More Than 10,000 Attend 17th Annual Dallas Comic Con

IRVING (CBSDFW.COM) – It's a bird! It's a plane!

Wait, it's just thousands of Dallas Comic Con attendees who busted out their capes and masks and briefly became their famed comic book heroes Sunday.

The 17th annual convention drew more than 10,000 people. Event organizers say Comic Con has grown so much over the years they had to move into the new Irving Convention Center.

"There's a lot of people that are here from all different kinds of backgrounds," attendee Chad Elijah said.

Welcome to Comic Con - a playground for collectors, enthusiasts and even the comic curious.

"I've been into Batman for years so I go to about six to seven conventions a year it's just for the fun – to meet all the comic creators spend all of my money," Desiree Preston said.

Comic heroes from the strip and set were also on hand.

"I was Miguel in episode four of 'The Walking Dead.' They traded me for a bag of guns after I was screaming, trying to fight off the character 'Darly,'" actor Anthony Guajardo said.

But by far the biggest appeal and draw of Comic Con is the opportunity to meet comic icons like Stan Lee - the mastermind of Marvel Comics and notable illustrator John Romita, Jr.

"What happens is when I'm doing a certain page, or even a certain panel – it triggers a memory of what was going on at a certain time – so every time I see a comic, it brings back a memory of that certain time- absolutely," Romita said as he signed copies of his books.

Comic Con allows participants to embrace their inner comic hero. And for many attendees, even after all this time, these books prove quite entertaining.

"It brings about certain morals and ethics people have. They may not be able to give them in their own lives they can at least live vicariously thru a comic book hero," attendee Thomas James said.

Leonard Nimoy, of Star Trek, and Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher, were both at this year's Comic Con. They signed autographs and met with fans.

"It's indescribable – when you see all these people about work you've done over the years – you feel very grateful. It's just a warm, wonderful feeling – it really is," Lee said. "I never dreamed comics would be that important to people - - but they've touched a lot of people and I'm delighted."