Rocksteady made an appearance at this year's San Diego International Comic Con, and they were looking to impress the bejesus out of their fans. They did just that by giving them the opportunity to fully experience their upcoming game, Batman: Arkham VR.

Instead of showing a glimpse of gameplay or a two-minute trailer, Rocksteady took it upon themselves to hold a demo booth, where fans got the chance to actually be the Batman, rather than just play him. Players also discovered that the game itself is divided into two parts. The first part is a basic tutorial that takes place in the luxurious Wayne Manor, and shows players the ropes -- including how to properly handle the two Playstation Move controllers. The second part actually lets players experience the streets of Gotham, and even offers the chance to visit crime scenes.

Although the demo amazed fans, there were several concerns that involved the lack of actual combat or taking a joyride in the Batmobile -- but overall, it looks like those lucky SDCC fans had a great and unique experience in Arkham VR. 

At this year's San Diego Comic-Con in California, Pokemon GO Chief Executive John Hanke has plenty to reveal about Niantic's popular game.

In particular, Hanke reveals the names and faces of the three teams of Pokemon GO, previously found as silhouettes on the iOS/Android title's selection screen:

From left to right, here is Team Instinct, Mystic, and Valor as shown on Pokemon GO's selection screen

Who are the team leaders?

The first is Team Instinct's leader, Spark:

Pokemon are creatures with excellent intuition. I bet the secret to their intuition is related to how they're hatched. You never lose when you trust your instincts!       --Spark

With spiky hair that stands on end like his electric Pokemon representative, Zapdos, Spark is Team Instinct's leader. He sports a bright orange hoodie and black jacket with his team's distinctive yellow highlights.

Spark believes Pokemon's strength comes from their birth, and encourages players to "trust your instincts".

The second is Team Mystic's leader, Blanche:

The wisdom of Pokemon is immeasurably deep. I am researching why it is that they evolve. With our calm analysis of every situation we can't lose!          --Blanche

With a slick blue trenchcoat and a chill expression, Blanche is the leader of Team Mystic. His team's Pokemon representative is the ice-typed Articuno of the legendary bird trio.

Blanche believes that "calm analysis of every situation" will help players succeed in their endeavors.

The third is Team Valor's leader, Candela:

Pokemon are stronger than humans, and they're warmhearted too! I'm researching ways to enhance Pokemon's natural power in the pursuit of true strength. There's no doubt that the Pokemon our team have trained are the strongest in battle!         --Candela

Representing Team Valor and the fiery Pokemon Moltres, Candela is the last (but certainly not least) of the Pokemon GO leaders. Candela's outfit consists of an asymmetrical red and white coat with black tights.

Candela believes in the "natural power" of Pokemon, and she searches for ways for Pokemon to seek their full potential.

How do the teams compete?

These three factions clash against one another by claiming Pokemon GO gyms. A claimed territory allows team members to train and raise their prestige, making it harder for opposing teams to overthrow areas.

So who's your favorite team leader? Which team are you on? Please leave a comment below!

[Images retrieved from AndroidCentral and Twitter]

Following E3, 343i promised fans they had huge Halo 5 reveals planned for future conventions like Gamescom and San Diego Comic Con. Early this morning they started making good on that promise with the reveal of a Halo 5 ViDoc (the word Bungie and 343i use for a video documentary with trailers and behind the scene videos rolled into one.) It showed how important this game was to them. They are determined to make this the biggest Halo to date and the ViDoc shows they are on the right track.

Amazing as the 12-minute ViDoc was, 343i wasn't content with simply showing off campaign hints and the massive scale of Halo 5. They wanted to completely blow fans away at Comic Con - which is why they have released a trailer for the Fall of Reach animated series that will launch with Halo 5 collector's editions.

The series is produced by SEQUENCE, the Vancouver studio behind the Halo 4 and Halo 2: Anniversary terminal cinematics. They are raising the bar to new heights, bringing us the story of how the Master Chief and Blue team were molded into Spartans. It will also delve into events at the start of the human-covenant war. Lore fans will notice in the trailer an event that caused the death of the Master Chief's best friend and made him the giant super soldier we all know.

If the trailer wasn't enough to blow fans away, then 343i's second announcement is sure to get them jumping out of their seats. In September their massively popular audio series, Hunt the Truth will be returning for a second season. Leading up to the events of Halo 5, Hunt the Truth had stunningly positive responses from fans who tuned in every week for the next action-packed episode.

It will pick up where the first season left off and is set to be even more explosive. Hard-core lore fans and anyone wanting to start diving into Halo's rich expanded universe are in for a treat this fall.

This new LEGO game, LEGO Dimensions, will be much different from the predecessors.  The main guy seems to be the Doctor, as he brings together the LEGO universe to fight their evil foe. Featuring new characters never before seen LEGO-ized, this game will be able to reach all generations on multiple platforms.

