As seen at EW, six minutes of Bryan Singer’s “Superman Returns” have been made available, online and in the Blu-ray set.

This scene features Brandon Routh’s Superman making a return trip to the remains of Krypton in the opening of the film.

CAPTAIN AMERICA LEAD VEHICLE DESIGNER DANIEL SIMON TALKS THE RED SKULL CAR

The car driven by the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) is very prominent in “Captain America: The First Avenger.”

“We really gave the car a special treatment, because it’s so iconic in the film,” Simon said. The car was fully built out at 25 feet long.

“We didn’t want to go very futuristic on the car. It belongs to the villain, and we thought a personal object for the villain should be more elegant and artsy,” Simon said.

BRIAN K VAUGHAN RETURNING TO COMICS
Brian K. Vaughan (“Y: The Last Man,” “Ex Machina”) will return to monthly comics with “Saga” from Image Comics. The series was co-created by and will be illustrated by Fiona Staples. CBR reports “Saga” is a sci-fi series about “the life and times of a family fighting to survive a never-ending war.”

REVIEW FILE: The Vault #1, X-Men Schism #2, Captain America and Bucky #620.
Comics read in 2011: 1,129 Still to go: 882.

Following Comic-Con from afar, here’s my take on the big stories of the week.  Share your own thoughts in the comments!

BIGGEST COMIC-CON MOMENT
The Andrew Garfield Spider-Man surprise in Hall H was almost certainly the buzz “Hall H moment” on par with last year’s “gathering of the Avengers.”

BEST COMICS-SPECIFIC NEWS
I’d say it’s the announcement that Brian K. Vaughan (“Y: The Last Man,” “Ex Machina”) will return to monthly comics with “Saga” from Image Comics.   The series was co-created by and will be illustrated by Fiona Staples.   CBR reports “Saga” is a sci-fi series about “the life and times of a family fighting to survive a never-ending war.”

BEST OKLAHOMA-SPECIFIC NEWS
Tulsa artist Dustin Evans being part of the Conan O’Brien exhibit at the con was pretty cool.  You can see O’Brien with Evans’ art here.   Sterling Gates was also in attendance to talk up “Hawk and Dove” and “Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost.”

WORST HALL H MOMENT
Well, it can’t top last year’s stabbing, but I’m sure Rhys Ifans wasn’t thrilled with the convention.   He received a citation from San Diego police for an undisclosed infraction.  Unless this was all just hype to build him up as a villain in “Amazing Spider-Man”?

BEST TV NEWS
Comic-Con and TV have really engaged in a lovefest the last few years, with more and more TV coverage and panels.  I’ll say I’m most excited about the Brian Michael Bendis comic “Alias” being planned for TV as “aka jessica jones.”  “Hulk” and “Cloak and Dagger” TV shows are also in the works.

What were you excited about from Comic-Con?  It’s such a huge event, it takes months often to unpack all the announcements and discussion.

- Matt Price

Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and the agents of SHIELD were revealed in promotional art from Marvel at Comic-Con International.   Along with Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye and the Black Widow, they’ll be the focus of “The Avengers,” being directed by Joss Whedon for a 2012 release.

An awesome scene from Comic-Con as a “fan” steps up to the microphone in a Spider-Man costume before revealing his face to the crowd. This was at the Hall H panel for “The Amazing Spider-Man,” the Marc Webb-directed reboot of the Spider-Man property set for release next June.

Definitely worth watching! This is the type of thing that makes Comic-Con awesome. Click past the cut for the complete speech.

- Matt Price

Spider-Man star himself Andrew Garfield was the masked fan. Here’s what he said about how much he loves Spider-Man.
“You have no idea how much this means to me. I’ve always wanted to come here as a fan, and this is my first time, so here I am, as a fan. I just want to say a couple of things. I’m Andrew Garfield and I’m going to be here introducing this panel, this Amazing Spider-Man panel.

“Stan Lee says that the reason why Spidey is so popular is because all of us can relate to him, and I agree. I needed Spidey in my life when I was a kid, and he gave me hope. In every comic I read, he was living out my and every skinny boy’s fantasy of being stronger, of being free of the body I was born into, and that swinging sensation of flight. And upon receiving his power, unlike most who have become corrupted, he used it for good. And I think that we all wish we had the courage to stick up for ourselves more, to stick up for a loved one more, or even a stranger you see being mistreated, and Peter Parker has inspired me to feel stronger. He made me, Andrew, braver. He reassured me that by doing the right thing, it’s worth it. It’s worth the struggle, it’s worth the pain, it’s worth even the tears, the bruises, and the blood.

