Scarlet Witch

Cosplay is fun and exciting, but sometimes you want to wear something that shows your nerdy pride and doesn't take weeks to make --- and maybe has some pockets. Casual cosplay is the perfect way to embody your favorite character while still wearing something work appropriate. This gift guide has a ton of recommendations for the casual cosplayer in your life, from cozy sweaters to screen-accurate jewelry.

In honor of the caped crusaders of the convention scene, ComicsAlliance has created Best Cosplay Ever (This Week), an ongoing collection of some of the most impeccable, creative, and clever costumes that we’ve discovered and assembled into a super-showcase of pure fan-devoted talent. This week's selection of the best cosplay ever includes the Fantastic Four, Dr Jones, Chrono Trigger, Mysterio and more.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our years on the Internet, it’s that there’s no aspect of comics that can’t be broken down and quantified in a single definitive list, preferably in amounts of five or ten. And since there’s no more definitive authority than ComicsAlliance, we’re taking it upon ourselves to compile Top Five lists of everything you could ever want to know about comics. From the earliest days of comics, there have been characters who performed heroic deeds. Whether they use spells or sleight of hand, this week we're saluting five of the very best magic heroes.

James Robinson's anthology-style Scarlet Witch series has taken the often maligned mutant witch and spun her into the center of a spellbinding occult detective narrative. ComicsAlliance caught up with Robinson to talk about what makes Wanda's adventures so different this time around, and how this story separates her from her traditional Marvel settings. We also have an exclusive first look at Jonathan Marks' art for Scarlet Witch #13, featuring breathtaking colors by Rachelle Rosenberg.

For our latest fantasy draft, in honor of Doctor Strange, our writers must compete to put together the best superhero teams made up entirely of Marvel magical characters, featuring one occultist, one demon, one vampire, one undead character, and one were-monster. In day one of the draft, Tara Marie picked Sera, Jubilee, and FrankenCastle; Steve picked Spitfire, Nico Minoru, and Robbie Reyes; Kieran picked Dracula, Elsa Bloodstone, and Captain Britain; Andrew picked Agatha Harkness, Billy Kaplan, and Cullen Bloodstone; and Elle picked Magik, Blade, and Zombie. In day two, they pick the fourth and fifth members of their teams --- and the doctors are in.

Our ongoing collection of some of the most impeccable, creative, and clever costumes that we’ve discovered and assembled into a super-showcase of pure fan-devoted talent. This week's selection of the best cosplay ever includes Jack Sparrow, Zapp Brannigan, Sailor Pluto, Eleven from Stranger Things, and more.

We live in a time when hate speech directed at marginalized people has become too commonplace in public and political rhetoric; a time when the demonization of Muslims, immigrants, transgender people and others masquerades as a defense of security or virtue; when nostalgia for "the good old days" sanctifies a past in which marginalized people were deprived of respect, voice, or power. The fear-mongering of politicians seeps down into everyday conversation, feeding commonplace prejudices. Even so, it's still shocking to hear that sort of rhetoric presented on the stage at a comic convention by one of the industry's most high profile authors, especially at a panel discussing LGBTQ themes in Marvel's X-Men comics. Yet at last week's New York Comic Con, writer Peter David indulged in exactly that sort of hate speech, in this instance directed at one of the world's most easily and persistently scapegoated communities: the Rromani people.

Our chief cosplay correspondent Betty Felon was on hand at New York Comic-Con to document as much of the amazing cosplay as she could find. Check out more of the very finest cosplay from New York.

This year has been all about Captain America over in the Marvel Legends world. That kind of thing tends to happen when you're the star of a blockbuster film that perfectly fits within the Hasbro toy line's purview. On his third wave of the year, Hasbro has turned to some unexpected characters to fill out the roster. Though some have been characters fans have been waiting to see for years, others quite curiously make the cut in a time when nobody could have seen them coming --- Toy Fair previews notwithstanding. Since this is the third Captain America line in the last 12 months, it also happens to be the weakest of the bunch. Ordinarily, a collection of characters like this might rate a little bit better, but having to follow the likes of Cap Wolf and Mockingbird or Black Panther and Nick Fury means this bunch of characters had an uphill battle from the get go.

This weekend, Her Universe is unveiling a new collection of Marvel-inspired clothes at New York Comic Con, featuring dresses and jackets based on some of the company's most beloved female heroes, including Gwen, Peggy, Nat, and Carol. The collection will also be available at select Hot Topics and the Hot Topic web site.