What we know

LEGO Dimensions was announced with a vivid YouTube video from San Diego Comic-Con, showing off the amazing details that the game encompasses. The player will be able to take on any form of the twelve doctors and move through LEGO worlds that have never existed before. Among these worlds are:

• The Simpsons
• Doctor Who
• Ghostbusters
• Portal
• Midway Arcade
• LEGO Chima
• Scooby Doo
• The Wizard of Oz
• LEGO Ninjago
• Back to the Future

Although there are many new worlds added, the previous games will also be included:

• Lord of the Rings
• Jurassic World
• The LEGO Movie
• Batman

It is unknown at the time of the LEGO Marvel games will partake in this extraordinary adventure, since the universe might explode from such awesomeness if they do.

When can we expect this addition?

LEGO Dimensions is set for a September 27, 2015 release, and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games, and finally The LEGO Group were very generous with the console options. The game will be playable on the Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and lastly Xbox One. With so many options available, this game will be accessible to everyone. 

Other LEGO games being released

This has to be the year of the LEGO. Another anticipated LEGO game is set to release the winter of 2015, and was announced during E3. If you guessed LEGO Marvel's Avengers you were correct. Putting together all the Avengers in one game to fight Ultron and save the city of New York. For more details and the trailer on this game, check out the article "E3 2015 Announces LEGO: Marvel's Avengers - Coming Winter 2015".

Is anyone else super excited for these upcoming LEGO games? Share your opinions!

At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, Capcom representatives will be there with some awesome gear they plan to sell. Among the gear they will be showing off is this fully functional Mega Man helmet.

Replica Helmet   

When Capcom created this functional helmet, they threw in all the bells and whistles, including working LED lights along with a clamshell hinge that makes putting on the helmet very easy. With a padded interior, the helmet may be a bit stuffy, but you'll get to look like Mega Man in this Blue Bomber helmet replica.

"Made of high quality ABS plastic with a high polish finish, authentic proportions and details, plus working LED lights! A unique clamshell hinge allows the front and back half of the helmet to easily open up to comfortably fit your head inside the soft padded interior for a perfect fit."

"Comes shipped in a decorated box suitable for displaying your helmet when not in use." - Capcom 

By finally providing the gaming community with a fully-functional helmet, Capcom is able to reach different parts of the community all at once. Whether you're a collector or cosplayer, you'll enjoy having this helmet in your collection.

Capcom has updated their store to make Pre-Orders available for this anticipated helmet. For the whopping price of $150 you can become the owner of this functional helmet that also comes with a display case for your collection. Better grab this while you can, cause once this goes out of stock the price will skyrocket on eBay and other auction websites.

Taking a page from fellow Game of the Year, The Last of Us, Telltale Games will be bringing its talents to the stage for the first time ever, as their most popular episodic game series, The Walking Dead, will be given the live treatment at this weekend's San Diego Comic Con.

On Saturday, July 11th at 8pm PT, a series of scenes from the award-winning The Walking Dead: Season One will be performed by six of the cast members, including Melissa Hutchinson as Clementine, and Dave Fennoy as Lee.

Besides "The Walking Dead Live Performance", a Q&A panel with the live performance cast will take place on Friday, July 10th at 11:30am, and the upcoming spinoff, The Walking Dead: Michonne, will be featured at the "Skybound Entertainment Celebrates 5 Years" panel on Thursday, July 9th at 3:30pm.

Those in San Diego can attend "The Walking Dead Live Performance" during the Walker Stalker Fan Fest at Petco Park with a $30 single-day or $55 two-day pass. For everyone else, Twitch is at the ready, as the entire event will be streamed live at Skybound Entertainment's official Twitch channel, which will also play host to a variety of games, events, creator interviews, and free giveaways throughout the Fan Fest on Friday and Saturday.

Don't forget about Talion from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor either. You could probably do some amazing things with contacts for the eye effects when he uses his abilities.

These are just but a few ideas to assist in your costume ideas whether it be cosplay at conventions, competitions, or even for Halloween. I can't wait to see what amazing creations cosplayers will come up with!

If you want to creep people out and impress them with your cosplay and make-up artist skills; how about being an Uruk Orc from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor?

Add in Dying Light's main character Kyle Crane with Jade and now you have a couples themed cosplay.

Dying Light's Jade by Techland Games is simply badass.

Throw in Vesemir from The Witcher series and now you have a 4-person group cosplay.

Yennefer from The Witcher series is a great addition to the group idea or as an individual one.

Geralt from The Witcher series by CD Projekt RED is amazing, not only as an individual, but can be done as a group with the other characters.

I don't know about you ladies, but I think Triss from The Witcher series by CD Projekt RED is stunning.

Is anyone looking to turn some heads on your way to the convention dressed as characters from Hotline Miami and Hotline Miami 2 by Dennation Games and Devolver Digital? The look on people's faces would be absolutely priceless--just like Visa.

The Knights from The Order: 1886 by Red at Dawn, SCE Santa Monica Studios and Sony Computer Entertainment, would be a great group cosplay for friends. There's nothing like doing a cosplay theme with your fellow cosplay comrades.

Mortal Kombat X's Kano would be a fun cosplay for any guy looking to show off his gym efforts.

Of course, seeing Bigby, also from The Wolf Among Us by Telltale Games, walking around a convention center perhaps "approaching" Bloody Mary would be epic.

Bloody Mary from The Wolf Among Us by Telltale Games would be pretty amazing and scary to see in-person.

