Author: Newsroom
JULY 18, 2025 (SAN DIEGO, CA) — With a career defined by intention and impact, Joseph P. Illidge arrives at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 with a full slate of appearances spanning genre, legacy, and future-forward storytelling.
Illidge is the writer of Bloodletter, the supernatural thriller unfolding in the Spawn Universe from Image Comics and Todd McFarlane Productions. The series’ second issue hits shelves Wednesday, July 23—just ahead of the convention—and continues the story of Tasha Thornwall, a CIA-trained, magic-wielding mercenary set on taking down Spawn himself, with co-writer Tim Seeley (Revival, Hack/Slash) and artist Christian Rosado (Vampirella, Skull and Bones: Savage Storm). Illidge builds a world of espionage, mythology, and blood-soaked secrets.
He also returns to the Milestone Universe with the forthcoming collected edition of The Shadow Cabinet, arriving in August. The trade collects the full four-issue series and Milestone 30th Anniversary Special, tying together threads of secret societies, intergalactic threats, and a legacy redefined.
The spotlight looks forward as SDCC also marks the 25th anniversary of Batman: The Hill, the cult-classic one-shot by Christopher Priest and Shawn Martinbrough. Illidge, as editor of the original release, shaped the project into one of the most socially resonant Gotham stories of its era, long before representation became an industry talking point.
Today, Illidge continues that mission through Illuminous, the story and strategy studio he founded to help creators develop purpose-driven IP built for longevity.
| Joseph Illidge SDCC 2025 SCHEDULE |
THURSDAY, JULY 24
My Comic History In Three Issues
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Room 9
Hosted by Dr. Matthew Atherton, this panel invites comics professionals, academics, and storytellers to share three works that shaped their relationship with the medium.
FRIDAY, JULY 25
Becoming the Hero: How DC’s Sidekicks Found Their Own Light
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Room 10
An exploration of how sidekicks have grown into icons—and why their stories connect with today’s readers in a way their mentors often don’t.
Bloodletter Signing with Tim Seeley
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Todd McFarlane Productions Booth #1915
SATURDAY, JULY 26
The Business of Freelance Comic Book Publishing
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Room 23ABC
A practical conversation for freelancers navigating comics today—covering everything from pitching and pricing to contracts, deliverables, and building a sustainable career.
SUNDAY, JULY 27
Race, Gender, and the Comic Book Medium
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Room 29CD
Women in Comics Collective International (WinC for short, pronounced “wink”) is an artistic and informative initiative. It serves to highlight the merit and craftwork of marginalized voices, especially that of women and queer folx of color who work in the comics and multimedia industry. They are also the 2024 recipients of the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award. This is part of their ongoing panel discussion series that focuses on equity, sustainability, and justice when it comes to representation in the comics and multimedia industry.
Supervillains at 85: Killers, Conquerors, Crooks, and Clowns
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM | Room 29CD
As Batman’s archnemesis turns 85, does the anniversary of the Joker’s debut also mark the anniversary of the comic book supervillain? Many experts call the Clown Prince of Crime the original, but what about Hugo Strange and other baddies who arrived first? Not to mention Brainiac, Thanos, Doctor Doom, and other larger-than-life antagonists who have made their own marks on supervillainy. Are they all lunatics, rebels, thrill-seekers, sadists, megalomaniacs, or the heroes’ own dark sides? Dr. Travis Langley (Batman and Psychology, The Joker Psychology) leads the discussion as Michael Uslan (The Batman, The Dark Knight films), Jonathan Butler (The Flash), Victor Dandridge (Vantage:Inhouse), Joseph P. Illidge (Batman: No Man’s Land, Image Comics’ Bloodletter), Dr. Brittani Oliver Sillas-Navarro (Black Panther Psychology), and 2025 Comic-Con Special Guest Jim Krueger (Earth X, Justice) discuss the enduring legacy of supervillains from Green Goblin to Kite-Man and beyond. Beware!
