SMALLVILLE SEASON 11
My Prologue
This is the official beginning of
my reviews of Smallville Season 11. For those unfamiliar with the franchise,
this posting is to fill in the blanks before we get underway. Smallville was a
T.V. show which aired from 2001-2011 on the Channel WB (now the CW). It
chronicled the early years of Clark Kent before he became Superman, while
putting its own spin on the character and his mythos. Throughout the show, the
producers adhered to a strict “No Tights, No Flights” policy, and the early
seasons were pretty routine. Each episode had a “freak of the week” who
exhibited powers originating from kryptonite, Clark trying to win the heart of
Lana Lang, trying to hide his powers, learn more about his origins, and
ultimately save the day. But over time, the show began to become more comic
bookish.
There were cameos of heroes, from
Bart Allen aka Impulse, to the Justice Society of America, and actors from past
Superman-related projects having small roles. The list includes Terrance Stamp
(aka General Zod, Superman II) as
Jor-El, Dean Cain (Clark/Superman, Lois
and Clark) as Dr. Curtis Knox (originally supposed to be Vandal Savage),
and most notably, the late and great Christopher Reeve as Dr. Virgil Swann. And
the seasons began having a major villain for Clark to face, like Brainiac,
Bizarro, Doomsday, General Zod, and even a smoky apparition of Darkseid.
In
Season 10, we finally got to see the Superman suit, and Clark even finally
flies around. Unfortunately, for various reasons, we never truly got to see Tom
Welling (aka Clark Kent) wearing the suit, just a brief C.G.I. blur. And so,
while the show gave us his early years before he was Superman, this comic gives
us his first year as the Man of Tomorrow. It wraps up storylines from the show,
introduces new characters which could not appear on screen, and ups the stakes
while still giving it the same feel of the last 10 seasons. Here’s the thing
about a comic adaptations. While a show or movie would be limited by budgets,
copyright restrictions, and other such problems, a comic version can overcome
them if done properly. Good stories and artwork help to expand the universe and
keep the franchise going for the fans.
But how
does Smallville tackle this? Well, you get Bryan Q. Miller to write, Catt
Staggs to draw covers, and market for digital release as well as print. Every
3-4 issues is the equivalent to one episode of the show. I will be reviewing
each part, summarizing plot points, and comparing it to the show and past
continuity as well as how it holds up to the “New 52” Universe of DC Comics.
(*cough* Reboot *cough*). So I hope you
enjoy what’s to come, because so far, I am.
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