Summarizing the Stuff at CCI/SDCC I Found Interesting

Come and Gone

Comic-Con International AKA San Diego Comic-Con has come and gone, leaving in its wake a bunch of exclusive stuff being sold at a big markup (people love those Lego mini-figs) and an assortment of announcements to mull over. A lot clearly happened, and I found some of it interesting. Here, in handy bullet-point form, is some stuff I thought was neat:

• To start with some of the biggest news, Marvel made some of the stuff everyone already knew about (a, "Black Widow," movie) official and utterly surprised everyone with other things such as a new, "Blade," flick (I reported it first). I will admit I'm getting a bit tired of the constant deluge of big-time MCU films (I like the quirkier ones) and soon Disney+ shows, but my interest is piqued for a new, "Blade," and hearing that Jeffrey Wright is going to be doing the voice of The Watcher for an animated, "What-If?" show sounds pretty rad. Also, Natalie Portman is back in the MCU and will assume the role of Thor. That's pretty boss.

• My mentioning of Jeffrey Wright also reminds me that HBO was at the con, showing off more of the upcoming third season of, "Westworld," which is of course a show I love despite its tics, and they also revealed more about that new take on, "Watchmen," which looks weirdly interesting.

• Image has a new series, "Undiscovered Country," on the way that sounds interesting with its discussion of a United States that walls itself off from the World for decades due to a pandemic.

• Jonathan Hickman and friends revealed a whole new X-Men line including his, "Dawn of X," book featuring mutants in space. It is Hickman, so I'm gonna read it.

• Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes are back for a spoof of Jay and Silent Bob having a, "Reboot." Depending on how you feel about Smith's movies your mileage may vary.

• Harley Quinn is going to have her own animated, quite explicit comedy show. Depending on your feelings about Adult Swim Network-esque humor and Harley Quinn, (again) your mileage may vary.

• Tom King will be making another one of his usually-great maxi-series, this time about Adam Strange. His work is either amazing or terrible, but I think this sounds pretty solid.

• The Russo Brothers (the directors of recent, "Avengers," movies) are going to be making adaptations of previously minimally-known but now soon-to-be-popular properties, "Grimjack," and, "Battle of the Planets."

It was clearly a big show, and lots more happened, but that was all the stuff that immediately comes to my mind as having an opinion about. Now the city of San Diego has a whole year to clean-up the mess left behind before doing it all again.