It’s our annual wrap-up of the hits and misses of San Diego Comic-Con! The Beat team was everywhere from the show floor to the activations to just hanging out with Air Bud, and we have the whole experience covered – including comments from the team back at base. Contributors include: Nikita Francois, Gabriel Neeb, Samantha Puc, Deanna Destito, Diego Higuera, Taimur Dar, Kalai Chik, Julian Gamboa, Isaac Swindle, Heidi MacDonald, Christopher A. Diaz, Victor Van Scoit, Adam Barnhardt, Christopher Chiu-Tabet, and Isabel S. Dieppa.
WINNER:Laura Jones, the new Eisner award administrator.Despite an embarrassing leak of the winners, the Eisner Awards went off with their traditional evening of community and celebration. The assembled publishers and creators got to show their support of their peers, and winners had a little extra time to polish their speeches. It was still a great night for comics, and the refreshes on several elements – including a sturdier event program – were nice touches. – HM
LOSER: Air conditioning. Normally temperate San Diego went under the broiler and the air conditioning at the convention center struggled to keep up. Staying hydrated was a bigger concern than ever, although if you were like me, you were too busy just trying to survive to worry about the heat. – HM
WINNER: All of the contestants of the Her Universe Fashion show!Every year the Her Universe Fashion show receives hundreds of applicants to join the competition. But instead of being a cut throat competition, it’s usually a community of creatives. The results are always a showcase of stunning original geek couture. This year the theme was DC Comics, and it was really fun to see designers turn a concept like DC into couture fashion. -IDS
LOSER: The Exhibit Hall.When I am not covering a panel I usually love to walk the show floor to check out the booths, activations, and art. However, every year the crowds in the exhibition hall seem to grow more and more, and are enough to induce a slight panic attack. I found myself most days counting down to try and keep my anxiety from ramping up while walking around. Even preview night is packed. It might be time to expand the showroom floor or put in a better system so people can walk without feeling like they are on the 405 (in LA). – IDS
WINNER: Sheila Atim with the announcement that Season 4 of the Interview with the Vampireseries will continue with Queen of the Damned. The showrunners were originally unsure they’d even have another season, so this announcement was a huge win for the cast, crew, and fans. — NF
LOSER: Line Management. While we certainly had a few privileges as members of the press, it was clear that general line management training could use improvement across the board. From security members yelling “Stay to your right!” when they actually meant left, to large groups of Hall H wristband fans being left out of the Marvel panel due to line cutting and confusion, overall communication about line management needs an overhaul. — NF
WINNER: Weird Girls. AMC released two incredible trailers this weekend for Queen of the Damned and Yaga, both of which center on women’s embodiment, autonomy, and rage. Weird girls everywhere (including yours truly) can rejoice in the knowledge that we have such good television in our future, led by powerful showrunners (Hannah Moscovitch and Kat Sandler, respectively) and wildly talented casts. — SP
LOSER: The Environment. While I wasn’t in San Diego myself to experience the heatwave, it’s part of a growing pattern of spiking temperatures and other environmental symptoms of the ongoing climate crisis, which is getting exponentially worse because of AI usage, data centers, and other bad human choices. We gotta turn the ship around, stat. — SP
WINNER: The HeatIf you weren’t drinking water and able to find shade, this Con was extra brutal. After a brutal Tuesday to Thursday, the weather relaxed and lulled all of us into a false sense of security for a few days… before hitting the area with rain that kicked the humidity up to Manila levels. The heat took its price. – GN
WINNER: Matt Dinniman and the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Lots of excitement followed author Dinniman wherever he went and the cosplay from fans of the series was everywhere. It’s nice to see a “ground up” fandom at Con where we’re slammed with promotion everywhere. – GN
LOSER: LabubusI don’t think I’ve heard of a Labubu at this convention when they were everywhere last year. – GN
LOSER: Hall H SwagUnless you scored the Doom mask and cloak from the Marvel panel on Saturday, the stuff you could get by going to Hall H was anemic. A Spaceballs poster was apparently the best item distributed. – GN
