You can see The Killing Joke in theatres 25 July

9 JULY 2016

This might be old news to some of you, but I keep encountering people who don't know it. So here it is.

The Killing Joke, the animated feature that has haunted fan imaginations everywhere since it was announced after the Gods and Monsters premiere last year at the Con, will be in movie theatres on Monday, 25 July. Yes, just one night. This is incredibly good news for:

1) Those of you who didn't get a badge for SDCC 2016
2) Those of you who did, but have Friday plans that make the premiere inaccessible


Or maybe you just planned on seeing it, but now feel free to pursue some of the other great Friday night options at Comic-Con.

Demand has been so high for this that theatre after theatre has sold out, with more added in the last few days. It's actually breaking records. And what does that demand say about our ability to get a good seat at the Con screening - or get in at all? Probably what we already knew: it's going to be tough.

When The Killing Joke was announced, my first thought was that I would crawl into a Ballroom 20 air duct if necessary to see it. Now the pressure is off slightly - and of course, it's coming out digitally on 26 July and then on DVD and Blu-ray a week later. Still, seeing it at Comic-Con is part of the magic.

See you in line on July 22. And maybe again at the movies a few nights later.

Preview Night pilots are pretty ace this year

27 JUNE 2016

If you've followed talk about Preview Night, you might think it's all hungry hordes of attendees and their war cries over exclusives. It's not; there's a whole other side to Preview Night that may be quieter, but is still pretty exciting. I'm talking about the pilots that are screened in Ballroom 20.

Some years these are appetizing; other years quite skippable. This year has some pretty sweet offerings, in my opinion. If you attend, you'll see:

People of Earth. Oh hi, Carla from Silicon Valley. This show features a support group for alien "experiencers," dished up by a Daily Show alum; it's already amassing a built-in fanbase. Let's hope it's as funny as it could be.

Powerless. Superheroes and insurance agents = wacky fun; that's the premise. I'm not feeling it but maybe you are.

Time After Time. I like time travel shows but they don't always have the greatest track record - partly because the history gets bungled, the actors all have 21st century teeth and makeup even in 1872, and the networks tend to get sick of them. Still, it's hard to resist a show that has Jack the Ripper and says "Good lord, Wells, you actually built the bloody thing!"

Riverdale. We all know this is why our favorite comic books Afterlife with Archie and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina have been mostly MIA; their creators were creating this instead. Everyone's curious about this new Lynchian Archie universe where Betty's addicted to Adderall, Archie's sexing down Ms. Grundy and Jason Blossom is murdered, so this is going to be a top pick for many attendees.

A new episode of Teen Titans Go! and the debut of Justice League Action. Wait, this is supposed to be aimed at "younger fans?" This, ahem, more mature fan is very interested. And I bet a lot of other attendees are eager to see this new JL as well. This will be a major draw.


So yes, Ballroom 20 on Wednesday night is going to be a pretty great way to kick off Comic-Con. But as always - and this should make you happy, attendees who didn't get a Preview Night badge - these will screen a 2nd time throughout the Con. You can see the whole schedule here to find out when, along with the other shows Warner Bros. is bringing.

It's worth noting that last year, the iZombie panel screened late Friday afternoon in Ballroom 20 right before Justice League: Gods and Monsters. And what do you know, this year iZombie is back in Ballroom 20 on Friday at 5:30 - and The Killing Joke screens Friday night. Same bat room, same bat time? Just something to keep in mind as you plan your Friday adventures.

The Killing Joke trailer is out

27 APRIL 2016

The good news: The Killing Joke looks as good as we hoped it would be. The announcement of new material (mainly pertaining to Barbara Gordon) made a few people twitchy, and the animation has its detractors, but it looks like the sound and overall feel of the film will align with the book.

The bad news: This is going to be ridiculously popular at SDCC, and probably not as easy to get into as most of the nighttime screenings and premieres. This will definitely be an anchor panel/event for me and probably tons of other attendees.

Three months from today, San Diego Comic-Con will already be over. That's kind of unsettling, right?

The Killing Joke teaser is out

3 APRIL 2016

"He's insane. It's a mistake to think you know what he'll do."

Just a little something to sooth your nerves before Hotel Day and remind you that it's all worth it - the ball of anxiety that is your stomach as you contemplate landing at La Quinta inn on Tuesday morning. If you have a badge for San Diego Comic-Con, that's what matters. You're still going to your dream panels, can still see The Killing Joke or the Masquerade or confront your arch enemy in the Nintendo Gaming Lounge. No one can take that away from you.

I'll post my thoughts on the hotel sale in a bit.

How do you feel about this Killing Joke image?

16 MARCH 2016

It's like a tiny piece of San Diego Comic-Con 2016 floated down from the sky like a multi-colored snowflake: we have the first image from The Killing Joke, screening this summer at SDCC.

If you missed Mark Hamill's tweets that accompanied the image, they are:

•  "All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy... Just one bad day."
• "Remember there's always madness... Madness is the emergency exit."
• "If I have to have a past, then I prefer it to be multiple choice."

I'm feeling it. Are you?

The Killing Joke will premiere at SDCC

12 JANUARY 2016

Remember last summer at San Diego Comic-Con when you were watching the Justice League: Gods 
and Monsters in Ballroom 20, Friday night, and then afterward Bruce Timm casually mentioned he was doing an animated film of The Killing Joke? And you felt electrified?

(Or maybe you just saw it on Twitter and got a vicarious jolt. Same thing.)

Timm said then it would be at Comic-Con next year, which made the need to procure an SDCC 2016 badge even more urgent. Well, I hope you got a badge in Pre-reg - because The Killing Joke will indeed dazzle the world for the first time at SDCC. And we know that it will include "original scenes" to flesh out the story.

So here are the main questions:

• Will these original scenes match with or detract from the intensity of the graphic novel?
• How will the controversy with Barbara Gordon be handled?
• How will the ambiguous final frames of the comic be translated to film?

And for some of you: should you even care about seeing this if you've never read a comic book or graphic novel in your life?

I can't answer the first three questions but yes, you should put this on your still-forming agenda. If you like animation, compelling stories, DC or Bruce Timm, you'll probably like this even if you didn't read the book.

Of course, it could also fail utterly at making the jump from page to screen. But it's still going to be a legendary Comic-Con moment.

Bruce Timm announces The Killing Joke movie

10 JULY 2015




Something pretty major happened at the end of the world premiere of Justice League: Gods and Monsters. Bruce Timm casually dropped a bombshell that he's doing an animated feature of The Killing Joke - and that it will be at San Diego Comic-Con 2016.

I know today was historic for several reasons, not the last of which was Hall H and the surprise Star Wars symphony all Hall H attendees were led to - but this is life-altering news for comic book fans.

Pre-reg just got that much more urgent.