The Walking Dead made an explosive return to San Diego Comic-Con this year, unveiling a brand new trailer, a poster, new details, and a ton of photos. After the jump, we have a recap of all the important news from the big show.

Before the con, AMC released details about a special edition of Season 1. Included in this edition are a series of new extras including a black & white version of the pilot episode, audio commentaries on all six episodes, and feature that fouces on the comic to TV adaptation of the series.

The Special Edition will come in three different versions (DVD, Blu-ray and a Limited Edition Blu-ray Collector’s Tin). Included in the Collector’s Tin will be a wearable zombie mask designed by The Walking Dead make-up artist, Greg Nicotero. The SE will release on October 4, 2011.

As for Season 2, the 13 episode season will premiere on Sunday, October 16 at 9PM EST and will lead off AMC’s annual Fearfest. The panel didn’t reveal too many details, but the close to five minute trailer gave plenty to chew on:

Also worth checking out is artist Tim Bradstreet’s poster for Season 2. If you weren’t at the con, you can order a signed copy of it for yourself.

AMC has also released a ton of new production photos, featuring the scene that ends the Season 2 trailer. We’ve included those photos for you below.

Overall, The Walking Dead had another stellar showing at this year’s Comic-Con. What do you think about what you’ve seen so far? Sound off in our comments below!

During tonight’s season premiere of Breaking Bad, AMC released the first official clip from Season 2 of The Walking Dead. Since then, AMC has released it online and we’ve got it for you below. There are no real spoilers, just Rick taking out some anger on a couple of deserving walkers. Check it out and let us know what you think!

UPDATED: Robert Kirkman just posted the following on Twitter:

This Walking Dead Season 2 teaser that is making the rounds online is very cool… but it’s NOT a real teaser. Just letting people know…

Even though the trailer isn’t real, it is a still an impressive video and worth a watch.

ORIGINAL STORY: Bleeding Cool has found the first trailer for the second season of AMC’s The Walking Dead. The trailer, while short, leaves quite an eerie impression. Comic-Con will hopefully give us some more footage as our group of rag-tag survivors head toward Hershel’s Farm. Enjoy the trailer below and let us know what you think!

Deadline reports say that Frank Darabont, executive producer of The Walking Dead, has let go of the entire writing staff of the hit series.  Also, it is said that Frank is not looking to replace the bunch, and instead the show will deal with freelancers for the next season.  Darabont himself has written two of the six episodes from season one, while co-writing and re-writing the remaining four.  Although ditching a writing team for freelancers has been done before (the article notes the Starz/BBC‘s Torchwood series), going from the manageable six episode season to thirteen in season two may not be as easy as Frank may think.  Deadline says,

“Sources tell me that no final decision has been made yet with all options open, including using some combination of a writing staff/freelances.”

Of course, I believe that it is a bold decision that most likely wasn’t made by Mr. Darabont alone.  But, I’m pretty sure the last thing the writers of the show thought after seeing the tremendous praise and ratings for The Walking Dead was that they’d be hunting for new jobs before season’s end.

Read more about the story here.

AMC has provided us with preview pictures and the official description for tonight’s fourth episode of “The Walking Dead” titled “Vatos.’ The full gallery and official description are after the jump for those that want to avoid spoilers.

Episode 1×04 – “Vatos”

Rick’s mission to Atlanta is jeopardized when things go awry.  Jim becomes unhinged in camp.

Tonight’s episode is written by “The Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman.

Photo Credit: Scott Garfield/Courtesy of AMC

After the second episode of AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ scared up 4.7 million viewers last night, the show has been renewed for a 13 episode second season. Sharon Tal Yguado, SVP of Scripted Programming  had this possible zombified pun to say about the show’s speedy renewal:

“I wish all programming decisions were no brainers like this one. ‘The Walking Dead’ is a TV masterpiece on so many levels. We want at least 10 seasons, if not more.”

We’ve got the full press release after the break, but I’m very glad to hear that AMC is committed to keeping ‘The Walking Dead’ around for not only another season, but for 13 more episode.

AMC RESURRECTS “THE WALKING DEAD”

FOR A SECOND SEASON

Biggest Series in Cable History

Among Adults 18-49

Network Greenlights 13-Episode Season of Original Hit Series

Biggest Global Original Series Debut on Fox International Channels

(New York, NY – November 8, 2010) AMC announced today the renewal of “The Walking Dead” for a 13-episode second season. Since debuting Sunday, October 31, “The Walking Dead” has broken ratings records, with the series reaching more Adults 18-49 than any other show in the history of cable television.

Today’s announcement also includes Fox International Channels’ (FIC) global renewal for a second season, following record-breaking premiere ratings in 120 countries in Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.  “The Walking Dead” was the highest-rated original series premiere ever to air on FIC simultaneously worldwide.

“The ‘Dead’ has spread!” said Charlie Collier, President, AMC.  “No other cable series has ever attracted as many Adults 18-49 as ‘The Walking Dead.’  This reaffirms viewers’ hunger for premium television on basic cable.  We are so proud to be bringing back ‘The Dead’ again, across the globe.”

