ConLife: So What Can I Sell at Artist Alley?

Welcome to ConLife! Where in I tackle some of the questions people have asked about us travelling to so many conventions a year and selling our crafts, books and costumes. Have questions? Comment with them and let me know what you'd like me to answer!

In the last article for ConLife, I looked at the background of tabling at a con. Our con season is about to pick up again next month so I am jumping back into this grouping of articles.

On to this article: So how do you determine what you can sell at a convention?

Step into the Dealers Room and the Artist Alley at a convention and you'll be confronted with tables upon tables and shelves of all sorts of things to buy. A quick eye can easily pick out trends and similarities between products. Prints, buttons, plush animals and comics are some of the easiest to spot and the most common. So all you have to do is make those same things and you'll succeed right?

Unfortunately it's not quite that easy and just like pondering joining the fray there's a lot to consider. So hopefully these tips will help you figure out where you can fit yourself and your art. And, as I've said before, I'm not an expert on this so there will be some trial and error, but that's all part of the fun.


1. What do I like to do?

The first place you need to look is not in the Dealer's Room, but rather at yourself. Art wise, what do you like to do? This is especially important because if your plan works and you do start selling the stuff you make, you'll be making A LOT of it. So make sure whatever you're crafting is something you enjoy. Beyond that you want to make sure it's something that will keep you interested, with a bit of space to grow in the future.

For example, a large part of my life in Artist Alley is making plush animals and they've gone through many different versions over the years (I have an article planned on that later, I promise). The reason they've lasted so long is not just because I love making them, but because there was also a reasonable amount of room for me to grow my skills as an artist. Over time I've learned different sewing techniques, what fabric works for what and created many different patterns. All of this has to be taken into consideration. So if you hate sketching and coloring with markers, that's probably not what you should be selling. Yes, some things are more popular then others, but trends always change over time and those who really love what they do, are good at it and expand their talents are the ones who seem to stick around the longest, so it's real important to keep in mind.

2. What can I provide stock of?

Generally, when you're filling a table, there's two types of items, and each comes with pros and cons.

'Print button' items are the ones you'll see the most of - such as prints, buttons, charms, books etc. These are items which you make once and then all you have to do is order more. These are the quickest to stock, as they only take a huge time investment at the beginning. However, you will have to keep track of inventory and make sure you allow enough time for more to be delivered before each convention.

The other items tend to be custom, or limited items. These range much more in variety and generally take a longer amount of time each time you make them. Such as, if you were to sell any sort of plush animal, you do need to account the amount of time it takes to make each individual item, and stocking may take much longer between cons. (Unless you pay for a company to make them for you, then they would fall under the first type.)

So which is the best? There's no simple answer to that, because everyone's skill level and time is different. However we've found that it's good to have a variety, so that if you run out of custom and limited items your table isn't empty of stock.

3. What is ALL over?

Conventions used to be a lot less common then they are now. Now, you can find one almost every weekend somewhere in the world and many times there are multiples on the same weekends. What this means is that there's a lot of choices out there of items for people to buy and it's really easy for your table to drown in the crowd.

So consider what is already out there. Pay attention to the conventions you go to and what people like to buy, what seems to sell out, and what seems to never move from tables. This is all subjective and will change constantly, so there's really no way to predict. What you can do, however, is keep it in mind when you're deciding and make sure you give yourself a variety of options.

For example Pokemon Go is popular and if you love Pokemon and have a lot of Pokemon art, that's great! But not everyone loves it and if you only have Pokemon you're limiting the number of people who will stop by your table and buy your items. Conversely if you love anime that the majority of people don't tend to watch, your prints and art may not sell as well because people just don't know what it is. But when you find that one fan who knows what the series is, then it's even better!

This extends to the type of items you sell as well. If you're in an artist alley FULL of print artists, your prints may not stand out against the crowd. So offer a variety of items and fandoms and adjust as needed.