“And, and, and I wouldn’t be able to stand here in front of you guys right now without feeling that Spider-Man was here with me with his reassuring hand on my shoulder, making sure I don’t fall over and concuss myself. He has inspired countless people: girls, boys, men, women, all of us, and he’s saved lives. And he’s saved my life. And I owe Webhead a lot and I owe Stan the Man a lot and I’m humbled to be here, like you do not know, to share the work that we’ve done with all of you. And this is my first Comic-Con. This is definitely the coolest moment of my life and thank you for being here to share it with me.”

Check out a live blog of the entire panel at FirstShowing.net.

TBS talk show host Conan O’Brien made his first-ever appearance at Comic-Con International on Friday. Appearing at the “Green Lantern: The Animated Series” panel in Room 6BCF, Conan O’Brien unveiled the trailer to “The Flaming C,” a character created by O’Brien and Bruce Timm.

Tulsa-based artist Dustin Evans is among the artists providing art for the Flaming C gallery at Comic-Con. Check out the gallery online here.

- Matt Price
Click past the cut for Conan O’Brien promotional art.

Check out the first look at the second season of AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” revealed today at Comic-Con. The survivalist horror series is based on the comic books and graphic novels by Robert Kirkman.

- Matt Price

Marvel has released concept art for the upcoming “Avengers” movie, starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner, as Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow and Hawkeye.  The posters are available at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Click past the cut to see the four posters released so far.

- Matt Price

Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar appeared at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Thursday to promote her upcoming show “Ringer.”

The annual comic book and popular arts convention attracts over 100,000 people and runs through Sunday.

“I’m not trying to re-create Buffy and I’m not trying to top it,” she told TV Guide. “I’m trying to do something that the fans, who have been so good to me, will love. I’m a television watcher, and this is the kind of show that I would watch.”

Gellar, 34, will play twins on “Ringer”: Bridget, a recovering alcoholic on the run, who masquerades as her wealthy sister Siobhan, thought dead, but actually also on the run as a bounty has been placed on her head.

- Matt Price

In retailer news from this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, direct-market retailer organization ComicsPRO has announced that its Annual Membership Meeting will be held February 9-11, 2012, in Dallas, Texas.

This is the second year for the meeting to be held in Dallas; previous locations include Las Vegas, Nev.  and Memphis, Tenn.   This will be the sixth Annual Membership Meeting of the organization.

ComicsPRO is the only trade organization for direct-market comic book retailers. ComicsPRO’s goals are to promote advocacy, education, and opportunity for its members.

ComicsPRO has a full line of retailer programs set for Friday at Comic-Con.  Click past the cut for the full schedule.

- Matt Price

9:30–10:20 Room 19
ComicsPRO “Fresh Start” – Your day at Comic-Con gets off to a friendly and professional start with ComicsPRO, the retailer trade association. Retailers, publishers and distributors are welcome to kick off their convention day with colleagues, coffee, bagels and conversation. Bring your business card!

10:30–11:20 Room 18
The State of the Industry – It’s the midway point of 2011. So what are the sales trends since we last met in San Diego? And more importantly, what’s the outlook near and long term for the business of comics? Join ComicsPRO President Joe Field and Executive Director Amanda Emmert as they discuss the state of comic book retail with the industry’s top publishing companies, including Bob Wayne (DC Comics Senior VP – Sales), David Gabriel (Marvel Comics Senior VP of Sales), Eric Stephenson (Publisher of Image Comics), Jeremy Atkins (Dark Horse Director of Public Relations), Ted Adams (CEO of IDW Publishing) and Roger Fletcher (Diamond Comic Distributors Vice President of Sales & Marketing).

11:30-12:15 Room 18
Direct Conversation — Join executives from DC Comics for a special chat and Q&A session on September’s The New 52 launch, spotlighting sales incentives, marketing and publicity push, and much more.

2:30–4:00 Room 18
Eisner Spirit Award Video Viewing — The Will Eisner “Spirit of Comics” Retailer Award is the industry’s “Hall of Fame” for progressive retailers, sort of a Legion of Super-Retailers. Spirit Award facilitator and award recipient Joe Ferrara (Atlantis Fantasyworld, Santa Cruz, CA) presents the videos for this year’s award finalists, with discussion about each nominated retailer, the store’s display techniques, and other unique features every attending retailer can learn from. Hey, retailers! This is a great place for getting new ideas!

4:00–5:30 Room 32AB
So You Want To Be a Comic Book Retailer? – Presented by ComicsPRO’s Retailer Mentoring Forum. This Comic-Con tradition is always a lively and fun discussion, where your dreams of owning your own comic book specialty store take flight! Your career in comics’ retail starts here! You have questions? Our panel of experienced retailers has answers! Hosted by Joe Field (ComicsPRO President, Flying Colors Comics, Concord CA) with Portyln Polston (Brave New World, Newhall CA), Jennifer Haines (The Dragon, Guelph ON), Chris Brady (4 Color Fantasies, Rancho Cucamonga CA) and Diamond Comic Distributors Outside Sales manager Dave Hawksworth.