LOSER: Franchise TimelinesThe Spaceballs Timelines that featured projects out to 2148 AD puts to shame any other franchise Timeliness designed to keep the fans on the hook but often delivering vaporware. While I can’t prove it, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kevin Feige told the interns to remove Timeline slides on Friday night before the Marvel presentation after seeing what Spaceballs did. – GN
WINNER: SpaceballsRick Moranis showed up. Nuff said. – GN
WINNER: Ignition Pavilion.Honestly? Ignition Press in general. Not only did they create a haven for creators, press, and con attendees away from the main show chaos, but their list of top creators and unique, origin books keeps growing. Just a few minutes in their pavilion with the likes of Stephanie Williams, Cullen Bunn, Leah Williams, Tini Howard, and many others, and you can see how this is definitely the publisher to watch. –DD
LOSER: “Knowledgeable” Staff.As a newbie to SDCC, navigating the building and the shuttle stops became increasingly difficult when no one working the show knew what I was talking about or looking for. More than once, a staff member or security guard told me with confidence where something was, and it was on the complete opposite side of where I needed to be. – DD
LOSER: Johnny Depp.After a litany of controversies and domestic abuse allegations, somehow Johnny Depp returned. In a world where even disgraced director Brett Ratner is making a potential comeback, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Attending SDCC to promote the upcoming Ebenezer Scrooge prequel film, Depp in full makeup and regalia outside a replica of his Victorian era business drawing immense crowds to witness the star. Relatively harmless, the stunt turned obnoxious when Depp crashed Collider’s Directors on Directing panel in Hall H. I wasn’t even aware of the film before this weekend, so I’ll at least give it to Paramount that they made an impression. –TD
WINNER: Dogs. SDCC truly went to the dogs this year in the best sense. DC continued to take advantage of Krypto’s renewed popularity by providing fans the opportunity to meet and interact with its sponsored litter of Guide Dogs in training at the publisher’s booth. However, the true canine star of SDCC was the new Air Bud promoting the reboot film through press events and his own panel. –TD
WINNER: DC.While it might seem like the usual answer, DC has taken their current spotlight and turned it into a megaphone. With the massive crowds that never seemed to falter at their booth, to the highly anticipated panels, and even the con-goers that had camped out a bathroom for a chance at a signing, DC took the attention in stride and rewarded fans for looking. With the All New and Absolute line panels causing massive feed back from the con floor to their discord, to some brilliant designs that have people getting their pre-order lists ready, its exciting to see what’s next. -DH
WINNER: Chocolate BarsWay overpriced but with four main bars representing a rainbow of flavors, the chocolate bars the Convention Center started selling managed to sell out their entire 7500 run by Saturday. If you waited until Sunday, you were out of luck. Can’t wait to see what they come up with in 2027. – GN
WINNER: Webcomics, Webtoons, and K-comics.This year was a convergence of interest in digital webcomics. Those who grew up with webcomics and even WEBTOON as a platform are now 10 years older than they were when WEBTOON first launched in the U.S. in 2014. My opinion is that the trend shift back to physical media also coincides with the nostalgia factor for newer generations, such as Gen Z and younger Millennials. They remember reading their first webcomic and now want a print version of it. Currently, there’s an abundance of widely marketed Western webcomics that are going on after a decade, which is longer than some manga and anime series. We’re seeing a generational shift in taste as well as consumer purchasing power, which is why there were several panels (including academic discussions) that I haven’t previously seen at SDCC in past years. – KC
LOSER: Anime.Besides the Gundam panel, there were no anime related announcements or events at all for SDCC 2026. Yes, Anime Expo is a couple weeks before but this is the first time in three years where Crunchyroll didn’t have a concert or activation at the Rady Shell. Aniplex had their industry panel, but that felt muted since most of their announcements were previously released and dated before Comic Con. Considering the mass amounts of Demon Slayer, Apothecary Diaries, and ONE PIECE cosplays on the show floor and around the convention center, it’s disappointing that there weren’t a lot of fan-catered anime events this year. -KC
