Comic-Con International opened a full-scale, in-person convention in San Diego for the first time since 2019, bringing crowds, costumes and studio presentations back to the waterfront.
The July 21-24 event followed two summers without the traditional gathering during the COVID-19 pandemic. A smaller special edition had been held in late 2021, but the 2022 convention marked the broad return of the familiar annual format.
The comeback mattered well beyond the convention center. Hotels, restaurants and downtown businesses again saw the concentrated visitor activity that makes Comic-Con one of the region's most visible events.