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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