Nobody can do all of Comic-Con, it’s just too much … And we don’t mean Angelina Jolie swooping into San Diego on Thursday at 1 p.m. in the vast Hall H to stroke the fanboy crowd into a “Salt” frenzy.
There’ll be dozens of panels and previews, hundreds of exhibitors and more parties, invite-only and otherwise, than any velvet rope can contain, Thursday through Sunday. Part of the trick is to pick your battles — and your blockbusters.
Here’s how to go beneath the radar and find the almost-hidden treasures. Just say hi to Angie and Brad from us.
1. Kurt Busiek: The Eisner Award-winning author is in the Comic-Con spotlight this year, and until you master a four-year stint writing “The Avengers,” sit, listen and learn something. (July 22, 11:30 a.m. — Room 8)
2. Game Boy + Fan Boy: The panel title says all you need to know when it comes to the future of comics — “Video Games: The Next Big Thing.” Next year, you’ll be the one who can say “told ya so.” (July 22, 1 p.m. — Room 5AB)
3. The Boys Are Back in Town: It doesn’t matter if you’re old enough to remember when an action hero’s muscles were real. The master is in Hall H, and Sylvester Stallone has brought a few “Expendables” co-stars — Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austinand Randy Couture– to show the kids how it’s really done. (July 22, 4:45 p.m. — Hall H)
4. Munching With “Machete”: One of his stars might be behind bars, but Robert Rodriguez isn’t relying on Lindsay Lohan for for street cred. The Grindhouse maestro is pulling up in a taco truck on San Diego’s 5th Avenue and serving the street fighting fans some good eats and an outdoor party preview of his latest cinematic offering. There’ll be dancers, graffiti artists, music and a good onscreen look at LiLo, Robert De Nero, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Don Johnson, Steven Seagal and leading man Danny Trejo. (July 22, 5 p.m. — corner of 5th Ave & J. Street)
5. Cera: There’s one two dream of every Comic-Con fanboy: to be Michael Cera. The Indie Emperor makes every fanboy believe that stardom is possible. His new flick, “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” based on Bryan Lee O'Malley’sacclaimed graphic novels, is exactly how they would want that stardom to be. (July 22, 6 p.m. — Hall H)
6. Feminism 2010: “The Girls Who Kick Ass: A New Generation of Heroines” panel will see “Kick-Ass’” Chloe Moretz, “Sucker Punch’s” Jena Malone, “Lost’s” Elizabeth Mitchell, “Fringe’s” Anna Torv and Ellen Wong and Mary Elizabeth Winstead from “Scott Pilgrim” show the world what being a role model for powerful woman in Hollywood really looks and sounds like. (July 23, 4 p.m. — Ballroom 20)
7. Hello, Hogwarts: No word on whether the stars will be there, but a first look at the film adaptation of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the last book in the wizard series, is pretty good unto itself. 
Plus Warner Bros. is previewing “Green Lantern” and Zack Snyder’s sexier than life “Sucker Punch” — and that’s really good. (July 24, 11:45 a.m. – Hall H)
8. Marvelpalooza: Comic-Con 2007 and 2009 gave us “Iron Man” and “IM2.” Comic-Con 2010 is giving us “Thor” and “Captain America” at 6 p.m. Saturday. But you know you’ll see those movies — take it a step further and get yourself over to the Marvel booth (#2329) first thing Saturday morning and get a ticket to the signings from the flicks and get your 2011 bragging rights. Kenneth Branagh will be there at 11:15 a.m., Chris Hemsworth & Tom Hiddleston at 12:30 p.m., Captain America himself, Chris Evans, along with Hugo Weaving at 2 and Joe Johnston at 3:30. (July 24, 11:15 – 3:30 p.m., Booth 2329)
9. Get “Glee”: Last year, this little singing show snuck up on Comic-Con; this year co-creator Ryan Murphy, stars Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Kevin McHale and others are returning in triumphant … with some sneak peeks at what’s coming up at McKinley High in season 2. (July 25, 1:30 p.m. – Ballroom 20)
10. Best of “Buffy”: The show might be gone, but the memories live on. Comic-Con officially closes out 2010 with a screening of the fabled musical ep, "Once More With Feeling” — encouraging fans to come in costume and show “Rocky Horror Picture Show” how it’s done. (July 25, 4 p.m. — Ballroom 20)
