At the San Diego Comic Con last weekend, Entertainment Weekly gathered together several major players in today’s comics industry for the first in their SDCC Visionaries panel discussions which consisted of DC/Wildstorm’s Jim Lee, artist John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men), writer Matt Fraction, Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Invincible), Colleen Doran (A Distant Soil), and Grant Morrison (heh.. what isn’t Grant working on?).

The discussion covered thoughts on comics being adapted into big-budget films, the future of the digital comic medium, how the attitude toward independent comics has changed over the years, and touched on some of the notable up-and-coming comics creators to keep an eye on.

With the recent advent of Marvel’s Digital Comics Unlimited, which offers digital access to a massive archive of its catalog, and DC Comics newly launched online effort, Zuda comics, the panel was asked how they felt about the possibility of comics moving toward a digital distribution model.

While at the San Diego Comic Con this past weekend, I had the chance to sit down one-on-one with Gil Kenan, the Israel-American director of the Academy Award-nominated motion-capture animated Monster House.

While relaxing casually on the back upper patio at the convention center, Kenan talked to me mainly about his latest project, City of Ember, the big-screen adaptation of the Jeanne Duprau children’s fantasy novel.

Kenan gave a few details on his big-screen adaptation for City of Ember, which will be released in theaters by Fox Walden on October 10, 2008, and a bit about how Tom Hanks became involved with the film as a producer.

We lucky few (thousand) who made it into San Diego Comic Con’s Hall H this morning were treated to the first episode from the upcoming season three of Heroes. And Holy Hell, it was great! The episode is titled Second Coming and it definitely kicks off the new season with an entirely different tone from season two’s ambling disarray. The feel of the episode was dark, with nearly everyone of the heroes seeming to go against character and making some very questionable decisions.

Before I get into serious spoiler territory, I’ll say that although they brought out the entire ensemble cast, plus writer/creator Tim Kring, and co-producer Jeph Loeb, there was very little time for panel discussion and audience Q&A (for obvious reasons — they spent the time showing the entire episode!). But audience reaction the panel was immense, and especially towards Zachary Quinto, who plays Heroes villain Sylar.

Also, the Season 2 DVD, which will be released August 26th, will include some unaired episodes that didn’t make it on screen because of the writers’ strike.

We here at Geeks of Doom have got another round of sweet video game related giveaway for our awesome readers. This time it’s an ace prize pack for Namco Bandai’s brand spankin’ new Soul Calibur IV.

You can enter for a chance to win a copy of this latest addition to the wildly popular Soul Calibur series, Soul Calibur IV, as well as a cool-ass Soul Calibur bag and T-shirt.

About the Game: Set to reveal many long-kept secrets, Soul Calibur IV takes place in the 16th century and involves a legendary cast of characters, each motivated by a unique set of circumstances, but each with the same goal: to emerge victorious in order to claim the powerful soul swords, Soul Edge and Soul Calibur.

As you prepare to join this formidable line-up of combatants, you can customize your character and select fearsome, powerful weapons perfectly suited for deadly combat. Fight for the two soul swords with contenders from all over the world – and even beyond, as two enigmatic new characters from a galaxy far, far awake make their dramatic appearance.

Full 720p graphics show off this most masterful of fighting games in all its HD glory for the first time on Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 entertainment systems. Sparkling arenas, flawless character animation and several exciting and demanding gameplay modes (including, for the first time, online versus) combine to make this the ultimate fighting game experience.

As Mark Walberg and the rest of the Max Payne panel left the stage, the moderator announced that Quantus Airlines had brought a special surprise guest here for us. Hugh Jackman bounded onto the stage, fresh off wrapping the shoot for X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Telling us that he grabbed footage, threw it in his backpack, and taped it together on the flight over, he first thanked Wolverine creator Len Wein (and went to shake his hand in the crowd), then thanked the entire crowd for giving him a career.

Jackman then he showed us a sneak peek at the rough trailer for the film.

Introducing the trailer, Jackman had two words to describe the Wolverine movie: “Bad ass.”

We’re breaking news already. Look at us go!

Good friend of Geeks of Doom and creator of the mega-hit indie trade Jesus Hates Zombies: Those Slack-Jaw Blues, Stephen Lindsay, has informed us that negotiations for a French language edition of Jesus Hates Zombies have been completed.

But that’s not all!

The insanely, amazingly, awesomely cool cherry on top of this upcoming JHZ ‘Crème Brûlée’ is that the French publishers have taken serious initiative and signed on award-winning comic cover artist Arthur Suydam to create original piece of Zombie artwork for the cover of the french release. Anyone out there who’s familiar with Arthur Suydam’s work will agree that NO ONE does zombies better than him these days.

Howdy my fellow geeks,

Hmmm… what to say, what to say?

Well, let’s start with this… the Geeks of Doom have traversed this great wide land of ours in an effort to reach the annual Mecca of Geekdom, San Diego’s Comic-Con International (SDCC to those in the know), and Holy Shinobi, we’ve made it! We’re all checked in, we got our sweet Press badges, and we’re tired as hell ready to kick some serious comic ass!

After the amazing time we had covering NYCC this April, there was no way we were going to allow ourselves to miss it’s big brother out in San Diego. And having only gotten a few momentary glances at the exhibition floor tonight I just know that we’re in for a grand old geeky time of things this week.

And to think, I actually felt the show floor for NYCC was geek overload.. lol.

Attention Call of Duty fans. We just got our hands on the latest teaser trailer for the upcoming CoD sequel, World at War. Check it out right here!

The WGA has decided not to include Edward Norton as a co-credited writer on the script for The Incredible Hulk even though it’s widely known that he has extensively retooled Zak Penn’s original draft.

The winner of this contest will receive (1) Sony Playstation 2 (slim) , as well as a copy of Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz video game!!! Awwwww yeah, my people. The Geeks of Doom done giveth… and keep on giving.

Now, all of our awesome repeat visitors are already aware of that fact that we give away a lot of great prizing here at Geeks of Doom, but this one’s even got me creaming in my shorts. We have the pleasure of giving away one (1) 40 GB Sony Playstation 3!!! Yeah, that’s right bitches.. we’re giving away a freakin’ PS3. Dig on that, bizzle! Woohoo!

Geeks of Doom has a one-on-one chat with Wil Wheaton — actor, author, former child star, parent, technology enthusiast, social advocate, and self-professed geek.

Join me for the inaugural episode of SlashFIlm’s FILMCAST podshow, LIVE!

Please stand by …

Teaser trailer, synopsis, and images for Atari’s upcoming next-gen addition to the Alone in the Dark series of video games.

Hey Doom Crew,
In mere moments, I’ll be joining David Chen, Devindra Hardawar, and Adam Quigley of slashfilm.com tonight for the Inaugural edition of their awesome videocast, FilmCast. We’ll be discussing the week in movies and television, as well as a round table discussion of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with special […]

Author Clive Barker announced that another one of his Bloods of Blood short stories will be adapted for the big screen.

Yo Doom Lovers,
I shall be joining David Chen, Devindra Hardawar, and Adam Quigley of AlwaysWatching.org tonight for the Tuesday edition of their awesome videocast, The Watchers. We’ll be discussing the week in movies and television, as well as an in-depth discussion of Forgetting Sarah Marshall with special guest Angie Han.
Come hang out and chat with […]

Author Neil Gaiman participated in a reading and audience Q&A session at this NYCC charity event for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Author Neil Gaiman announced today at a CBLDF charity event that all charges have been dropped in the three-year-old case against Rome, Georgia, comic book store owner Gordon Lee.