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WINNER: Dancing hotel room kid. During the IGN party that featured actor Jamie Campbell Bower DJing, partygoers caught a kid dancing from his room at the Hardrock Hotel. The spotlight fell on him and he quickly became the star of the party. Check out the video here. Here’s hoping he makes a return appearance next year! –TD
LOSER: Saturday negative energy. SDCC is always stressful in and of itself. But this year seemed to be especially tense with hostile energy, particularly Saturday. Look no further than all the controversy surrounding accessing Marvel’s Hall H. I had an unpleasant clash with a publicist and heard numerous people convey enduring similar unpleasant behavior that day. Almost made me regret making the trip to SDCC this year. But thankfully things turned around and I was able to end the last day on a much more positive note that reminded me why I love attending SDCC. –TD
LOSER: Percy Jackson Offsite. As nice as the staff with Disney+ and Hulu were, I don’t believe I could’ve waited hours in line for this activation. The swag included a neat wristband and a pin, but the experience itself consisted of a walkthrough of some scenic elements. That was it. You could tell the employees were trying to make the experience more ‘theatric’ but it fell flat here. -JG
WINNER: Hall H Apple TV Panel. As a first time hall H attendee I feel like the effects and presentation put into this panel was just immense and worthwhile. Apple TV used the surrounding projector screens in the room to give an unforgettable presentation, while having surprise announcements and an awesome lineup of stars on their panel. Many of these trailers seemed like shows that I would enjoy watching. -JG
WINNER: Hall H Marvel Panel: Once again Hall H and Marvel Studios blew my mind with how much energy they could create in the room. From giving out free Doctor Doom costumes to announcing one of the most anticipated castings in history, I think Marvel knocked it out of the park. The lineup was filled with so many actors, and the reveal to the back of the room was the cherry on top. As a first time SDCC attendee, this panel truly had me feeling like a little kid beaming with excitement. Bravo Marvel. -JG
WINNER: Matt Dinniman: Great to talk to. The guy signed my book. What can I say? -JG
WINNER: Female 2026Will Eisner Comic Industry AwardsHall of Fame inductees Colleen Doran, Edwina Dumm (deceased), Lee Marrs and Carol Tyler. Also, Jackie Estrada.All four have long and distinguished comics careers and canvassed a variety of mediums/genres from newspaper strips, underground comix, indie/alternative comics to mainstream comics. And Jackie Estrada, the long running Eisner administrator for stepping down on top from the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Hall of Fame this year. -CAD
LOSER: Press Room running out of food and beverages before the afternoon hits.If people in the press don’t make it to this room within the first 90 minutes after it opens at 10 AM, the space is just basically a place to sit down and plug in your phone and computer to charge back up. Most of the food and beverages are gone that soon! -CAD
WINNER: Stuart Fails To Save The Universe Comic Book Shop: This offsite experience gave guests a solid experience while respecting their time. Wait times were often less than an hour. Guests were treated like loyal customers while able to make choices that dictated their final “purchase”. It felt custom while at the same time managing to satisfy a lot of guest over a period of time. People slept on this offsite -VV
LOSER: Hospitality: SDCC has become a series of transactions to get as many people through. Through doors , scanners, wristbands, walking, escalators. But without setting of clear expectations it was easy to see why guests frustrations and anxieties were high. Disappointment is inevitable but can be softened with the right words. Bringing in experts like Ritz-Carlton to train staff and volunteers would help and be an investment in their development -VV
WINNER: Adult Swim: Who exactly knows why FX, IMDB, the pirate ship, and Hulu left the back of the convention center this year. But Adult Swim benefited from being the only action along the promenade day and night. All they had to do was deliver the vibes like years prior. It was theirs to lose, but all they did was win. -VV