The Goliath monster from the upcoming Evolve release by Turtle Rock Studios and 2K looks to be like quite another challenge, but also so amazing if pulled off.

Want to really challenge your cosplay skills? How about this creature from the recent release Dragon Age Inquisition? Talk about a challenge and making a statement.

Another idea from Bloodborne that I believe is worth checking out is the Bell Maiden. My goodness that just screams creative genius all over!

The Raven Hunter from the greatly anticipated Bloodborne release by From Software and Sony Computer Entertainment is the stuff of nightmares. Think of the impressions you'll make as everyone stops to look!

Aurora from Child of Light by Ubisoft Montreal gives some great variations as she grows, that you can really make your costume something to remember!

Next we have the character classes from Destiny by Bungie. The Titan, Warlock, and Hunter have so many shaders and armor in the game, that you could really come up with something unique.

Hello folks! It's about that time of year again when we start prepping our ideas for our cosplay costumes for all the upcoming conventions, such as PAX South and as far ahead as NYCC. Here at GameSkinny, we want to assist you with sharing some great ideas to get those creative juices flowing.

First up is the upcoming release of Hyper Light Drifter by Heart Machine that was successfully funded on Kickstarter.

Fans of Mass Effect can rejoice as news comes out of San Diego Comic Con (SDCC). BioWare unleashed several images at SDCC this year with a few hints on the title that is yet unnamed and still years left in the making. Don't expect to play Shepard this go round though. We have a new hero in the making.

BioWare had little on the definitive side to relate to fans of the original trilogy. Players will have the option to play as male or female as seen in the shots of the hero's armor. The hero's race has not yet been determined nor do we know if players will be able to choose their own race. In the announcement, Mike Gamble, the producer for Mass Effect said, "It's ingrained in us to give players as much choice as possible."

The Mako vehicle is reappearing in the new title. Redesigned after feedback from players as well as innovations in technology since the original Mass Effect, the Mako looks like a sweet ride that can go just about anywhere. The redesigned Mako is more agile, but it does lack the cannon. Since the focus of the new game will be new planet exploration, the vehicle will be a key part to playing the game.

Set Within Shepard's Timeline

The title is set during Shepard's lifetime, so there is no huge jump forward or backwards. The storyline will also not involve Shepard, but it was undetermined on whether Shepard will have a cameo role or not.

There will also be multiplayer. There will be competitive multiplayer, but cooperative play is their utmost focus. With the game possibly being set in a new galaxy, the options for the BioWare team are virtually endless in what they could add to the new generation of Mass Effect titles. One thing to note, the game is not and will not be called Mass Effect 4.

It is unknown at this time what platforms the game will be released on.

Last year's San Diego Comic Con brought news of an upcoming online game based on the beloved Firefly television show. Yesterday, at this year's San Diego Comic Con, the first gameplay trailer for Firefly Online premiered, a year after the original announcement. Along with the trailer came some information about the game that would make any Browncoat eager to play it: the original cast reprising their roles for the game! Nathan Fillion, who plays captain Malcolm Reynolds in the show, even appears at the end of the trailer.

"Me? I'd aim to misbehave. But that's just me talking."

Firefly Online, developed by Quantum Mechanix and Spark Plug Games, will allow "players [to] take on the role of a ship captain as they hire a crew and lead missions, while trading with and competing against millions of other players like themselves." The trailer also shows how customizable the game will be, particularly focusing on characters, ships, and personal bunks. Here is an image from an exclusive look, that happened last year: 

 Ever since the game's announcement last year, many are skeptical of the game's quality. Phil Savage, of PCgamer, said that the game "doesn't look particularly impressive," and that he "can't imagine a joint PC/mobile game is the way most Firefly fans dreamed of exploring that setting." Last year, Kotaku posted an article titled, "Firefly is Getting a Video Game, But Not the One You Want."

However, it's difficult to fully judge a game before actually playing it. The customization and options are both positive points, as is the ability to play a captain of your very own ship. Plus, what Browncoat doesn't want a chance to interact with their favorite characters from the show?

Firefly Online is coming soon for PC, Mac, and mobile devices. 

One of the most significant aspects of Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series is the playable character's amazing ability to move through any area with ease. Even if that means climbing to the top of tall buildings then diving off into haystacks below. In order to promote the next game in the series, Assassin's Creed: Unity, Ubisoft is offering fans a chance to see what it's like to perform moves like an assassin from the game. 

The game developer has teamed up with Michael Zernow, Chief Parkour Officer at Ubisoft, and the Tempest Freerunning Academy, to bring "a special parkour course" to this year's San Diego Comic Con.  

In the above video, Zernow describes the course's sections,  which include swinging from one platform to another, running across "a narrow ledge while dodging canon balls," "the leap of faith," and more. 

Not sure you have what it takes? No need to worry. According to Zernow, the course is such "that anyone can run it." Also, Zernow and other parkour experts will "be right there with you, every step of the way." Plus, you'll get a free T-shirt, so why not?

There is also a way for anyone unable to attend Comic Con to watch "daily re-caps" of the event, which starts July 24th. You can check that out, here.

If you are a HUGE Mass Effect fan like me, then you are probably clamoring for any new information to surface about Mass Effect 4. While this is not any new information, Bioware is asking their fan base for feedback on what we would like to see from the next installment.

