October in New York City is always an exciting month. Aside from the various events happening throughout October in the city, like Oktober Fest events and the Greenwich Village Parade on Halloween, it’s also the month dedicated to comic geeks—New York Comic Con! The convention happened this past weekend and I was able to attend again this year for just one day on Saturday.

This year’s convention attendance at the Javits Center was a little different for me because there were no panels that caught my eye. At least the ones being held on the sole day I was going to be at Comic Con. There were two panels I was considering that didn’t boast big name actors or entertainers on their guest list, but in the end, I never attended those. Probably because in my heart of hearts I just wasn’t as committed to going. Instead, I spent a significant amount of time wandering the showroom floor, grabbing any freebies I saw, shopping, and meeting up with a few friends who were also in attendance.

My personal con report this year may not be as lengthy or as interesting as previous years, but I still had fun watching other people play the few video games available to demo or occasionally stopping some cosplayers whose costumes I really adored and politely asked them if I can take their picture. And because pictures can sometimes say more than words can, scroll through some of the shots I took at this year’s convention!

The Merchandise

Part of what I love about going to any convention is seeing the many possible items you could buy and take home from the showroom floor. And if for some reason you can’t buy a specific item on the day you attend, at least you’ll have a photo memory of a cool piece of merch you really admired. Here are some of the highlights:

Special Collectibles

These are the type of merchandise that can get super expensive because of the quality and detailing that goes into making these. From the various Marvel or DC statues to the replica jewelry worn by characters from a Square Enix game, most of us can only drool and fantasize about owning one of these beauties:

The Video Game Demos

Comic Con may not be PAX, but there are a few games on hand to play. Among the ones there to try are Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite and Middle-earth: Shadow of War. I typically don’t bother to line up for these because the wait time for these big games can be long. On the off chance that the lines aren’t so bad, which is super rare, then I may have a go at it. But it was nice just to get a first hand glimpse of what to expect when the games officially release in stores and online:

Cool Displays & Showcases

This year’s convention saw a ton of heavy promotion for the upcoming Justice League movie. The con had the costumes the actors wore from the film on display. Chevrolet has always been a regular staple at the convention, showing off their special Comic Con themed cars. There’s always something different each year:

The Cosplays

Finally, no convention experience is ever complete without the cosplayers. You can usually tell what’s a fan favorite of the year based on what the masses are wearing. This year is all about Wonder Woman and the box office’s recent hit horror film It. But even amidst the Pennywises with their red balloons or Wonder Women strutting their stuff with their shield or Lasso of Truth attached to the hip, there were a number of fun cosplays to admire and take pictures of:

Before calling it a wrap on New York Comic Con for this year, I made sure not to leave the convention empty handed. Being a longtime Sailor Moon fan (and possibly for life), I went ahead and bought the exclusive NYCC T-shirt at the Viz Media booth that also came with a free tote bag with every purchase. And of course, I wanted to take a piece of Wonder Woman home with me:

I’d say it’s a convention that’s mission accomplished. Until next year!