10 Things We Learned At New York Comic-Con 2011

Straight from the Big Apple's nerd equivalent to Christmas, we've got all of the biggest news and developments.

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Similar to the migration patterns of the majestic Canadian goose, once a year comic book fans from all around the country make a beautiful journey to the Jacob Javits Center in New York to dress in ridiculous-looking costumes, scarf down questionable hot dogs, and buy page-turners in bulk. That’s right: We’re talking about New York Comic-Con.

This four-day mega-event may have started in San Diego, but it's now a yearly fixture in the Big Apple, as well. Unlike most geek gatherings, there's more to this convention than the ability to purchase Vulcan ears autographed by Spock himself, or watching overweight fangirls attempt to boost their self-esteem by dressing in skimpy outfits.

Like any comic convention worth its weight in stale nachos and buckets of soda, the New York Comic-Con is the place to be for comic book companies and movie studios looking to push their upcoming projects on one of the most temperamental fan-bases in all of pop-culture. But with so many big announcements and exclusive footage being shown at all times, it’s tough to hear about everything that went down.

That’s where we come in. For three days, we braved the stifling heat and eclectic aromas of the Javits Center in order to bring you all of the latest news from the convention. So if you weren’t lucky enough to be there, we’re here to inform you with 10 Things We Learned At The New York Comic-Con.

10. The Scarlet Spider Is Back

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9. Marvel's Television Shows Will Share The Same Universe As Their Movies

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8. Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance Is Still Looking Good

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7. The Marvel Universe Will Belong To The Hulk Over The Next Year

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6. DC Is Finally Making Superman Adapt To The Times

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5. Marvel Continues To Commercialize Their Comics With A New Dexter Series

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4. Red Tails Might Just Surprise People

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3. DC’s Animated Projects Still Outdo Their Live-Action Movies

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When you take Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy out of the equation, DC’s live-action films have completely missed the mark in recent years. Green Lantern was a computer-generated bored, Superman Returns turned the Man of Steel from Earth’s savior into a deadbeat dad, and Jonah Hex is one of the worst uses of celluloid since Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever.

Thankfully for fans of the DC Universe, producer Bruce Timm has been pumping out animated perfection featuring some of the company’s greatest heroes for decades. At NYCC, Timm showed off the first episode of the CGI Green Lantern animated series (you can see some footage at Super Hero Hype), as well as a trailer for Justice League: Doom. Both projects bring the tone and spirit of the comics to life without ever changing any of the fundamentals about any of the characters.

It's only a matter of time before DC and Warner Bros. smarten up and hire Timm to completely reconfigure their live-action movies. Then again, that would be the logical thing to do and we all know how much DC hates logic.

[Via Super Hero Hype

2. The Walking Dead Seems Fit To Avoid The Sophomore Slump

The first season of AMC's The Walking Dead started off with a Frank Darabont-directed (and written) premiere that could easily rival any big screen zombie flick. It was emotional and visceral, without ever feeling constricted to a TV budget. But after that initial gem, the rest of the season was a mixed bag. The underwhelming plots and inconsistent tone made fans wonder if the show’s second season would be a full-on disappointment.

After The Walking Dead panel at NYCC, though, fans should be happy to hear that the show is primed to regain some of the magic from its pilot after AMC screened a clip from the new season (seen above courtesy of IGN), taken from last night's knockout of a season premiere. An intense sequence involving Rick and company being confronted by dozens of walkers on an abandoned freeway, this expertly directed footage is filled with the same type of suspense that fans of the show expected from the beginning.

By getting back to its roots as an unpredictable and dramatic horror show, rather than focusing on the soap-opera drama, The Walking Dead could easily regain its swag over the next 13 episodes.

[Via IGN

1. The Avengers Won't Be 2012's Best Comic Book Movie

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