The feedback they are looking for comes in the form of a survey. The survey is an effort to make Mass Effect 4 "the best one yet". According to Bioware Producer Michael Gamble, the response has been "overwhelming". Gamble stated that within the first two hours of the survey going live, he had enough reading material for a month. Bioware and Gamble still want to hear our feedback though and have asked us to "keep it coming".

The survey focuses on RPG gaming in general and asks you what games you have played, how often you play them and what activities are most important to you. The survey goes on to ask what part of the new Mass Effect you are most looking forward to: story, exploration, combat, or customization. These choices come with the ability to rank them from 1 to 7 based on their importance to you. Bioware has also asked us to elaborate on anything that we feel is missing from the survey.

For those of you who will be attending the San Diego Comic Con this year, Bioware will be holding a Mass Effect 4 panel. The panel is entitled "Charting a Course: Developing the Next Mass Effect" and will consist of ME4's Lead Animator, two Producers, the Senior Artist and the Community Manager. Although no major news or announcements will most likely come out of the panel, small tidbits of information will most likely be available.

Stay tuned to Gameskinny as any and more information become available on Bioware's next installment of Mass Effect. Until then, my name is onpv3rtigo1 and this is my favorite website on the Citadel. Keelah se'lai.

So... Who's looking forward to the next Mass Effect? (I AM, I AM!) But how on Earth (or any planet for that matter) do they plan on continuing without Commander Shepard?!

Some questions could be answered on Saturday, July the 26th in this years San Diego Comic-Con where BioWare will be 'sharing their experiences in shaping the next Mass Effect game with new possibilities while staying true to the critically acclaimed series.' Either this or they will just tease us with open-ended answers, but either way I'm excited to hear what they have to say.

Mass Effect developers from the Edmonton and Montreal studios will sit the panel, including: Carl Boulay (lead animator), Fabrice Condominas (producer), Mike Gamble (producer),Noel Lukasewich (senior artist) and Jessica Merizan (community manager). So make sure to have your questions at the ready! Will you be reusing planets? Have you thought of any cool new species? Will there still be awkward relationship decisions? Will there ever be a nod towards Shepard's story or past decisions? These are just a fraction of my own.

If you're lucky enough to be attending Comic-Con this year then make sure to be in Room 25 ABC at 2pm early enough to grab a seat; with over 200 people claiming to attend already on the Comic-Con website it's bound to fill up quickly!

But if you can't wait that long then make sure to join in with molding the next Mass Effect game yourself by filling out the Mass Effect fan feedback survey. This quick survey mainly asks what you enjoy most about RPG games, which for myself has to be exploration and character development. What are you hoping will be included in the next Mass Effect?

"We start by asking fans what they want... New places, new characters, new people to fall in love with. We're taking you to a whole new region of space."

- E3 2014 Mass Effect 4 Trailer 

Later this month, fans of Halo will get a chance to learn all they can about Microsoft's upcoming series Halo: Nightfall, straight from Kiki Wolfkill (an executive producer) and Frank O'Connor (franchise development director). The Halo: Nightfall panel is just one of many exciting Microsoft events planned for this year's San Diego Comic Con. 

Halo: Nightfall is a five episode "live-action digital" series (in other words, a webseries), announced as an "Xbox Original" on Xbox's website, earlier this year. According to the website, the companies backing the series are "343 Industries and Scott Free Productions. "Also, Nightfall "will be executive produced by Ridley Scott" ("Alien," "Bladerunner"), and "Sergio Mimica-Gezzan ('Battlestar Galactica,' 'Pillars of the Earth,' 'Heroes') will direct." 

In addition to the Nightfall panel, Con-goers can also attend panels on Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and the "Xbox Originals documentary Atari: Game Over." For the times of these panels, as well as other information, I suggest checking out the official Xbox news site. There's a lot of great Comic Con related information there. 

Those of us unable to get our hands on a Comic Con ticket can look forward to checking out Halo: Nightfall around November 11th, which is also when Halo: The Master Chief Collection releases. 

Photo of some memorable zombies taken by imalipusram at Epitanime 2012.

Photo taken of a dancing zombie by richgrohl. 

Photo taken by FlyByPhoto at MegaCon 2011.

Photo of a pair of sunflowers and pair of zombies taken by Ysterath. 

This is a photo taken by WebJiCi at Otakuthon Halloween 2012 of a cosplayer.

This photo was taken by Yama13 at a zombie party.

This photo taken by KaniKaniza at AmeCon 2012 of cosplayers ChiDan as the Jalapeño and soul-of-the-wild as the Peashooter.

This photo was taken at PAX Prime 2012 of cosplayer lelental (dressed as Emilia from Dance Central 2) with some PopCap Zombies.

Here we have a tribute to Craaaaazy Dave by Silantre.

This photo was taken at the San Diego Comic Con 2013 by pa68.

Picture of silverwordz and friends at MegaCon 2011.

This is the official mascot of Plants vs Zombies here at E3 in 2013 in a photo with IDiivil-Official.

It's been over a week since the release of the hilarious Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare from PopCap and EA. I thought it'd be fun to find some wonderful cosplay paying tribute to the amazing Plants and Zombies who have entered our hearts.

