San Diego Comic Con pt.1

Today was the day—it was time for San Diego Comic-Con. My schedule was packed: the first Invincible panel of the con in the morning, and the evening reserved for what could be one of the biggest announcements of the event—the reveal of Batman Begins and the official announcement of the DCU. Marvel had their own massive panel planned for tomorrow, where they'd likely announce The Avengers and reveal its cast. I knew Scarlett would be here tomorrow, but today was all about us. Even though we didn't have as much to show off as Marvel, I knew we were going to make a massive impact.

Matt and I arrived at the San Diego Convention Center, sitting in the back of an SUV while we waited for clearance to enter the secure area.

"You've got a lot of security now," Matt said, raising an eyebrow as he watched the team methodically check our surroundings.

"Yeah," I replied, rubbing the back of my neck. "After the New York incident, I had to beef it up. I'm not taking any more chances."

Matt shook his head, still in disbelief. "Crazy that someone actually tried to kill you, man."

The SUV finally started rolling forward again, slowly making its way toward the VIP entrance. When we stopped, one of my security team members quickly stepped forward, opening the door. Two others remained close by, scanning the area with a watchful eye.

"Alright, Mr. Adler," one of the security guys said. "You're good to go."

We stepped out, and I took in the scene around me. The vibrant chaos of Comic-Con was in full swing. Hundreds of cosplayers swarmed the convention grounds, many dressed as characters from popular movies, TV shows, and comics.

Matt nudged me and pointed toward a group of cosplayers. "Hey, check it out. Invincible cosplayers. Look, there's Mark and Atom Eve."

We continued walking through the maze of barricades, led by my security team, who expertly navigated us toward a side entrance. Once inside, the noise of the crowd outside faded, and we found ourselves in the quieter, more controlled atmosphere of the convention center's inner halls. After a few more minutes, we arrived at the VIP lounge—a large, comfortable space set up for guests to relax before their panels. Plush chairs were scattered around the room, and light refreshments were laid out on the tables.

It was a nice calm before the storm.

A few moments later, two Comic-Con staff members approached us, one of them carrying a clipboard.

"Mr. Adler, Mr. Gates," one of them greeted us with a smile. "We just wanted to go over the logistics for your panel. It's being held in Room 6A, just a few halls down. You're scheduled to be there at 10:00 AM."

They handed us printed schedules and gave us a quick rundown of what to expect during the panel. We'd have time for an introduction, a few exclusive reveals, and a Q&A with the fans.

"Everything's running smoothly so far, no delays," the other staffer chimed in. "If you need anything before the panel, just let us know."

"Thanks," I said, glancing over the schedule. "We're good."

We sat down, waiting for the panel to start. The energy in the room was buzzing, but Matt couldn't stop talking about what he was really excited for.

"You know, I can't wait for the DC panel," Matt said, leaning back in his chair with a grin.

I laughed. "You already know what we're going to announce."

"Yeah, but I can't wait to see everyone else's reaction to it," Matt said, eyes glinting with anticipation. "I'll finally be able to talk about it online without having to keep my mouth shut."

Matt then shifted in his seat, leaning in. "Okay, enough waiting. Who's the rest of the cast? You can tell me now."

I smirked. "I thought you wanted to wait?"

"Well, I can't now. Just tell me," he urged.

Laughing, I gave in. "Alright. Jensen Ackles is going to be Batman."

"Yeah, I knew that," Matt said, nodding. "But, man... Jensen. Can't quite see it yet, but I'm willing to give him a shot."

"And Liam Neeson as Ra's al Ghul."

Matt's eyes lit up, a grin spreading across his face. "Nice, nice. He'll kill it. I can already see him in the role."

"And Rachel McAdams as Rachel Dawes." 

"Wait… who's Rachel Dawes?" Matt asked, blinking in confusion.

"Yeah, she's a new character."

Matt tilted his head. "Why not use someone from the comics?"

"I think creating a new character was better," I explained. "Nolan's got a great story in his hands."

Matt shrugged, clearly trusting my judgment. "Alright. If you're sure."

I continued, listing off the rest of the cast. "Bryan Cranston as Jim Gordon, Michael Caine as Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, and finally, Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow."

Matt let out a low whistle, nodding in approval. "Now that's a solid cast. I wasn't too sure at first, but man, looks like a strong lineup. That's a good Gordon too."

"Yep," I said, leaning back.

Matt shook his head, remembering the disaster that was the final Batman movie from the 90s. "We really needed a good Batman movie, especially after... you know."

I chuckled, not needing to say anything else. That was a shared memory among all Batman fans.

Just then, the staff returned to lead us to the 6A hall, where our panel was set to begin.

=====

The panel began with a roar of thunderous applause from the audience as Matt and I were announced, and we walked onto the stage. We waved, grinning at the crowd as we took our seats. I leaned into the mic, "Thank you so much for having us," I said once the applause died down.

The moderator kicked things off with a few questions, mostly focusing on how Matt and I had come up with Invincible, our creative process, and what it was like working together on the series. It was familiar territory, similar to other conventions we had attended, but the energy at San Diego Comic-Con was unmatched.

