10 Comic-Con Panels to Follow From Afar: a Guide For Those That Didn’t Get to Go to Comic-Con
If you’re reading this, then you’re like me. Not at Comic-Con International in San Diego. But that doesn’t mean you don’t care about all the news and announcements coming from the show.
Comic-Con International features a lifetime’s worth of geek programming crammed into four days and a preview night, but here are the 10 panels I feel are most likely to yield news and announcements that will warm geek hearts.
These aren’t necessarily the panels that would be most interesting to sit through (me, I’d be all over that June Brigman panel to hear her talk about Power Pack or the panel focusing on Bill Finger’s role in the creation of Batman), but my personal picks for the ones that will yield juicy stuff for those can’t be there to watch them live. If you want to sit down and read the entire schedule for yourself, you can do that here. All times listed below are PT, by the way.
10: AMC’s The Walking Dead (Friday at 12:20 p.m.)
This panel makes the list for one reason, AMC will release a trailer for the upcoming fifth season of the show. Featuring Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes), Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon), Steven Yeun (Glenn Rhee), Lauren Cohan (Maggie Greene), Danai Gurira (Michonne), Melissa McBride (Carol Peletier), Chad Coleman (Tyreese), and Michael Cudlitz (Abraham Ford) join executive producer and showrunner Scott Gimple, executive producer Robert Kirkman, executive producer Gale Anne Hurd, executive producer Dave Alpert, and special effects makeup supervisor and executive producer Greg Nicotero in a panel moderated by Chris Hardwick of the Talking Dead. It’s The Walking Dead’s big press event of the year. Hopefully there will also be news of the upcoming The Walking Dead spinoff planned by AMC.
9: Batman ’66 (Thursday at 6 p.m.)
The MIA 1960s Batman series has been the white whale of DVD collectors, comparable only in its frustration level to the seemingly never-to-be Muppet Babies releases for animation fans.
But although Skeeter fans still cry themselves to sleep, the Batman legal issues have been worked out. Batman: The Complete TV Series is coming on just about every home video format you can think of in November, and Adam West (Batman, but if you didn’t know this one I’m pulling your geek card), Burt Ward (Robin), and Julie Newmar (Catwoman) will be on hand for a sneak peek at the panel.
8. Archie Forever: Life, Afterlife, and Beyond (Friday at 1 p.m.)
Did you hear they killed Archie? That’s all I’ve heard about comics recently from non-comics fans, so Archie Comics’ Death of Archie storyline certainly got itself noticed, even if it is an alternate timeline that doesn’t really count.
This panel will talk about Archie’s upcoming Dark Circle superhero imprint, the Death of Archie, Archie’s Afterlife with Archie zombie adventures, and even some standard living and in Riverdale Archie. The thing I’m most excited to see is a new series featuring a dark take on Sabrina: The Teenage Witch, though.
7. Constantine Pilot Screening and Q&A (Saturday at 5:15 p.m.)
I’m curious about this one just to see if Hollywood can successfully ruin John Constantine twice in a row. They’ll be screening the complete pilot, so we’ll know. There will also be a Q&A with series stars Matt Ryan (John Constantine), Harold Perrineau (Manny) and Charles Halford (Chas Chandler) and executive producers Daniel Cerone and David S. Goyer.
6. Greendale Forever: TV Guide’s Tribute To Community (Thursday at 2:15 p.m.)
So we know Yahoo has saved Community for one more season, but this panel featuring creator Dan Harmon, executive producer Chris McKenna, and cast members Joel McHale (Jeff Winger), Gillian Jacobs (Britta Perry), Jim Rash (Dean Pelton) and Dino Stamatopoulos (Star-Burns) will talk about the future of the show. Will it get both six season AND a movie?
5. Meet Bill Plympton (Thursday at 12 p.m.)
This might not be a pick that makes many lists, but Bill Plympton’s surreal indie animation is one of the primary reasons I’m an animation fan, so I’m hoping we get some news form this one. At this panel he’ll talk about plans for his Kickstarter-funded animated film Cheatin,’ plus there will be an early look at Revengeance, a “biker revenge dark comedy” that Plimpton is co-directing with Jim Lujan.
4. NASA’s Next Giant Leap (Thursday at 3 p.m.)
Do you think NASA would actually reveal big news about their space programs in a panel moderated by Family Guy’s Seth Green? Probably not, but I love science as much as I love science fiction, so I’m crossing my fingers for this panel featuring Dr. Jim Green (NASA’s division director of Planetary Science), Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11 Astronaut), Mike Fincke (NASA Astronaut), and “Mohawk Guy” Bobak Ferdowsi (Curiosity and Europa Missions).
3. Batman: 75th Anniversary (Saturday at 4 p.m.)
If DC announces any major upcoming Batman news, it will probably be at this panel. Features a who’s-who including best Batman voice ever Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Ralph Garman, Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, Peter Girardi, and some surprise guests.
2. Game of Thrones Panel and Q&A (Friday at 1:40 p.m.)
It’s the hottest show on TV, and based on the reaction to rape scene from last season also the most controversial. Everyone will be expecting news about the upcoming season five. Stars at the panel will include Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Natalie Dormer (Margaery Baratheon), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Rose Leslie (Ygritte), Rory McCann (Sandor Clegane), Pedro Pascal (Oberyn Martell), Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), and Maisie Williams (Arya Stark).
1. Marvel Studios (Saturday at 5:30 p.m.)
No need to kid ourselves, this panel featuring Kevin Feige and some “special guests” is the big boy. Here’s where we’ll find out about the upcoming Marvel Studios movies. The description on the Comic-Con schedule, however, is incredibly vague. I’m sure we’ll see some news about the upcoming Ant Man film, based on the fact that Marvel Studios has released a Comic-Con poster for it that you can see above. And I hope we’ll find out more about the Doctor Strange film and see some footage from Avengers: Age of Ultron. There may also be some reveals in the Cup of Joe panel featuring Marvel Editor in Chief Joe Quesada Saturday at 2:45.