The Brisbane leg of Supanova Comic Con & Gaming expo has received a serious injection of star power for this November's event, with the addition of the one and only Stan Lee to its line-up of guests.
The 94-year-old comic-book industry legend last visited Australia in 2014 for Sydney's Supanova convention, on what was believed at the time to likely be his final visit to our shores.
However, the celebrated writer and editor — a co-creator of pretty much every big name in the Marvel Comics universe, including Spider-Man, the Hulk, Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Daredevil, Thor and the X-Men, among others — will make one more jaunt Down Under to meet and greet his fans in Queensland.
The incomparable icon will appear across all three days of Brisbane's event, appearing on panels as well as at autograph and photo events for the True Believers.
The news of his joining the roster of Supastar guests comes in the wake of the withdrawal of Iron Fist star Finn Jones earlier this week.
Having started his career in comics in 1939 as a publishing assistant, Lee went on to steer Marvel through its creative zenith in the mid-20th century, along with artists Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby and John Romita Sr (to name a few of his most notable collaborators).
Under Lee's charge, Marvel's heroes developed into national, then global, pop culture monoliths, his penchant for grounding his characters with a relatable humanity helping to redefine the way that superheroes have been written ever since.
He was responsible for fostering the sense of community that blossomed among the readership, not only through informative efforts such as the letters and Bullpen Bulletins pages — which featured updates about Marvel staffers and storylines — but his Stan's Soapbox column, from where his catchphrase, 'Excelsior!', stemmed.
Though he hasn't been a regular writer for decades, Lee's influence on comic books, and Marvel in particular, has never diminished, the man having achieved sufficient status to be named chairman emeritus of the company in 1998. He also previously served as editor-in-chief, executive vice-president and publisher.
He's appeared in each of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date, as well as unrelated Marvel films such as X-Men (2000) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007), Hulk (2003) and the Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007.
Simply put: his legacy is immeasurable and mythological, and any comics fan worth their salt will be clamouring for a chance to even stand in the same room as him. This will very likely be the last time he visits Australia, so it's an event you will not want to miss.
Supanova Comic Con & Gaming returns to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from 10-12 November.
Tickets go on sale at 9am this Thursday, 14 September; see the event's website for more information.
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