If you’ve ever tried to attend a large-scale convention, then you know that obtaining badges can be a slow, and sometimes painful, process. For hopeful attendees of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, it looks like this just got a little more difficult.

Comic-Con International has announced that they will no longer be offering 4-day badges. Anyone who hopes to attend SDCC this year will be required to buy a single-day badge for each day they want to attend. Additionally, Preview Night badges will only be available to those who buy badges for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Organizers gave no explanation for the change but may be taking notes from ReedPOP’s New York Comic Con.

Last year, NYCC reduced the number of 3-day passes available to allow more people to attend each day. While the multiday passes sold out quickly, single day passes remained available for months. That’s not likely to happen with San Diego Comic-Con, but perhaps it will give those who only want to attend one or two days a better shot at obtaining badges.

Like previous years, tickets will first be made available to those who attended last year, then open up to everyone else. An exact date still hasn’t been confirmed, but the official site says “sometime in early 2014”.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Best in Political Agenda

And last but certainly not least, the most famous celebrity guest of all.

Because GameSkinny won't allow links at timestamps, this guy's best impersonation of America's leading voice in the White House will have to keep in favor of this brief interview with SyFy. That voice. Have you heard it before?

Best in Just Managing to Stay Clothed... Kinda

Ah Witchblade... between you and Naruto's "Sexy no Jutsu" what need do we have for Felicias and bikini Pokemon? 

I have no idea what she made her... can I call it any outfit still? out of, but I am really impressed at the unnoticeable differences between her modesty covers and her skin. Also... walking around in that must take some real moxie, knowing how us con-goers can converge on half-naked girls given a moment's notice. 

Uncredited

Best in Detailed Video Game Group

The crew from Bioshock Infinite hit SDCC with a vengeance and a robot wingspan that would make an eagle envious. Down to the details work is pretty hard to accomplish at the best of times, but these guys have also added in that certain quality of being wearable into their costumes. They look like real clothes for real people, not just tailor-made to a requirement. That's hard to capture in cosplay. 

via Geeks are Sexy

Best in Detailed Borderlands Costuming

While lacking in the previous Psycho's spot-on stylistic black bordering, this duo's got it made in fully-decaled weapons and picture-perfect costuming. Moxxie's spot on without being overbearingly cleavage-y, an impressive feat for any cosplayer!

via Geeks are Sexy

Best in Stylistic Borderlands

This girl could've stepped right out of the game and you'd have never even been able to tell the difference. Wonderful level of stylistic detail. 

via Geeks are Sexy

Best in Organic Ponytails

Speaking of ponytails, this Twi'lek Jedi is unapologetically pink with pride, and no wonder! Those tails look awesome, and I half want to see her twirl to see if they'll sway with her. Too cool!

via flickr

Best in Kitty Ponytails

This kigurumi is solid... the perfect rendition of Kitty, with pigtails even! I could steal that hairbow. And wear it. Forever. Too, too cute. 

via tormentalous

Best in Tiny Tony Stark

Right down to the goatee and aviators, this kid is looking sharp. Too, too cute. Following up on Sonic, it's hard to say who I want to hug more. 

via carmen_pics

Best in Most Huggable

Sonic has had his ups and downs when it comes to the success of his franchise, but there is no denying that this guy is definitely in dire need of a hug... and I want to give him one. And then maybe another one. He just looks. so. squishy!

via tormentalous

Best in Blinged Out Headgear

Amano Final Fantasy cosplayers ain't got nothing on this guy. He's keeping it classy. And blinding.

via changa_lion

Best in Worlds Collide

Predator meets Star Trek meets Star Wars. You really only expected two out of the three, didn't you?

via blackfeathers

Best in Not to the Death Couple

While Warm Bodies may have set diehard fans howling almost as much as the movie World War Z, there is no denying that these two are screen-ready and picture perfect. This R in particular is a dead ringer, no pun intended. Cutest undead (kinda) sweeties, ever!

via tormentalous

Best in Cutie Pie Couple

Woody and Bo Peep look like total sweeties together, and Bo Peep's crook looks just big enough to keep man hooked close. Very cute!

via @lftdg33k

Best in Vintage Group Zentai

Nothing like hanging out in something shiny and skintight with your buddies as you kick it old school Marvel with this lot. Xavier's helmet looks like the shizz. 

via Norman Chan

Best in Minor Movie Character Face Mask

Bet you weren't expecting this? This sweet little ballerina dancer with looks that could kill never seems to make it to the point of actually chowing down on anyone's innards... but the bloodstains don't bode well come snack time...

via @jhoffman6

Best in Minor TV Character Face Mask

Seen here as one of the cat-people nurses from New New New New... eh, you know the rest, York, this cosplayer nails it on the spot from whiskers to the perfectly turned and crisped white cap. Not even the Doctor would be able to tell the difference.

via Norman Chan

Best in Beat-Up Suits

This Iron Man takes Tony Stark to heart, showing up at SDCC with a suit already sporting the marks of glory, honor, or simply Thor's hammer, emblazoned proudly on his chest. Wicked.

