The Expendables 2: Real American Heroes – How can you deny a room full of bad-asses? The answer – you really don’t. The follow-up to 2010’s action hit features the return of Sylvester Stallone, who will be taking part in the all-star panel that includes Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Jean Claude Van Damme and Arnold Schwarzenegger. If you like action movies, this is a must-attend. 4:45-5:45, Hall H
The Most Dangerous Women At Comic-Con – Maybe guys just aren’t your thing. How about the ladies? Expect a full assortment of ladies telling it like it is in nerddom, with panelists including Katrina “Action Chick” Hill, Adrianne Curry (from The Tester), Abbie Heppe (from G4 and currently with Respawn Entertainment), Jenna Busch and Bonnie Burton, among others. Who dares deny the ladies? No one. 5:00-6:00, Room 7AB
Archer: Screening and Q & A – Ok, so maybe guys and girls aren’t your thing, but laughs coming from your favorite ineffective secret agent. Archer is returning for a fourth season, and creator Adam Reed, alongside voice talent including H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Amber Nash and Judy Greer will be lining up to answer fan questions and show off favorite clips. “Holy shit-snacks!” 5:00-6:00, Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Rifftrax Live – If you’re familiar with Mystery Science Theater 3000, then you already know the crew from Rifftrax, who take your favorite movies and obscure shorts and comment with razor-sharp wit and hilarity. These guys will be doing a live show to a number of shorts, while also talking about their upcoming live special for Manos: The Hands of Fate. This is gonna be quite the party. 6:00-7:00, Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Live PodCRASH with That Chris Gore – Drinking, madness and live broadcasting with Chris Gore. Did I mention I might crash this thing? Nuff said. 7:00-8:00, Room 5AB
Mega 64: Year One Panel – The lunatics behind Mega 64, consisting of Rocco Botte, Derrick Acosta and Shawn Chatfield, bring their antics to Comic-Con for the first time. Expect plenty of surprise reveals, video game jokes and madness galore. And yes, a fan Q & A. Be sure to buckle your boots for this one. (Fans will get that joke.) 8:00-9:00, Room 23ABC
Be sure to check back to see what’s going on Friday and Saturday!
Comic-Con 2012 is just days away from happening, and geeks from all over the world will swarm to San Diego, California, to take in the gaming, comic and celebrity madness of the four day event. I’ll be attending for my second straight year, and believe me when I say that my schedule is already packed. Not just with interviews and floor roaming, but with panels.
Comic-Con is an ideal place to attend some great panels, most featuring celebrities and some even dedicated to the true geekery of the world. (Yes, that’s a word, be quiet.) So, with that, rather than look through the schedule to see what’s the most important, I’ve put together this handy guide that breaks down the most vital appointments at the show. We suggest getting in line ASAP. Now, if you can.
Here’s our prime picks for the first day, Thursday!
THURSDAY
Epic Games: Fortnite Revealed – Epic’s latest project, a far cry from Gears of War lore, is definitely an interesting one, featuring plenty of strategy and humorous characters in a great new setting. The panel will bring lots of fun, with design director Cliff Bleszinski in tow, along with producer Tanya Jensen. They’ll reveal inspirations, new gameplay details, and so much more. And, as a bonus, you get gaming goddess Jessica Chobot (Herter?) hosting the festivities. Just go already. 10:45-11:45 AM, Room 6A
Mattel and WWE: Get In the Ring! – Not sure why we would recommend a WWE-oriented panel? Number one, they’re surprisingly fun, and number two, you have no idea who could possibly show up. Last year, it was Triple H, aka “The Game”, leading the pack of superstars at the showcase, and just when you thought things couldn’t get more awesome, WWE champion CM Punk emerged from the crowd to raise a few eyebrows. Expect plenty of wrestler shenanigans at this year’s show. Dare we start looking for Brock Lesnar? 11:30-12:30, Room 24ABC
Beyond: Two Souls: A New Breed of Interactive Storytelling from Writer/Director David Cage of Quantic Dream – We caught David’s presentation of this game last month at E3 and, needless to say, it was absolutely stunning what the team is doing with this. In the latest presentation, you can expect plenty of other great clips from the 2013 project, as well as a lively discussion that includes moderator Greg Miller (from IGN) and Academy Award winning actress Ellen Page, who plays the lead character. Fun times indeed. 12:00-1:00, Room 25ABC
Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Celebration – Happy birthday, Street Fighter! In this lively panel, you’ll check out features for the Collector’s Set, as well as first snippets of the portable versions of Street Fighter x Tekken. You’ll also be able to partake in a fun trivia contest with Street Fighter series producer Yoshinori Ono (he’s back to health, yay!) and Street Fighter x Tekken producer Tomoaki Ayano. Plus other surprises! Shoryuken! 1:00-2:00, Room 6BCF
Assassins Creed III: Live Stage Demo – If you’ve seen the footage from previous Assassins Creed III presentations, then you know that this latest one is a not-miss. Creative director Alex Hutchinson will walk gamers through a new live demo, with the busting port city on the brink of a revolution, and a new assassin, Connor, trying to make things right. Expect plenty of bloodshed, and a lot of fun, as well as a guest host. 3:30-4:30, Room 6BCF
