NYCC Is Huge. Your Time Isn't.

Here's the problem with New York Comic Con.

There is always something happening.

You're standing in Artist Alley talking to somebody you've wanted to meet for three years.

Your phone tells you a panel starts in 20 minutes.

You look at the Javits Center map.

The panel may technically be inside the same building, but somehow it feels like it's in New Jersey.

Welcome to NYCC.

So we're not giving you a list of 47 panels.

We're giving you five.

These are the comic-book panels we'd actually stop shopping, signing and wandering the floor to attend.

#5 — DC's Next Level & Beyond

Saturday, October 10 — 11:00-11:45 AM — Room 409

DC's Next Level publishing initiative has become one of the places to watch for books that don't necessarily fit neatly into the publisher's biggest existing franchises.

DC is promising announcements, new series and first looks during this panel.[1]

That makes it potentially more interesting than a panel devoted entirely to books we already know about.

Conventions are at their best when somebody walks onto a stage and shows us something we didn't know existed yesterday.

That's what we're hoping for here.

#4 — Marvel's Comics Programming

Marvel is coming into NYCC with something to prove.

The Midnight Universe is launching this week.

Its digital-comics strategy is being completely rebuilt with WEBTOON.

And Marvel has been teasing major announcements around characters including Spider-Man.[2]

When Marvel says it has publishing announcements at NYCC, we're listening.

Spider-Man alone makes this interesting.

But we're equally curious about what comes after the initial Midnight launch.

Marvel didn't create an entirely new universe to publish three #1s and call it a day.

What's next?

That's the question.

#3 — Jim Lee & Friends

Saturday, October 10 — 2:00-3:00 PM — Room 405

Jim Lee panels are dangerous.

Not physically.

Probably.

They're dangerous because DC knows people expect announcements.

DC's description specifically promises surprise announcements, reveals and special guests.[1]

That means we're paying attention.

Jim Lee also occupies a unique position.

He's not simply a famous artist appearing at NYCC.

He's DC's president, publisher and chief creative officer.

When he starts talking about where DC is going, that's different from a creator discussing one title.

If DC has a big-picture surprise for NYCC, this is one of the most obvious places to reveal it.

#2 — The Slaughterverse

Something Is Killing the Children is having a week.

Issue #50 arrives.

The franchise is expanding into novels.

Blumhouse is developing live-action and animated adaptations.

And NYCC is hosting a dedicated Slaughterverse panel featuring James Tynion IV, Kiersten White and Werther Dell'Edera.[3]

Penguin Random House is also bringing an NYCC-exclusive edition of Something Is Killing the Children: Hope Is a Knife to the convention.[3]

This isn't just a retrospective.

The entire franchise is expanding.

If you're a SIKTC reader, this is probably where you're going to hear the clearest version yet of what comes next for Erica Slaughter.

#1 — DC's Absolute Universe

Friday, October 9 — 11:00 AM-12:00 PM — Room 405

Come on.

You knew what #1 was going to be.

DC has devoted an entire hour to the Absolute Universe, promising news, reveals, announcements and behind-the-scenes discussion.[1]

Scott Snyder and other creators connected to the line are at NYCC.

Absolute Batman remains one of the biggest comics in the market.

Absolute Superman and Absolute Wonder Woman have developed serious followings of their own.

And DC continues expanding the universe.

This is the panel where we want answers.

What's next after the current Absolute Batman storyline?

Which characters are coming?

Are we getting additional limited series?

How interconnected will the universe eventually become?

And what haven't we even thought to ask yet?

ATL Comics & Cards will be paying very close attention to this one.

We've spent a lot of 2026 working with artists connected to the Absolute line, including Mark Texeira, Björn Barends, Mirka Andolfo, Dave Wilkins, Ariel Diaz and others.

When DC tells us where Absolute is heading next, we're not only listening as readers.

We're looking at the artwork.

We're looking at the creators.

And we're probably thinking about covers.

That's the fun part.

The Real NYCC Rule

Don't overschedule yourself.

Seriously.

If you're attending NYCC, leave room for the thing you don't know about yet.

The artist you accidentally discover.

The publisher booth you didn't plan to visit.

The comic somebody puts in your hand.

The conversation that wasn't on the schedule.

Panels are great.

But conventions are supposed to surprise you.

Pick the few that really matter.

For us?

Absolute Universe is the one.

See you in Room 405.

Sources & Credits

[1] DC Comics — Official NYCC 2026 panel schedule, including Absolute Universe, Next Level & Beyond and Jim Lee & Friends.

[2] Marvel Comics — Official Marvel NYCC 2026 programming and publishing-event information.

[3] Penguin Random House / The Beat — Slaughterverse NYCC panel and Hope Is a Knife convention-exclusive information.