4. What is your brand?

This is something that a lot of business classes mention that you should consider and may seem beyond where you are now, just starting out, but hear me out. A brand is a cohesive image of you, your table and what you sell. This doesn't mean you have to make sure everything on your table matches, but little bits that make your table stand out could go a long way, especially if you plan on doing this more then once.

A brand can range from a full table theme, complete with bags and price stickers and flyers - to a simple matching color scheme across all your items. Find something you like, something small and unique that's you and keep it. Use this when setting up your table, marking the items you sell and on business cards. You want to give people something unique to remember that this is you, so in case they ever want to find you again, they can.

Now, as a note, a lot of tables around you will have fancy banners and large shelving units and awesome themes. I would actually suggest staying away from this at the beginning. The reason is because your table will shift and change as you figure out where you fit best in the con selling world. You want to give yourself room to expand and grown and the last thing you want is to be trapped with a banner or other expensive table accessory that you can no longer use. Safe those big purchases for later.


5. Con Rules

I can not stress this enough, but this is the most important rule you will come across. Pay attention to convention rules. Every convention will have a page or a document with the rules they expect artists and sellers to follow. Make sure that your display and what you sell fits these rules. Because, honestly, if you decide to ignore these rules you can lose your table and not get your money back. Worst of all, head organizers remember, and if you decide to disregard rules, word will get around and you may soon find yourself with many less cons to go to.

These rules will vary, so it's best to have a display that multiple options. Some conventions have height limits, rules about what can hang on the back of your display and even what type of display you can use. They will also have rules about what can be in your portfolio. Some conventions don't allow fanart, some want 50/50 and some have a lit of specific fandoms you can't sell from. You may disagree, but remember you're not running the event. Follow the rules and use the suggest page, forum and after-con surveys to POLITELY plead your case for change.

You can also use these rules to your advantage with a little careful thought. For example, we have a convention we're headed to that is a 50/50 fanart and original art rule. So we decided to use this convention to launch one of our new original books, because we already know that people who go to this con are used to seeing (and buying) original pieces. You can make almost any rule work for you, just give it a little thought.


Selling at conventions can range from a simple once a year hobby to a full time job and over all, what you sell will change with what you're comfortable with and where your abilities can take you. Don't be afraid of change - because honestly adaptation is part of the game. Instead try whatever you can and eventually you'll find your space.

Jessica and Briana (Snow & Brichibi Cosplays) travel to about 15 conventions a year, dressing up in costumes, giving panels about writing and body positivity. Frequently at these conventions you can find us in Artist Alley or the Dealer's Room selling their novels, art and costumes. Got some questions about Artist Alley and the convention life we live? Just comment and maybe it'll be the next subject I cover on my blog!

Review: Yuri On Ice (Anime)

Yuri on the Ice exploded on the internet and is a prime example of why I don't watch anime anymore on a weekly basis.  I can't handle the fandom explosions and the drama of waiting week by week for a series to come out - though those aren't bad things.  I'm too impatient and Netflix has taught me I prefer to binge and marathon.  So I waited until this series was all out without looking at too many spoilers (though I heard a lot) and I'm glad I waited! (And I'm sorry I'm so late in posting this review!)

What's it about?

Fresh off his failure to place at the Grand Prix last year, Yuri Katsuki is taking some time off at home to consider the next moves in his figure skating career and life as a whole.  The sudden appearance of Victor Nikiforov at his family's hot sprinsg kicks that decision into high gear.  Victor is his idol and is now insisting on being his coach to get him back into skating, and Yuri has no idea how any of this happened.

Thoughts?