Best in Beat-Up Props

This Captain America's stars and stripes shield has taken quite a beating, but looks much the better for it in this photo if you ask me. 

via /u/jwave

Best in Disney Heroes

There is a lot to be said about a well-designed cellophane wing, and this girl's got the knack down in spades. Peter's expression is priceless, and so are his ears!

via Norman Chan

Best in Disney Villains

Including the guy who killed Bambi's mom. The only one, I might add, who actually killed anyone. 

via @newmommabeckers

Best in Consistently Expected to Blow Smoke Rings

Smoke ships would be an added bonus. Bilbo on his pony, with enough time and weed to keep his pipe handy.

via @karlamontz

Best in Consistently Expected to Burst Out Into Song

That's right, Mary Poppins and Bert made an appearance on the convention floor last weekend. Bet you weren't expecting that now, were you? Right down to the pocket watch detail on her dress, I was utterly charmed. A spoonful of sugar indeed.

Best in Creative LED Dresses

The interior of the current TARDIS incarnation from Doctor Who, folks. The most creative way to cosplay a console yet.

via /u/cardboardtube_knight

Best in Creative Burlesque Group 

Your favorite social media sites never looked so good. Now what I want to know is, it the girl sandwiched between Pinterest and Reddit supposed to be Google+?

via /u/ninety2wo

Best in Classic TV Superheroes

Adam West Batman wants YOU. (And I want that classy cowl.)

via Norman Chan

Best in Classic Mattel Villains

Skeletor makes an appearance a the Masters of the Universe booth. 

via onexpunchxmickey

Best in Princess Darth

Once again reinforcing the idea that what's good in shiny black is soooo much better in pink. Also, you can always grow into a lightsaber.

via Geeks are Sexy

Best in Lego Darth (and Bobba Fett)

Lego Darth is too cool to lose his head over anything, but his hands?

via BubbleSquat

Best in Team Death Match

This duo from Street Fighter IV look like they could take both Logan and 300 man from the previous slides in a fight to the death and still come out swinging, threat of adamantium claws notwithstanding. Well done, and those sleeves are perfect. It's the little things.

via Geeks are Sexy

Best in Incredibly In-Shape 300 Soldier

This guy sees your manly arms nameless Logan cosplayer, and raises you one bare-chested salute on the manliness scale. Time to wrestle it out, boys. 

Screencap from Youtube video by movieclipsTRAILERS

Best in In-Shape X-Men

Logan hulks it up hard with bulging muscles and some pretty epic claws. 

Via onexpunchxmickey

Best in Comic Book Steampunkification

Following up on the DC love, we have some incredibly inaccurate but still really creative Steampunk Superheroes (Harley's a little hit and miss in that respect, I agree).

via Geeks are Sexy

Best in Incredibly Accurate Power Girl

Showing some DC love is this rendition of classic Kara. The first words I heard about her? "Well she definitely got the boobs right."

Boys for ya.

via Norman Chan

Best in TDK Joker

With the conclusion of the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy behind us, there are fewer TDK Jokers running around. This is probably all for the better since the influx of previous years has bordered on exhaustive, but this guy definitely still deserves props for being incredibly on-point.

Uncredited

Best in Comic Book Joker

The outright fiendish glee in Anthony Misiano's face is a wonder to behold, and his face paint and hair is top-notch. The cane is also a pretty great-looking touch. 

Photo via /u/missykinns

Best in Unexpected in Horror Duo

Speaking of creepy, hailing from the halls of The Shining, the Grady Twins made an appearance in this eerily unsmiling set of redheads.

Uncredited

Best in Unsettling Sci-Fi Duo 

Donnie Darko and Frank made an appearance sans murder and mayhem on the SDCC floor. I still can't look that bunny mask full in the face for too long without being creeped out...

via Norman Chan

Best in Unrecognized Celebrity Disguise

While on the subject of shaved Doctor Who alumni, Matt Smith, who will be leaving the rebooted franchise in the upcoming November finale, took to the Comic-Con floor in this Bart Simpson full head mask... and somehow made it through undetected, though other celebrities have tried this tactic in the past and been found out with incredible ease.

Luckily (or unluckily?) his ninja disguise worked, and he succeeded in his cunning ploy to venture forth undetected among the masses... even though he did look rather downcast afterwards that no one talked to him in the end...

via Buzzfeed's Things Celebrities Did at Comic-Con

Best in Public Method Acting Demonstrations

Speaking of celebrities coming as themselves, Karen Gillan came to Comic-Con as Karen Gillan. Unbeknownst to fans, she'd shaved her head for her part as Nebula in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie. She revealed how she'd "done something a little crazy" during her panel where she flung the wig out into the crowd to loud applause.

via The Doctor Who Hub Facebook page

Best in Mission Impossible Moves

Like Tom Hiddleston, Bryan Cranston was eager to relive his role... with a twist. The TV star took to the convention floor in a Walter White/Heisenberg mask like a ninja and fans were none the wiser. It wasn't until he pulled it off during the Breaking Bad panel that they realized the guy they'd been taking pictures with was in fact the real actor.