WINNER: Panels about the craft: One doesn’t have to be Galactus level entity that only devours culture at SDCC. There were lots of panels focused on helping you do “the thing”. Topics covered managing your finances as a creative, how to use pop culture media in the classrooms, creating immersive worlds, and actual workshops. Room 3 and the San Diego central library are historically the only places to get these panels, but we were pleased to see these topics in rooms across the convention center. -VV
LOSER: Exhibition Hall: SDCC has spent years growing into a spectacle especially on the con floor. Booths would tower over the crowds with their marvelous designs and expansive layouts.This year felt a bit meh. It makes sense though with budgets being under the microscope this year. That doesn’t mean guests and fans won’t feel the difference and wonder if they’re getting the same value for their time and money. -VV
WINNER: Readers of Fresh Takes on Established Comics Properties:Both DC’s Absolute Universe and Skybound’s Energon Universe are being praised for having fresh takes on established characters. There was tons of excitement for both universes and with the new announcements at SDCC, readers will be eating well in the months to come! Plus, Joshua Williamson gave Cobra Commander a girlfriend so maybe he’ll finally lay off those Joes. -IS
LOSER: Warm Water Dispensers:One of the biggest pieces of advice I was given before my first San Diego Comic Con was to stay hydrated. Lots of sun, lots of people, and lots of walking make it so easy to get dehydrated. There was never any greater disappointment than filling up my water bottle, taking a big drink, and it being so warm it bordered on hot water. (It doesn’t help that my hotel didn’t have cold drinking water either!) -IS
WINNER: Marvel Studios. It was a surprisingly low-key presentation between the Avengers: Doomsday trailer being dropped at the start of the week, and the TV news being saved for D23, but the news of a Ghost Rider film starring Ryan Gosling, and the third Black Panther film presumably taking us to the future with David Jonsson as T’Challa II, indicates the post-Secret Wars MCU will be less complex and daunting for casual audiences like Feige is promising. – CCT
WINNER: Lanterns. After all the bellyaching about the tone and genre of the DCU’s Green Lantern project, it was nice to see the show flex its sci-fi muscles with a (presumably) final trailer revealing the Manhunters’ role in the story, our first close-up of Sinestro, and Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan reciting the oath. I think Sinestro’s make-up may be too subtle, even with this being a TV show instead of a film, but I got chills hearing Jordan “say the thing”, frankly. – CCT
WINNERS: Indiana Jones fans. It was exciting enough that Marvel had regained the rights to rerelease the ‘80s comics starring everyone’s favorite archaeologist (sorry Lara), but now we’re getting whole new ones? I can’t stress enough how long it’s been since the last new Indiana Jones books, graphic or prose: they were in 2009, well before Dial of Destiny and The Great Circle! The Indy expanded universe will never be as big as the one for Star Wars, but at least it’ll exist again, digitally and in-print, and newer writers and artists will get a chance to explore his nostalgic world. Maybe Lucasfilm will even let him team up with Captain America and Wolverine? I doubt it, but Indy’s seen stranger things. – CCT
WINNER/LOSER: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Season three looks amazing, with Sauron in full Dark Lord mode preparing to forge the One Ring, the introduction of Celeborn, and the rise of the proto-Nazgul, but damn if Prime didn’t shock a lot of fans by scheduling the whole season to be released in two mere weeks (November 11-25). What’s the rush, besides this very American-centric attitude that everyone will be able to watch four episodes on Veterans’ Day, and the rest on Thanksgiving? Also, ending the week of reveals with Simon Pegg as the Balrog, instead of Jamie Campbell Bower as Celeborn, just fueled all the weird and ignorant people who think they know more about Middle-earth than the showrunners. – CCT
LOSER: John “Johnny” Depp, Paramount, and Comic-Con. Everyone involved got rightly pilloried for letting this talentless old Oswald Cobblepott wannabe crash a panel of unsuspecting directors to promote his terrible upcoming Christmas Carol movie. And if that wasn’t enough, apparently someone used ChatGPT for the slides at Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender’s presentation. It’s already a shame the film got dumped on Paramount+, now you’re leading fans to think AI was used to make it? Are you trying to kill the Avatarverse on purpose? – CCT