First and foremost - and the thing that stuck out to me most about this series, is that this is not a Yaoi series.  Where as most anime with gay characters tends to be marketed as such, this series was not and it benefited from it and that was one of the things I over heard unfolding in the fandom while I was waiting to watch the series.  Instead of drawing in only that fandom crowd (which isn't bad) fans were treated to a story that very slowly built up the relationship between the characters and slowly pushed beyond the subtext into pure canon territory with an organic feel that wasn't forced at all.  Many fans came in to watch this series expecting to get something like Free! where the tension is there but no actual canon action.  When the canon action came (and I don't consider this a spoiler, because honestly I don't know how you avoided not hearing about the characters in this series, whether you watched it or not) people were stunned and amazed - because they all hoped for it, but never thought they'd actually get it.  This treatment allows us to get a love story about two figure skaters who just happen to be gay - rather then a gay romance about men who just happen to be skaters.  The difference may be small, but in a world of queer baiting (I hate that term, tbh) and "bury your gays" it's a much needed difference.

The story is amazing, and I'm not just saying that as a fangirl.  I'm truly impressed by how this story unfurls and introduces you to all of these characters from around the world.  I came away from the story really disliking only 1 of them, out of the entire cast, and that's a feat.  I absolutely love Yurio and how his story is so different from Yuri's.  I would love to delve more into his world and his character, should a second season be produced, but really I'll be happy with them expanding on any of the characters because I love them all (except one).

The animation and the music stand out in this series.  From the simplicity and catchiness of the opening with it's water color animation to the absolute detail when the characters are skating.  I know nothing about the world of figure skating, and even I could see how their performances improved across the episodes beyond the announcers telling us when they aced or flubbed a jump.  The show also does a good job of showing Yuri lose the weight he gained from episode 1 to the final in very subtle body changes.  He's not turned into a short and fat chibi character like most anime would do (looking at you Accel World) but instead it's more realistic and you can see the change as he works out and practices.  Seriously, it is worth your time to go onto tumblr after watching this series and marvel at the amazing number of gif sets created, showing the differences between episodes.  There's attention to detail in the animation that they didn't have to do, but the fact that they did it makes it even more impressive.  Yuri's performances alone with all his falls and triumphs are amazing, especially when you think of the extra animation this required.

Another note on the animation is something that isn't used to often, but here was done masterfully and deserves some attention.  Years ago there was a series called Gankutsuou where every single thing was patterned and while it gave the characters a unique look, it was a little hard to watch because the patterns didn't move with the characters, they remained static on the screen (like a blue screen effect in it's infancy).  In Yuri on Ice the effect is used masterfully with the different skater's costumes, to show the sparkles as they move.  This effect, even though it's used sparingly, just adds to the animation and makes them seem that much more real.  I could watch these characters skate for days and I would never get sick of the animation.  Kudos to this team for using that technique.

Final thoughts?

I am in love with this series.  Honestly.  More then most slice of life anime I've seen recently, this has a high place in my books and I'm eagerly waiting to find out if there will be a season 2.  And in the meantime, I think I'm going to go rewatch it and hunt down some fanfic and fanart while I wait.

Where'd I get it?

Crunchyroll has the entire series streaming.

It's also worth noting that Octopimp is making a hilarious abridged version of the series called "Yaoi on the Rocks" which is also worth your time.

The Ladies Are Back! magnifiqueNOIR on IndieGoGo!

They're back!!

My partner has relaunched her project magnifiqueNOIR as an IndieGoGo - so that this time we can get the book published no matter what!  But we still need your help to make this happen - after all, publishing, printing, editing, formatting, book covers and artwork all cost money, especially when the project is self published. 

Please join the IndieGoGo!  

As part of it you'll be able to preorder the book and receive art with the book at a discounted price!  We have prints of all the girls, specific themed packages and a whole bunch more!

We want to make these girls a reality and it's going to happen.  Especially now, with the need for diverse stories being that much more important.  Please consider helping us out, or at the very least passing this link along.  

And always remember: You are magical!

Cosplay Closet - Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

Part two in my blog series where I'm going through some of the old cosplay I've made over the years, this time it's Gankutsuou!

