Comic Con returns to Birmingham's NEC – with PICTURES

Thousands of fans converged on Birmingham's NEC for the two-day convention which gave fans a chance to dress up as hero or villain and meet top stars from film and TV.

Leading the charge of celebrities was actor and panto favourite Christopher Biggins who has become a regular at comic con events.

Also headlining over the weekend were Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn, of Guardians of the Galaxy, Brianna Hildebrand, who played Negasonic Teenage Warhead in Deadpool, Mark Sheppard, of Supernatural and Battlestar Galactica), and Michael Biehn, who appeared in Terminator and Aliens.

More pictures from Comic Con in Birmingham:

The pop-culture phenomenon attracts hundreds of thousands of fans across the globe who flock to events throughout the year. The NEC weekend is one of the biggest on the UK calendar, with a second convention taking place in November.

The first official comic book convention was held in 1964 in New York City and was so popular it inspired others to start their own event. Now what started out of a passion for comics has grown into a worldwide cultural extravaganza.

Also at the Birmingham event were award-winning video game stars Nolan North and Troy Baker, of The Last Of Us, along with Overwatch actors Anjali Bhimani, Jonny Cruz, Carolina Ravassa and Fred Tavasciore.

Fans paid between £24 – £48 for an autograph from one of the star guests, with photos costing up to £72 for an individual, £96 for both actors from The Last Of Us, and £144 for a picture with all four Overwatch actors.

Cosplay – dressing as a favourite fictional character – is always a major part of any comic con, and Birmingham was no exception.

Characters from films, books, comics and video games were all there, with no shortage of Stormtroopers from Star Wars.

Many took part in the Cosplay Masquerade, a contest held on the main stage over both days, to decide the best and most original costumes.