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The pop culture extravaganza that is Comic-Con International is back to its old extravagance. Stars, cosplayers, and hordes of fans are filling the San Diego Convention Center in full force for the first time since 2019. Here鈥檚 a look at this year鈥檚 version of the four day festival.

Comic-crowds

The pandemic necessitated virtual versions of Comic-Con in the summers of 2020 and 2021, and a scaled-back in-person version in November, but none were anything like the usual spectacle, with lovers of all things geeky descending from around the globe and arena-sized panels on films and TV shows that resemble sporting events.

It鈥檚 not clear whether the convention will draw the estimated 135,000 people who flooded San Diego before the pandemic.

But thousands of fans came in droves on Thursday for the convention鈥檚 first day. As required, nearly all wore masks 鈥� the protective kind, not the super-villain kind, though there were plenty of those too 鈥� and the excitement amid the crowd was palpable.

鈥淓verybody鈥檚 just been cooped up for a while, and they鈥檝e been anticipating this,鈥� said Minneapolis resident Dinh Truong, who came to Comic-Con for the second time and attended Wednesday鈥檚 preview night. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice just to see everybody in the same atmosphere. I鈥檓 excited to see the program, see what鈥檚 going on, see everybody cosplaying and all that, and just getting back to what we used to be.鈥�

Comic-cosplay

It鈥檚 likely no one has missed the in-person convention more than the captains, queens, and connoisseurs of cosplay. Comic-Con is their Met Gala, and no getup is too elaborate.

Lorelei McKelvey, who is from San Diego but now lives in Yokosuka, Japan, was dressed as Captain Carter, Captain America鈥檚 British, World War II-era counterpart.

鈥淚 had to do one that I could authentically replicate,鈥� Ms. McKelvey said. 鈥淚 went and did my research and found out what were the authentic British officer leathers worn in World War II, and I found manufacturers to actually make those leathers.鈥�

She walked the Convention Center floor in real-as-possible officer cavalry boots and Royal Air Force gauntlets, and carried a 5-pound steel shield.

Ms. McKelvey came to Comic-Con and worked at a booth for 20 straight years. This is her first time coming as a cosplayer, and her second time coming as a trans woman, and she鈥檚 excited to be reunited with the cherished friends she鈥檚 made here.

鈥淢y last convention is the first time they鈥檝e seen me as Lorelei,鈥� Ms. McKelvey said. 鈥淭his is their first time to see me four years later and to see how much I鈥檝e grown since then.鈥�

Others wandered the halls as 鈥淪tar Wars鈥澛� Stormtroopers, the Mandalorian, Wonder Woman, Thor, and Sailor Moon. Chuckie from 鈥淐hild鈥檚 Play鈥� emerged from one cosplayer鈥檚 stomach.

Comic-coming attractions

Comic-Con makes most of its news as a venue to show off trailers and footage from forthcoming films and TV shows during star-studded mega-panels held in Hall H, which holds some 6,000 people. Announced panels include Warner Bros. and the DC Universe鈥檚 鈥淏lack Adam.鈥� It will include Dwayne 鈥淭he Rock鈥� Johnson, who plays the titular antihero, director Jaume Collet-Serra, and the stars playing Hawkman, Dr. Fate, and other members of the Justice Society.

鈥淕et ready, because the hype is real,鈥� Mr. Johnson said in pro-wrestler promo mode on Instagram earlier this month. 鈥淕uess who鈥檚 coming to town, the most electrifying man in all the DC Universe.鈥�

Warner Bros. will also provide a preview of 鈥淪hazam: Fury of the Gods.鈥�

Marvel may hold back its best material for Disney鈥檚 forthcoming D23 Expo, but is expected to tease its next film, 鈥淏lack Panther: Wakanda Forever鈥� and the Disney+ TV series 鈥淪he-Hulk: Attorney at Law.鈥�

A pair of much-anticipated fantasy prequels will also give fans a taste of their worlds. A new trailer dropped Wednesday in advance of a panel from HBO Max that will show off the 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥� spinoff 鈥淗ouse of the Dragon,鈥� set 200 years before the original series.

Amazon is going back in time 2000 years for 鈥淭he Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,鈥� a tale of the emergence of evil among the elves long before Frodo and Bilbo walked Middle Earth. Their panel this year comes 21 years after director Peter Jackson presented footage from the first of the original films at Comic-Con.

This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