cosplayers can be found all over the venue though. During my time there, I got to walk past Harley Quinn, Captain America, King Geoffrey, stormtroopers, Hermione Granger and Daenerys Targaryen. Plus some Walking Dead zombies.
• Pops ~ Pretty much every toy shop has one. Pops are definitely in demand these days. Collectors’ favorites. What you can get: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Severus Snape, Newt Scamander, Harley Quinn, Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Daenerys Targaryen, the Starks (including Jon Snow), Alice in Wonderland, Cheshire Cat, Red Queen, Mirana the White Queen, Toy Story characters, most Star Wars characters, etc.
• Sephora ~ This international make-up brand has a mini studio dedicated to helping visitors transform into the character of their choice with their magical make-up products – I saw one in the process of becoming a monster with blood all over his face

Artsy Harley Quinn and Superman tees.

Rogue One.

Stunning Elsa from Disney on Ice.

Hey there, Chewbacca!

Spotted a poster for this fantastical update of Red Riding Hood starring Amanda Seyfried.

Hermione Pops.

The Star Wars medallions that hold so much power.

My Comic Con program guide and a Game of Thrones pouch – the only merch I bought which I’m now super proud of owning. Lovely, whimsical illustration of the characters!