TVSquad

While there are still a couple of panels left to go, things are definitely winding down at the Comic-Con. Stormtroopers are starting to smell a little rank, and the Junior Justice League isn't looking nearly as plucky. As the dust settles and the marketing teams rest their weary heads, what news items are we left with from Ye Old Comic-Con?

The best TV-related news items, in no particular order, follow:

Kevin Smith and Heroes: Origins
Kevin Smith will write and direct the first episode of Heroes: Origins. Dreamed up as a mid-season spin-off to keep Heroes ratings from experiencing a post-hiatus slump, Heroes: Origins will introduce six new heroes in six episodes. At the end of the run, viewers will decide which of the six heroes should joining the Heroes cast. Kevin is the first of six "unique voices" chosen to write and direct an episode. Brilliant idea. Here's hoping they recruit some real eccentrics for the others. I'm thinking a Wes Anderson Heroes?

Joss Whedon and Ripper
Giles is back, or is very, very close to coming back care of the BBC. Ripper is the long-awaited, much-rumored television movie starring Anthony Stewart Head. Ripper was Giles' nickname pre-Buffy - the "I played with black magic, hung out with Ethan Rayne and was a bad ass" years. Everyone is one board. Papers just need to be signed for the ninety minute TV film to move ahead.

No Bruce Wayne for Smallville
Despite rumors, fan prodding and the stated desires of the show's creators, Bruce Wayne will never, ever be on Smallville. He's a movie star now, don't you know?

Lost's Orchid Station Video
The announcement of Harold Perrineau return to Lost may have been a news story had the press at the Television Critics Association event a few days earlier not bludgeoned the information out of Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof. To compensate, we were shown an Orchid Station video staring Dr. Marvin Candle with two fully-functioning arms, some bunnies and a reference to the "Casimir Effect." It looks like the webisodes that we'll be getting before Lost's fourth season debut in February will give us plenty to chew on this fall.

Leonard Nimoy returns as Spock
Again, the news that Zachary Quinto was cast as Spock in the new Star Trek film would have been news had it not been announced days earlier. The new news - Leonary Nimoy would also be playing Spock, which is exciting on two fronts. 1. Nimoy rules. 2. This implies all kinds of things about the script and casting. Could more old cast members be back? Are we dealing with flashbacks? Forward? Characters meeting older versions of themselves? Let the speculation begin.

Karen Allen returns in Indy 4
Alright, in no stretch of the imagination is the return of Marion Ravenwood TV news. I'm just really psyched.