Beginning on Thursday, July 21 at 2pm ET / 11am PT, GameSpot will grant viewers exclusive live access to Comic-Con International 2011. Featuring live stage shows, the hottest game news and much more, viewers are invited to watch the action as it happens from the San Diego Convention Center at http://www.livestream.com/gamespotlive, or check out the player embedded above.

Captain America star Chris Evans gets recognized at the Lanmark Technology Music Lodge “Captain America Military Salute” program on Thursday, July 21 at 3pm ET / 12pm PT. Stan Lee will be recognized for his service as an Army Illustrator during WWII, and a Navy SEAL Veteran will be honored for excellence in the line of duty.

- Matt Price

Set to debut in front of “Captain America: The First Avenger” and at Comic-Con International in San Diego, the teaser trailer for “The Amazing Spider-Man,” the reboot directed by Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield, has made its way online via Movie-List.com.

Based on just the teaser, it seems to take a little darker tone than the Sam Raimi films.

Sony has a Hall H panel at Comic-Con International on Friday with director Marc Webb and stars of the film.

The film is set to open on July 3, 2012, and stars Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Sally Field and C. Thomas Howell.

- Matt Price
Source: Spinoff Online

Mill Creek has announced a special edition of the second season of “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” will be available at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

It will be on sale at booth #4135, the FUNimation booth. This special Comic-Con release is available nearly two months before the regular edition release of the second season.

The complete 8-DVD, 65-episode second season, features exclusive artwork on collectible holographic foil packaging.  It will be on sale for $25, with bonus features including interviews, audio commentaries, character profiles and scripts.

The fantasy series features the hero, He-Man, who gets his powers from the mysterious Castle Grayskull.  He faces off against the evil Skeletor and protects the planet Eternia.    The cartoon series originally aired from 1983-1985.

The “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” program was based on the Mattel toy line, first launched in 1982.

- Matt Price

Kyle and Matt take a look at the poster for “The Dark Knight Rises” and discuss the box office potential of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” Part 2. We also discuss the upcoming “Amazing Spider-Man” and what’s to come at Comic-Con International.
Review File: Captain America 1, X-Men Schism 1, The Red Wing 1
Comics read in 2011: 979 Still to go: 1,032.

Warner Bros. has announced that fans at Comic-Con can enter to win a replica of the Thundercats’ Sword of Omens at next week’s Comic-Con International in San Diego.

Here’s more info, from Warner Bros:

• Handcrafted by the artisan Dragon of Renegade Effects Group, this replica Sword of Omens is forged of aircraft aluminum (1/3 of what steel weighs – but just as tough!) and features a hand-carved eyepiece and ThunderCats logo.

• For a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the sword, click here:

www.thewb.com/comiccon/swordofomens

• Sword design taken directly from the drawings of the Warner Bros. Animation artists.

• Visit the Warner Bros. booth (#4545) to find out how you could win the Sword of Omens.

• In addition to this special prize, the Warner Bros. booth (#4545) will also be giving away free foam replicas of the Sword of Omens to fans on Friday, July 22, and Sunday, July 24.

• A world premiere screening of ThunderCats at Comic-Con will take place on Friday, July 22, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 6A. After the screening, join Larry Kenney (voice of Claudus, voice of Lion-O in the original series), Emmanuelle Chriqui (voice of Cheetara), producers Michael Jelenic and Ethan Spaulding, and art director Dan Norton will for a panel discussion on the series.

• ThunderCats roars onto TV screens with an hour-long special premiere event on Friday, July 29, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network. Following the premiere, the show will air regularly on Cartoon Network Friday nights at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT, beginning August 5.

The official rules are available at TheWB.com.  You must be over 18 to enter.

Warner Bros. will update fans throughout Comic-Con at  www.thewb.com/comiccon and on Twitter @TheWBdotcom (hashtag #WBSDCC).

- Matt Price

Fans dressed as the Justice Society of America (Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Black Canary and Hourman) at Comic-Con International in 2009. Photo by Matthew Price, The Oklahoman

Movie studios may cut back a bit at this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, but more than 125,000 fans are still expected, as comic-book companies and retailers prepare for the second half of the year.

The New York Times reported that several movie studios may be dropping or lessening their presence at Comic-Con this year, noting that films including “Sucker Punch” and “Scott Pilgrim” made a splash at Comic-Con, but underperformed at the box office. Still, many studios like to play their plans close to the vest in order to make a big splash, so don’t be surprised to see lots of film news and star appearances at next week’s Comic-Con.

Movies or no, the enthusiasm for comic books hasn’t lessened at Comic-Con. In fact, ComicsPRO, the trade organization dedicated to the progress of direct market comic book retailers, anticipates a busy and successful show for its members.

