Smallville SMALLVILLE RETURNS! ...in novel form

[The Incredible Hulk]

First comic title!

http://www.kryptonsite.com/smallvillespoilers.htm

Episode #11-1: "Guardian"


Keeping with the tradition of one-word titles... the first new Smallville story in nearly a year will be "Guardian." Will it involve the character from Jack Kirby's comics? Or is it referring to the new guardian of Metropolis, the Man of Steel named Superman? Guess we'll be finding out soon! Bryan Q. Miller is doing the writing.

This is like going back in time.

So should we set up separate issue threads like we did the old episode threads?

EDIT: Screw it, I'm doing it.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

Miller Takes "Smallville" to New Heights in Season 11

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36952

CBR News: Was this your pitch, or did DC approach you with the idea of taking "Smallville's" storylines beyond the television series?
Bryan Q. Miller: Many moons ago -- okay, it was actually January of last year -- Geoff Johns was in the "Smallville" offices working on his Booster break with the gang. I shot him an email shortly thereafter, asking, since there was already a really dedicated fanbase for the show, if it might be a good idea to get a comic up and running that would be an extension of the series beyond the finale. At the time, it didn't seem like something they were interested in. Nothing happened for a bit. Then I got an out-of-the-blue call -- as they usually are -- that the project was a go and asking if I was still interested. Of course I was still interested. Some more time passed, seasons came, seasons went. Then I finally got a call from Hank [Kanalz] and Ben [Abernathy], asking if I could get an outline/proposal put together for "Smallville: Season 11." I got to writing and, well, here we are.

Having worked on "Smallville" for the final three seasons, you are obviously heavily invested in the material. Is the direction of the comic book series something that was discussed in the writers' room or are you building something entirely new here?
A nugget or a kernel of an idea or a storyline that at some point drifted around the table in the room may wander into the comic from time to time, but this is very much on me. There used to be 9 to 13 of us putting these stories together. So, you know -- no pressure! That said, I'm doing everything I can to keep the look and feel of the comic as true to the spirit of the show. This isn't about re-inventing the wheel, so to speak -- it's about taking the wheel down a new stretch of road. Tons of very talented and dedicated professionals worked week in and out for a decade to make the show what it was. We won't be doing anything on the book that flies in the face of those efforts, narratively or otherwise. We also had a flash-forward to seven years later at the very end of the series. Brian and Kelly ended the show the way they wanted to, and that's still how the story ends. This is a glimpse into the first year of those seven.

Now, the series picks up where the show left off, with Clark Kent now patrolling the skies as Superman. For those unfamiliar with the series' conclusion and perhaps more interested in the comic, can you sum up how the TV series ended?
During the course of the final season, Clark realized the necessity for, and eventually crafted, the bumbling Clark Kent persona in order to hide in plain sight. In the finale, when faced with the ultimate evil that is Darkseid (and the threat of Darkseid's hell-planet, Apokolips, crashing into Earth) Clark Kent finally fully embraced his destiny as our mightiest protector to save the day. He traded in his Blur/S-shield jacket for the boots and cape and took to the skies, pushing Apokolips back out into space (and saving an Air Force One-trapped Lois in the process). Though heroic, this unfortunately put Clark and Lois' wedding on indefinite hold.
Meanwhile, a resurrected Lex Luthor (who was fully aware of Clark's heroic secret) had his mind wiped by half-sister Tess -- she died at his hand in the process.
And I'd be remiss to not mention that Chloe Sullivan and Oliver Queen tied the knot and were preparing to leave Metropolis to start a life of their own.

While you obviously don't want to give too much away at such an early stage, where do you go from here?
Season 11 is about all of our players transitioning into the next phases of their lives. Work, love, heroics and villainy all play a part in how they're settling into a very "Look! Up in the sky!" world. The season premiere, as all of ours historically have, sets up not only the plot-journey for the year, but what everyone's personal struggles will be. That isn't to say there will be tons of angst. There's only a bit of angst here and there. The goal is to make this as entertaining a read as possible, and Clark's at our center for that. He's how we'll process that information. He's Superman now. No more hiding in the shadows in a black trench coat or a red jacket. He gets to shake hands with the people he saves. He likes flying. He's transitioning from seeing his abilities as a burden to seeing them more as a job. And he loves his work.
Storytelling-wise, Season 11 episodes are -- bigger. Each episode is more like a mega-episode, or a TV movie that continues the "Smallville" saga. If you're going to buy a chapter each week, I'd like you to feel like you've gotten your money's worth by the time each mega-sode ends. If you're picking it up collected in print issues, you're going to get a substantial read every month.

