After our experiences with this show last year, I wasn’t really itching to return for this year’s Philadelphia Comic Con. In fact, I had all but forgotten about it until an opportunity presented itself for a quick trip on the last day of the show. I have to admit, attending Sunday morning was a really pleasant surprise and more than enough to merit a return in 2012.

Although reports suggested Saturday was overwhelming, it was a comfortable crowd for the space on Sunday. A number of guests were absent on the second day of the weekend without being listed as “Saturday only,” but those that were there maintained their enthusiasm and were having great interactions with the attendees. Adam Baldwin in particular stood out as a great addition to the celebrity line up and was a welcome sight at a show whose guest list focused on actors from the Buffyverse, a number of horror properties and six cars. These aren’t the types of attractions that normally draw me in, but those are the names that get most people through the doors and it was pretty cool being wished a happy first Father’s Day by the likes of Chuck‘s “John Casey.”

Even without an official Marvel Comics presence again this year, I still had an opportunity to meet creators working on two of their highest profile titles, Humberto Ramos (Amazing Spider-Man) and Carlos Pacheco (the “new” Uncanny X-Men). They were a big part of what brought me to the show and it was nice to see that they and many others had a good deal of sketch work going on. The setup for the “Artists Alley” was better integrated into the celebrity stalls this year making the creators far more accessible. While this is a great improvement, I still think making comics a higher profile part of an event called the “Philadelphia Comic Con” would make this show more rewarding for creators in attendance.

It was once again more of a “thing-a-thon” than a “comic con,” but it’s still a show I’d recommend for anyone that’s a casual fan of “things” as there was a lot to like. It’s also nice to see that this show shifts its focus with each iteration featuring a lot of Star Trek personalities last year and going with recognizable faces from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Wars, and other properties this year. If you’re looking for a show more focused on comic books, artist Mark McKenna was one of a number of creators that highly recommended Heroes Con in North Carolina as a great comic show. Baltimore Comic Con will still be the place for me this year with 2011 guest of honor, Stan Lee.

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