I can’t say that I’ve ever had an intense desire to go to San Diego Comic Con.

I mean, NYCC was a stroke of genius, placed during the cooler months, significantly cutting down on the omnipresent geek-funk that tends to accumulate in these spaces, no matter how well ventilated – but San Diego in the summer seems to only spell a complete and devastating olfactory nuclear air strike. I don’t do well in crowds, even if it means a brief and pathetic glimpse down the costume of the chick dressed like Black Cat.

So, I’m at home in New York, and while I can’t purchase the many, many exclusive items that are now being sold to the itchy masses present at SDCC, my legions of Facebook, Twitter and blogophile friends make me feel like I’m actually there. The economy has made me cut back on my own collecting, as I’m sure that it has for many people, but there are a good handful of things which I’ll still unquestionably buy. Usually, these things have ‘robot’ or ‘Batman’ in the title. Here are a handful of collectible revelations that have come forth from SDCC and which are currently ganging up on my wallet before they senselessly beat it into a coma.

First off, I’m in love with the announcement that DC Direct has made regarding the continuation of their Batman Black & White statue line, after diverging into statues of Batman’s villains recently. I’ve collected all of the Batman statues, because they epitomize exactly why I love Batman by showcasing the many artists who’ve drawn and defined Batman, from Bob Kane to Bruce Timm and beyond. The newest addition to the collection will be a Batman by Frank Quitely, stoic and serious as the man’s artwork. The only other time that Quitey’s art has been figure-ized was in an earlier set of DC Direct figures, where his Superman and Superwoman drawings were made plastic.

Sideshow Toys is always pretty exciting, as they hold the reins to most of the greatest collectible licenses out there, but the favorite thing I’ve seen is the gloriously goofy 12” Punk Zombie from their original ‘The Dead‘ line. With original lines completely failing in the current toy market, it’s stellar that Sideshow have dug in their heels and are adding more to their ongoing collection of zombies. My Butcher only just arrived in the mail yesterday, and I’m sure he’ll look awesome with the Priest, the Prophet and the Babysitter. Ash Wood’s Les Mort 13 will lead them, and Mr. Bean will wander into their legions and, somehow, fit in.

Also on the list of ‘things you should give me’ are the full-sized Darth Vader bust with the removable helmet, and the 1/2 scale Iron Man in his movie armor. They’re only about $1200 and $2000, respectively

Mattel will continue my personal favorite ongoing line, DC Universe Classics, and by wave ten, I’ll finally be getting that Doom Patrol Robotman that I’ve always wanted – as well as a 3 3/4” scaled Doom Patrol JLU four pack, which has me just about wetting myself. I’m a really, really bad geek when it comes to silver age comics. These will all be exclusive to either Wal-Mart, Target or MattyCollector.com.

Unfortunately, a few ‘collectors’ were a bit too grabby at SDCC, and reports of one-of-a-kind designer toys and prototypes going missing seemed to flood in, the most notable two being Chris Ryniak‘s Stitch custom figure (seen above), and Andrew Bell‘s O-No Sushi prototype (seen below), both vanishing within moments of each other on Friday night. The news spread on Twitter and Facebook instantly, but there’s currently no word on whether or not either were recovered. This, combined with stories of stolen purses at the recent Otakon has made me really question whether or not these events are the safest places to bring things that you care about.

If Con culture does anything, it makes you want to spend money like crazy, which can only be a good thing in this wacky economy. I’ll be pumping a few bucks into the nerd sectors for the next few months, and hopefully, a few gracious patrons of the arts will pump a few bucks back into me. Hey, I had a piece in the Mez-Itz art show (upper right figure at this link), so I’m getting there. Soon enough, I’ll have the safe haven of a booth to retreat to there. Wish me luck.