Smallville 11.1 - Guardian - Discussion Thread (Spoilers)

[Webhead2006]

There is probably something when he did his contract during his film things. But that was probably for a time frame, which probably has to be reupped every few yrs i would think. But its probably all in how the contracts are written up.

 

[Milos]

 

[BH/HHH]

So for those who've read it does it still feel like Smallville?

 

[Lead Cenobite]

So that's what a shipper looks like.

 

[Milos]

So that's what a shipper looks like.

I'm here for Chloe, only!

 

[Johnny]

So for those who've read it does it still feel like Smallville?

Well this issue is basically an intro for the intro... so to speak. But yeah, it does feel like Smallville but on the next level. Can't wait to see where it goes. Miller posted on Twitter it's selling well so I guess we're gonna have the chance to formulate a more constructive opinion in time.

 

[Webhead2006]

Good to hear its selling well.

 

[BH/HHH]

Well this issue is basically an intro for the intro... so to speak. But yeah, it does feel like Smallville but on the next level. Can't wait to see where it goes. Miller posted on Twitter it's selling well so I guess we're gonna have the chance to formulate a more constructive opinion in time.

Awesome cheers mate

 

[Prison Mike]

Surprised to see Otis in the comic. I guess Miller likes the character. Thankfully, Lex is our Smallville Lex (minus the memories) and not the Gene Hackman version.

 

[dru-zod2501]

Color me impressed!

Smallville & I did not part ways on good terms. Having abandoned all things Smallville after Season 8, I was split over whether to give this a glance or hold on to my bitterness. I caved in only because of the price and my inability to resist Superman comics. I am so glad I did!

I think what surprised me the most was how much these characters felt like the classic Pre-Flashpoint characters I grew up with. Superman sounded like the gentler, noble hero I've always remembered. Don't get me wrong I love the more aggressive New 52 Superman as well, but this feels like a way to eat my cake and have it too.

I'm still rather upset with TV Smallville, so I choose not to think of this as a continuation of that mess; it's just a new Superman book out-of-continuity so I'm gonna sit back and enjoy the ride

 

[Johnny]

It really irks me the way many people feel about Smallville S8-onwards. I don't wanna start an argument because we all feel differently about the show as always, but Clark's character development in those final three seasons maybe topped anything that I disliked about them. Clark was such a great, never fearing to voice his opinion, proactive, in your face type of character, who doesn't need red k to stick it to somebody. The polar opposite of everything he was in S1-S7. He was so awesome 95% of these seasons, I almost got tears when I saw him be like that, after all the crap the writers gave him especially in scenes with Lana or Lex in the past. That's what I will remember the most about the last seasons, despite the lack of payoffs, plot-holes, etc.

 

[SpideyVille]

I agree, I feel like Brian and Kelly turned it into a more Superman-esque show, so much that I'd say that Clark was already Superman, just without flight and tights by mid- season 10. He had already developed that character, which is something that I feel a lot of people who hate the show don't acknowledge.

A friend of mine and I were having this conversation because he said Smallville runined the character because "Superman already knows he's Superman," which I think is unfair to say, especially since SV was dealing with something that hadn't been fully explored in the past with who Superman was before he was Superman. As much as they made Clark seem like a BDA in the middle seasons, and as bad as it was to watch him be so stupid, it was necessary to some extent because he shows how much he grew as a person by the end of the series.

 

[Rockstar]

The writing for his character was good in Season 9, but really cheesy in Seasons 8 and 10.

I think the problem with Clark in Season 8-10, minus all the Clois stuff, was his version of the character wasn't overly recognizeable as the traditional Clark Kent/Superman.

The Blur was again (as I pointed out in the other thread) a tease of Superman, but definitely not Superman. Welling's Clark at the Daily Planet wasn't the disguise either, with the actual disguise introduced too late to make logical sense.

It seemed like TPTB were trying to shoehorn all the elements of Superman into SV without actually using Welling as Superman.

I think that's why the comic feels so different from the series so far. It actually gives us Superman with the proper and recognizable characterization. Unfortunately it's a drawing and not Tom Welling's portrayal.

 

[Webhead2006]

First half of season 8 and season 9 where great in my opinion. And majority of tenth I enjoyed. Heck I say 8th is where sv finally made the jump into more superman stuff.

 

[DIRECTOR]

what a boring comic

 

[BH/HHH]

In my opinion Smallville season 9 was the best season of them all

 

[Rockstar]

In my opinion Smallville season 9 was the best season of them all

Season 9 definitely had more good episodes than bad. That's how a diffreciate a good season from a bad one.


Season 8 really only had Odyssey, Prey, Identity, Bloodline, Bride and Legion as good episodes.

The rest of S8 was either filler or bad episodes.

As bad as Season 7 was, nothing in S8 came close to the quality of "Bizarro," "Apocalypse" and "Descent." The good episodes in S7 were much stronger.

