When Buffy the Vampire Slayer
ended, Whedon still had more stories he wanted to tell about the
Sunnydale Scooby-Gang. So, he decided to produce as “Season 8”
of Buffy in comic book form. Thus he could continue the story
without having to worry about big budgets and big salaries. This
approach has been a big hit of Dark Horse Comics.
DC is trying the same thing with the
hit show Smallville. The 10-year run about the adventures of
a pre-Superman Clark Kent was the biggest hit seen on the WB and
later CW. In fact, it was the only scripted show ever to win its
timeslot against the other networks. The finale ended with Clark
finally accepting his destiny and taking on the mantle of THE hero of
the Earth.
At the end there was a 5 minute
epilogue that skipped ahead about 10 years. The comic picks up not
after the epilogue, but a few months after Clark began his career as
Superman. The characters are basically where we left them: Clark and
Lois are trying to figure out their relationship since their wedding
got cancelled, Chloe is looking to relocate, and Lex is trying to
consolidate his power, while dealing with murdering his sister. And
as Superman goes saving the planet, another cosmic power is getting
ready to make war on humanity.
As a fan of the show and a fan of
comics, this comic was a delight! It feels like all of the
restriction that the show had to live with have been shattered and we
can see Smallville the way it always should have been. The
art is beautiful and clean in a classic style, drawn by Pere Perez.
He makes the characters share a strong likeness with the actors from
the show. But the best choice was hiring Brian Q. Miller to write
the book. Having written for the show, Miller has the tone of the
series down pat. But having also written for comics, he knows how to
translate the one medium to the other. I am looking forward to
continue the adventure. Jonathon Kent said in the series finale
“Always hold on to Smallville.”
And now we can.
4 out of 5 stars (worth your money)
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