Are you heading to San Diego Comic-Con with money to burn? If so, there’s a good chance that you are one of the many fans who will be on the lookout for this year’s Comic-Con exclusives. While Comic-Con’s movie and TV panels tend to get most of the press, you have to keep in mind that this show also has one of the largest dealers’ rooms in the country. And everyone is bringing something to sell.
That tends to be where you, the collector, come in. To further entice buyers, companies capitalize on Comic-Con by putting out exclusive collectibles, comics, prints, lithographs, action figures, statues, and everything else under the sun. Some of these items may even be available online for fans who can’t make it to San Diego. But if you really want them, then your best bet is always to be there in person on Wednesday, July 19 for Preview Night, or Thursday, July 20 for the first day of the show.
To help you navigate this year’s Con, we’ve narrowed our list down to the 10 best San Diego Comic-Con 2023 exclusives, which you can find below.
The Protectors and Fastest Man Alive
For decades, Alex Ross has brought comic book heroes to vivid life with his breathtaking paintings. And while owning one of those original paintings is often far out of reach for most fans, the Alex Ross Art booth is offering two prints by Ross that caught our eye. The first one, The Protectors, as seen above, was painted by Ross for the cover of Captain America & Iron Man #5.
DC fans have a different option: Fastest Man Alive, a print featuring Superman and The Flash attempting to answer that question once and for all. You can find both at the Alex Ross Art booth at No. 2415 on the convention floor.
Phoenix corner box print by Mark Brooks
If you follow the modern world of comic books, then you already know that Mark Brooks is one of the top cover artists in the industry. At this year’s convention, Brooks’ representatives at Comic Sketch Art will have three exclusive prints by Brooks featuring the X-Men’s Jean Grey as the Phoenix. In the image above, Jean is the White Phoenix of the Crown. Essentially, that’s her most evolved god-like form. The other variants are Jean as Dark Phoenix and Jean as Phoenix fused with a Venom symbiote. You can find these prints at booth 4901.
Dune: Part One – The Photography
Insight Editions is bringing a number of new books to booth 2129. But we’ve got our eye on Dune: Part One – The Photography, an intimate look at Denis Villeneuve’s acclaimed film. Brian Herbert, the son of Dune author Frank Herbert, co-wrote the book with contributions from Chiabella James, Rebecca Ferguson, and Tanya Lapointe. In the book, you can expect to see “a remarkable visual journey that fully captures the unique spirit of the production.”
Marvel Legends Series Deadpool & Bob, Agent of Hydra 2-Pack
Bob, Agent of Hydra, is one of the lesser-known members of Deadpool’s supporting cast. The short version is that Bob was a lowly agent of Hydra who was coerced by Deadpool into betraying his fellow agents and helping him escape. Since then, Bob has been Deadpool’s friend and occasional sidekick. And he’s finally getting his own action figure in Hasbro’s Comic-Con exclusive Marvel Legends Series Deadpool & Bob, Agent of Hydra Two-Pack.
The two-pack includes an alternate head, multiple accessories, and even a Hydra briefcase. You can find it at the Hasbro Pulse Desk at Booth No.3213.
G.I. Joe Classified Series Philip ‘Chuckles’ Provost
Since you may already be at booth 3213 for Bob and Deadpool, you may as well pick up this Hasbro exclusive as well. Meet Chuckles, one of the undercover operatives who works for G.I. Joe. He’s a fan-favorite who is known for his penchant for loud shirts and getting into some serious situations. Don’t underestimate the demand for this one. I am actually going to be in line for Chuckles on behalf of a friend who can’t make it to SDCC.
The Batman – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 3XLP
Batman has quite a musical legacy on the big screen from Danny Elfman to Hans Zimmer and the Dark Knight’s current composer, Michael Giacchino. At this year’s Comic-Con, Mondo is releasing Giacchino’s The Batman – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 3XLP – SDCC Exclusive Gotham Glow Vinyl. This is a limited edition release of only 500, so come out early for this one.
Macross Shogun Warriors Skull Leader VF-1S
The Shogun Warriors toy line brought characters from multiple anime properties together as figures in the ’70s. Toynami is continuing the line this year with the Macross Shogun Warriors Skull Leader VF-1S.
Macross is one of the three anime series that were edited together as Robotech in America, which is why Skull Leader VF-1S may look familiar to you. It’s super cool looking, and you can find it at booth 3229.
Batman Knightfall 30th Anniversary Gold Label Action Figure
Thiry years ago, the Batman was broken by Bane in the landmark storyline Knightfall. To celebrate the occasion, McFarlane Toys is releasing a Batman Knightfall 30th Anniversary Gold Label Action Figure.
There are literally hundreds of Batman action figures, but this one is particularly striking. And it captures the spirit of Batman’s run during the ’90s. You can find it at the DC booth at 4645 on the convention center floor.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Pre Vizsla Mini Bust
There are two busts at booth 2607 from Gentle Giant that are on our wish list. The first one is Star Wars: The Clone Wars Pre Vizsla Mini Bust. Pre Vizsla comes with the Darksaber, which is the mark of leadership of the Mandalorians. It’s limited to 750 pieces.
SDCC 2023 Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark Sepia Bust
And finally, Gentle Giant’s Indiana Jones bust closes out our list of the top SDCC exclusives. Indy comes with his customary whip and a torch. It’s also limited to 1,000 pieces.