 

[Prison Mike]

I disagree. Season 7 had some great episodes but I think season 8 was pretty strong from the premiere until Legion and then from Infamous to the finale. Was Doomsday a letdown? Sure, but it doesn't negate the fact that I enjoyed season 8 overall. In my opinion, seasons 8-10 were much more consistent in terms of quality than the middle seasons (seasons 5-7).

 

[SpideyVille]

I think the best parts of season 8 were the advancement of Lois and Clark, as well as Clark's more proactive stance. And of course, that falls into the episodes that Mike mentions. The thing about that season was that they did the Lana return arc which completely went against everything else they were building on. Clark went back to being the mopey puppy dog and put Lana above everything else. The second half sort of lost momentum because of that. Whereas season 9 continued with that momentum and added the full Lois and Clark Romance and dual-identity aspect to it.

I'd say season 10 suffered a similar fate with the Chloe return arc, which shifted the focus from Clark and made Chloe seem bigger than ever, not to mention the season as a whole was more focused on looking back at the past than building towards the future. The guest stars and closing arcs were great, but I didn't feel as excited about the season as a whole as I did with season 9.

 

[Rockstar]

Probably because I'm not a shipper I didn't care for all the Clark/Lois stuff padded into S8. I didn't care for episodes like "Committed."

It just felt like any generic CW relationship between two characters. It didn't have the iconic feel of the Superman/Lois/Clark relationship I'm familiar with.

I think the biggest problem was they made Lois fall for Clark first. Probably because it would be hard to pull off a relationship between her and the 'Red Blue Blur' if she never got to see him.

I disagree. Season 7 had some great episodes but I think season 8 was pretty strong from the premiere until Legion and then from Infamous to the finale. Was Doomsday a letdown? Sure, but it doesn't negate the fact that I enjoyed season 8 overall. In my opinion, seasons 8-10 were much more consistent in terms of quality than the middle seasons (seasons 5-7).

Infamous? The one with Tori Spelling and time travel... lol.


Honestly, I personally found all of the episodes in the second half of S8 painful to watch. The worst part was the heavy Chloe focus. I just didn't care.

The first half of the season teased us with Superman, and the second half of the season reminded us that this is Smallville.

I was expecting a big payoff after having to sit through all that Davis Bloome stuff and it never came. "Doomsday" just left a skid mark on the season. And with episodes like "Stilletto" thrown in there, the show just got too campy for my liking.

Season 7 reached greater heights with the Bizarro stuff, Descent and Apocalypse.


Season 8 reached the lowest of lows with Oliver killing Lex, the Super Clana arc, James Henry Olsen and all the Chloe stuff.

 

[Webhead2006]

Rockstar I disagree there myself on lois and clark. I like I said in worst thread lois and clark was handled the best over all of clark other relationships. We first saw them as rivals, become friends, co workers, and then develop a real romance.

 

[vantheman77]

I'm glad to hear that the Smallville comic is selling well and that may mean more SV comics.

Seasons 8-10 saw Clark moving forward, whereas in seasons 5-7 he was stationary.

Smallville now lives on through the comics.

 

[Rockstar]

Rockstar I disagree there myself on lois and clark. I like I said in worst thread lois and clark was handled the best over all of clark other relationships. We first saw them as rivals, become friends, co workers, and then develop a real romance.

Rivals? When?

It just felt like in those final seasons they were over the top with the 'Clois' stuff, and it was a complete departure from their traditional relationship in Superman lore.

The biggest headscratcher was Lois knowing about Clark's identity in Season 10 and helping him form and develop his Superman persona in Smallville before Superman's debut to the world. That seemed more of a 'Lana' task.

We never had a Lois Lane ever fall for the 'farmboy Clark' before either. That's probably why it seemed odd to me. It was their fault for bringing her into Smallville and having her live with him in the early seasons. It was way too soon.

 

[SpideyVille]

I don't really understand why people often say Smallville got it wrong when dealing with certain "mythos" stuff. Smallville was its own thing, so they had the freedom to deviate from the traditional route. I always thought the Lois and Clark romance was well done, because like Webhead said, we saw it evolve from Lois not really liking Clark too much, to finally admitting she had feelings. It also added depth to the relationship because it wasn't as simple as loving Clark because he was Superman, but more because of who he was on the inside. Lois was a flawed person who never liked opening up or looking weak, but Clark brought out that side of her, and even though it wasn't easy for them, the show did a good job at showing how much they needed each other.

My biggest complaint on the final season was that they suddenly decided to try to line things up with the films to some extent. But I love how they built on their own continuity on things like Lex and Clark being friends, and I really wish they could've left it where even though Lex knew Clark was Superman, he never told anyone because he was too prideful to let others know, plus he would use it as leverage. Its things like that where the show could have kept itself as something completely distinct.

 

[Rockstar]

I'm down with change as long as it's handled well. Most of Smallville's changes weren't.

Most of it actually involved tossing pretty much everything from Clark's future life as Superman into his past as young Clark in Smallville, completely out of context. In effect, trying to give us the Superman mythos without Superman.

The end result is shaky.