Fans of the series loved when classic DC characters like the aforementioned Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, JSA and the Legion of Super-Heroes appeared on "Smallville." Are there any plans for such an introduction in Season 11?
Oh, sure. Big time. We'll get a slightly new twist on a pretty big Superman villain from the comics in the premiere (which runs the first 12 weekly chapters). After that, the second episode spends quite a bit of time introducing Superman to a very popular member of the DC family -- something tells me it will (hopefully) go over well. Beyond that, some returning allies and some new enemies, all around.

Having told stories essentially with Clark Kent for so long, how do you make" Smallville: Season 11" different then what readers would get from "Action Comics" or "Superman?"
It's in the title -- it's "Smallville." It's an ensemble piece with Clark Kent at its core. These are continuations of the characters roughly two million people a week, half a year each year, for a decade tuned in to see. If you're someone who stopped watching the show in the early years, come on back. They aren't in high school anymore. He's in the suit. Like, all over the place. You're going to get Superman action. You're going to get derring-do from Green Arrow. Lois and Clark are together -- and happy. So there's some romance there. And Chloe. And Chloe! Chloe Sullivan is here -- you won't find her anywhere else (as far as I know!).

Do you have to tread carefully moving forward as to not dovetail into Clark Kent/Superman's 70-plus year history? Or do the New 52 and the fact this is set in the "Smallville" universe allow you to move quite freely?
There are nods to elements from the DC of the past and present that are going to pop up from time to time, but the book is rolling straight out of the world of the show. So far, the only lining-up/branding hiccup has been the coloring on the Clark's hero outfit. We had the "Superman Returns" version seen briefly in the finale, and DC and I were on the same page on wanting to make the look for the book its own. We've got a new version that's a little bit old, a little bit new, a lot "Smallville." There's a very simple story reason for the change that's spelled out in the second chapter.

Will you write Clark/Superman with Tom Welling's voice, mannerisms and personality in your head?
I don't know how I could not -- it's all part of my programming at this point! Plus, the character himself is in a much better place at the start of Season 11 -- probably the best place he's been in. He's never been this comfortable in his own skin. There's a little bit of a Reeve-Supes zen that's taken hold of Smallville Clark.

As you mentioned, Oliver Queen married Chloe in the final season. What makes that relationship click and what might readers expect from the power couple moving forward?
They've never been stronger. They're also in a really good place, but understandably antsy. They're ready to move on to Star City and get their lives started -- beyond recruiting for the League. They didn't really have a chance to savor the fact that they were together and married towards the end of the series. But then (as happens when moving into that mid-20's/early 30's phase), life happens. No matter how hard they try to leave, there's always something to pull Oliver and Chloe back in.

Lois is a featured character, as well, in Season 11. How does Clark's new status as Superman affect their relationship?
Our dynamic duo are ships in the night. Lois' career is on the rise, thanks to her exclusive with the President during the Apokolips event (or "Contact" as the locals are calling it), and Clark's non-Daily Planet time is spent Supermanning. They're a couple in the big city who are trying to find time for one another as they get their "careers" started. Add to that that the general populace knows aliens exist. It doesn't spoil anything to say (as it's a page 1 reveal), that someone spotted alien slaves on the surface of Apokolips when it was in low orbit in the Finale. We're finally fine with super heroes patrolling our streets and skies, but xenophobia is now very real. The last thing Lois wants is anyone finding out Superman is from Krypton.

After leaving the series, Michael Rosenbaum returned for the final episodes. A favorite character for many, due in large part to Rosenbaum's portrayal, what role does Lex Luthor play in Season 11?
Lex might not have memory of his life before the finale, but he still has his instincts and something tells him he can't trust Superman, regardless of how much good he's doing. He watched Superman push a planet out of our orbit -- which means there's someone among us with the power to push a planet out of orbit. That doesn't sit well with Lex. He sees Superman as a potential terrestrial threat, and is deeply entrenched in the xenophobia bandwagon brought on by Contact. Lex has transitioned Luthorcorp to Lexcorp, and he's doing everything in his power to help the world protect itself from threats beyond the stars.

How excited are you to be to be working with Pere Perez again? You two certainly had great success with "Batgirl."
When Pere came in and helped me finish up my run on "Batgirl," we worked very well together, and I was itching for the opportunity to work with him again. We've got a great shorthand, and he's fast as all get-out. So, when I found out the book was a go, he was the first and only name on my list. There are just as many talky scenes as there are action scenes, and Pere's dynamite at both. He's reliable for facial expression and great with movement. I'm very happy with the work Pere's done on the premiere.