Ratings Highlights for The Walking Dead – Episode 2, which premiered  on AMC Sunday, 11/7:

• 10pm airing – 3.1 HH rating with over 4.7 million viewers;
• Adults 18-49 – 3.3 million viewers;
• Adults 25-54 – 2.8 million viewers;
• Men 18-49 – 2.1 million viewers.

Ratings Highlights for the The Walking Dead – Episode 1, which premiered on AMC Sunday, 10/31:

• 10pm airing – 3.7 HH rating with over 5.3 million total viewers;
• Adults 18-49 – 3.6 million viewers;
• Adults 25-54 – 3.1 million viewers;
• Men 18-49 – 2.0 million viewers;

“I wish all programming decisions were no brainers like this one,” said Sharon Tal Yguado, SVP Scripted Programming. “‘The Walking Dead’ is a TV masterpiece on so many levels. We want at least 10 seasons, if not more. Kudos to AMC!”

AMC’s “The Walking Dead” is based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics.  Kirkman serves as an executive producer on the project and three-time Academy Award-nominee Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) serves as writer, director and executive producer. Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, Aliens, Armageddon, The Incredible Hulk), chairman of Valhalla Motion Pictures, serves as Executive Producer. David Alpert from Circle of Confusion and Charles “Chic” Eglee (Dexter, The Shield, Dark Angel) serve as Executive Producers.

“The Walking Dead” tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse. It follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home.  The comic goes on to explore the challenges of life in a world overrun by zombies who take a toll on the survivors, and sometimes the interpersonal conflicts present a greater danger to their continuing survival than the zombies that roam the country.  Over time, the characters are changed by the constant exposure to death and some grow willing to do anything to survive.

Shot on location in Atlanta, “The Walking Dead” is led by a cast that includes Lincoln (“Teachers,” Love Actually) as Rick Grimes, Jon Bernthal (“The Pacific,” The Ghost Writer) as Shane Walsh, Sarah Wayne Callies (“Prison Break”) as Lori Grimes, Laurie Holden (“The Shield,” Stephen King’s The Mist) as Andrea, Jeffrey DeMunn (Stephen King’s The Mist, The Green Mile) as Dale, Steven Yeun (“The Big Bang Theory”) as Glen, Emma Bell (The Bedford Diaries) as Amy and Chandler Riggs (Get Low) as Carl Grimes.

About AMC

AMC reigns as the only cable network in history to ever win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series three years in a row, as well as the Golden Globe® Award for Best Television Series – Drama for three consecutive years.  Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade or creating acclaimed original programming, the AMC experience is an uncompromising celebration of great stories.  AMC’s original stories include the Emmy® Award-winning dramas Mad Men and Breaking Bad, and entertaining non-scripted programming such as AMC News.  AMC further demonstrates its commitment to the art of storytelling with curated movie franchises like AMC Hollywood Icon and AMC Complete Collection.  Available in more than 96 million homes (Source: Nielsen Media Research), AMC is a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, which includes sister networks IFC, Sundance Channel, WE tv and Wedding Central.  AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile.  AMC: Story Matters Here^SM.

About FOX International Channels

FOX International Channels (FIC) is News Corporation’s international multi-media business. We develop, produce and distribute 183 wholly- and majority-owned entertainment, factual, sports and movie channels across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, in 35 languages. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high-definition extensions, reach over 300 million subscribing households (875 million cumulative) worldwide. We also operate a global online advertising unit, .FOX (pronounced “dot-fox”) specialized in online video and display, and four TV production houses. In operation since: August 14, 1993.

Finally, the show I’ve been waiting for has arrived on our televisions!  Needless to say, I was very pleased while watching Days Gone Bye, the 90 minute pilot for The Walking Dead.  And it seems like the other 5.3 million people who tuned in to the pilot were equally as impressed.  ”But Cory, could you please go into more detail about what it is that makes this series special, without spoiling the events that take place” you ask? Why reader, I’d be glad to!

If you sat in front of your t.v. last night and tuned into AMC to give this show a shot, I bet you were just as surprised to see what happened in the opening minutes.  Let’s just say that I’ve never seen a television series have the “guts” to pull what they did off and so soon.  No pun intended.  Yet.  What the opening scene does is show the audience that there will be no shots pulled.  Pun intended.

The episode itself had kind of a slow burn to it that gave you a really good insight into our main character Rick Grimes.  We get a glimpse of his life in the moments before he was put into a coma.  Frank Darabont, the writer and director of the pilot, gives us Rick’s background through dialog with his good pal Shane.  I want to take a second to praise Mr. Darabont on his excellent script.  The dialog throughout the episode felt natural and true to the characters many of us have come to love in the comics.  There was nothing that seemed out of place in regards to how the characters spoke to each other and delivered information to the viewer.

