News Round-Up: San Diego Comic Con Edition

For those who couldn't make SDCC 2013, here's a good idea of some of what went down and what you may have missed.

• Anime News Network did extensive coverage of SDCC from the otaku point of view, including panels by Kodansha Comics and Udon Entertainment and the fan-driven panel Best and Worst Manga 2013.
• Tom Hiddleston brought the house down at the Marvel panel, in authentic Loki gear no less. Also at the Marvel panel: news on the sequels for both Captain America and the Avengers (Age of Ultron!). Marvel has more info about SDCC at their website.
• Doctor Who: The trailer for the 50th anniversary special was revealed, and while actual video of it hasn't been released yet, the transcript alone is a bombshell enough. Spoilers, sweetie!
• Meanwhile, at The Black Panel, creators, artists, and actors of color discussed their work and bringing the truth about their experiences. And yes, there's video of it!
• In other comic news, yes, there is going to be a Superman/Batman film in 2015. I might actually watch it if they called it "World's Finest".
• Naturally, SDCC 2013 brought the best of cosplayers out in full force. So many great costumes, so little time! Do I spy an Attack On Titan character?

Film Discussion: The Dark Knight Rises

Spoiler notice: Any discussion of TDKR beyond this point will contain spoilers for the film. Do not read without seeing the film first!
  
Eight years on, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy. (Source: IMDB)
 
"When Gotham is ashes, you have my permission to die."
  
I would argue that The Dark Knight Rises was the most hotly anticipated film of the summer, even more than Marvel's The Avengers. After all, it's the bookend to a wildly popular trio of films by super-director Christopher Nolan, featuring one of the most iconic heroes in comic book history. Given all the hype around it, TDKR had to pull off a lot in order to live up to it all and still successfully bring an end to Nolan-verse Batman. So did it?