After that, we unveiled some exclusive artwork for the next issue, which would be released by the end of the year. The first image flashed onto the large screen: Omni-Man hovering ominously near a black hole, the event horizon warping the space around him.

More sketches followed—fierce-looking Viltrumites and Thraxans, along with other new characters. The crowd gasped at the sight of these new figures, their designs even better as Matt had perfected his art style.

When Matt revealed the release date of the next issue, there were a few good-natured boos from the audience, disappointed that it was still a few months away. Matt, ever the jokester, pointed at me and said, "Hey, we could have released it by now if it weren't for someone—meaning this guy—but he is too busy dealing with other heroes right now."

The crowd cheered and laughed, appreciating the friendly jab.

Then came the Q&A session. Fans quickly lined up at the microphone, eager to ask their questions. Many were curious about our creative process, asking how we came up with certain storylines or character arcs.

One fan finally asked the big question: "Hey, I was wondering… do you guys ever think Invincible will get a movie?"

I leaned in, smiling. "That's a great question. Honestly, while a live-action movie could be cool, I'm more interested in exploring Invincible as an animated series. There's so much you can do with animation that truly brings the comic to life, especially with the action and all the wild powers. I think an animated series would let us stay true to the spirit of the comic."

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, clearly excited by the idea.

Then, a cheeky fan managed to sneak in a question about DC.

"Daniel, we've all heard the rumors… Any chance you're going to drop some hints about the DC panel later today?"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Nice try! But you're going to have to wait just a little bit longer."

There were groans and laughs from the crowd, but they were good-natured. They knew we had something big coming.

As the panel came to an end, Matt and I stood up, thanking the fans for their support.

"Thanks so much for being here today, everyone!" Matt said, waving to the crowd.

I followed up with a grin, "I'll see you all in the evening."

With that, we left the stage to a final wave of applause.

.

.

.

As I returned to the suite while Matt went off to explore the convention, I tried to relax for a bit on the sofa. I knew Dave would be calling soon to go over the final details before the big DC panel in the evening. But as I sat there, something caught my eye—a familiar face in the VIP lounge.

It was Steven Spielberg.

He noticed me at the same time and smiled, making his way over.

"Ah, Mr. Adler, right?" he said, extending his hand as he approached.

I quickly stood up, trying to keep my cool. "Yes, sir. It's an honor to meet you again, Mr. Spielberg."

He greeted me warmly and asked, "What brings you here today?"

"I'm waiting for the DC panel later this evening," I said.

Spielberg nodded, looking intrigued. "Ah, Christopher's new movie. I've heard some whispers about that. Should be exciting."

I smiled. "Yeah, we've been working on it for some time now."

"You're here for the new tintin movie right" I asked

Spielberg smiled warmly. "Yes, that's right."

"It's great to see Tintin back on screen," I said, genuinely excited.

Spielberg then gestured across the room. "There are a few people I'd like you to meet."

Curious, I followed him to the other side of the lounge, where I found myself face-to-face with none other than Peter Jackson. I had to stop myself from looking too starstruck.

Spielberg introduced me to Peter. "Peter, this is Daniel Adler."

Peter extended his hand with a warm smile. "Ah, Mr. Adler, congratulations on your Oscar win. Quite an achievement at your age."

"Thank you," I said, shaking his hand. "I'm a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings. I've watched the trilogy more times than I can count."

Spielberg chuckled before turning back to me. "Now that you're here, Daniel, we could use your opinion on something."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Peter and I were actually discussing something earlier. We were debating whether Peter's upcoming Hobbit film should be one movie, two, or even three."

I raised my eyebrows. "Honestly, it should just be one," I said, half-joking. "It's a pretty short story. How could you possibly split it into three films?" I said, remembering the filler-packed Hobbit trilogy from my previous life.

They both laughed, with Peter shaking his head. "I agree, believe me. I was pushing for two, but the studio wants three."

Spielberg nodded sympathetically. "They'll do that—greedy bastards."

As we talked, I noticed Guillermo del Toro lingering on the other side of the room, watching us. I leaned toward Spielberg. "Is that Guillermo del Toro?"

Peter was the one to answer. "Yeah."

Peter sighed. "Did you know he was supposed to direct The Hobbit?"

I shook my head, genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, he did all the preproduction, had the script ready, was ready to begin, but ran into some issues with the studio."

"We're not on great terms at the moment," Peter admitted. "He thinks I stole the film from him, which wasn't the case. Honestly, at this point, he can have it. This project has been nothing but stressful for me."

'Ah, director drama,' I thought as I wondered how different the Hobbit movies would have been if they were directed by del Toro.

After talking for a while longer, I politely excused myself. As I walked back to my seat, I couldn't help but think about del Toro. He would be perfect for something like Justice League Dark, his style fitting the darker, more mystical side of the DCU. But that kind of project was still years away. Maybe there was something else he could tackle sooner...