Smallville has been a geek dream for me. Seeing this “not Superman” story with all the characters I expect to exist in the DC Universe has been a great ride. And now a pair of highly anticipated Smallville episodes scheduled for after the Holiday Hiatus will be conjoined to form a TV Movie Special Event that will introduce Clark and his gang to a bigger world of Heroes at large called Absolute Justice.
We get a first look at some of the characters from the Justice Society in all their setting clashing glory!
Usually on Smallville they go with an alternate/updated look for their superheroes, which can sometimes go horribly wrong, so I’m thrilled beyond belief that they’ve kept things classic for the JSA’s appearance. The three guest-stars are no strangers to sci-fi/geek television: Brent Stait is playing Doctor Fate, Britt Irvin is Stargirl and Michael Shanks is Hawkman. The Sandman is also making an appearance, played by Ken Lawson, catch a quick glimpse of him in the promo for the special now airing February 5, 2010.
I am a little distracted by the change in direction with Smallville regarding these guys.
I long since gave up on the pointless battle that is trying to fit Smallville into Superman’s history. It doesn’t work like that and it wont. Got past that 8 and a half seasons ago and now I love the show. But part of what I love is the lack of spandex. All of the characters that have opted for the costume route are updated and more realistic than a super running around in his pajamas. I liked that about the show.
But this TV Movie event for Smallville is taking a step outside that dynamic having costumes that look great on the printed page and looking hokey on actual people. The Justice Society is a Silver Age group of heroes, and I don’t know if they are going to play on that, but the promo seems to show Clark tripping over a bit of their history as if to say “its time for another Justice Society” like superheroes are already something the world has seen.
I know after 9 seasons you would think the world in which Smallville takes place would be used to the abnormal, but it removes me somewhat to see such blazenly campy representations and then try to balance that with 9 seasons of people reacting in complete disbelief that some one could have powers etc. when this episode is to reveal that they have been doing this for longer than this new version of Watchtower Justice League heroes.
I am looking forward to seeing how they play it out. There is a LOT of fanwank in the promo that promises to introduce characters we wondered if we would ever see, like Green Lantern.
Check out the promo:
