New York Comic Con 2022 Preview

New York Comic Con is this week, and my excitement cannot be contained. After last year’s event, which included a lower-capacity crowd, virtual panels, and a reduced show floor, this year looks almost like a return to form. Let’s piece through all the information and take a look at the best things to watch out for at this year’s NYCC.

Don’t get me wrong, I still had fun at last year’s event. But I am so happy to see an NYCC with content back on the schedule. As in, this year’s panels are actually in person, and for some pretty big properties, too.

The most talked about panels I’ve seen on the schedule feature some pretty amazing reunions – Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd in a Back to the Future retrospective panel (Saturday, Main Stage), a Smallville cast reunion (Saturday, Main Stage), and virtually the entire cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, who will be promoting the upcoming season of Picard (Saturday, Empire Stage). There are also going to be spotlight panels for stars like Oscar Isaac (Sunday, Empire Stage) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Saturday, Empire Stage – moderated by Drew Barrymore!).

Some of the shows that will be promoting upcoming seasons include His Dark Materials (Thursday, Main Stage), Good Omens (Friday, Empire Stage), Ghosts, and The Walking Dead. New shows hoping to make a splash include Velma (Thursday, Main Stage), Mayfair Witches (Thursday, Main Stage), The Peripheral (Saturday, Main Stage), and American Born Chinese (Friday, Main Stage).

All of these panels are on either the Main or Empire Stages, which require Reservations. But if you weren’t lucky enough to snag one, don’t worry – there will be standby lines.

There are some pretty heavy hitters coming to the “smaller” panel rooms, as well, including Avatar: Braving the Elements, the popular podcast hosted by Dante Basco and Janet Varney (Thursday, Room 405). Last year this panel capped early, but this year it’s among the first panels of the entire convention, so it shouldn’t be as hard to get a seat. Some other highlights among the smaller rooms include The Dragon Prince (Saturday, Room 406.2), Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Saturday, Room 405), and The Owl House (Thursday, Room 405). This year, perhaps recognizing that New York City is a big place for theater, there are multiple Broadway-focused panels as well, including one for the uber-popular Beetlejuice (Friday, Room 401).

Panels not really your thing? Well, there’s plenty to do outside the panel rooms. Make sure you stop by Cosplay Central for some great workshops (River Pavilion, Level 4). Check out the Pop Asia Stage for some trivia and the heated ongoing debate of subs versus dubs (River Pavilion, Level 4). For the first time ever, there will be a Pride Lounge (1C01, Level 1), where Geeks Out will host tons of queer content and even host some meet and greets! This year also, thanks to the completion of the North Javits extension allowing for more space (finally), NYCC will bring back the gaming area (Hall 1E, Level 1), which will host multiple tournaments throughout the weekend.

This year’s show floor will also look a little more like normal, with many perennial favorites – like Marvel (#2057) and Funko (#1419, #1529) – back after skipping last year. There are some mainstays who are absent again – DC, Image, and Dark Horse do not seem to be attending (at least with their own booth) – which is a little upsetting. But I’m eager to see what the bigger show floor looks and feels like.

And just because some of the biggest names in comics chose not to have a presence doesn’t mean that there won’t be plenty to see on the floor. With studios back in action, you can expect activations for The Peripheral (Prime Video, #2757), SPY x FAMILY (Crunchyroll, #1557), Spongebob (Nickelodeon, #1201) and more – including a mini-racetrack to promote Batwheels (Inner Roadway). (Sadly, that’s for kids only!)

Don’t forget to check out the schedules at your favorite booths! Image may not have their own booth, but they will still be signing at Midtown Comics (#3137). Marvel and IDW (#2557) will have their own signings – Marvel signings usually require a wristband that you get at the booth first thing in the morning. If you’re a book fan, they haven’t forgotten about you! Simon & Schuster (#3119), Penguin Random House (#3105, #3205), and Macmillan (#3027) have signings as well. (Make sure you check the schedule for signings in Hall A! Soman Chainani and Terry Brooks are among the authors who will be signing.)

Make sure you cruise the floor for some swag, as well! Major companies like Crunchyroll and VIZ Media (#2037) almost always have some freebies, but if you want some confirmed free stuff, make sure you hit up ABRAMS Books (#3129), Comixology (1B05, Level 1), Neopets (#1324), Webtoon (#1240), Studio Ghibli (#2719), and Dragon Ball (#2301). Remember, supplies are limited, so you don’t want to miss out!

This year, NYCC also added after-parties to the mix! Fandom (Friday), Funko Fright Night (Friday), and the NYCC-official Showtime-sponsored Yellowjackets (Saturday) parties are the big ones. Those are all unfortunately sold out at this point, but there are a lot more scheduled!

Phew! I don’t know about all of you, but my schedule this year is packed. Don’t forget to stay tuned to The Geekiary for all of our NYCC coverage!

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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