Comic-Con Courts Buzzy TV Panels

That buzz you hear is the sound of Geek Nation preparing for this month’s San Diego Comic-Con.

The annual event, a crush of superhero news and sci-fi rumblings, kicks off July 24 with a bevy of film and TV previews. And while geek-friendly content often rules the day, we’ve learned that such fare often boasts mainstream appeal. Consider the 2012 blockbuster The Avengers a nice, shiny Exhibit A.

IGN offers up a timely list of the TV panels, or presentations, sure to get plenty of attention in the coming days.

• Showtime’s Penny Dreadful: This bloody newcomer apparently made a mark in just one season.
• AMC’s The Walking Dead: The gore-drenched zombie series shows little sign of losing its appeal.
• HBO’s Game of Thrones: More gore, more shocking deaths. HBO viewers can’t get enough.
• Adult Swim’s Mike Tyson Mysteries: Iron Mike himself will be working the panel. ‘Nuff said.
• Fox’s Bob’s Burgers: A surprise, given the show’s relatively low profile on the pop culture landscape.
• The CW’s Arrow: Anything with the word “super” attached to it still draws a crowd.
• Fox’s Family Guy: That Simpsons/Family Guy crossover looks like a reality.
• Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment: The Batman prequel Gotham is getting a lot of interest already. If it succeeds, more super prequels are on the way.
• FX’s The Strain: Whenver Guillermo del Toro’s name is attached to a project, the geeks will gather. The man himself will be on hand to discuss his new creation.