Based on the book The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, this anime is a spectacle for sure.  It takes the well known story and turns it into a sort of space/futuristic opera style with lavish style, mechs and outfits to die for. I could go on and on about how much I love this anime and as such, it's probably the series that I have made the most outfits for. At the time when I was watching it, I had plans to make costumes for so many of the characters and all of these costumes were so far above my skill level, but I didn't care!  If there's any series I can credit with increasing my skills, it would be this one, no contest.

Countess G - My very first cosplay from this anime, she is also a landmark for myself.  This cosplay marks the first time I moved into making the hugely detailed dresses I'm so comfortable with now.  At the time I didn't see myself as beautiful and thought crossplay was probably all I could handle, but certainly not huge dresses!  I remember watching the show and absolutely loving how the Countess looked, even though she was barely in the show, and I made up my mind that I wanted to try and make that dress.


At the time, I had minimal sewing skill, but decided to use a Vogue pattern to make the red dress (big mistake!)  I managed to fumble my way through the complicated pattern somehow and then hand painted the entire dress with the flower design, because there was no fabric I could find with it already on there.  Also, since the promotional art from the show didn't show the back of her dress, I had to make that design up on the fly.  This was also the first time I'd ever successfully styled and colored a wig (adding in the silver streaks) and made my own jewelry by combining existing pieces I found at the local Clarie's and garage sales.  The result is a cosplay I'm still proud of to this day, even if it no longer fits me and certainly didn't hold up for more then a few wears.

Countess G (Robe) - I even loved the character so much, that I did another iteration of her outfit from the one other scene she shows up in.  This time she's seen only taking a shower and stepping out in a huge plush robe full of colors.  Obviously I needed to wear more then that to the con, so I made myself a robe and used a spray-bottle of ink to color it, then designed my own nightgown in the same style of the show to go with it.  This dress I still have and thankfully it held up much better then the red painted dress.  (I was unable to locate the screenshot I based it on.)












Mercedes de Morcerf - After making the Countess dress for myself, my partner wanted to join in the action.  So we decided to make her a couple different versions of Mercedes' outfits throughout the series.  I made her pink dress and her nightgown from scratch, while the shopping outfit we combined found and altered pieces with a cute dress I made. My partner took it upon herself to handle the painting that was needed for the pink dress and the shopping outfit and went all out with styling her hair to look as close as she could at the time.  A couple of things were learned.  First off, for the pink dress, I didn't know how to add sleeves to a strapless dress at the time, so I just added them to the green piece across the top.  I quickly learned that I couldn't cut corners this way and have since learned how to frankenstein patterns as needed.  We also learned that when painting fabrics you have to be very careful about the thickness, or it will crack and peel and the same applies to hats.

Heloise Villefort - While I wasn't much of a fan of the character, I was still caught up in all the costumes and wanted to challenge myself again.  I chose her dress because it was lovely and presented a whole new set of items to conquer.  Specifically I didn't want to paint the dress again, so this time I broke into the patterned fabric.  I made the main dress out of a patterned cotton and then overlaid a green lace and added another pattern to the hoop skirt under it.  Not to mention I used a color shifting fabric for the top.  I love this dress and still wear it, though now without the top coat and I've been considering repurposing it into a Poison Ivy costume. 

Valentine Villefort - And finally, I also made Valentine's dress from the last episode.  One of the cool things about this series was that for the final episode they brought in designer Anna Sui to create costumes for all the characters.  At the time I didn't know who she was, but these costumes were even more gorgeous and I chose the one that would give me a challenge (sensing a theme?).  Valentine's dress was super cute and that front panel was the biggest challenge - so I learned from my mother how to hand quilt the patterned pieces together.  This dress also no longer fits me, but I'm so proud of that quilted piece I can't bear to let it go.


As time has gone by I've come across many anime series that inspire me to do multiple costumes, sadly I generally don't have the time to do it before something else catches my fancy.  Still, Gankutsuou will always stand out as one of the foundation series of my anime fandom as a whole and a perfect example of how cosplay has pushed me to learn all I know today.

Review: American Horror Story Hotel

What's it about?

Welcome to the Hotel Cortez, the finest hotel in LA. Sure, it's a little dated, but that adds to the charm.  And sure, there's some rooms that smell, or ones that have rotting corpses sewn into matrices, but all hotels have those right?  I suppose you'll just have to deal with it now, because once you've booked a room, the chances of leaving are slim to none.

Thoughts?

Ever since the first season I have loved American Horror Story for it's story and characters.  This season, I would have to say, is my favorite, hands down.  The characters, the story, the setting and the way in which everything unfurled with a delightfully slow burn all worked together perfectly, and I even enjoyed the call backs to Coven and Murder House that were mixed in.

This season introduced a couple new actors to the ever revolving cast of the series and new characters that really left an impression, along with some old favorites who once again proved they have the talent to be just about anyone. No worries, no spoilers here.

Lady Gaga as the Countess - was my second favorite character of the show.  I'll admit, her character being based on Elizabeth Bathory makes me a teeny bit biased, as I have a love for Pre-Twilight vampire stories and the Blood Countess was always interesting to me.  Here, she's a Countess only in name and presenting, but she earns the titles none the less.  Lady Gaga did an amazing job portraying the story of a full on woman, who loved men and women, controlled her entire life and lost all of it.  She goes through such a range in this series that it's a real mistake to pass her off as the 'replacement for Jessica Lange' that so many thought she would be.  Her story arc is the back bone of this season and it's well worth watching.

Denis O'Hare as Liz Taylor - now she was my favorite character and completely took me by surprise.  While I went in expecting to really like a lot of the characters (I always do), the show wisely held off on telling you Liz's back story until half way through so she was a staple of the hotel, someone always in the background who seemed to know everything and had an air of mystery about her that you really wanted to know.  And when her back story does come up? I loved it, beyond words.  I would tell you more, but I don't want to ruin it for you.  The slow reveal of who she is, where she came from and who she becomes is perfectly told and shouldn't be spoiled.

My favorite thing about this season, hands down, is the sense of belonging that the Hotel gives all the characters.  In spite of the place being haunted and full of horrors, it's very plain to see that this is a home to these characters because it gives them what they couldn't find in the outside world.  Much like Freakshow no one here belongs out in the real world and they've managed to make their own home into a place where they feel safe; but unlike Freakshow we get a sense of the hotel becoming a home, rather then seeing then seeing it be a home that falls to pieces.  Yes, the hotel is scary, but only at first glance.  Once you come to know the 'monsters' inside, they become more real then fantasy and in the end you're left caring about all of them, no matter what flaws they have.  More then that, you're left rooting for them to survive and for the Hotel to survive, because there is no place for them in the outside world and even these sad horrific things deserve a home where they can be safe and be themselves.

The only thing I didn't like?  I would have to say it's the Addiction Demon.  While I recognize that every season needs that scary looking monster to put in the promos, here it wasn't needed and it wasn't really used.  We saw the demon a couple times, and then it was gone, being nothing important.  Though, to be fair, most of the 'monsters' this season turned out to be very normal looking, so without him they wouldn't really have had much to put in the promos to scare people.  I just wish they'd either worked him a bit more into the story, or left him out completely.

Final thoughts?

Best season so far.  I can't wait to see the next.

Where'd I get it?

Streaming on Netflix, which is why I'm a season behind.  I have to wait for it to come to Netflix each time.

How It Got Better

There's a series of videos online connected to the It Gets Better Project, interviewing celebrities about how their lives got better as a moment of hope for whoever needs it.  Ever since listening to these videos I felt inspired to write one of my own.  However with the elections ramping up and the ever present looming of Donald Trump on the horizon, my brain couldn't wrap around the concept of things being better, when I only saw them getting worse.

