Day two went much, much smoother than our first day. We arrived early enough to find good parking and were able to check out the exhibition hall again at a less busy time. We had a hard time deciding whether we should go to the Heroes panel or the Iron Man 2 panel, and after consulting our friends via text, decided upon Iron Man 2. Assuming everyone else would also want to see this panel, we went and got in line 3 hours early – this time with good shoes, drinks, and reading material. Our planning seemed wasted, though, as there was no line and were let into Hall H immediately. There was a panel already going on when we found our seats near the back, but when the panel was finished we were able to find seats closer to the middle, although that was about as far as we could get.

For the next couple of hours we were able to see panels on Zombieland, 2012, The Vampire Diaries, Extract, and of course, Iron Man 2. Again, there isn’t much to say about them other than the fact that the audience was able to see a lot of exclusive footage. Overall it was a lot of fun and a much more rewarding day.

And of course, this Comic Con wouldn’t be complete without seeing a bunch of people dressed up. Some of my favorites were:

And lastly, some tips for any noobs like me looking to go next year:

• Buy your tickets early (months in advance) – they go quick.
• Plan your day in advance and get in line early – be prepared to wait for a couple of hours at the more popular panels.
• Have cash ready for parking – the parking attendants will be upset with you if you don’t.
• Wear good walking shoes (see above).
• Bring water and snacks, because you’ll unlikely be able leave your spot in line to find nourishment.
• Bring a backpack and/or poster can to prevent any valuables from getting bent or damaged.
• All the free stuff looks alluring, but most of it is crap and pure advertisement – save yourself the trouble and ignore it. Unless it’s a T-shirt.
• If you have an amazing costume, be prepared to be asked to stop multiple times for photos.
• Set aside a few hours to check out the exhibition hall – there is plenty to see, but try and avoid peak times as you will be unable to move.

The one thing I wish I had known on day one was the amount of time I would be waiting in line. I foolishly assumed that Comic Con would be like SXSW, where I could just breeze from panel to panel without any lines and without any trouble getting in. This is absolutely NOT the case at Comic Con. If there is a panel you are dying to see, arrive at least 2 hours early to check out the line. If the panel is in Ballroom 20 or Hall H, chances are there will be a long one.

More photos can be found here.