The Watchmen panel is the event everyone and their great granny have been waiting for. The lines for this bad boy snaked around the convention center and probably into the ocean. 6500 seats: all filled. Everyone still bubbly from the killer teaser released last week.

Director Zack Snyder presented the footage early on, describing it as stuff from the teaser that expanded on the non-PG aspect of the film. That was a half-truth. Yes, we saw many of the same shots from the teaser. But there were plenty of new things. And without a doubt the movie looks very very nifty. It’s dark and slick and spilling over with detail. But I was hoping for something more than another sweet music video (no Smashing Pumpkins this time, more of a creepy score with chorus chants of building intensity). So we got no scenes, no dialogue, no real idea of the film’s atmosphere or tone outside of the visuals.

Yet, that’s not saying this isn’t one of my most anticipated films for next year. I just personally over hyped myself on what would come out of this panel.

Oh, you were perhaps wanting a rundown on the shots shown? Well, who am I to do deny you? Lap it up friends.

It opens with a close-up of Rorschach’s mask as the ink blots morph and shift. Next we see the shot of an enormous Dr. Manhattan blowing up Vietnamese soldiers like cherry Kool-Aid filled water balloons (much gorier than the teaser version). Cut to a slow-mo shot of blood dripping on a smiley face button attached to some unseen person’s coat. Rorschach studies The Comedian’s costume and gun rack. Then there’s a touching shot of Nite Owl II acting all introspective while sitting next to a closet holding his costume (Patrick Wilson appears to have shed the hunky image to fill Nite Owl’s sad-sack boots quite well). Afterwards, the footage shows Sally Jupiter exchanging looks with The Comedian, who has the sort of grin plastered on his face you can only find on a charming rapist. We get much longer shots of Jon Osterman being ripped apart and Dr. Manhattan building his Mars refuge. There are also quick shots of Nixon spinning in his chair, Nite Owl II’s ship sledding through snow drifts, Nite Owl II pounding the crap out of someone, Rorschach tossing Moloch into an open refrigerator, Dr. Manhattan turning more people inside out, and a girl slicing The Comedian’s face wide open (which is the obvious lead-up to the story’s most vicious moment).

However, the shot to remember, the money shot if you will, involves a kiss between Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II. Right before their lips touch a missile falls toward the ground in the background (appearing right between their lips). And then BOOM! The two are making out as a mushroom cloud erupts in the distance. Quite brilliant.

So there you go folks. Now that you’ve all seen The Dark Knight 10 tens, you can start counting down the days until March 6, 2009. Just hopefully we’ll see some scenes with dialogue between now and then.

Come back later for some interviews with the cast and filmmakers along with some pics of Nite Owl II’s ship, which is here at the convention center.