signing circa 2019
Three years ago was the last time Professors Jason and Ashley attended San Diego Comic-Con. We signed copies of the second installation in our Ringo Award-nominated series Jupiter Jet (Jupiter Jet and the Forgotten Radio), and left without knowing we wouldn’t be back until 2022. This year SDCC roared back into the San Diego Convention Center for the first time since 2019.
There was definitely something different about this year. There were staples of a typical San Diego Comic-Con experience which did not appear on the floor (the lack of the DC Comics booth was noticeable from the second you stepped onto the convention floor), even though Warner Bros was represented in Hall H with their Black Adam presentation and the CW post-Arrowverse had a strong rep with the Superman & Lois Lane panel.
While things were atypical with the return this year there were a lot of exciting announcements to go around, so while we’re working on the latest installment of our We Went To … travel blog series about our personal experiences at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con we wanted to share a breakdown of what Professors Jason and Ashley think are the
5 Best Reveals from San Diego Comic-Con!!!
5. Black Adam Appears in Hall H
Since we led with this … we honestly expected there to be much more from the Warner Bros camp at this San Diego Comic-Con. Dwayne Johnson appeared live on stage at Hall H to accompany this new trailer:
Hey, Amanda Waller! We see you there, girl!
4. New Walking Dead Show Announced
The Walking Dead seems to be the franchise always announcing new series spinning out of the original series and this year’s San Diego Comic-Con was no different. Two of the most popular stars of the series - Michonne and Rick - will be leading the way through to the next show.
The series has no name, details, or release date yet, but of all the shows which have been announced for The Walking Dead universe this is the one we are most intrigued by.
3. House of the Dragon Trailer Reveal
Just under a month away HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel show, House of the Dragon, had a huge presence at San Diego Comic-Con this year - including a stellar off-site activation we’ll be writing more about later this week! - and finally graced George R.R. Martin fans with a full proper trailer ahead of the series’ August 21st debut:
This is the most we’ve seen of Doctor Who actor Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen and the family drama his possible succession inspired. The showmakers have spoken about the difference between Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. This new series appears to be a family drama rather than a tale of political machinations and this new trailer definitely echoes that tone!
2. The Rings of Power Trailer Reveal
Not to be outdone in the world of high fantasy the biggest visible marketing effort went into Amazon Studios’ The Rings of Power who dominated panels, posters, and badge imagery. The Rings of Power was the first major trailer to pop off and launch the week of geekery and managed - like all the teasers we’ve seen thus far - to show very little:
Eagle-eyed viewers heard the name “Sauron” and saw the trapping of “Annatar” and before we get too lost in this tangent we’ll move onto the next!
1. Marvel Announces Phase 5
Rumours bogged down both the Marvel and DC Comics sides of the equation heading into San Diego Comic-Con this year and once Marvel Studios graced Hall H nothing that was reported as “fact” came to pass. That doesn’t mean there wasn’t a ton of reveals coming out of Phase 5 including the follow titles and cards:
Don’t forget to weigh in on our Official Instagram with which of the upcoming Marvel offerings you are most excited for and click on that post to read which Professor Jason and Ashley are looking forward to!
If we missed out on your favourite announcement from San Diego Comic-Con this year let us know here in the comments or on our social media!
header image courtesy of Ashley Victoria Robinson