“Comic-Con is another great opportunity for ComicsPRO members to meet with publishers and distributors and talk about the state of our industry,” said Amanda Emmert, executive director of ComicsPRO. “The convention also allows us to meet with potential new retailers who are interested in the Mentoring Program and fans who support comic book stores through the ComicsPRO Backer program. We appreciate Comic-Con’s support of ComicsPRO and of comic retailers!”

More information for stores and those who want to own comic-book stores can be found at www.comicspro.org and www.comicspro.org/mentoring.

Comic-book publishers will be out in full force.

DC Comics will feature “The New 52” at Comic-Con, the upcoming historic renumbering of the entire DC line of superhero comic books with 52 first issues. Marvel has panels on the comic-book series “Amazing Spider-Man” and “X-Men,” among others.

Publishers including Image, IDW, Dark Horse, Archaia, Abrams, Titan and more will have a presence at the convention.

And, despite the talk, some film events have already been announced, with others a strong possibility.

Sony, which is producing the new “Amazing Spider-Man” film, will have a panel in Hall H, the largest Comic-Con panel room, which seats more than 6,000. Chris Evans of “Captain America: The First Avenger” is also expected to be in San Diego for a promotional event tied to Comic-Con.

Television and Web series seem to find Comic-Con a great home for debuting and promoting new products. TV Guide will dedicate an issue to Comic-Con, with covers focusing on shows including “Chuck” and “Fringe.”

“Doctor Who” stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan make their first Comic-Con appearance for a panel and Q&A with “Doctor Who” writer Toby Whithouse (“Being Human” creator) and executive producers Piers Wenger and Beth Willis. They’ll have exclusive footage in their Hall H panel at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, July 24.

Actress Tara Platt, who lived in Oklahoma from age 7 to 11, and Yuri Lowenthal will debut a trailer for the new live-action Web series “Shelf Life” at the convention. It features the irreverent antics of four action figures come to life.

“It’s a high-concept idea, and it was very important to us to have high production values and high quality scripts as well,” said Platt in a news release.

Comic-Con International will begin with a preview night on July 20, then run on July 21-24. More information and a full schedule is available at Comic-Con.org.

- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Marvel Comics has announced its panel and presentation plans for Comic-Con International in San Diego, starting Thursday, July 21.  Click past the cut for Marvel’s convention schedule!

- Matt Price

Marvel takes San Diego by storm this July during Comic Con International! Marvel will be in full force to provide an exclusive look into all things Marvel (Booth #2329)! No one can compare to what Marvel has planned because we’re running a veritable cornucopia of panels that will span the four daylong event. If you’re a True Believer (and we know you are) you can’t afford to miss out on these exclusive Marvel panels! Trust us no fan will be disappointed because whether you’re a lifelong Marvelite, or a casual fan there will be something for you to enjoy.

Thursday, July 21st

10:15 – 11:15 AM MARVEL: BREAKING INTO COMICS THE MARVEL WAY – You have the talent. You have the imagination. You have the “Go get ‘em Tiger” determination that would make the Bullpen proud. But where do you go from there? Discover the next step in your budding comics career with world-renowned talent scout C.B. Cebulski, Skottie Young (Ozma of Oz), Humberto Ramos (Amazing Spider-Man), and Marvel SVP of Brand Planning & Communications Mike Pasciullo, as they give you all the right pointers towards getting a foot in the door at Marvel Comics. Discussing all entry points across every department, this can’t miss panel is must for all Marvel hopefuls! Room 6DE

1:00 – 2:00 PM MARVEL DIGITAL: WHAT’S NEXT?! COMICS…AND BEYOND! – Join members of the Marvel Digital Media Group for the first word on Marvel digital comics, casual games, original streaming video productions, social media outreach and the future of Marvel’s ever-expanding digital endeavors. Room 7AB

4:30 – 5:30 PM MARVEL: NEXT BIG THING – The Marvel Universe is where the biggest comic stories happen—so wouldn’t you like to be the first to know what we’ve got planned? Get the latest news on Marvel’s plan for their biggest heroes and villains, with some surprises along the way! Join panelists Greg Pak (Incredible Hulks), Jonathan Hickman (FF), Jim McCann (Marvel Zombies Christmas Carol), Nick Spencer (Ultimate Comics X-Men), Editor in Chief Axel Alonso and more as they answer all your burning questions while giving you a sneak-peek at the future of Marvel! Room 6DE

