Highlights from Comic-Con

Of note from the first day of Comic-Con was Dark Horse’s new PvZ comics, HGTV's Ender’s Game exhibit and Kids Preferred’s new zombie brand.

April 6, 2018

San Diego Comic-Con is in full swing, with a raft of new brands, product lines and exclusive offerings being showcased by top licensees and licensors.

Of note from the first day of the show was the debut of Dark Horse’s Plants vs. Zombies comic books, the

Ender’s Game

exhibit created by HGTV and the launch of Kids Preferred’s new zombie brand, as well as new product for Marvel, Firefly, Godzilla, Pac-Man, Minecraft, Transformers and more.

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Dark Horse Comics unveiled the first official Plants vs. Zombies comics, released in partnership with the PvZ app creator, PopCap Games.

The six-issue mini-series will be available first digitally and will be collected in a hardcover edition later this year.

Both the first and second chapters are available online now, and Dark Horse has also launched a standalone iOS app for

Plants vs. Zombies

comics.

HGTV and

Summit Entertainment have teamed up to create an experiential exhibit featuring Summit’s upcoming feature film,

Ender’s Game

Located outside the Hilton Gaslamp district, the eight-room environment created by HGTV features environments from the film, complete with original film props and set pieces.

Visitors can also view exclusive film footage, interact with digital content, integrate photos of themselves into the Battle Room and enter a sweepstakes to win $10,000 courtesy of HGTV for their own home makeover.

Based on the best-selling novel,

Ender’s Game

follows a group of human’s struggling to survive after a hostile alien race attacks Earth. The film will hit U.S. theaters Nov. 1.

ThinkGeek Showcases Marvel, Firefly

For Firefly fans, ThinkGeek has introduced the Kaylee messenger bag, based on the mechanic's jumpsuit the character wore to keep Serenity in the sky. The bag will be available at retail this October.

For Marvel, ThinkGeek has the Iron Man LED Arc Reactor ring, styled after Tony Stark’s suit and available in November, as well the Electronic Tingling Spidey-Sense t-shirt, which promises to “give wearers the power of Spidey-Sense.” The shirt features a built-in ultrasonic proximity sensor that warns of danger approaching from behind and will hit shelves in October.

Kids Preferred Launches Zombie Brand

Kids Preferred has launched its newest brand targeted to teens and tweens, an older audience than most of its offerings. The company is showcasing the new Yarn Zombies brand and its first line of collectibles, the JuJuz, which features eight zombie characters.

“If you think of Monty Python meets the Walking Dead meets Heroes, then you have the essence of the thrilling new Yarn Zombies collection," says Laura Perks, co-founder, Kids Preferred. "We are delighted to offer a great collection for a more grown-up market and to give teens and tweens something that offers excitement, assurance and a lot of fun."??

Yarn Zombies will be available Aug. 10 to wholesalers.

Bandai Features Pac-Man, Godzilla

Bandai America is offering limited edition products and a host of activities for Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, Godzilla and the 20th anniversary of the Power Rangers at this year’s show.

To celebrate 20 years of the Power Rangers, Bandai will offer three limited edition products including a Legacy Power Morpher, Gosei Morpher and a Green Dragon Ranger.

Bandai is also offering a Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures: Pac is Back Avi Arad limited edition figure and has unveiled a full line of new Godzilla products.

LEGO Adds to Minecraft Line

The LEGO Group is extending its relationship with Swedish game developer Mojang to build on the success of its first LEGO Minecraft building set with two new models that will be released Sept. 1.

The new sets–The Village and The Nether–are on display for the first time at Comic-Con.