Jake’s Take: The 2018 New York Comic Con (NYCC) Wrap-Up

Here are my thoughts on the 2018 New York Comic Con. (Logo property of ReedPop)

By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com

The 2018 New York Comic Con (NYCC) just finished its four-day celebration of comics, books, movies, and pop culture.

Thousands of fans gathered at the Jacob K. Javits Center, Madison Square Garden, and Hammerstein Ballroom to talk about the hot topics that are taking the geek side of the entertainment industry by storm.  While I was unable to attend any of the NYCC 2018 events at the Hammerstein Ballroom and Madison Square Garden, here are some of the highlights from the Javits Center.

Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski, and several cast members of the “Batman: The Animated Series” talked to the NYCC crowd on Friday. (Photo property of Jacob Elyachar/Jake’s Take)

Power Panels

I was privileged to attend several significant panels at NYCC. On Thursday, I was in the audience when DC Comics Co-Publishers, Dan DiDio and Jim Lee, brought out current Action Comics and Superman writer Brian Michael Bendis to reveal that he will revive the fan-favorite Young Justice franchise in 2019 with his Action Comics collaborator Patrick Gleason. The former Avengers and Ultimate Spider-Man scribe is scheduled to usher in a new era for DC’s teen heroes, which includes Impulse (Bart Allen), Superboy (Conner Kent), and Robin (Tim Drake). Other teen heroes that are expected to be a part of this new franchise, which is titled Wonder Comics, includes the Wonder Twins and new characters such as Jenny Hex (Jonah Hex’s descendent) and Teen Lantern.

On Friday, I had the opportunity to attend three different panels. The first panel was Batman: The Complete  Animated Series Deluxe Limited Edition Blu-Ray Box Set was a meaningful experience for me, as it was one of my go-to cartoons from my childhood. The event starred series creators Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski plus voice actors Kevin Conroy (Batman/Bruce Wayne), Loren Lester (Nightwing/Robin/Dick Grayson), Tara Strong (Batgirl/Barbara Gordon), and Diane Pershing (Poison Ivy).  Highlights of the NYCC event included Conroy impromptu  singing “Am I Blue?” Pershing’s origin story on how she got Poison Ivy’s voice, classic clips from iconic animated episodes including “Almost Got Him,” “The Laughing Fish,” and The New Batman Adventures’ “Chemistry” and a preview of an upcoming documentary highlighting the series’ impact on pop culture.

Geoff Johns’ Spotlight panel teased a new trailer from the upcoming Aquaman film, which included Black Manta and the Trench, and the Shazam teaser trailer. Johns also talked about the Doomsday Clock and showcased new artwork from Gary Frank.  Superstar artist Jason Fabok surprised the room when he joined Johns for the upcoming Batman: Three Jokers limited series on the Black Label limited series.

Finally, Scott Snyder teamed up with frequent collaborators Greg Capullo and Jock at an intimate spotlight series where the trio answered fans’ questions and talked about The Batman Who Laughs one-shot (Snyder and Jock) and their upcoming Black Label story, Batman: Last Knight on Earth.  On Sunday, the only panel I was able to attend Marvel’s X-Men panel, which announced new storylines such as Iceman reuniting with his “Amazing Friends,” Spider-Man and Firestar in Iceman ongoing series and the Four Horsemen of Salvation’s identities in the returning Uncanny X-Men series. Plus, the creative team of Ed Brisson and Carlos Gomez will answer the following question, “Cyclops: Dead or Alive?” in the Uncanny X-Men Annual, which is expected to be released in January 2019.

It was a pleasure reuniting with one of DC Comics’ premiere creative teams, Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo, at the 2018 New York Comic Con. (Photo property of Jacob Elyachar/Jake’s Take)

Artist Alley

Every NYCC, I look forward to catching up with some of my favorite creators who inhabit Artist Alley. I met Batman and Heroes in Crisis writer Tom King for the first time, and while I teased him about killing off or critically injuring the founding Teen Titans members (Flash [Wally West], Arsenal [Roy Harper], and Nightwing), he truly was impeccably interacting with the fans and enjoyed every single minute. I also enjoyed seeing several favorites such as Steve Orlando, Jonathan Glapion, Greg Capullo, and Scott Snyder at Artists Alley.

An NYCC attendee dressed up as Maleficent. (Photo property of Jacob Elyachar/Jake’s Take)

Creative Cosplayers

As I traveled across the Javits Center, I noticed the countless cosplayers dressed up as Deadpool, Harley Quinn, Joker, and Spider-Man.  However, some NYCC attendees took a risk and showcased their creativity with their costumes. My favorite cosplay outfits from the weekend included Digimon villain Myotismon, Captain America antagonist Armin Zola, Maleficent, the Mask, and Rita Repulsa.

You can see photos from my time at New York Comic Con on my Facebook page.