Friday, July 22nd

12:30 – 1:30 PM MARVEL: YEAR OF THE X-MEN – The bonds of brotherhood have been broken between Cyclops and Wolverine, as their feud reaches its boiling point – tearing the X-Men apart in X-Men: Schism. But after the dust settles, what’s next for the X-Men and their allies? Enter X-Men Regenesis, where we answer all your questions and reveal exclusive details about what’s next! You’ve got questions & these people have answers! Writers Marjorie Liu (X-23), Rick Remender (Uncanny X-Force), Chris Yost (X-Men: First to Last) and Editor in Chief Axel Alonso are on hand to lay out what’s going on with the X-Men for this all-new, all-DEADLY panel! Room 6DE

1:45 – 2:45 PM MARVEL: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN AND HIS AVENGING FRIENDS – Spider-Man’s riding high after hitting the Big Time, but it’ll all come crashing down this summer in Spider-Island! It’s the fight of his life and we’ve got an in depth look inside the event that changes the course of Peter Parker’s life. But ol’ Web-Head isn’t the only New Yorker with a major storyline this summer! Daredevil makes his return, Punisher wages a new war, Venom explores the dark side of saving the world and more of your favorite heroes are back with a vengeance! Sit down with our spectacular panel of creators, including Zeb Wells (Avenging Spider-Man), Rick Remender (Venom), Mark Waid (Daredevil), Greg Rucka (Punisher), Humberto Ramos (Amazing Spider-Man), Senior Editor Steve Wacker, Editor in Chief Axel Alonso and more as they lay the groundwork for New York City’s greatest heroes. And don’t forget to grab your exclusive Daredevil pin – only at this panel! Room 6DE

4:30 – 5:30 PM MARVEL TELEVISION PRESENTS: ANIME ON G4 – Marvel Television and G4 take your favorite characters – Iron Man, Wolverine, The X-Men and Blade – to Japan to tell their stories in a whole new way, beautifully animated by the anime masters at Madhouse. Also, watch a never-before-seen episode with Marvel’s Head of TV, Jeph Loeb and surprise guests! Plus, get a sneak peek at The X-Men’s explosive first episode. Room 6BCF

Saturday, July 23rd

10:30 – 11:30 AM MARVEL TELEVISION PRESENTS – Marvel’s Head of TV, Jeph Loeb, brings the inside scoop on Marvel’s latest series that take your favorite heroes from page to screen. Get a first look at the premiere of The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes season 2, a sneak peek at a certain ULTIMATE webslinger, and a few other surprises from Marvel Television. Room 6BCF

12:30 – 1:30 PM MARVEL INTERACTIVE: MARVEL VIDEO GAMES – Learn all about Spider-Man: Edge of Time, X-Men Destiny, Captain America: Super Soldier, Super Hero Squad Online, Super Hero Squad 3DS and uDraw, Marvel Pinball and the Marvel Universe MMO. Also, find out some exciting new details about the future of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and other Marvel games via exclusive trailers, surprise reveals, and Q&A with the game creators from some of the industry’s top publishers. Room 6A

2:45 – 3:45 PM MARVEL: CUP O’ JOE – This is it, Mighty Marvel fans- the no-holds-barred, anything goes, full of surprises panel you wait all year for, and it’s here! Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada takes on all questions, shocks the audience with jaw-dropping announcements, and keeps you guessing with surprise guests. You never know who will show up, but you better be here, because this is the panel that everyone will be talking about! Room 6BCF

Sunday, July 24th

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM MARVEL: WOMEN OF MARVEL PRESENTED BY OXYGEN

Forget Spider-Woman & Emma Frost, meet the real Ms. Marvels of the comic world! Join women from every discipline in the creative process at Marvel to hear what it’s like working as a woman in comics today. These ladies are busting through the four-color ceiling! Guests include host Grace Randolph (The Weekly Watcher), writer Marjorie Liu (X-23), artist Christina Strain (Runaways) and more, brought to you by Oxygen. Room 5AB

12:30 – 1:30 PM MARVEL: FEAR ITSELF – The biggest comic book event of the year has everyone talking—but just want comes after it concludes? We’ve got the exclusive news here, with the big announcements that’ll change the future of the Marvel Universe—and set your favorite characters in exciting new directions. Be the first to know the biggest news of the weekend as the creators behind the comic blockbuster event answer your questions and leave you cheering! Join Senior Editor Steve Wacker, Senior Vice President C.B. Cebulski, Nick Spencer (Iron Man 2.0), and more for the news you can’t miss. Room 6DE

And to learn more about the Amazing Spider-Man and Ghost Rider, Spirit of Vengeance films, check out Sony’s panel on Friday, July 22nd at 2pm in Hall H!

The New York Times is reporting that several movie studios may be dropping or lessening their presence at Comic-Con this year.

Apparently, just showing a clip at Comic-Con doesn’t automatically equal dollars.

“Sucker Punch” and “Scott Pilgrim” are movies that made a splash at Comic-Con, but underperformed at the box office.

