How good is this show?

[marukisu]

...

 

[Serene]

The only television shows i really like are Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Tru Calling, and Heroes and mature cartoons along the nature of Gargoyles and The justice league/JLU. So you can base your assesment as to whether i could possibly likethe show off of that.

I don't think it's possible to predict whether or not you'll like Smallville.

I will say that you should keep in mind that the show and characters have evolved a great deal from season 1 to where it is now (starting season 8). Still, watching it, in sequence, is about the only way you can determine if it's for you or not.

If you do end up liking it, and have any questions, feel free to come back here and ask them. It really is a fairly friendly forum (just don't ask about when Bruce Wayne is going to show up. ).

 

[triplet]

What a question...



I think you'll also get mixed reviews, even here, but even people who profess to hate parts of the show are still watching every week, so take that for what it's worth.

As for me? I love the show.

In fact, I love it so much I write reviews for it over on KryptonSite, but it didn't start out that way.

I was a huge Superman fan growing up and resisted watching the show initially because I didn't think it would be any good.

I started to watch and was intrigued, but only watched semi-regularly until I got the DVD box sets for the first two seasons in the summer between the third and fourth.

It was when I finally saw the Pilot that I got hooked. After watching that, I watched the rest of the episodes in those box sets until I was done.

If possible, I'd recommend trying out the pilot episode first. I fell in love with the show based that nearly alone. It's nearly perfect TV.

I say, give it a chance. I did and I'm not sorry I did.

 

[Migu-EL]

It's good.

 

[Brainiac 8]

Like Triplet said, it depends on who you ask.

As for me, I love the show.

But not everyone feels that way.

 

[Prison Mike]

I can honestly admit that I was not a huge Superman fan before Smallville. I knew of the character but never read any of the comics and had only watched the first two Superman movies. After Smallville, I got really interested in the character. I read up more on Superman and although some of it I don't really care for, I still love watching Smallville every week. After the show ends, I probably won't be as up-to-date on the character and comics though. I guess I'm more of a Smallville fan boy than Superman fan boy.

 

[Anubis]

The show sucks. Read the comics instead.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

The show sucks. Read the comics instead.

Not sure that's a great recommendation. The Superman comics, with a few exceptions that are mostly considered "elseworlds" have been dreadful and stale for about the past 15 years.

 

[Anubis]

Obviously you haven't been reading it.

 

[Migu-EL]

Obviously you haven't been reading it.

And obviously u haven't been watching.

 

[November Rain]

you need a very very heavy dose of nostalgia to watch this show as it develops so slowly that you might wanna guage your eyes out on the pacing.

they've milked 8 series out of it and very little about the superman ethos has come true so far. It was a great concept for the show when it was still relatively pure and focussed but now it's becoming longwinded.

if you took the best 20/30 eps and made one condensed series out of it, it'll probably be the best show ever.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

Obviously you haven't been reading it.

how would i know that they'd been terrible unless I'd been reading them? I've had a subscription to Superman since 1994 that I've maintained simply because it was "Superman", and I've got back issues dating back to the mid 1960's. Anything interesting and novel thas been done with the character in the last decade or so, has in turn been retconned out or deemed an "elseworld" like Birthright.

 

[Brainiac 8]

how would i know that they'd been terrible unless I'd been reading them? I've had a subscription to Superman since 1994, and I've got back issues dating back to the mid 1960's.

ooh, Owned.


Anubis, you know that I'm a Supes fanboy...but the comics have had not only some terrible ideas thrust upon them over the last several years...but also have had an identity crisis of sorts as its been trying to figure out just what the origin is of not only Superman but many of the comics characters.

Heck, the story that Donner brought to the comics was horribly executed and any possible impact it may have had was destroyed due to his inability to keep the story on schedule...which once again forced DC to inject side stories which further messed up the books continuity.

 

[Anubis]

how would i know that they'd been terrible unless I'd been reading them? I've had a subscription to Superman since 1994

And the book had been mediocre in various patches, with outstanding runs from guys like Greg Rucka on Adventures of Superman, Brian Azzerillo and Jim Lee, Kurt Buesiek and carlos Pacheco (minus the fill ins), and currently the Goeff Johns run on Action comics. I don't know how your comic reading tastes go, but if you haven't enjoyed any of that then it's suspect at best.

