Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope

There’s a sense that the documentary Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope is made by geeks for geeks.

The geek behind the camera is tongue-in-cheek documentarian Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me), whose affection for the eccentricities of the world’s largest comic and fanboy convention is obvious in every frame.

That’s a feeling shared by those who — well into their adult years — still don costumes of their favorite superheroes and video-game characters, and see the annual Comic-Con in San Diego as a validation of their quirks and obsessions.

The film follows the 2010 convention, specifically focusing on the personal stories of a handful of attendees. They include costume designer Holly, who is preparing for a skit in the Masquerade; Eric and Skip, each lifelong comic-book fans hoping to land jobs with portfolios of their illustrations; Chuck, a longtime comic dealer whose debts might cause him to sell some of his most beloved possessions; and James, who hopes to dramatically propose to his girlfriend at one of the convention panels.

Unlike in most of his other projects, Spurlock never appears on-camera here, nor does he provide any narration. He lets others talk for him, interviewing a diverse lineup of industry icons such as filmmakers Kevin Smith and Guillermo del Toro, actors Seth Rogen and Seth Green, and comic-book legends Stan Lee and Frank Miller.

The fast-paced film is a tribute to the growth of Comic-Con, which started out as a grassroots gathering of comic-book aficionados and has since expanded into a confluence of science-fiction movies, video games and fantasy multimedia that sells out the San Diego Convention Center for an entire weekend.

It captures the shared sense of community among folks who are labeled as outcasts and offers a heartfelt look at the attempts of a few to parlay hobbies into careers.

Nobody in the film has any real criticisms of the convention, other than perhaps the comic-book folks whining about how the focus has shifted, which might have made an intriguing topic for Spurlock to explore with more depth.

What’s left is an amusing if superficial observation of bizarre personalities and goings-on that probably won’t change the feelings of Comic-Con devotees or outsiders either way.

Rated PG-13, 86 minutes.