Fanboys Anonymous

Hours before the doors to the second annual Special Edition: NYC (SENYC) comics-only convention opened, a crowd full of comic book enthusiasts, masked villains, and caped crusaders had already begun to form, and once again New York City got a glimpse of spandex-clad superheroes/heroines and their villains far off their respective comic book pages.


SENYC took place at Pier 94 on June 6 and 7 and gave attendees something that New York Comic Con (NYCC) hasn't for years: an intimate experience to celebrate comics and interact with their creators. ReedPOP's impressive line-up of creators included Amy Reeder (Rocket Girl), Brenden Fletcher (Batgirl), Mark Texeria (Ghost Rider), Greg Pak (Batman/Superman), and Jason Latour (Spider-Gwen).

ReedPOP had announced on June 3 that they had reclaimed NYCC tickets from scalpers and added them to the allotment sold at SENYC, so when the convention began at 10 a.m. fans wasted no time forming a line reminiscent to that seen when entering the larger pop-culture convention. Organizers soon capped the line to discourage it from encompassing the entire entrance. Tickets were set to go back on sale an hour later, but no one seemed to budge.

The convention floor of Pier 94 was dark as fans hovered over various comics tables. Most of the crowd gathered around the rows of Artist Alley to get up close and personal with their favorite creators. Unlike NYCC, the convention's panels were small and easy to get into, but that didn't mean they were any less interesting. Marvel's "Next Big Thing" panel kicked off the convention; it was held by Brian Michael Bendis (All-New X-Men), Marguerite Bennett (A-Force), Peter David (Spider-Man 2099), and Charles Soule (Inhumans: Attilan Rising). During the panel, Bendis put rumors to rest as he confirmed that his new Iron Man series will star Tony Stark and will not be a reboot. Big things were announced for this fall with Cosplay variants featuring cosplayers on comic book covers, shot by Judy Stephens of Marvel.

Other panels covered topics specifically geared toward indie creators and those trying to break into the industry, including how storytellers develop their ideas into narratives and the business behind comics from checks to contracts.

Of course, no comics convention would be complete without the cosplayers—and there were no shortage of excellent participants at SENYC. View the photos below.

The Flash Cosplay	DC Comics group

DC Comics photoshoot

Ms. Marvel Cosplay	Spider-Gwen and Spidey

Atlantis Cosplay - Siryn Cosplay and Saraphina	Mera and Aquaman

Gravity Falls	Hawkman and Hawkgirl

Mera Cosplay - Saraphina	Scarecrow

Gotham City Cosplay	Metropolis Cosplay

Superman, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen	Gambit and Rogue Cosplay

The experience overall was relaxing compared to NYCC and its overwhelming 130,000 attendees. SENYC's dim lighting and casual atmosphere made it feel like a basement hangout for geeks as we talked and read comics.