Since both of those movies were pretty great, I must surmise that Comic-Con was right, and general audiences are wrong.   Sorry, general audiences, but if you didn’t enjoy “Scott Pilgrim,” I don’t know why you’re going to the movies.  Just stay home and watch “According to Jim” reruns.

I’d already decided to skip Comic-Con this year, so, this won’t affect my year too much.   And honestly, while I love me some movies, I do enjoy the idea that actual comics might get some more attention out of Comic-Con.

Sounds like there will still be plenty of movie stuff to see, too.

The NYT reports big pushes are planned for “Cowboys and Aliens,”  “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn,”  “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” and  “The Amazing Spider-Man.”

According to the article, Warner Bros. has no panel planned — perhaps “The Dark Knight Rises” will do well enough without the push, and “Man of Steel” is still too far away.  And at the moment, Marvel Entertainment hasn’t finalized its plans.  That’s the one that kind of surprises me, as Marvel’s film side has historically gotten a ton of buzz out of Comic-Con, and for the most part that has translated into box office success.

UPDATE: Geoff Boucher tweets some updates on what he knows of Marvel’s plans: “I’m saying the reports that Marvel is ‘sitting out’ Comic-Con are incorrect.” He followed up with “No Hall H panel isn’t the same as no Comic-Con,” and “If they limit their presence to a booth or viral game that would surprise me.”

So, as we reported here – sounds like Marvel’s plans are still somewhat in flux, but they plan to hit Comic-Con, which makes sense.  No Hall H panel — possibly, which would be a change.  But perhaps they have a different way to interact with fans on the horizon.  I look forward to hearing what it is!  (But I am still not going this year.)

- Matt Price

Green Hornet Blu-ray

“Green Hornet,” the 2011 film starring Seth Rogen as the masked crimefighter with Jay Chou as his more-capable partner, Kato, comes to DVD and Blu-ray this week.

I’m not sure the film was a complete artistic success – though James Franco was fantastic in a cameo. But with the nearly $100 million made domestically at the box office, I wouldn’t be very surprised to see Rogen and Chou reprise their roles.

I am glad the film came out, though, if for no other reason than I got to check out Britt Reid’s garage at Comic-Con last year.

I sat in the Black Beauty, and met Mandy Dollar, portraying a Green Hornette at the show.   Dollar, originally from Oklahoma City, is now an actress in San Diego.  Check her out – as well as other Comic-Con highlights from 2010 – in the video below:

And the film did spur some new interest in the character, with multiple comic books from Dynamite. One current series, “Aftermath,” is a sequel to the film in comic-book form, written by Jai Nitz.

- Matt Price

Kat Dennings in "Thor."

Though the “Thor” film, opening Friday, is about the Norse god of Thunder, co-star Kat Dennings says the film has some female empowerment as well.

Dennings, 25, plays Darcy Lewis, a sidekick to Natalie Portman’s astrophysicist, Jane Foster.

“There is a pretty great female presence in the film with Jane Foster and Darcy and Sif also, and Frigga, Thor’s mother,” Dennings said promoting the film at Comic-Con.

Rene Russo plays Thor’s mother, Frigga, while Sif is played by Jaimie Alexander (“Kyle XY”).

Dennings said she’s partial to the friendship Jane and Darcy share, something that’s new to this iteration of the “Thor” mythos.

“I really like, not to be biased, but I really like our relationship in the movie,” she said.

Kat Dennings at Comic-Con (AP)

Darcy looks up to the more together Jane in the film.

“Darcy makes food for Jane, and mixes her Kashi in the morning and basically she’s a new invention. She’s not in the comics. She just sort of hopes to be like Jane one day.”

Since Darcy Lewis is a new character who hasn’t appeared in the Marvel Comics on which the movie is based, Dennings said she didn’t have any particular comic-book counterpart to embody.

“I’ve read a lot of the comic books just growing up, and I sort of felt, for me anyway, that I should sort of view the script as its own thing and not try to compare and contrast the previous stuff, and just treat it like its own little universe,” she said. “And Darcy wasn’t in the comics, so I didn’t have to worry about continuity or anything like that.”

Dennings said working with director Kenneth Branagh, a successful actor in films including “Hamlet” and “Henry V,” was an “amazing experience.”

“He’s someone I always idolized for acting,” Dennings said. “I’ve seen ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ at least 800,000 times. He’s just so gifted in that there isn’t one moment that wasn’t explained thoroughly. There wasn’t a second, for me at least, that I didn’t completely understand what was going on, because he tells you everything, and he makes sure you’re not feeling lost. I can’t say enough.”

Dennings said Branagh asked questions of his actors that would lead them to their own solution to what the character is going through.

“The fact that you had to come up with it yourself really made it part of you and inside of you,” Dennings said. “It was a really amazing experience, and he has infinite ideas for how to attack something and just infinite good mood. That’s crazy. Every day was fun.”

