comic

SAN DIEGO -- The bad news about Comic-Con Day 2 was that there wasn't the usual, noticeable uptick in energy and chaos from Day 1. The good news is that it gave us a chance to check out some of the cooler homemade costumes from around the show floor.

From a professional seamstress sporting Victorian Wonder Woman threads, to the original suit that Marlon Brando wore as Jor-El in "Superman: The Movie," to the saddest Darth Vader you've ever seen, there was plenty to look at and admire.

SAN DIEGO -- Digital comics went boom last year, driven by as many reasons as there are varieties of Kryptonite. But defying the trend set by movies, music, and TV when they went digital, print comics sales in North America recently have been estimated at jumping nearly 18 percent since last year. How the heck did that happen?

Driven by a saturation of iPads and other tablets among people with disposable income, a massive line-wide reboot by DC Comics that encouraged other publishers to fully "go digital," and the obvious sales benefits of being able to buy a … Read more

The truest of believers spend months cutting, sewing, and taping together the perfect custom costume for Comic-Con in San Diego, and the opportunity to flex our geek cred is too tempting to resist, so The 404 hits the floor on the first day to talk with a handful of our favorite cosplayers.

Along the way, we'll poke around shops with costumes for sale and ask for recommendations on which duo would suit us best: Jay and Silent Bob? Wayne and Garth? Thor and Loki? OK, I just want to wear a blonde wig. Join us for a tour of … Read more

SAN DIEGO--In some ways, the first full day of Comic-Con can feel slower than the Preview Night. While a frenetic vibe feeds the panicked shopping of Preview Night, Day One has too many people for much sprinting.

But that doesn't mean that it's dead. Fan-favorite creator of Robert Kirkman was on the floor signing Walking Dead comics, there was a wide variety of cosplayers, discussion panels revealed the latest twists and turns for comics, movies and TV, and a woman outside the Con was vigorously rubbing her costume with a metal grinder to promote a VH1 event. In … Read more

SAN DIEGO--The first night of the 42nd annual Comic-Con brought in the hordes, giving attendees far more than a mere preview last night.

Originally a chance for exhibitors and professionals to enjoy the Con, fans who buy four-day passes can opt to get a Preview Night ticket, too. In turn, this gives vendors a chance to sell convention exclusives to an even wider audience, but it does cut down on the opportunities for those working the show to enjoy what's on display. Preview Night passes sold out within 90 minutes of going on sale earlier this year.

So what … Read more

July might mean summer doldrums to some, but if you love comics and pop culture, it can only mean one thing: San Diego Comic-Con. CNET's checking out the geekfest in full force, and we'll be on the hunt for the hottest news in comics, TV, and movies, and, yes, the best cosplayers.

Along with stories and galleries, CNET TV and The 404 are doing giveaways on location, and CNET's once again hosting its Base Station for the True Believers at the convention. If you're in San Diego, you'll be able to recharge your phones, play … Read more

Stern Pinball has officially started churning out the X-Men pinball game it hinted at back in June.

The machine comes in three different flavors. The base model is the X-Men Pro ($5,699) and includes a backglass graphic with all the X-Men mutants crammed together in an explosion of awesome.

Then you have the two X-Men Limited Edition machines ($7,999) which include a few extra playfield options, such as a motorized "Ice Slide" ramp, pop-up Night Crawlers, color-changing LEDs, and a magnetic spinning disc that basically rules. The two versions of this machine include an edition with … Read more

Is it wrong of Orbitz to be pushing higher prices on Mac users? Of course not. The travel agency can do whatever it wants, and if it's found that Mac users spend more money on vacations, the agency's well within its rights to serve them more expensive trip results. And let's be honest, there are plenty of people who buy a Mac for all of the wrong reasons, ultimately overpaying on a machine that's only going to be browsing Facebook.

On the other hand, there's no denying that Apple products have earned a solid reputation in terms of build quality and reliability. This has trickled over into the buying psychology of customers. If people are convinced paying more will get them a product that they will be satisfied with, the same mentality can be applied to spending more on a vacation to ensure a better time. Don't hate Orbitz for figuring that out.… Read more

Microsoft's press conference earlier this week reminded us a lot of what Apple has perfected -- the dramatic press conference. However, after the lights went off, we still had plenty of questions about what the new Microsoft Surface tablets were going to cost and when we could buy them. If Microsoft is using the Apple Playbook, they may have skipped a page or two.

Love it or hate it, Apple has all but mastered the art of the press conference. It's not that they use fancy graphics or a laser-light show, it's mostly because they answer a lot of questions and perhaps most importantly, begin selling the product right away. Cashing in on the excitement of a new product and then allowing the public to buy it immediately is something no other company really does, so it'll be interesting to see if the Surface hype is still churning once it's finally ready to be sold. … Read more