Comic Con is back in New York City for 2014 and as always it’s an extravaganza. At the New York Comic Con you can expect to see everything that has to with gaming, comics, Comic Art, concept art as well as anything to do with TV and major motion picture all crammed into the Jacob Javits Center in NYC.
Cosplay
Comic Con is a comic book convention at heart and most of what you’ll see is largely based on that. If you happened to be in the building then you’ll some great cosplayers (People who dress up in elaborate costumes mimicking TV, movie, comic and video game personalities). I personally am not a big cosplay fanatic but I do appreciate and respect the work that goes into making some of these costumes what they are. Keep in mind they aren’t all that good and some of them are downright terrible. I was able to get some great pictures of some of the best costumes (see gallery) and my personal favorite was Groot and you’ll see why.
TV & Movies
TV and Movies are a big part of the Comic Con experience as well. A big reason why the Comic Con draws the crowds that it does is primarily this reason. The stars from some the best shows on TV new, current, old and upcoming appear at Comic Con and this year was no exception. Some the notable stars that came out were George Clooney, Mike Tyson, Kevin Smith, the cast of Star Trek: the Next Generation, WWE Superstars past and current, Adam West (60’s Batman), Ron Perlman, The Walking Dead, Sleepy Hollow, Bitten, Bob’s Burgers, TomorrowLand, Gotham and too many more to mention. Comic Con is packed with tons of guests, previews, sneak trailers and all sorts of media that are sure to feed your huge nerd appetite. If you can get into the panels which means standing on a line potentially for hours it’ll probably be worth it to you especially if there’s a certain cast or big name star you want to see, besides the Comic Con is only once a year so why not?
Gaming, Toys, Comics and Art
Video Games always make an appearance at the Con and there was no shortage of games. I got to see and play some the games that were on display and I did have fun although this years’ game lineup was relatively light compared to previous years. Even with that being said there were some pretty good games to see such as the anticipated Alien Isolation, Resident Evil 2 for the 3DS, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Dark Souls, DragonBall Z 15 and my personal fave of the show Marvel’s Contest of Champions for iOS and Android. There were other games but these were the most noticeable and brought the biggest crowds. Hopefully next year though the Comic Con puts a little more emphasis on gaming but overall, not bad.
You also get a plethora of toys, figurines and collectibles at the Con. It’s not necessarily my thing just like cosplay but I respect it immensely.The work that goes into some of these pieces is incredible and when you look at the prices (which can be exorbitant) it isn’t really surprising. The toys and collectibles can and will break your bank if you’re walking around the Con wanting to take something home. There’s so much to look at and buy and it’s kind of hard NOT to buy something even if you could care less about collectibles, toys and things. You’re going to see something from your childhood that’s going to spark up some nostalgia and send you right to your wallet. Trust me. I saw figurines and action figures for Batman, Superman, Metal Gear Solid, He-Man, Voltron, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Naruto, Mega Man, Sailor Moon, and on and on and on. If you were looking for some rare collectibles Comic Con is the place
Like I said Comic Con is about comics at its core and you’ll find plenty of comics to complete your collection or a comic that you just love for the artwork or the writing or the story, whatever the case. There are comic book dealers galore with comics a plenty so there were no shortage of comics to pick up. The Artist Alley located downstairs is more of a specialty kinda thing if you ask me mainly because of its focus on comic book art, concept art, futuristic art and multitude of different art types and artists, the people I spoke to at the Con are really followers and they know their art just like someone who is a lover of fine art would. It’s nonetheless something to appreciate because all of the work is great with a lot of effort put into it. Definitely something to be checked out when at the Con.
My Overall Thoughts
My overall thought is this, If you call yourself a geek and you haven’t been to the Comic Con at some point in your life then you’re NOT a geek…not totally. This is the place to be not just to say you’ve been there but to see the best of the imaginations of writers, directors, artists, actors, cosplayers and video game creators and developers. That’s what this is about, for the older crowd like myself it’s about nostalgia and trying to find pieces of your childhood that you miss or you lost as the years have gone by. For the younger crowd it’s excitement for what’s new in all things comics, cosplay, video games, toys, TV, movies and everything you would expect to see at the biggest Comic convention in NYC. Today is the last day and if you haven’t been then there’s always next year. Get your tickets early and make sure you’re in the house for this great event. You won’t be disappointed at all. BE THERE