Now, with 2016 over and many people proclaiming it to be a dumpster fire of a year, a thought hit me. Now, the first Wednesday in 2017, was the perfect time to put out a message of hope.  Not just for a new and better year, but also for life as a whole.  And mostly, if not most importantly, to remind myself and others that while some things suck, there are things that have gotten better and if we keep trying many more things will follow.  So here's my How It Got Better story, and I encourage you to make one of your own.  And if things aren't better for you yet or you feel in a rut, I hope this gives you at least an outlook of hope for the future.

How It Got Better

I grew up in the Midwest, without many friends and was often picked on.  Not because I was gay, but because I was shy and a bookworm and really never felt like I fit in the world I was living in.  The adventures I'd read about always spoke to me more, about these people who stumbled into something amazing and just found themselves, complete with a new power to take on the world and be exactly who they were meant to be.  That fantasy in my books was what I wanted and never seemed to find in the real world.

My first real crush was a girl I knew - before I even knew what being gay or bi was - and I'm still friends with her.  I remember thinking she was amazingly beautiful and not knowing how to articulate it, even to myself.  I'd tried convincing myself I'd had crushes on boys before, but it never really felt right, instead it was more something that was 'expected' and if I didn't feel it then there must have been something wrong with me.  But she wouldn't get out of my head and I spent most of my time with her and our small group of friends, so that only made it worse, even if I never acted on those feelings, the friendship meant more to me then the strange feelings in my head.

When I first came out to my parents, I was expecting the worst.  You know, because parents aren't accepting and they yell and kick people out of the house and that's what I'd heard.  I was semi prepared for that - about as much as one could be - but instead my father simply said "No you're not."  What do you say to that?  I fumbled and didn't know what to do.  I was supposed to listen to my father so if he says I'm not... then maybe not? So I kept my mouth shut and I went out and got a boyfriend - which lasted a couple years. I kept my draw to women to myself and tried to be a good girlfriend, convinced that was what I was supposed to be.

It was in college, away from my parents, that I started to come into myself.  I broke up with my boyfriend; when circumstances drove it home that I was with him to fix him and that I really wasn't happy.  I owed myself more then that, so I ended it.  I started wearing skirts and capes and just trying a lot of things out, feeling out what felt right for me.  At the time a close friend of mine was dealing with her own sexuality and that gave me the courage to approach mine and I decided no more hiding, I liked girls damnit and that was just me. If the world could deal with my skirts and capes, they could deal with my sexuality too.

In college I was heavily into writing fanfiction, especially of the gay romance variety and through it I found a supportive group of fans who all loved the same thing and didn't give a damn about each other's actual sexual leanings.  We wrote good stories with fleshed out characters, different situations and everything you could think of.  It reminded me of those stories I'd read as a child, but this time I was creating them and these fans were giving me feedback and teaching me to write even better then I ever had before.  One of the women was a bit younger than me going to college in Iowa and we'd stay up all night chatting and talking about anything and everything.  Mostly it was her talking, because I was still quiet, but I'd chime in here and there.  I made the mistake of telling her I had a crush on a girl in my class and she stopped talking to me.  Radio silence.

It's hilarious now, because that radio silence didn't last long.  Instead, now, we've been together for 15 years and are planning a wedding.  She didn't talk to me for about a week, then I got this long email about how she got jealous and didn't understand it and finally had to admit that she liked me and girls as a whole.  Fast forward now and we're living together with our kittens and costumes and traveling the whole country being our unapologetically bisexual selves.  Our relationship isn't hidden anywhere and we even make it a point to write about characters all over the gender spectrum, to increase representation and give people that sense of belonging I was always yearning for in my novels.  On top of that I make dresses specifically because I love helping women feel lovely in their own bodies - something that I've struggled with a long time.  I distinctly remember that moment when I started looking in the mirror and loving myself, inside and out, and making those dresses and writing those stories gives me a chance to bring others to that moment in their lives.