And same goes for you B-8

 

[Brainiac 8]

And the book had been mediocre in various patches, with outstanding runs from guys like Greg Rucka on Adventures of Superman, Brian Azzerillo and Jim Lee, Kurt Buesiek and carlos Pacheco (minus the fill ins), and currently the Goeff Johns run on Action comics. I don't know how your comic reading tastes go, but if you haven't enjoyed any of that then it's suspect at best.

And same goes for you B-8

Heck I still enjoy the comics, and you are correct, there have been some fantastic stories. "Up, up, and away" was one of my favorite arcs of Superman in years...and the current story isn't horrible.

But you have to admit, the book has had its way downs. Especially the Donner run. (Can you tell I'm bitter about it?)

 

[Anubis]

I wouldn't know, I was reading the Buesiek/Pacheco run instead of that cuz Donner shouldn't have ever been anywhere near the comics.

 

[Brainiac 8]

I wouldn't know, I was reading the Buesiek/Pacheco run instead of that cuz Donner shouldn't have ever been anywhere near the comics.

Exactly.

Oh, and Lana, the CEO of LexCorp was a contrived way to get Lana into the comics more often.

 

[Anubis]

Well, that's over and done with at least.

 

[Brainiac 8]

Considering it made no sense as to how she was qualified to run LexCorp, they at least seemed to come to their senses as to the absurdity of it.

But that is a minor gripe that I had.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

And the book had been mediocre in various patches, with outstanding runs from guys like Greg Rucka on Adventures of Superman, Brian Azzerillo and Jim Lee, Kurt Buesiek and carlos Pacheco (minus the fill ins), and currently the Goeff Johns run on Action comics. I don't know how your comic reading tastes go, but if you haven't enjoyed any of that then it's suspect at best.

And same goes for you B-8

honestly the only one I've kept up with on a regular basis is the main title. I've dabbled in the other books when there were big "events" going on or if there was a lot of fan chatter about an arch that was particularly good. I havent read any of Johns current run but have liked his work elsewhere. I'm interested to see what he's going to do with his upcoming smallville episode...

I wouldn't know, I was reading the Buesiek/Pacheco run instead of that cuz Donner shouldn't have ever been anywhere near the comics.

now there's something I wholeheartedly agree with

 

[Webhead2006]

Yea everyone has their own opinions on what they like or dont like. There is now 153 episodes to date that has aired and over the course of the show there has been many good things, ok things, and down right terrible things. But i still enjoy the show alot even with its faults. But things this season seem to be shaping up nicely.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

Ill Admit im not really a big fan of Superman but something about his story (or what little i know of it) intrigues me. Often time id try and watch the show but i just wouldnt get it but obviously id probably have to watch it in sequential order in order for me to watch it. When i ask other people should i watch this show most people tell me no its really really bad dont watch it , but i figured id ask fans and would hope they would give their honest opinion as to if its good or not. The only television shows i really like are Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Tru Calling, and Heroes and mature cartoons along the nature of Gargoyles and The justice league/JLU. So you can base your assesment as to whether i could possibly likethe show off of that.

The first 4-5 seasons were decent, at this point though the show is creatively bankrupt.

 

[Brainiac 8]

You seem to speak alot of opinion like its fact.

 

[Lighthouse]

Not sure that's a great recommendation. The Superman comics, with a few exceptions that are mostly considered "elseworlds" have been dreadful and stale for about the past 15 years.

I have to agree. People have often complained about getting Superman movie to more resemble the comics, and I always thought I was the minority in thinking that was a horrible idea. I've gotten to the point where I think DC should just forget about continuity all together, and have every one of their books run like an All Star title, where the creator just forgets about continuity, and tells their own story with their own version of the character. Sure, we'll get some really bad ones, but we'll get some great ones too. Which I think is better than just year after year of mediocrity. And if you think about it, Smallville is like a live action version of that idea.

 

[Superfreak]

answer: it's good... but it's no where near as good as it could be, or should be... much like the comics