Finally, it's no secret that "Smallville" fans are a passionate group. Do you approach the challenge of writing this series with trepidation, or are you fully equipped -- and honored -- to expand this universe for the faithful?
I think it's a little bit of all three. We've got the best fans in the world, and had a wonderful and amazing combination of cast and crew. I know the show. I love the show. I know and love everyone involved, and have nothing but respect for every aspect of everything that went into it. I'm trying to do right by everyone (including our characters) in the most entertaining way possible. My hope is that people who've never read a Superman comic before (or maybe even any comic, which is probably a fair number of the show's audience) check Season 11 out, then decide to give more comics a chance -- whether they're in an app or at their local comic shop. By the same token, I hope lapsed viewers or people who have never seen the show read the book, then are inspired to take a look back at the series.

"Smallville: Season 11," by Bryan Q. Glass and Pere Perez, premieres digitally April 13 with the first print edition hitting stores May 16.

 

[The Caped Knight]

I am so thrilled that byran is going to be picking up the pieces of where the series left off. Now that we are in Superman's world (SMALLVILLE) style . I greatly look forward to seeing where this will take us.

 

[BH/HHH]

I am so thrilled that byran is going to be picking up the pieces of where the series left off. Now that we are in Superman's world (SMALLVILLE) style . I greatly look forward to seeing where this will take us.

Said it all for me

 

[BritishChap007]

Amazing interview. It really sounds like the ultimate season 11 and I'm so excited to be once again looking forward to a Smallville season premiere.

Nice to see the suit change will be explained. In a way, it is good to see SV's Clark get a unique suit of his own, something he has always deserved and something we had always wanted.

Everything sounds on point. One thing I'm curious about: will Clark Kent come into contact with Lex Luthor? Or will it just be Superman and Lex? How much will Clark's past with Lex play into his interactions with Lex? Lex may have forgotten his past, but Lois, Clark, Oliver, etc. haven't.

They can still use that dynamic in an interesting way. I don't want this Lex to be generic comic Lex. I want Smallville Lex. His personality should be the same and his history and the ramifications of his past on the characters of the story should remain in tact from the supporting cast.

 

[BH/HHH]

That was a great interview, reading that has me even more excited

 

[Binker]

Bigger image of the Gary Frank cover:

 

[Johnny]

Not one of Frank's best efforts but I think it looks better in higher definition.

 

[Sawyer]

It does look a bit better, but I'm still not loving it. Fortunately the DC site says it's not the final cover.

 

[The Caped Knight]

Bigger image of the Gary Frank cover:

The face kinda resembles Welling .

 

[KalKai]

That definitely looks better in HQ, still not sold on the face. Cat Staggz captured Tom's facial features better.

 

[Webhead2006]

Some sweet new info. Can't wait for its release. Johnny thanks for some artwork of the artist doing interal work.

 

[BritishChap007]

The picture has grown on me, but it's not the most alluring cover image ever. It does looks like Welling in a way, though it doesnt really look like the DP from Smallville. I wouldn't pick that up if I was just walking by it in a bookstore. The digital cover though, is eye catching.

 

[Milos]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36952

In light of this news, CBR News spoke with Miller, who told us Chloe and Lex will have significant roles in the title

 

[Sawyer]

Oh Gawd, who left the door open?

 

[Young Superman]

Nice info.

 

[Johnny]

Some sweet new info. Can't wait for its release. Johnny thanks for some artwork of the artist doing interal work.

No prob. It's nice to be excited about Smallville again.

 

[vantheman77]

Happy days are here again and it's not complete without Milos celebrating Chloe in the comics.

Without restrictions, Miller can go in any direction he wants in the comics form.

 

[Webhead2006]

Well milos was to be expected. But I too can't wait to read the book. Also I like byan gave us reason for costume change.

 

[mathhater]

Pretty sure that by the time my first issue of this is bag & boarded, I'll have the digital version of that cover in the bag as well. That Gary Frank version is just bad...really, really bad. I think I'll just go ahead and print out the Staggs version right now & have it ready.

 

[vantheman77]

I hope Bryan Miller brings back Kara and Conner so that we can see the SV version of the Super-Family.

 

[BH/HHH]

I hope Bryan Miller brings back Kara and Conner so that we can see the SV version of the Super-Family.

That'd be terrific

 

[The Sage]

Kinda disappointed in Gary Frank's design. He's normally better than that and I usually enjoy his work.

 

[Johnny]

He's definitely a great artist. But like I said before, all great artists screw up every once in awhile.

 

[Webhead2006]

Yup that is true plus didn't someone say for frankk case it may not be finalized verison. They can always change things. Heck frank is for print verison right. And that isn't coming out to may. So plently of time to change things.