- By Matthew Price
From Sunday’s The Oklahoman

In this film publicity image released by Universal Pictures, Paul the alien, voiced by Seth Rogen, left, and Simon Pegg are shown in a scene from the film, "Paul." (AP Photo/Universal Pictures)

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost star as British geeks visiting America in the sci-fi comedy “Paul.” Starting at Comic-Con International in San Diego, the pair plan a cross-country trip in an RV, hitting the highlights of alien encounter sites such as Area 51 and Roswell, N.M.

Graeme (Pegg) is an aspiring artist working with Clive (Frost), who’s fallen off the map after his first book. The pair’s revelry at Comic-Con marks the high point of the film, as they celebrate the subculture.

Once they are on their way across the U.S., though, the film slows down. Along the way these two sci-fi fans run across the real thing: Paul, a bigheaded grayish green alien. Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) crash-landed on earth 60 years ago, but now he’s on the run from the government, which has decided to dissect him.

The film becomes a semi-interminable chase scene, as government agents (including Jason Bateman and Tulsa’s Bill Hader) attempt to catch up to the RV.

Along the way, Graeme, Clive and Paul meet Ruth Buggs (Kristen Wiig), a sheltered fundamentalist whose father is stifling her dreams of seeing the world.

When she sees Paul, the boys are forced to bring her along, adding her father to the growing group of those chasing the crew.

The CGI work on Paul is pretty sophisticated, but Rogen never really manages to make him a fully developed character. And Pegg and Frost, as talented as they are, feel as if they are coasting on their relationships from past films. Graeme and Clive’s story never gets fully explored, as director Greg Mottola keeps the pedal to the floor, perhaps hoping that keeping the characters moving will keep viewers from seeing the cracks.

Everybody involved with the film has done better, and most likely will again. There are spots of humor, but the film’s characters seem more suited to a short comedy sketch than a feature film.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Listed on wimgo Movies under Adventure

Announced via a press release, Comic-Con International, the largest gathering of comics fans in the U.S., drawing about 125,000 to San Diego each summer, has announced it will stay in the same location through 2015.  Other cities had made offers to Comic-Con, as its deal with San Diego was expiring.   Release below.

- Matt Price

San Diego – Comic-Con International: San Diego (Comic-Con), the largest comics convention of its kind in the world, today announced it will be staying in San Diego for the foreseeable future.

Comic-Con reached a self-imposed attendance limit at the San Diego Convention Center (SDCC) in 2007 and has had to cap attendance at approximately 125,000 people each year since. In looking at ways to better accommodate the growing demand from attendees and exhibitors, the nonprofit organization considered proposals for a move to larger facilities in Los Angeles or Anaheim after the expiration of its SDCC lease in 2012. This decision keeps Comic-Con in San Diego through 2015.

“We are grateful for the tireless efforts all three cities put into to their proposals,” said David Glanzer, Comic-Con’s director of marketing and public relations. “In the end, we feel this decision is the best for all those who attend Comic-Con and for the organization itself. We are happy that the community has worked with us to ensure that we remain here.”

Comic-Con was first held in 1970 at the U.S. Grant Hotel, where it attracted 300 people. As the event grew, subsequent homes included the downtown El Cortez Hotel in the 1970s and the San Diego Convention and Performing Arts Center in the 1980s. Comic-Con moved to the then newly built SDCC in 1991. Comic-Con celebrated its 41st year in 2010.

The San Diego Convention Center Corporation has scheduled a press conference for Friday, October 1 at 11:45 a.m. at Lobby E of the convention center.

Oblivion from Radical.

Radical Publishing has made inroads in the comic book field with series including “Hercules,” “Shrapnel” and “The Last Days of American Crime.” It also has made Hollywood connections, as several properties have been optioned for film. In 2011, it will expand into illustrated novels with “Oblivion,” based on a science-fiction idea from “Tron: Legacy” director Joe Kosinski.

“Rex Mundi” writer Arvid Nelson writes a science-fiction tale in which the Earth’s surface has been irradiated beyond recognition. Civilization is in ruins and under attack from Scavenger aliens. The remnants of humanity primarily live above the clouds. The preview, released at Comic-Con International, introduced Jak, a surface drone repairman who discovers a mysterious woman in a crash-landed pod. According to Radical, in the hardcover “Oblivion” illustrated novel, that discovery will set off a chain of events that will force Jak to question everything he knows.

“The Joe Kosinski project came up about two years ago, just when Joe got the job to do ‘Tron,’” said Barry Levine, president and publisher of Radical. “He pitched me a couple of ideas … this one high concept, I loved it. It was ‘Oblivion.’ About two weeks later, he sent me about five, six pages, and I said, ‘I’m doing it.’”

