ReRoll Tavern joins #ComicClash campaign with heroic and/or dastardly pop-up

Cosplay a hero, drink long enough to see yourself become the villain

March 9, 2023

Tyler Schneider, Anna Perry-Rushton,

Comic Clash. // Photo by Anna Perry-Rushton

Running through April 8 at ReRoll Tavern, the Sinister Saloon/Alter Ego pop-up bar marks a convenient entry point for those who have yet to experience everything this northland hub of nerd has to offer.

A partnership between Planet Comicon and Apparition, along with a number of other businesses, including Screenland Armour, B&B Theatres, Boulevard Beer Hall, Big Rip Brewing, Black Rose Co., and the Nebraska Furniture Mart, this comic-themed pop-up venture arose as part of the joint #ComicClash “Mega Game” campaign.

In it, participants at these places, plus any other concurrent Apparition pop-up, can win points for the #KCHeroes or #KCVillains by posting up to once a day on Instagram and Facebook and including the hashtag #ComicClash. Any tag will earn one point for their chosen alliance, while photos are worth 3 points, carousels are 5 points, and reels are worth 7 points. Those participating will also be entered into daily drawings for prizes from the sponsors.

Perhaps more importantly, this is your chance to get a picture kissing the upside-down Spidey in the corner by the door. Nearby, at either side of the entryway, a heavy-duty telephone booth stands between Parker and a lonely mannequin in Loki garb who stands watch as we enter. In another corner, a Magneto sculpture hangs menacingly from the ceiling. At the same time, Mjollnir sits in the middle of the sitting area, facing a well-painted cutout photo booth styled as the front page of the Daily Bugle.

As a longtime collector of the many limited Venom comic runs, beginning with the S-Tier Lethal Protector series, I had to begin my evening with “The Symbiote,” a blackberry whiskey sour mix with activated charcoal. It was a far superior depiction of its source material than that of Topher Grace’s Eddie Brock in Spiderman 3.

My sidekick for the night went with “Toxic Waste” (gin, melon liqueur, lime juice, and tonic water), while I followed my first order up with “Mutant Blood,” a tasty little souvenir blood bag of vodka, blue curacao, pear puree, and cranberry juice.

The drink menu is smaller in scale than other Apparition/Vignettes pop-ups, but the bang for your buck does not disappoint. Other entries we had the pleasure of sampling included “The Dark Knight” (vodka, coffee liqueur, Coke, and coffee infused with whipped cream) and the “Great Responsibility” (Amaretto, cherry pucker, sour mix, and grenadine).

Two rounds down meant it was time for shots. My plus-one and I could not decide if we should go all in on the full-blown “The Infinity Gauntlet,” an order of all six shots on the menu: the “Mind Stone” (coconut rum and pineapple juice), “Reality Stone” (vodka, Peach Schnapps, sour mix, and grenadine), “Soul Stone” (whipped cream vodka, triple sec, and orange juice), “Time Stone” (silver rum, blue curacao, and pineapple juice), “Space Stone” (tequila, island punch, and lime juice), and the “Power Stone” (vodka, blue curacao, cranberry juice).

With great power, however, comes great responsibility, and one of us had to drive home when all was said and done. After some consideration, we took one shot each and then settled into a debate on Superman’s “coolness” for several minutes. The verdict: He’s not that cool. Please like, subscribe, hit the bell, and leave a comment if this triggers you for some reason.

We didn’t hit the entire menu, but there is another souvenir container available if one opts for the “Super Serum” (orange vodka, blue curacao, lemonade, sanding sugar, served in a lab bottle). Other cocktails we didn’t get the chance to try were the “Stark Industries” (cucumber-jalapeño tequila, mango puree, lime juice, and grapefruit soda), and “Smallville” (silver rum, island punch, and lemonade).

In addition to the existing ReRoll drink and food menu also being available, this pop-up adds two specialty burgers to the offerings. The “Hero Style” is served with BBQ sauce, fried onions, mayo, bacon, and white cheddar on a brioche bun, while the “Villain Style” packs jalapeños and wing sauce in with that very same mayo, white cheddar, and brioche bun. Both come with a side of neutral tots.

The conversation pivoted to one of the more beloved franchises in comics as our server, the always fantastic Heather, came by to check on us in a full Rogue getup. We closed out as the tables around us continued to play their selections from a roster of thousands of tabletop games that parties could also utilize if they came for the pop-up. Events like Sunday karaoke, Tuesday night stand-up, trivia Wednesdays, music bingo Thursdays, and more will accompany the Alter Ego/Sinister Saloon’s run.

Photos by Anna Perry-Rushton