Superman: Secret Origin #1
I’ve been looking forward to this day ever since they announced this book. Was it last summer in San Diego? I can’t remember.
Regardless, it was worth the wait. I’ve never seen pictures of Christopher Reeve as a child, but I’m pretty sure it looked a hell of a lot like Clark Kent. The art of Gary Frank is amazing and is perfectly placed to tell this story.
One of the main criticisms I’ve heard about this miniseries (before it even hit the stands) is that Superman’s origins have been told numerous times and that doing it again would only muddy the waters even more. After the first issue, I don’t think that is the case. Geoff Johns smartly decided to pass on the parts of the story that have never been changed. We all know that the ship landed in the path of Jonathan and Martha Kent as tiny Kal-El arrived as the sole survivor of a doomed planet. We get it; it doesn’t need to be rehashed once again.
I must say that I had a little chuckle when the name “Chloe S” showed up on Pete’s cast. And as much as Smallville is chalked up to being something of an alternate universe when it comes to Superman’s origins, the presence of Chloe Sullivan—however tangential—proves just how much the show has affected Clark Kent’s childhood. The scene where a young Clark Kent saves Lana from a tornado, the appearance of his heat vision and the reason it first appears, and even the appearance of the Kent barn and house are all very reminiscent of a certain origin show now entering its ninth season.
The final page, with Clark vowing never to wear the Superboy suit again, is of course a perfect place to end the first issue and lead into his adventures with the Legion of Super-Heroes. I don’t know about anyone else, but this title is going to be at the top of my pile for the next five months.
Smallville Season Nine Premiere: “Savior”
So many things excite me about Smallville right now that I don’t even know where to start. First of all, don’t think it should be overlooked that Tom Welling is now a co-executive producer on the show. It might seem like a minor detail, but I think that he probably is—more than any other actor to play the Last Son of Krypton—very in tune with the character. His new role has brought him out of his media-shy shell a little. He made his Comic-Con debut this summer to a room full of screaming and extremely enthusiastic fans, and also gave a very interesting and engaging interview for TV Guide about his new role and the upcoming season. This guy knows the character and will make sure that the origin is done right.
After seeing the premiere tonight, I am confident that this has the chance to be one of, if not the best, seasons ever. Clark has started his training, he’s wearing the “S” on his chest (and let’s not worry about the fact that he’s not wearing the red and blue right now because we all have moments of rebellion), and it looks like he’s finally going to be getting together with Lois.
How far in the future did Lois go? Not as far as I thought, that’s for sure. In fact, I was sure that they (the writers and producers) wouldn’t give us a specific time frame but instead divulge information like “this happened right after …” as opposed to saying she went one year in the future. It was a very smart move on their part now that I think about it, though. If in fact this is the last year of the show, they have a very nice way to wrap things up and send them out in style. I won’t go in to too much detail right now, but those flashes of Lois’s future at the end of the show alone are enough to make me very happy.
And this new Clark? Oh, wow. He’s so determined. He’s so confidant. And he’s so…smitten and obsessed with Lois, which brings up another point. Clark isn’t the only one who was questioning why he isn’t flying yet. I’m pretty sure millions of fans have thought the same thing over the last eight seasons. But we finally have an explanation, and it’s one that I buy 100 percent. Why can’t he fly? Because he still sees himself as a human, and humans can’t fly. I buy that. I really do.
Callum Blue IS Zod. End of story. I can’t wait to see how his story plays out this season.
We have so much to look forward to this season. I am, in particular, looking forward to Speedy showing up in the sixth episode this season, “Crossfire.” Let’s also not forget the Wonder Twins, Roulette, Toyman, and I’m sure many others along the way. Life is good for Smallville fans.
Next week…
More Origins and Omens. And I still need some of those covered, so be sure to e-mail me at gutterlife@gmail.com or post a comment on the forums if you’d like to give a helping hand.