The illustrated novel, set to be released next summer, already has been optioned by Disney. According to Deadline, William Monahan (“The Departed”) is attached as a screenwriter.

“I was looking to make a science-fiction film that I could do on a budget,” Kosinski said in a news release about the initial concept. “It’s grown since then, but it’s intended to be a very spare science-fiction film, with a small cast but big ideas and big landscapes.”

Andree Wallin’s art in the preview draws the viewer into the landscapes, spacecraft and alien conflicts. Wallin, a digital painter from Sweden, said at deviantart.com that the art style of “Oblivion” is different from his usual work.

“The art is very different from what I usually do. While most of my personal stuff is very Michael Bay-ish in the style, ‘Oblivion’ is quite the opposite: dark, gritty and sometimes very sparse color palettes to enhance the toxic and dangerous feel to the world, but still extremely varied.”

Radical’s executive vice president, Jesse Berger, says the format of “Oblivion” will allow Radical to explore some new markets, as well,

“It’s also started a new format for Radical, that we’re really looking to explore further, which is doing prose versus just the graphic novel format,” Berger said. “We’re taking it in a different direction … it really allows us to explore different markets.”

Levine said “Oblivion” also would work well on an iPad or digital reader.

“You have two pages, and then you have a fully rendered image.”

- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

In this video from Comic-Con International, Jimmy Palmiotti, co-writer of “Time Bomb” with Justin Gray, discusses the Radical Comics miniseries with Matt Price. Paul Gulacy is the “Time Bomb” artist.
Video shot by Annette Price and edited by Kyle Roberts.

Time Bomb issue 1

Art from "Time Bomb."

In the action-adventure comic book “Time Bomb,” written by the “Jonah Hex” team of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, Adolph Hitler may yet have his revenge on humanity.

The book begins in Berlin in the near future, as builders of a subway tunnel discover an underground city built near the end of World War II by Hitler.

“While they’re down there investigating the city, they accidentally trigger a missile launch,” Palmiotti said in an interview at Comic-Con. “And the missile launches through Berlin, blows up in the atmosphere, and they find out that the missile’s payload was a virus, a mega-virus.”

This mega-virus has the potential to destroy all the human life on Earth, and it’s spreading fast. A secret, and abandoned, U.S. project may be humanity’s only hope.

The cover to "Time Bomb" issue 2

“The American government had this operation, a thing called Time Bomb, which would send things back in time, people back in time,” Palmiotti said. “But it cost a billion dollars every time they use it, and the program’s been dumped. Well, now they have to use it.”

A four-person crew is assembled to go back in time a week to prevent the firing of the missile. But something goes wrong.

“It sends four people from now back to the end of World War II, and they have to go into Berlin to take out the city to take out the missile,” Palmiotti said.

The artist on the three-issue miniseries is Paul Gulacy, known for his work on “Sabre,” “Master of Kung-Fu” and “Batman.”

“I’ve been a fan of Paul since I was a kid,” Palmiotti said. “And I’ve worked with Paul a couple of times, doing Batman, as an inker … and I’ve had the pleasure of writing for him on things like ‘Jonah Hex.’”

Palmiotti said Radical asked him who his dream artist would be for “Time Bomb.”

“I said, ‘Well, I would love Paul Gulacy, but show me what you got, and we’ll see,’” he said. “And little did I know, they went and got Paul Gulacy. So, I thought, I like these guys. They’re actually listening to me.”

“Time Bomb” No. 1 is on sale now. The 56-page first issue retails for $4.99.

- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Via CinemaBlend, the teaser trailer for “The Avengers” shown at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

There’s not much to it, but hey, cool Samuel L. Jackson voice-over and confirmation that there will be a Marvel superhero team-up movie.

- Matt Price

Stan Lee talks Boom!, and a wrap-up of Green Hornet, Green Lantern, Thor and Avengers news from Comic-Con. Reviews of Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #4, Uncanny X-Men, and Action Comics 891.

If you missed the Comic-Con trailer for “Smallville,” it’s now shown up online. Tom Welling as Clark Kent, the return of Jonathan Schneider as Pa Kent, the appearance of a costume, a Lionel Luthor cameo? Are you intrigued? What do you think about the trailer? What do you want to see in Season 10? You can check out more photos from Comic-Con at Smallville’s official Facebook page.

- Matt Price

Shot by Annette Price, edited by Kyle Roberts, the above video includes highlights from Comic-Con International 2010 in San Diego. See Stan Lee at the Boom! press conference announcing his new series, the Green Hornet’s car and Green Hornette Mandy Dollar, costumes from the show floor, Scott Pilgrim displays and much more!

- Matt Price

Seth Rogen poses with the Black Beauty car at Comic-Con International 2010.