Halloween may still be a few weeks away, but if you were anywhere in the vicinity of New York’s Javits Convention Center this weekend, you’d be forgiven for thinking it came early. With the annual return of the New York Comic Con, midtown Manhattan’s west side was swamped with comic book, sci-fi, and fantasy fans — over 100,000 of them over the course of the event’s four-day run. Among those multitudes was a significant contingent proudly decked out in costume, representing characters from just about every genre, medium, and realm imaginable.
The amount of time and effort spent on outfits varied greatly, but there were many that stood out — whether it was for attention to detail, commitment to character, or just representing that perfect pop-cultural touchstone that we all wish we had thought of first. The best of the best earned themselves a place in our exclusive NYCC 2012 photo gallery. And hey, Halloween really is still a few weeks away, so if you’re looking for inspiration, look no further.
It may not have been the most elaborate costume, but dressing up as the Greendale College Human Being from Community was a stroke of simple genius.
Mr. T is still angry after all these years. And from the looks of that rocket launcher, he’s going after Tony Stark for some reason. Photo by Quasimario.
The makeup job on this guy dressed as one of the Engineers from Prometheus was just insane. He kind of scared the hell out of us. But from the looks of him, that would probably be the case without the makeup too.
It’s the Avengers! And friends! And… Superman? Aren’t you in the wrong universe, Clark?
Another amazing idea that’s so simple, we wished we did it first. It’s Wilfred, and his poor, abused buddy, Bear. (Elijah Wood was nowhere to be seen.)
Spy vs. Spy! But wait, aren’t these guys supposed to be fighting each other? Photo by Quasimario.
It’s a meetup of many multicolored Links! Or perhaps that should be a “Linkup”?
Is it just us, or does it look like there’s something going on between Leela and Bender?
There are really no words for this one. Twin James T. Kirks, in both the original and the Mirror Universe versions.
That would be blue Jedi Aayla Secura and… well, we’re not sure who her friend is supposed to be, but apparently he’s killed somebody. Shouldn’t Jedi Knights keep better company?
Doctors of the world, unite! (Guess who forgot her Sonic Screwdriver?)
This one was our personal favorite. It’s DC Comics’ supernatural superstar Deadman. Excellent attention to detail! (Except for the fact that no one is really supposed to be able to see him.) Photo by Quasimario.
Sure, we expected Mario and Luigi, but these guys made sure to get the whole package together. We wonder how they decided who had to be the mushroom?
The Two-Face makeup is one thing, but the suit, that’s another. Kudos to you, sir, on your fine work.
Teen Titans! Go!
Okay, this one is just brilliant. Playing off Bane from The Dark Knight, we have the even more imposing Bain Capital, complete with a “Power Mitt” and “Job Destroyer” belt. Who says there’s no room for political commentary at Comic Con? Photo by Quasimario.
And speaking of Bane, we shouldn’t be surprised these two showed up. But you’d think they could at least stop fighting long enough to get their picture taken.
We’ll be honest, we’re dumbfounded by this pair. Can anyone enlighten us as to who they’re dressed up as? Regardless of the low-recognition factor, the high-production values still won them a place in our gallery. Photo by Quasimario.
This was a downright Avatar flashmob. (No, not that Avatar. This one.) Also, a Ghostbusters photobomber.
We’re not sure what’s more amazing here: The Sonic the Hedgehog getup, or the t-shirt on the guy in the background. Call it a draw?
The Governator couldn’t give Mr. Freeze the glory he deserved in the previous round of Batman flicks, but this guy’s doing a good job temporarily making up for it. Photo by Quasimario.
We always thought part of the reason Pee-Wee was called “Pee-Wee” was because he was kind of small. Still, this guy pulls it off well enough that we’ll give him a pass on his stature.
There were a ton of Final Fantasy costumes around the convention center, but this portrayal of Fang was the most spot-on we found. We decided not to actually test her battle skills, though.
Sinestro and the Black Cat. Yeah, we never would have called that one either. Love is a strange beast.
Apparently Green Lantern didn’t realize the Olympics were already over.
Hulkamania will never die. At least, not as long as this guy’s around.
Oh come on, you didn’t really think we weren’t going to post a Slave Leia picture, did you? It just wouldn’t be Comic Con without it!
Freakazoid! Photo by Quasimario.
It looks like Dr. McCoy (aka Beast) has been on a diet lately. Dude has really slimmed down! We didn’t recognize his ladyfriend, but she didn’t seem very approachable.
We remember Luke Cage and Iron Fist being a little more imposing, but hey, looks can be deceiving. We bet these two can still kick some serious ass.
Worlds colliding! April O’Neil and Velma Dinkley are friends? Who knew? (Also, who knew Velma’s last name was Dinkley?)
It’s always good to end on a classic. The shark repellent/shark gag here is the kind of thing that makes our day. Let’s just hope Adam West, who was also at the convention, got to see this for himself. Photo by Quasimario.