Bandai Namco once again has a strong presence at New York Comic Con. Each year they bring a number of booths, but there’s always something new and unique. For NYCC 2025, they have a bunch of figures on display and for sale, as per usual. However, many of the figures are new, and there are even some new IPs involved. But the main attraction this year is a large scale Godzilla booth with a unique take on the Kaiju.
Bandai Namco and Tamashii Nations
First, the Tamashii Nations booth has a number of new figures. There’s a Metal Gear Rex figure so big that you could fight on top of it (with small action figures). The Metal Gear Solid figure arrives on the scene in April of next year. But you can check it out and even preorder it for $360.
If you’re looking for a cool figure that won’t cost as much as your own PMC, there’s a really nice Super Saiyan Son Goku as well. That Dragon Ball figure retails for $38 and you can even take it home with you today as it’s available now.
For those with more of a spidey-sense when it comes to figures, there’s a dueling duo of Cyclops vs Spider-Man on display. The figures themselves are separate, as Cyclops debuted at San Diego Comic Con. New York Comic Con marks the debut of Spider-Man, which makes sense. It’s his hometown. Each figure costs $100; a little hefty but I will say the colors really pop on these two.
We also see the return of the Super Mario figures from 2019. Bandai Namco only had so many available in the US so the product line has returned. And with new bases for some of these figures no less.
Bandai Namco also has two new magical franchises. Harry Potter sees the famous duel between the boy Wizard and Voldemort recreated. Voldemort’s robe even has wiring in it, so you can make it billow however you like after the figures come out in February. And Wicked figures are being shown at NYCC for the first time. It’s so early they don’t even have a release date or prices yet.
Now for a much anticipated figure. Son Goku & Dragon are available now at NYCC for $100. And that gets you Son Goku, the base, the pegs to hold them, and the whole dragon. The display shows Son Goku with the various poses you can put him in as well. I’m not even a huge Dragon Ball fan but even I’d say this is the most exciting figure, or figures. NYCC folks are the first to be able to get this display in the States, but it will become widely available later on.
Godzilla Gets Some Sun
But let’s say figures aren’t your thing and you’d rather live large. Really large. Kaiju-level large. Well, Bandai Namco has a booth next door that is kitted out for Godzilla. The theme? Godzilla Invades Coney Island.
It’s a great booth with how it combines a beloved character with a beloved local area. Perhaps New Yorkers have a bad taste in their mouths from the last time Godzilla came to NYC. But this looks like a movie I’d watch. You can stop by to check out a few neat dioramas and pick up some Godzilla merch.
The booth also has face painting, temporary tattoos, and even performers dressed as newsies handing out newspapers. And the newspapers themselves are both collector’s items and informational tools.
And by informational tools I mean that the “Godzilla Gazette” is packed with articles, ads, photos, and even a crossword—all about Godzilla in New York. Eisner Award-winning writer Caleb Goellner wrote the stories, which are filled with tongue-in-cheek jabs at New York (and New Jersey) as well as references to a number of Godzilla films (such as various versions of the Kaiju that nobody can agree on). Diana Nguyen created the design, including several images of Godzilla and friends taking bites out of the Big Apple.
Interestingly, a Bandai Namco representative informed me that the booth’s theme was originally just going to be Godzilla destroying the subway. But they decided to dream a little larger. There’s still a battered subway car in the booth, but that’s just one part of it. Insert obligatory joke here about the MTA running just as well.
And if that’s not all, completing the newspaper’s Kaiju Crossword may net you a prize. The first six people who correctly complete the crossword each day of NYCC get a reward. If you arrive early enough, you just have to return the paper to the Godzilla booth (2619) to get a Godzilla Nanoblock prize pack. Tomorrow’s the last day of the con, so brush up on your Kaiju knowledge. And even if you’re not among the first six, the newspaper itself is a pretty neat consolation prize.
