In preparation for San Diego Comic Con 2014 (SDCC 2014) Gotham seems to be making a mark in the city as it ramps up to the start next Wednesday (23rd July) when a preview night will kick-off four days (24th – 27th July) of all things comic related. Not only are the San Diego trolleys receiving a Gotham style makeover (Pictured Below), but there is also a Gotham-themed 130-foot zipline between the Convention Center and the Hilton Bayfront Hotel and Gotham City Police cars will cruise around town for Uber users and of course stake-out SDCC for the Penguin and Fish Mooney.

SDCC 2014 is the “big-one” of the comic conventions and it puts on a show (both inside and outside the convention center) for all those who are interested in comics from the big headline film and TV events through to guest appearances, comic artists and writers and there is of course the amazing cosplay and fun fringe events and socialising. We of course will bring you as much of the Gotham, Batman and DC news and stories as we can from SDCC 2014 next week, so for all the latest from SDCC 2014 watch this space and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. We will also be helping out our friends over at TheEffect.Net with all the other SDCC 2014 news and stories.

The schedule for SDCC 2014 has already been released and is packed with panels, talks, competitions, appearances, events and screenings. Amongst these are the TV, film and comic panels taking place over the four days that will include celebrating 25 years of the Simpson with co-creator Matt Groening, an exploration of Hannibal (the Menu will include David Slade – Executive Producer), the new Star Wars animation, Rebels, and a look at Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season two and the new mid-season series Marvel’s Agent Carter. With this in mind we thought we would share our six big TV, film and comic events related to Gotham Batman and other DC properties scheduled for SDCC 2014.

1. Warner Bros Television and DC Entertainment event (8pm) and Warner Bros. Pictures Panel (10 am) – Saturday 26th July (8pm)

From 8pm on Saturday 26 July Warner Bros. TV with DC Entertainment will host a three hour extravaganza in Hall H to be hosted by Stephen Amell of the hit TV show Arrow. This is the big TV event of SDCC 2014, one that has never been tried before, and is exclusively a superhero themed event for fans of DC and will include loads of exclusives for the upcoming TV shows from Warner Bros and DC. Not only will the event feature appearances from cast and crew from Arrow, it will also showcase footage of the new upcoming TV series’ Gotham, The Flash and Constantine. The world premiere screening of the Gotham TV series pilot, starring Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Jada Pinkett Smith and Robin Lord Taylor will be shown at the event. To ramp up the excitement for the event a new teaser trailer has been released focusing on the relationship between Jim Gordon (Ben Mckenzie) and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) you can watch it here: “One Crime Will Unite Two Partners”.

To wrap things off at the Warner Bros. DC Entertainment event the complete screening of The Flash pilot will be shown along with exclusive footage of episode one of the new Constantine TV series, starring Matt Ryan, and exclusive footage of Arrow season three. We think this is going to be a very special event and panel indeed for Gotham and is certainly set to raise the roof on all the small screen heroes from DC that will be on offer this Autumn.

If you have any questions for the Arrow and The Flash panels you can use #AskArrow and #AskTheFlash for a chance to have them answered at SDCC 2014. Simply tweet the Arrow and The Flash CW Twitter accounts with your questions for Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin.

If you’re looking forward to Constantine, then earlier in the day at 5.15pm there will be the full pilot screening and Q&A session that will include stars from the show Matt Ryan and Harold Perrineau as well as executive producers and creators of the show Daniel Cerone (Dexter) and David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight trilogy). For all you fans of Constantine then at 4pm on 26th July head over to the Constantine Dome in Gaslamp Square, come in your finest cosplay for a “Constantine Meet Up” and commemorate the day with a group photo with the man himself, Constantine (Matt Ryan). This sounds a sweet little event just before the screening and Q&A session.

The Warner Bros. Pictures panel is also scheduled for Saturday 26th July at 10am in Hall H and they are bringing three upcoming films to SDCC 2014, including Mad Max: Fury Road and Jupiter Ascending, and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies. Whilst there is no indication of any sneak peaks of footage from the 2016 Batman v Superman film or that the cast will attend, it is likely that the Batmobile will make an appearance.  DC is also planning to announce their future DC movie road map, with the tease that the Justice League cast will make an appearance.

2.Spotlight on Bill Finger, the Co-Creator of Batman – Thursday 24th July

The issue of who, when and why in the creation process of comics that meshes both writing, artwork as well as colouring and stenciling has provided some of the more controversial discussion topics around comics and graphic novels. None more so than the Batman’s uncredited co-creator – Bill Finger. Not only did Bill Finger breathe life into Batman, Robin, Gotham City, and one fantastic villain after another, he co-created bat-free icons such as Green Lantern. With 2014 being the 75th Anniversary of the Batman and the 100th anniversary since the birth of Bill Finger it is fitting that such a distinguished and high-level panel comes together at SDCC 2014 to discuss his huge influence and contribution to the DC universe. On the panel, moderated by Dr. Travis Langley (Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight), will be amongst others Bill Finger’s only living descendants Athena Finger (The Cape Creator: A Tribute to Bill Finger) and her son Benjamin, plus Bob Kane’s biographer Tom Andrae (Batman and Me), writer Mark Evanier (Bill Finger Awards) and Michael Uslan (Batman, The Dark Knight film trilogy). What is great to see is that the very special reprinting of Detective Comics #27 by DC also includes new material and the first-ever cover credit to the co-creator Bill Finger.

3. Batman ’66 Panel – Thursday 24th July

Biff! Bam! Pow! …This panel should be a great trip down memory lane for a good number of people, bask in its sense of kitsch and let in your excitable inner child. With moderator Ralph Garman in Hall H Warner Bros. reunites pop icons Adam West, Burt Ward, and Julie Newmar for a Bat-tastic look at Batman: The Complete TV Series. The actors behind Batman, Robin and Catwoman talk about their roles in the landmark series and provide an insight in to all the exclusive content within the forthcoming blockbuster home entertainment release of the much-loved TV series. The panel will also exhibit some of the holy dazzling HD remastered Batman footage of the series prior to its release in November 2014. Remember fans to bring your shades it’s gonna be bright and colourful.

4. iZombie Pilot Screening – Friday 25th July

From 11.30am on Friday we will get a glimpse of CW’s mid-season series iZombie as it debuts at SDCC 2014 (unfortunately iZombie will not be included in the Saturday WB/DC TV event). We can’t wait to get some more details of this show and hear the reaction to the pilot screening of iZombie. Olivia “Liv” Moore is a 25-year-old medical resident with high hopes of a long and successful life…until she’s turned into a zombie. Now not only is she stuck between half-alive and undead, but she is stuck in the morgue as the only way to satisfy her lust for brains. Liv’s new diet allows her to experience “visions”-flashes of the corpse’s memories-including, in some cases, clues as to how they were killed. The special video presentation will be followed by a Q&A with series stars Rose McIver (Once Upon a Time) and Malcolm Goodwin (Breakout Kings), as well as executive producers Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright (both of Veronica Mars).

5. DC Comics Batman- Friday 25th July

The DC comic Batman panel brings together some of the most creative writers, artists of the medium. With storylines that are deep, complex, sometime vicious and brutal but always compelling and with artwork that lifts from the page to feed your imagination the Bat-family of comics couldn’t be in better hands during Batman’s 75th anniversary. This panel will provide an exclusive look and insight at what is to come for the Batman and his allies from the amazing talent behind those comic pages that we’re enjoying so much. The panel includes Marc Andreyko (Batwoman), Brian Buccellato (Detective Comics), Greg Capullo (Batman), Pat Gleason (Batman and Robin), Greg Pak (Batman/Superman, Doctor Strange:Season One), Scott Snyder (Batman, Batman Eternal), Peter Tomasi (Batman and Robin) and others. Enjoy this panel it should be epic!

 6. DC Collectibles – Thursday 24th July

For all those kleptomaniacs out there (such as ourselves) rejoice as DC Collectibles showcase the action figures, busts, statues and much more for all the fans of DC. The panel, which includes amongst others Kevin Kiniry (DVP for Creative Services), artist Greg Capullo (Batman) and sculptor Jon Matthews, will let you in to the creative process of making these figures and statues and they will give some insight about what is coming up from the DC Collectibles range. Get your wallets ready and prepare to spend as DC Collectibles offer loads of Comic-Con Exclusives to be sold at Diamond retailer booths during the convention.

We are looking forward to all the events next week at SDCC 2014 from the big to the small and whilst Warner Bros. Pictures DC cinematic events are limited this year at SDCC 2014, DC will be more than catered for by the Warner Bros TV event with a look at the exciting new Autumn DC releases on the small screen. But, in the best tradition of SDCC, we hope there will also be plenty of big surprises and unexpected guests to come at San Diego Comic Con 2014 next week. We hope you’ll join us.

John and Derek

Gotham TV Podcast