Strange happenings
Marvel has gotten great response so far to its animated line of DVD mini-movies. The Avengers pair and Iron Man have all been reviewed favorably by my local comic book shop loiterers, and their word is gold. So the company is planning to roll out their next vehicle at Comic-Con on Friday at 7:15 (oooo, primetime). It will star none other than the master of the mystic arts himself, Doctor Strange. Lionsgate and Marvel will present the world premiere with a panel featuring Marvel's senior VP of creative development animation, Craig Kyle, plus members of the cast and production team in Room 6CDEF
For your Saturday afternoon enjoyment, around 4:45-5:45, Dark Horse presents Joss Whedon. The "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator will talk about the hugely successful Season 8 comic book and his other projects. A sneak peek from the upcoming "Serenity - Collector's Edition" DVD will be shown, and with this being the 10th anniversary of 'Buffy's' exit from the airwaves, who knows who else might might make an appearance in Ballroom 20.
Also on Saturday, the CW will be screening the season premiere of "Smallville," with as-yet-unannounced castmembers attending, including the actress chosen to play Supergirl. Could be behind, but I could've sworn they already had her in an episode or two …
And if you're a comic book snob or comic book hater with nothing better to do on Sunday, you can join in the eternal debate over whether comics are really literature. Yes, at 11:30 a.m., Douglas Wolk (Reading Comics) will moderate a possibly heated discussion with Cecil Castellucci (The PLAIN Janes); Dan Nadel (PictureBox Inc.); Austin Grossman (Soon I Will Be Invincible); Paul Tobin (Spider-Man Family); and Sara Ryan (The Rules for Hearts) in Room 8. Could be interesting, but does it really matter? Teachers here and abroad are already using comic books to not only entertain, but to impart knowledge and increase reading skills. Whether it's Dickens or Daredevil, reading is reading, people!
Comments