Fans of the books will automatically notice the scenes and actions that do not take place in the comics.  I found myself getting ahead of what was going on due to my fond memories of the first couple of issues only to come to more than one scene that took me outside of what I knew.  I quickly had to adjust myself and let go to enjoy what was going on.  Thinking back about this, I am glad that I am not watching a shot-for-shot take on The Walking Dead books.  So far, I can tell they are staying true to what I love while going off the path a bit to explore other areas.  After finishing this episode, I was looking forward to the other changes that would occur, while hoping things wouldn’t change drastically.

The action here is top notch, showing things you wouldn’t think they’d be able to get away with on television, while fitting neatly into what you’d expect from a zombie story.  In the pilot, there isn’t too much in the sense of gore.  There is, however, blood and body parts.  The zombie appropriately dubbed “bicycle girl” is but only the top half of her former self.  She, along with the many other zombies displayed, show the strength of the visual effects of the series, both practical and digital.   The way the show is shot gives it an extra sense of realism.  The quality of the picture is film-like and the cinematography is of a much higher standard than your average cable show.  I really wish I was able to see it in HD.

The Walking Dead has kicked off with a bang.  As the first season is only six episodes long, I recommend you relax and enjoy everything this series has to offer.  The next episode will bring in even more of your favorite characters along with some new ones.  The action is sure to ramp up a good amount as Rick and Co. try to survive in this new, zombie-infested world.  Until then, I’m gonna hang out in this tank for a little while.

I’ve read various responses and opinions about this move, and I personally think it is a good idea for people who are already comic book readers. As for those who aren’t but are willing to get into this series, I believe they will go for the trades and books. That would get you more bang for the buck, as well as not having to run to the comic shop every week or wait for the next weekly issue. Either way, The Walking Dead seems to be getting a ton of mainstream exposure.

Source: iFanboy

This year’s New York Comic Con saw a ton of announcements from all sides of the comic book spectrum. Hit the jump for our full roundup of news goodness!

Marvel:

• Invincible Iron Man will change its numbering this January when the series hits issue #500 and will also serve as the launching point for the brand new “Iron Man 2.0″ series about War Machine, which will be written by Nick Spencer with art by Barry Kitson.
• Christos Gage is now a Marvel exclusive.
• Andy Diggle and Adi Granov will helm the new Astonishing Captain America while Daniel Way will take over Astonishing X-Men with art from Jason Pearson.
• Sean McKeever teased an event by the name of “Onslaught Unleashed.” It will launch this February and will see the return of Onslaught who has been plotting his revenge in the Negative Zone for quite sometime.
• Secret Warriors will end with issue #27 and issue #25 will be double sized.
• Fantastic Four #587 will see the death of a team member will receive a special ‘death bag’ edition similar to The Death of Superman issue.
• Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev will join forces on a Moon Knight series that looks to retool Moon Knight the same way the duo redefined Daredevil several years ago.
• Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming will launch Takio, which is a new all-ages book that featured input from Bendis’ daughter, Olivia.
• Bendis and Michael Gaydos will also team again for another Alias mini-series.
• Jason Aaron and Ron Garney will team up again for Ultimate Captain America, detailing a version of Captain America who was around during Vietnam. He returns from being AWOL to tell Steve Rogers what he missed about America during Vietnam.
• At the conclusion of Thanos Imperative, Abnett and Lanning will write a one-shot called Devastation Wave, which will set up the new status quo for the Cosmic Marvel Universe.

DC Comics:

• The canceled Jimmy Olsen co-feature will see it’s conclusion in the form of a one-shot. Other co-features will see their end in specials or mini-series.
• Dan DiDio strongly hinted at the fact that Jeff Lemire will get to write the Atom in his own on-going series.
• DC doesn’t have any current plans for a Justice League movie.
• The next Green Lantern event will be titled “War of the Green Lanterns” and will be a cross over between all three Green Lantern books (Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, and Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors).
• The Dex-Starr/Krypto fight will happen in the Valentine’s Day special.
• The Green Lantern movie trailer will premiere with Harry Potter.
• Johns teased another project with long time collaborator Ethan Van Sciver.
• There will be a Green Arrow/Green Lantern crossover ‘sooner rather than later’
• The new Static Shock series will launch in April.
• Batwoman #0 will be released this November, with issue #1 seeing a release in February.
• The Mikaal Thomas Starman will get a special this January.
• DiDio hinted at the return of Blue Beetle on-going series.
• Cassandra Cain will have an appearance in Red Robin.
• DCU Online will be released this February.
• James Robinson accidentally announced that he’ll be writing a Hawkman on-going.
• JMS will have Superman and Wonder Woman cross-over.
• The ‘Death of Oracle’ story line is a ‘game changer’.

Everything Else:

• The Walking Dead will get a series of prose novels with story by Robert Kirkman, but will be written by Jay Bonansinga, and will take place in the Walking Dead universe with other characters that Kirkman has established throughout his series.
• On ‘The Walking Dead’ TV show, Frank Darabont states that TWD will make Breaking Bad “look like pussies” as far as violence is concerned.
• Stan Lee is working on sci-fi Romeo and Juliet graphic novel.

What news excites you the most from New York Comic Con? Sound off in our comments below!

Sources: Deadline Hollywood, Comic Book Resources, Comics Alliance, Newsarama, and Slashfilm