The crowd went wild.

via Buzzfeed

Best in Reliving the Masterpiece

Tom Hiddleston took to the stage "in this chamber, in this meager palace of Midgard, the arena they call... Hall H." His maniacally happy grin and enthusiastic reprisal of his Thor/Avengers role set quite the standard for remaking the magic.

Best in Unique Phoenix Design

Move aside Ruby Rocket, Yaya is gunning for your crown with Phoenix 5 Jean Grey from Marvel Alliance! Well-known for her incredibly well put-together and elaborate costumes, Yaya's Phoenix includes embellished Worbla armor and hand-made bodysuit and gloves/boots.

Photo by Adam Patrick Murray via Yaya Han Facebook

Best in The Most Likely Female Cosplay Suspects

Trisha Hershberger and Meg Turney round out the usual womanly parts of these classic Marvel girls with a Black Cat and Black Widow tag team.

The practical heels on Black Cat's boots are a nice touch in an area where go go boots and sky high stilettos aren't too uncommon, and Black Widow's belt looks just right. Nice!

via SourcefedNERD

Best in Full-body Prosthetics

On the heels of Penguin prosthetics is this epic spider... woman... thing. I have no idea who she is but, I do know that a) she is terrifying and b) that looks amazing.

This mutilated Joker comes in a pretty good second too.

Photo by Pat Loika via Geeks Are Sexy 

Best in Wizardly Dopplegangering

Like Penguin, this guy is a dead ringer for Harry Potter movie-verse Sirius Black (right down to having Tonks as a companion!). That is some well-kept nancy hair. 

via Buzzfeed

Best in Classic Batman Movie Villains

GameSkinny does you no favors by not allowing you to see the full-sized version of this guy. You are hard-pressed to find as good a dead ringer for Danny DeVito in the 1992 Batman Returns. 

That face!

Photo by Jeremy Shane

Best in Unique Group Wig Styling

You saw two of them on the front page, now see all four Tetris Girls (in admittedly lower quality) as a complete set! As wigs go... wow! Move over Minecraft, let's kick up the block-love old school in bright primary colors. In hair!

Screencap from Youtube video by movieclipsTRAILERS

Best in Group Kigurumi

I don't actually know/remember what the term is in plain English, but this group with April O'Neil and the Ninja Turtles does rank it up pretty high. Their unique facial expressions are the defining feature of this group act.

Who knew characterization could come so simply?

Photo via heyitsapril

Best in Nostalgic Car Love

If you want to kick up the ante in the nostalgia category, you'll find it here with the appearance of Ecto1 and a couple of Ghostbusters. While you could certain find a Delorean to climb into at SDCC, there's something to be said about dressing up your vehicle yourself. 

Cosplay takes a pretty hardcore turn when your car joins in on the fun. 

Photo from Yaya Han Facebook

Best in 8-Bit Era Flashback

This, according to Ariel is this year's #1 Cosplay overall.

While I give Meg Turney props for finding something pretty outside the usual cosplay box with her rendition of early 90s arcade hit Joe and Mac, I can't say that her monster fur bikini nor the use of her own hair count very high towards cosplay queendom. That is a pretty cute doll though.

Photo by Joe Scarnici via Yahoo

The festivities are over, and attendees for SDCC 2013 have staggered home to recuperate from sleep deprivation, sore feet, and the burning holes in their wallets. Such is the glory of the internet that for those of us who were unable to finagle a way down to San Diego this past weekend, we can only make do with photographic evidence. 

Every gaming, anime, comic book, and general geekery site has exploded with some of the coolest and craziest cosplayers to set foot in the San Diego Convention Center. However, Power Ranker Ariel Kana from Ranker.com has pointed out that no major publisher has come out with a ranked list of the top cosplays, and has rushed in to fill this apparent void. The result looks like a random #sdcc2013 Reddit dump next to some numbers.

Unless you're trying to tell me that two pieces of monster fur and a plushie are what makes a top cosplay.

(Update: She has switched around some of the ranking since yesterday and now the furkini is #3 instead.)

Well, make it a competition if you wish, but this time around we're going to have categories just like everyone else. Many, many, many categories... Take a look at the slides to follow for some the most crazy awesome, crazy funny, and just plain crazy cosplays from this year's San Diego Comic-Con. Some will borrow heavily from the Ranker list, some won't. You know we can't possible hit all the great ones, but we can try! (Photo credits where possible.)

Photo by Hayley Sargent via Geeks Are Sexy

After a tearful farewell to her guardian and father figure, Lee Atwell at the end of Walking Dead: Season 1, the young protagonist was left on her own and wandering the hills of Savannah to an unknown fate.

But, fear not as TellTale Games president Kevin Bruner confirmed that she "will definitely be a part of" the second season. This was confirmed when the Season 2 teaser trailer was shown at Comic Con this past week and included a brief scene of Clementine sitting in the rain next to an unknown child.

Special Dead Appearances

Also, during the Walking Dead panel, TellTale's chief executive Dan Conners also mentioned that some characters from the Walking Dead comic will be making cameo appearances throughout Season Two.

Conner said that he and Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman were working out the details of which characters would appear to maintain story continuity between the game and the comic.

Kevin Bruner, TellTale's president, confirmed that Season Two will carry over all playing information from both Season One and the 400 Days DLC.

