nycc 2016

In the fallout of Civil War II, there's a lot of tension in the Marvel Universe, especially between the older generation of heroes and their successors. Marvel's upcoming Divided We Stand branding is set to bring a lot of strife to the hero community, between the likes of The Avengers and The Champions, Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel, The Infamous Iron Man and Ironheart and more. However, that doesn't seem to be the case in December's Nova #1 by Jeff Loveness and Ramón Pérez, which sees Sam Alexander teaming up with his recently resurrected predecessor Richard Rider to learn from each other and become better heroes in the process.

DC's digital-first re-imaginings and continuations of beloved superhero shows of decades past have not only yielded some great comics in their own right, but recently they've been crossing over with other properties in a similar vein. Batman '66 has met up with Green Hornet and The Man From Uncle while Wonder Woman '77 has been hanging out with The Bionic Woman. Later this year, thing rocket to their logical conclusion as, for the first time, Adam West and Burt Ward's Batman and Robin team-up with Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman for an epic crossover that could only be called Batman ’66 Meets Wonder Woman ’77.

I'll admit that I never got into the Nendoroid craze until they started making figures of characters I really liked. I've bought plenty of more traditional figures of characters I was merely ambivalent about, but the investment in Nendoroid figures meant I had to be particular about who made the cut. With this new crop of toys shown at New York Comic Con, I'm afraid I've reached a tipping point, and will have very few Nendoroids I'm capable of turning down when it comes to adding them to my collection. I mean, just look at those faces. How can you say "no" to them?

When Kotobukiya hits on all cylinders, there are few collectible companies that can match them pound for pound. Whether it's the Fine Art, ArtFX or Bishoujo lines, there's always something new and impressive to be awed by when visiting Koto's booth. Sometimes the successful pieces are outnumbered by some questionable collectibles, but at this week's New York Comic Con, Koto delivered a handful of strong pieces that will get 2017 off to a good start for collectors.

After a whirlwind year of big reveals, New York Comic Con is typically a chill place for new toy and action figure announcements. It being wedged between San Diego Comic-Con and Toy Fair means there are usually slim pickings when it comes to new goods, but Square Enix had a few tricks up its sleeve at this year's show that are sure to make comic fans... curious. With the success of the DC and Marvel Variant lines of the Play Arts brand, Square Enix has defined its own corner of those universes. The highly detailed figures get a bit of a bump in the roster this year, at least on the Marvel front. When it comes to DC, all the attention is on Batman.

Luke Cage and Danny Rand have never been as high profile as they are right now; with one successful Netflix show in the can and another on the horizon, the Heroes For Hire are hotter than ever. However, things might get a little too hot in November's Power Man and Iron Fist #10 as David Walker and Sanford Greene bring back former Runaway Alex Wilder in a new story titled "Harlem Burns."

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and Thunderbolts will both celebrate major anniversaries in 2017 with oversized specials that bring back the characters' original creators to work alongside their current teams. It's both a pretty cool way to observe these anniversaries, and a sign of just how much Marvel today is tied to what was going on in the '90s!

DC Super Hero Girls is officially a phenomenon. Every toy store you go to is lined with Super Hero Girls toys, books and merchandise ,and kids can't get enough of the fun and innocent take on some of DC's most popular characters. The runaway success of the franchise isn't likely to end anytime soon, as DC has announced a third original graphic novel with the characters, and a digital first comic that is already available to buy!

Separately, Lion Forge and Magnetic Press are two of the most exciting and innovative up-and-coming independent publishers in the entire comics industry. Both publishers have a commitment to diversity and inclusivity that other companies would struggle to match, and both publishers have been lauded with acclaim in a relatively short amount of time. It only makes sense for the two companies to work together, with Lion Forge announcing yesterday that it has acquired Magnetic Press and will release upcoming Magnetic Press titles through an imprint known as Magnetic Collection, which will be curated by Magnetic Press president and publisher Mike Kennedy.

Batwoman's returning to her own solo ongoing in 2017, written by Marguerite Bennett with art by Steve Epting. This is about as exciting a creative team as Batwoman could possibly have. Bennett already writes an alternate version of Kate Kane in DC Comics Bombshells, and in that and her other books like Insexts and Angela: Queen of Hell, she has not only proven herself to be one of the most talented young writers on the rise, she's also shown a particular interest in portraying the lives of queer women, all of which makes her the ideal choice for Batwoman.