The Coolest Comic News of New York Comic Con 2018

The overwhelming crowds have dissipated, exclusive Funko Pops are currently going for nine times their retail value on eBay and all of your favorite comic creators are at home nursing newly caught colds and/or hangovers. That’s right: New York Comic Con 2018 is over. If we’re being honest, it was an underwhelming convention in terms of comic book news. Marvel Comics dropped a litany of smaller announcements—often without accompanying art—while DC Comics owned the Thursday news cycle with the reveal of Brian Michael Bendis’ Wonder Comics imprint and its initial lineup. Beyond a middle-grade sensation announcing two new titles for 2019 and BOOM! Studios confirming the Buffy creative team, the rest of the show was relatively quiet, with teases that very much fall under the “your mileage may vary” category. Regardless, for those of you who couldn’t follow along this weekend, we’ve curated the coolest comic news of New York Comic Con 2018 below in a handy-dandy list format. See you next year, Javits Center.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1 Variant Cover Art by Royal Dunlap
BOOM! Studios Reboots Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Joss Whedon and co.’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer called Dark Horse Comics home for well over a decade, with a string of “sequel” comics that explored the pretty-much-canonical continuation of the fan-favorite TV show. When BOOM! Studios acquired the license earlier this year, most fans expected some sort of a reset, and that’s just what we’re getting: a full-on reboot that situates the Buffy saga firmly in the modern day. BOOM! claimed one of the most newsworthy moments of NYCC 2018 by revealing writer (and colorist extraordinaire) Jordie Bellaire and artist Dan Mora as the ongoing creative team, along with four covers to the first issue by superstars like Kevin Wada and Matt Taylor. Notably, two of these covers feature Buffy actress Sarah Michelle Gellar, but one features a never-before-seen teen of color depicted by artist Royal Dunlap. Could the Buffy cast be getting a makeover to better reflect 2018? Rest assured Paste will keep you updated as we learn more about this new era for the franchise.

Wonder Comics Announcement Art by Jamal Campbell
Brian Michael Bendis’ Wonder Comics Steals the Show
We covered this on Thursday when the announcement broke, but it’s clear that DC Comics staked an early claim on NYCC news with the reveal of Brian Michael Bendis’ curated Wonder Comics imprint. Bendis and his Action Comics collaborator Patrick Gleason will kick things off with a Young Justice revival, bringing popular characters like Impulse, Superboy and Wonder Girl back into the DC Comics fold. Bendis has also recruited David F. Walker and Jamal Campbell for new series Naomi, Mark Russell and Stephen Byrne for Wonder Twins(!) and Sam Humphries and Joe Quinones for Dial H for Hero. For more on this teen-focused, in-continuity line, check out our initial coverage.

Savage Sword of Conan #1 Interior Art by Ron Garney & Richard Isanove
Conan Picks Up His Savage Sword
Marvel’s first Conan series, written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Mahmud Asrar, hasn’t quite hit stands just yet, but the House of Ideas is clearly hyped for their returned barbarian. Savage Sword of Conan launches in February 2019 from Infinity Wars writer Gerry Duggan and Daredevil artist Ron Garney, providing a second dose of pulpy action for fans who just can’t get enough of the Cimmerian. Prepare your eyes for Alex Ross’ sword-slinging covers, too.

The Flash: Year One Cover Art by Howard Porter
The Flash Races Back to Year One
Beyond the huge Bendis news, DC Comics was pretty silent throughout NYCC (they did have a busy SDCC, after all). One tease that should excite a certain segment of fans: ongoing The Flash writer Joshua Williamson and rotating series artist Howard Porter will team up to explore Barry Allen’s origins in The Flash: Year One, a story arc coming to the main series in 2019. Like perennial favorite Batman: Year One, this tale will focus on the hero’s early days on the job, as Barry establishes his identity and acclimates to fighting crime at high speeds. Teaser art from Porter shows the Flash strapping on elbow and knee pads and lacing up tennis shoes, so expect a very fresh side of the Scarlet Speedster when this storyline kicks off.

Humanoids H1 Teaser Art by Mike McKone
Humanoids Dons a Cape & Cowl
Heading into NYCC, famed European publisher Humanoids made headlines by announcing Planetary artist John Cassaday had joined the company as Chief Creative Officer, with prolific writer Mark Waid soon after joining him as Director of Creative Development. Now we know why: next year, the publisher will debut H1, a shared universe of original superhero stories from talents like Yanick Paquette, Afua Richardson and Carla Speed McNeil. We don’t yet know much about H1’s ongoing series—and it’s hard to get excited about another shared superhero universe—but with enticing names attached and a long track record for stellar sci-fi and fantasy storytelling, Humanoids has our interests piqued.

Guts Cover Art by Raina Telgemeier
Raina Telgemeier Spills Her Guts
NYCC typically isn’t a big show for all-ages announcements, but one of the biggest names in the game swung by the convention to announce two new books in 2019. Raina Telgemeier, mega-selling comics superstar for the under-14 crowd, revealed that next year will see the release of Share Your Smile, a how-to journal and comic-making guide, as well as Guts, a memoir that takes place before her uber-popular Smile. Telgemeier’s name might not mean much to the so-called Wednesday Warriors hanging on to every Marvel and DC development, but she’s easily one of the most successful modern cartoonists and her work has visibility among younger readers that superhero comics could only dream of. Expect Guts to be one of 2019’s standout hits—and for Share Your Smile to be cited as influential by dozens of tomorrow’s biggest cartoonists.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1 Cover Art by Andrew Robinson
Spider-Man Swings Through Your Friendly Neighborhood
Aside from Savage Sword of Conan, Marvel’s NYCC 2018 announcements were a little…scattershot. Perhaps most exciting is Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man from All-New Wolverine collaborators Tom Taylor and Juann Cabal. With the recent conclusion of the excellent Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, this January-launching series brings us back up to two monthly Spider-titles and continues to explore the more local, relatable side of the Web-Slinger. Also coming from Marvel in the next few months: a Black Widow series written by sister filmmakers Jen and Sylvia Soska and drawn by Flaviano; the long-awaited War of the Realms Thor story from the perfectly paired Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman; a 25th-anniversary Marvels project reuniting Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross in some fashion; a Champions relaunch from current writer Jim Zub and his Wayward collaborator Steven Cummings; Man Without Fear, a weekly series from Jed MacKay and Danilo S. Beyruth exploring the fallout from Daredevil’s apparent demise; and Avengers: No Way Home, a weekly series that reassembles the Avengers: No Surrender writing team of Mark Waid, Jim Zub and Al Ewing with artists including Paco Medina and Sean Izaakse.