WINNER: DC Comics.Phewy. In a convention typically dominated by other mediums of entertainment for the better part of 20 years, DC Comics had arguably the strongest showing of the convention with its announcements and updates. Snyder & Co. continue breathing new life into all things Absolute with such excitement, it’s hard to not be engaged as both a reader and reviewer. First looks at some upcoming Absolute debuts was only the tip of the ice berg, supplemented by creative team reveals for other Next Level titles. – AB
WINNER: Stephanie Williams.Not only did Stephanie tally her first Eisner nomination this year, no single creator had as big of a convention as she. She’s writing a new Vixenongoing at DC, which is exciting enough, but she’s also getting some serious compliments from Wonder Womanscribe Tom King–who may or may not be handing the title off to her at some point in the future. Plus!She’s writing a new Pacific Rim series on top of that all. – AB
WINNER: COSIGN ON STEPHANIE WILLIAMS! I had a chance to talk to her briefly at the Ignition Pavilion and she is not only making the most of this moment, but reveling in it. And it couldn’t happen to a nicer or more talented person. – HM
LOSER: Me. Because I stillhaven’t made the trek outta nowhere Iowa to Comic-Con. – AB
WINNER:Kos Coffee.I stopped here on Tuesday before con to grab some caf with David Harper and their Mexican mocha and tender banana bread were both exceptional. I am a loser because I wanted to go back on Monday before I flew out but didn’t realize it closed so early. – HM
LOSER: Achilles Coffee.I get that every place in the Gaslamp is stretched to the limit during con, but you should never pay $9 for a cold brew and find coffee grounds in the bottom of your cup. – HM
LOSER: Artist Alley.It’s a given that SDCC’s Artist Alley is a lot smaller than befits a show of its size. But it is also understood that with exhibit hall space at such a premium, and AA table prices amounting to less money per square foot than any other part of the show, the space has been shrinking for a long time. Many people thought it had been shrunk even further this year, although the floor plan is the same as last year. But psychologically, the idea that it shrank seems to have taken hold. And realistically, con-goers are used to the more expansive Artist Alley’s of other shows and the incredible level of artists who attend SDCC demand it. I don’t envy the showrunner’s conundrum of how to have a better Artist Alley when there is no space to do it: getting rid of Hall H is one idea, but it could spark a riot. – HM
WINNER: Giant Sentinel head. Although behind the Convention Center was a lonely place for Adult Swim, there really were a lot of activations throughout the Gaslamp. But this Marvel installation, randomly thrown next to the trolley tracks, was the kind of weird, unexpected thing that makes the whole experience surreal.
NEITHER WINNER NOR LOSER, IT JUST IS: The chicken train. For as long as there has been a new convention center, con-goers have faced “the chicken train,” a freight train carrying live poultry that can take as long as a half an hour to pass through town. Many folks have been stuck on the wrong side of the tracks over the years – it’s one of the reasons why they built a pedestrian bridge over the tracks and roadway. This year, the chicken train was parked ominously just to one side of the Fifth Avenue crossing, leading me to continuously warn first timers, “You gotta watch out for the chicken train!” And one newbie to con actually did get stuck behind it. Welcome to SDCC.
WINNER: Dungeon Crawler Carl Cosplay. Dudes in heart-covered boxer shorts were EVERYWHERE.
LOSER: Me trying to get into panels. I missed out on the three panels I most wanted to go to due to various logistical snafus. I got into Hall H for the Marvel panel but couldn’t find a seat and got kicked out by the toughest security guard I’ve ever met. I tried to get into Marvel Fanfare but no press tickets left. The big shocker was the Talk Back Panel: when I arrived about five minutes prior – a normal time frame in the past – there were about 200 people lined up to get in!People were peeved about Hall H and wanted to let the world know it. Of course, I know you have to line up for everything at Comic-Con, but advance planning is more essential than ever. Lesson learned. – HM
WINNER: The Beat staff. We crushed it! Thank you everyone. – HM
WINNER: San Diego Comic-Con. It is still the most fantasmagorical show on earth. – HM