The road with my parents is still bumpy and not perfect.  They've gone from denial, to not understanding, to denial and I think we've finally reached a place of mutual acceptance.  The biggest turning point was them helping my partner and I get our house and fix it up so that it was actually livable.  When your parents become your contractors for 6 months and fix your entire kitchen and move a few walls, there's understanding there that can't be talked out and finally doesn't really need to be.

Life isn't perfect with the current social climate and a lot of times I still wonder if it ever will be.  But change is a constant thing and I see it getting better all the time.  I remember being that lonely girl, crying in my room, because I didn't have a friend to the world and didn't understand myself and the book I was reading could never be real for me.  And now, today, I write those stories, to give people a place to feel safe and call home.  I make dresses so women can feel beautiful.  My partner and I travel the country showing people it's ok to be happy and proud to be yourself, no matter who you are and what you look like. We've had countless people come up to us and say that we've inspired them to think of themselves as beautiful, that we've given them a voice in our stories and that we've made their lives better just by being brave enough to be ourselves.  And I will continue to do that, no matter what.

Review: Batman vs Robin

What's it about?

Fresh off Son of Batman, Damian Wayne is still getting used to being the new Robin and being accepted by his father.  In this film, he's a bit more matured, showing that he's taking quite a few of Batman's lessons to heart, however the rift between them is still very clear and comes to a head as a group called the Court of Owls decides to come back to Gotham and pick up where it once left off, molding the city to it's ideal.  They give Damian a choice: to listen to his father, or cross the line he will not cross.

Thoughts?

I'm going to start this off by saying that last week, before we watched this movie, we watched Batman v Superman.  I won't spend too much time on it, but I will say that if you're in the mood for a versus comic story that is well done with character arcs that actually care about the characters and writers who actually took the time to make a coherent script, skip that movie and watch this one.  Batman vs Robin has everything I wanted Batman v Superman to be and didn't get. 

Damian Wayne is, by far, my favorite Robin.  I'm not afraid to call him a little shit, because that is the best way to describe his attitude toward the world and his newly discovered father.  What makes him so interesting is the growth he so obviously shows between these movies.  He wants to prove himself to his father, he wants Batman to trust him, but he honestly doesn't understand why he can't kill people even when they've done absolutely horrible things.

This movie is also a perfect example of how to use the overplayed flashback of Bruce Wayne's parents dying in just the right way so that it builds the plot.  In Batman v Superman the flashback felt shoehorned in, just because Hollywood was sure that they needed it there to prove it was a Batman movie.  Here the flashback is relevant to the story and is actually expanded upon, to build Bruce's character.  We don't just see his parents die, we see little Bruce coming to grips with it, trying to understand who was behind it and why.  And in that we understand a little better how Damian is feeling about everything, even though their childhoods are so different.

There's also the animation in this movie, specifically in the final fight scene.  Ask me any time for examples of amazing animation (because I watch far too much anime to count) and this is still a stellar example of what the medium can do.  Fight scenes are hard to animate and don't always look right, even with the most skilled of companies.  The one that Warner Brother's Animated used for this movie carries out the fight scene as if it were nothing.  I said it above, but I mean it. This movie is what I wanted from Batman v Superman and the fight is no exception.  You felt the punches here, and the cuts and bruises were painful.  It was a master piece of showing that you can keep a fight confined to a minimal area and still communicate how earth shattering it would be if they lost.  I was invested in this fight and I got what I wanted in this climax. 

Final thoughts?

In the end this movie is one of my favorites, right up there with Under the Red Hood.  And once again I'll dream of the day when we get live action DC movies from the same writing team as these.  Because by and far, there are more good animated movies then there are bad.  Yes, some stumble horribly - looking at you, Killing Joke - but the majority are really good and worth recommending to friends and family.  And I'm still going to keep buying them blind when they come out.  I can't wait to watch more.

Where'd I get it?

Best Buy Black Friday sale with many other DC movies we were missing.