KARACHI: A statue of Christopher Reeve, arguably the most iconic actor to embody the role of Superman, was unveiled at a cosy-yet-colourful event on Friday.

Coinciding with the release of the latest Hollywood offering, directed by James Gunn, the event also saw the announcement of ComicCon Pakistan by eccentric film buff, Syed Aamir Sajjad.

The pop culture aficionado claims to have hundreds of pieces of Hollywood memorabilia — ranging from figures and statues to props and replicas — in his personal collection, the aforementioned statue of Reeve being among them.

The event, which brought together a motley crew of entrepreneurs, fashionistas and young people, featured elaborate Superman-themed decorations and snacks, with John Williams’ iconic theme tune from the 1978 film blaring over the sound system.

Addressing the audience, the collector spoke of his own love for the main hero from the DC Comic universe. Even though the ‘last son of Krypton’ has been portrayed on screen by many actors — from George Reeves to Henry Cavill — Mr Sajjad said he thought Christopher Reeve’s was the most canonical portrayal.

The tragic story of the horse-riding accident that left him paralysed and confined to a wheelchair added an even more emotive dimension to the superhero’s story, was captured in a clip from the HBO documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, which was also played for the audience.

Sporting a Superman t-shirt under his LV jacket, Mr Sajjad said that he wanted to utilise his connections with Hollywood to put Pakistan on the map — so to speak — and bring the global phenomenon of ‘ComicCon’ to his country as well.

A full-scale Comic Con, he said, would be held on Jan 31, 2026, at the Karachi Expo Centre.

He said that HKC Entertainment, which distributes Hollywood content in Pakistani cinemas, had joined them as a partner.

Although this is not the first ComicCon to be organised in the country, Mr Sajjad teased the possibility of having actors from famous franchises speaking during the event.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2025