And good news for Vita players. You will NOT have to wait for your version to be released as with Season 1. All versions of Season 2 will be release simultaneously.

Earlier this year, Lara Croft returned to the gaming world in Square-Enix’s critically acclaimed Tomb Raider. Presenting a much more realistic take on the famed adventurer, the game focused on her early years and what turned her into the iconic figure that she is. While a sequel is all-but-inevitable, there has been little news on the subject since the game’s release.

A sequel of sorts, however, was announced at San Diego Comic Con. Dark Horse Comics revealed that they will be publishing an ongoing Tomb Raider comic series starting in 2014. The writer for the series was announced as Gail Simone, best known for her critically acclaimed tenures with Wonder Woman and Birds of Prey, as well as her current posting on Batgirl.

The series will be titled Tomb Raider and will begin a few weeks after the events of the game, and is set to tie directly into the inevitable sequel. Kotaku spoke with Simone, who said she’s looking to explore Croft’s adventures in a way the first game didn’t.

“I chose to do this series solely because I loved the game so much, so we’re definitely keeping the tone of the game... I’ve always loved the classic, cool Lara Croft, but this feels like her origin story, like we’re seeing her before she becomes the icon, and it’s very compelling to me. The storytelling in the game hooked me instantly. The biggest difference is, the game told a claustrophobic story in an isolated setting. We are going globetrotting.”

Simone also commented on Croft’s personality and motivations:

“The way I see Lara now is, she’s not after treasure. She’s not really after thrills. She’s a questioner, she’s an explorer. She wants answers. The thing is, she’s completely unstoppable. That’s what I love. Everyone underestimates her, and that is a terrible mistake to make.”

Tomb Raider #1 is scheduled to hit the shelves on February 26^th, 2014.

During Marvel’s panel at San Diego Comic Con yesterday, voice actors for the forthcoming LEGO Marvel Super Heroes were revealed. In addition to confirming the voices for the already announced characters, Warner Bros. and Traveller’s Tales revealed more playable characters, though their actors have yet to be confirmed. Even the God of Marvel himself, Stan Lee, was revealed as playable – announced by Stan Lee in person.

Fan favorite Agent Phil Coulson was revealed as playable character, voiced by Clark Gregg, the actor who portrays him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the upcoming Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series. Nolan North, perhaps best known in the video game world as the voice of Nathan Drake, returns as Deadpool, Steve Blum reprises his role as Wolverine, and Roger Craig Smith, voice of Ezio Auditore, takes on the role of Captain America.

Here’s the full list of voice actors and characters revealed at the panel:

•     Adrian Pasdar - Iron Man
•     Andrew Kishino - Juggernaut
•     Clark Gregg - Agent Phil Coulson
•     Danielle Nicolet - Storm
•     Dave Boat - Venom
•     David Sobolov - (character not yet revealed)
•     Dee Bradley Baker - Mr. Fantastic
•     Fred Tatasciore - Hulk/Bruce Banner
•     Greg Cipes - (character not yet revealed)
•     James Arnold Taylor - Spiderman
•     James Horan - (character not yet revealed)
•     JB Blanc - (character not yet revealed)
•     Jeff Combs - (character not yet revealed)
•     John Bentley - Nick Fury
•     John DiMaggio - Galactus
•     Kari Wahlgren - (character not yet revealed)
•     Laura Bailey - Black Widow
•     Nolan North - Deadpool
•     Phil LaMarr - War Machine
•     Robin Atkin Downes - Rhino
•     Roger Craig Smith - Captain America
•     Stan Lee - Himself
•     Steve Blum - Wolverine
•     Tara Strong - (character not yet revealed)
•     Travis Willingham - Thor
•     Troy Baker - Loki
•     Yuri Lowenthal - (character not yet revealed)
•     Beast
•     Colossus (LEGO Big Figure)
•     Doctor Doom
•     Elektra
•     Gambit
•     Green Goblin
•     Howard the Duck
•     Invisible Woman
•     Jean Grey
•     Juggernaut (LEGO Big Figure)
•     Kingpin (LEGO Big Figure)
•     Curt Connors (LEGO Big Figure)
•     Magneto
•     Punisher
•     Rhino (LEGO Big Figure)
•     Sabretooth
•     Silver Samurai
•     Squirrel Girl
•     Stan Lee
•     Storm
•     The Blob (LEGO Big Figure)
•     Vulture

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is set to be released on October 18, 2013 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Vita and PC. It will be released for the next-generation consoles at a later date.

This past weekend, during Marvel’s panel at San Diego Comic Con, they revealed a trailer for the upcoming Thor: The Dark World mobile game. It was further announced that the game will tie directly into the film, which is set to be released on November 8^th of this year. The mobile game will also launch this November.

The game, developed by Gameloft, is set to feature a completely new story, with over 100 missions and a multiplayer mode. It will be written by Christopher Yost, a comic book writer and screenwriter for The Dark World, and will be released for the iPhone, iPad, and Android.

The trailer shown at the panel has yet to be released and it may not be available online for some time, given the exclusive history of the sneak peeks and trailers screened at Comic-Con. Still, fans of Thor and the Marvel Cinematic Universe will surely want to grab the game when it releases in the fall.