As the cosplays come off and the lights go dim on New York Comic Con 2025, I'm taking some time to reflect on the colorful gathering of the World’s proudest and loudest nerds(non-derogatory). It wasn't the intense smell of marijuana taking over the streets of New York that stood out to me.
Nor the ever increasing price of vendor foods ($8 per Dumpling, are you kidding me?). It was the return of COMIC BOOKS to the forefront of the 19 year old ReedPop event and to the headlines!
Whether it was DC bringing Rick Veitch’s long vaulted SWAMP THING MEETS JESUS CHRIST to print and kicking off the return of their Vertigo line with the strongest line-up possible or Marvel confirming the end of the Ultimate Universe. DC creating a sub-line for potentially low selling fan favorite books or Marvel revealing the latest Spider-Man and X-Men slate of books.
Rap superstar Nas partnering with Marvel to work on a book that paints Hip-Hop legends as larger than life heroes or Post Malone writing a comic about an intergalactic Big Rig.
The comic book news panels were non-stop and the exclusive comic book giveaways were everywhere!
DC Comics took a humongous chunk of the NYCC showroom floor to host several free signings with comic creators as well as two massive beautiful photo opportunities highlighting the Golden Age of Comic Books.
Where hundreds of people adorn the suits of their favorite fictional characters, we saw an incredible cosplayer pay tribute to comic book icon, the late George Perez!
Fans seem to have met the increased focus on comic books with a warm embrace! If you thought you were going to be able to attend a comic book news panel at a moments notice, think again.
Lines stretched for what seemed like an eternity for a chance to see Jim Lee announce the already massive DC KO event turn into an insane multi company cross-over that includes Homelander fighting Superman and the Joker coming face to face with Annabelle the creepy doll?!!
In a panel that ended when broken glass and brawling men went flying. DC Comics came out swinging chairs with a wrestling focused partnership that sees the stars of All Elite Wrestling stepping into the ropes with the heroes of the DC Universe!
In the end, the fever took over as I found myself digging through back issue boxes for the sake of going home with books in my hands for my personal collection.
I took home a copy of Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 by George Perez and Marv Wolfman and the infamous Miracleman #9 by Alan Moore and Rick Veitch.
Now someone point me in the direction of the comic book supply booth so I don't crush these on the flight back home.
