Comic-Con 2013 is a wrap! Hopefully you were following along with our coverage as it happened at our hubs for movies and television-- but hey, maybe you had actual plans for your weekend. To close the books on the Con for good-- except for a few more interviews that will be popping up in the next few days-- here are the personal highlights of the Con from the people who were there, from big Hall H panels to kids dressed up in superhero costumes. Geek Christmas is over, but the fuzzy memories will be keeping us warm until next July.
--For Sean, both personally and professionally, speaking with Marc Webb about The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was the highlight of this year's Comic-Con. Being able to finally talk, in depth, about an anticipated sequel with the man behind it was a rewarding experience. The man knows Spidey, and has a clear vision of this cinematic franchise's future. He says the fact that he referenced a column that he wrote on ASM 2 continued to boggle his mind for days after. Without question, the best moment of Sean's Con.
--Sean also managed to talk his way into Hall H to see the Amazing Spider-Man 2 footage after being told over and over that there were no press passes and the lines are far too long to get into the hall at the end of the day. As Sean says it, "The Comic-Con Gods weren't having it They needed me in Hall H in time to see that footage, and I pulled just enough strings with the right people to secure a seat 30 seconds before the ASM 2 portion of Sony's panel began. Excelsior!"
--The best panel of the weekend Mack personally attended was Defiance. With Grant Bowler at his funniest and an entire cast that both appreciated the fans and seemed to genuinely get along, the entire hour was a treat for him and everyone else stuck in 6A (especially the two girls dressed as Mrs. Tarr who got singled out by actress Jaime Murray). There’s something about being surrounded by superfans in a place like Comic-Con that can turn a casual fan (pre-weekend Mack) into someone who will definitely watch from here on out (post-weekend Mack).
--No one does an Hall H panel like Marvel, and the studio proved once again why they are the top dog when it comes to Comic-Con presentations. Going last on a jam-packed Saturday that included confirmation of a Batman-Superman team up and the presentation of the ENTIRE X-Men: Days of Future Past cast, Marvel stepped to the mic and repeatedly blew minds. Thor and Captain America footage looked incredible. The Guardians of the Galaxy footage -- shown after only 10 days of filming -- instantly turns that mysterious film into one of my most-anticipated films of 2014. And witnessing Joss Whedon captivate a crowd of 7,000 Marvel fans in 30 seconds -- devastating their minds with the simple revelation of a title (The Avengers: Age of Ultron -- well, it was one of those "you just had to see it" moments at this year's Comic-Con.
--As Eric tells it, Joss Whedon wasn't just the showstopper at the Marvel panel, but the common thread that united every great moment he had at the Con. "Looking back on this year’s Comic-Con, there is a very obvious common thread that runs through all of my favorite events: Joss Whedon. There is a very good reason why the Buffy creator is considered a god around the San Diego Convention Center. First, on Friday, came the world premiere of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (which was extremely cool and a great kickoff to the series); then there was the always fantastic Joss Whedon panel (which unearthed some amazing details about the filmmaker’s work); and then there was Saturday’s mind-blowing Marvel Studios event. Now if only Whedon would somehow get involved with Doctor Who I could somehow link him to this awesome prize I found on the convention floor…"
--Several studios tried their hands at off-site exhibits selling their movies. Escape Plan and The World's End screened in full. Ender's Game had a walkthrough with props. The Godzilla Encounter, though, was a well-thought-out Tokyo replica that treated fans to their first look at the title creature ... and he looked awesome. The exhibit was short -- 10 minutes total to complete -- but the Godzilla money shot was well worth the time.
--Jason Momoa stole the show during a panel for a series he's not even on anymore. While the Game of Thrones cast was up onstage in Hall H, the former Khal Drogo rushed the stage, planted a kiss on his Khaleesi (Emilia Clarke) and shouted "I'm not dead, George!" You can watch it happen at the 14:45 mark in this video of the entire panel below:
--And speaking of Game of Thrones, did you see that the signs for the train running through downtown San Diego were redone entirely in Dothraki? --Back to Ender's Game, Kelly visited the prop walkthrough and took a ton of photos, and she also got the chance to pick the brains of director Gavin Hood and producer Roberto Orci, just ahead of the massive Hall H panel. Of everything she learned, Kelly says it's the animation for the mind game she's most excited to see when the movie comes out.
--According to Sean, fan Q-and-A's were a bit of a disappointment-- like in other years, a lot of the fans who make it up to the mic ask questions that are irrelevant, silly or both. But as Sean puts it, "As a parent, nothing gave me more pleasure than to see parents walking around the convention center with their kids ... sometimes with the whole family dressed head to toe in superhero costumes. I do love that communal aspect of the Con, and admire the parents who take the time to do SDCC with their kids."
--Kelly also got the chance to cover a party sponsored by The Walking Dead, which featured live music from Weezer, celebrity appearances by the likes of Sean Astin and Seth Green, and much more. Read her full recap here.
--The funniest presentation of the Con seemed to belong to Team Sherlock, and Benedict Cumberbatch, specifically. His video recording to fans poked fun at J.J. Abrams' "Mystery Box" theory, his Sherlock cliffhanger, The Hobbit an the fact that Sherlock is even AT Comic-Con. (Based on the reaction from packed house in Ballroom 20, they were more than thrilled to get a look at his little show. Next time, Mr. Cumberbatch, come see for yourself.)
--Comic-Con might be one giant monetary gift for every San Diego hotel, but the exact opposite could be said for cab drivers. While having one hundred thousand extra people might seem like a good thing, Mack spent time talking to three separate cab drivers, all of whom were more than willing to bitch about how the convention is the worst weekend of the entire year. With free bus shuttles running to the faraway hotels, a younger demographic that, on the whole, isn’t pumped about spending money and likes walking, closed down roadways and a parting of the Red Sea-like flood of pedestrians everywhere, the experience is apparently a nightmare for the people in the yellow vehicles.
--One of the best trailers shown during the Con was the new extended look at The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which included both Donald Sutherland glowering and a completely excessive look at Sam Claflin's Finnick with his shirt off. Lucky for you, that trailer is already online for your viewing pleasure.
--Though Sony's presentation on their Robocop remake was a little overshadowed by the Amazing Spider-Man 2 stuff that came after, Kelly said she found the connections to modern gun culture-- and the idea of being accountable for it-- really interesting, and "I'll be interested to see how that element plays out in the film."
--Eric took a break from movies on Sunday to head back into Hall H and geek out over two of his favorite TV shows-- Breaking Bad, with a panel that included Bryan Cranston talking through his own Heisenberg mask, and Community, whose panel kicked off with creator Dan Harmon returning and wearing his own homemade Iron Man costume. Which was weirder? That's for you to decide.
--For Mack, much of his mornings were spent winding his way through the overwhelming sea of people in an attempt to snap some photographs. From old dudes in Captain Kirk hats to a sweet Quagmire mask, he saw enough geeky awesomeness to last him a year and a few bits of weirdness his eyes will never be able to forget. The resulting pictures do a decent job of portraying the chaos of it all, but still, nothing can quite prepare a human for walking into a gigantic convention center and seeing one hundred thousand pumped up weirdo fanatics hellbent on having fun.
