New York Comic Con kicked off the weekend with an impressive list of pop culture stars.

• Stan “The Man” Lee was on hand to announce that his newest comic book Romeo and Juliet: The War is a retelling of William “The Bard” Shakespeare’s classic tale of star crossed lovers. Lee hung around to sign autographs for his fans.
• Filmmaker Kevin Smith entertained the crowd for two hours with nothing more than a microphone and his on and off screen friend Jason Mewes. Smith told the audience that it was particularly meaningful to be appearing with Mewes at a comic book convention because the two first met while attending a con in New York over twenty years ago.
• Another panel featured Mark Hamill, who disclosed that during filming of The Empire Strikes Back that only George Lucas, director Irvin Kershner and he knew that Vader was going to confess to Luke, “I am your father.” Hamill revealed that he lived in fear that he would slip up and share the closely guarded secret before the film was released.

  Hamill, a gifted voiceover actor, brought the crowd to their feet when, performing his version of the maniacal Joker, he sang happy birthday to a fan.

• The Highlight of the weekend is likely going to be Saturday’s Avengers panel where Chris Evans (Captain America) and other cast members are expected to attend.

Tip of the Day: Drink plenty of water, wear comfortable shoes and carry around a pack of breath mints.

New York Comic Con continues through Saturday and Sunday. Ticket information and show schedule can be found at NewYorkComicCon.com