Comic-Con Rewind: Superheroes, Super Hype Dominate

Comic-Con is over – a perfect time to separate the geek hype from reality.

Yes, superhero news once more dominated the event, and the recent box office hauls for “The Avengers” and “The Amazing Spider-Man” prove genre saturation is still not an issue for Hollywood or consumers.

But it’s best to remember than plenty of films which score oohs and ahhs and Comic-Con-style events can’t replicate that reaction with the general public.

Need we bring up the “Snakes on a Plane” incident again?

So let’s break down the buzz and find out what we really learned from the weekend’s activities:

• The Wizard of … Eh: The trailer for Sam Raimi’s “Oz: The Great and Powerful” played during the convention, and a peek at the YouTube clip doesn’t inspire a fraction of the love the old-school “Wizard” generates in its umpteenth rerun.
• Official Titles!: Yes, we learned the official titles for two superhero sequels “Thor: The Dark World” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” No, the latter isn’t connected to John Kerry (who served in Vietnam).
• Super-Reboot Still Lacks Trailer: We got a glimpse at a new super tease poster, but comic book fans are still waiting to see “Man of Steel” in action.
• Hobbit Misdirection: Director Peter Jackson is still playing coy about the new shooting style for “The Hobbit,” showing fans conventionally shot footage of the anticipated two-part film series.
• The “Dead” Are Back … in Time for Halloween: AMC’s “The Walking Dead” returns for a two-part third season Oct. 14, and fans of the graphic novel source material may be giddy over the introduction of The Governor. The film horror genre may be on life support, but AMC’s zombie-fest remains a taut, terrific balm for movie fans.
• And an Ant Shall Lead Them …: Edgar Wright’s much discussed “Ant Man” project is officially a go, and another superhero coffee klatch, Guardians of the Galaxy, is also underway.