MANILA, Philippines – The AsiaPOP Comicon kicked off on July 27, and once again, a good chunk of the Filipino geek population flocked to the SMX Convention Center to indulge in all their fandoms.

Attendees were decked out in everything from plainclothes, to closet cosplays, to elaborate handmade costumes that must have taken weeks to prepare.

Needless to say, there were many superhero sightings: everyone from a Jollibee worker, to Vanellope Von Schweetz, to Cheryl Blossom, to countless Batmen, Iron Men, Spider-Men, Wonderwomen, and Captains America.

Some of the biggest epicenters of geekdom set up their booths at the event. Disney put the spotlight on Marvel, particular on Avengers: Infinity War – where people could get up close and personal to the Infinity Gauntlet, and go through a special photo booth that will determine whether they’ve been spared by Thanos or not.

Not to be outdone was the very Instagrammable Netflix booth, which had special zones dedicated to some of its most popular shows: Iron Fist, Riverdale, and Stranger Things. (IN PHOTOS: Netflix’s APCC 2018 booth delivers lots of fun – and IG opportunities)

Just like every year, celebrity guests also held their panels: Supernatural‘s Osric Chau, Luke Cage‘s Mike Colter, Mustafa Shakir, and Cheo Hodari Coker, and Iron Fist‘s Finn Jones.

At the Creative Circle, booths were open for all sorts of collectors – from toy hoarders, to sticker fiends – with local creators being able to share their work to their fellow geeks.

And of course, there were the comic books – because it is, after all, a comic convention. Aside from booths selling foreign and local titles, there were those that sold art inspired by iconic comic book characters.

Fans also got the opportunity to meet legendary comic book artists, including Lan Medina, and Whilce Portacio.

APCC Manila 2018 will run until July 29. The last day promises more of the same celebration of geek culture – with conversations with Finn Jones and Ready Player One‘s Tye Sheridan to be expected. – Rappler.com