The web is all abuzz about the surprise Dark Knight panel at Wizard World in Chicago. The event makes sense since the Batman sequel has been shooting all over the Windy City. Word of those lucky enough to see Heath Ledger’s Joker in action have many excited.
For me, though, I wonder if we Comic-Con goers should feel snubbed.
It’s happened before. When Batman Begins was imminent, the only thing fans got at that year’s Comic-Con panel was a pin and Christopher Nolan saying nothing was ready to show. Then, a week later, POW! The official trailer hit the web with all sorts of completed footage.
Now, given the whole approval process that studios go through, that trailer must have been completed way before Comic-Con, yet we fans got a rock (to paraphrase Charles Brown).
Now it’s happened again in the same suspicious manner. The near entire absence of a Dark Knight event at Comic Con this year was quite conspicuous. Yes, there was a Joker recruiting event, but it was outside the Con and missed by those not glued to the internet.
Then history repeated itself. A week later… the first Dark Knight trailer hit the web. No more than 2 weeks after the Con, actual footage was shown to the masses… skipping over the biggest comic book / movie / fan event in the country.
Coincidence? Snub? What gives?
In related, but less bitchy news… I found this old fan poster for the Dark Knight. Great use of the old Conrad Veidt image from The Man Who Laughed… the inspiration for the Joker. As much as I’m willing to give Ledger a shot, I wish we this was the Clown Prince Of Crime we’d be seeing.
