Smallville: Comic Collectors Should Love This TV Show

The Smallville pilot proves that this is a show that absolutely works from the beginning. Most television programs take up to a season to really settle in and find its voice, but not so with this series. The look, the writing, and the cast make you feel like this show has been at it long before you tuned in. I have found that if I can get a non-believer to sit through the pilot episode, they are hooked.

There was a huge obstacle this program faced and that was the iconic subject matter. Everyone knows Superman and the basics of his mythology; it is an inherent knowledge due to his deep roots in popular culture. With this knowledge comes a wide array of preconceived notions. Smallville proceeds to blow away said notions while staying respectful to the mythology.

Purists may scoff at the liberties taken with Superman's origin on Smallville, but they should know better. How many "What if..."/alternate universes has each comic company created? DC has so many universes that they occasionally have to create a "Crisis" to kill off various characters and streamline everyone's story. The heart of the Superman mythos is still here and that is what really matters.

Putting aside your suspicions of this "new" Clark Kent, who happens to know a young Lex Luthor, and you are in for a great program. One of the most ingenious things Marvel Comics has done in recent years is retool and update their most beloved characters in the Ultimate series. Similarly, Smallville fleshes out a Superman origin that is updated and accessible to 21st Century viewers.

Notice that I've said the name "Superman" a lot. Well, I shouldn't get ahead of the show- it's not about Superman at all. The producers love their adage, "No flights-no tights". You will see neither in the show. Instead, you will be treated to a fascinating coming of age story about a young man trying to find his place in the world (who happens to be from outer space, can outrun a bullet, and is virtually indestructible).

In the pilot episode, you are introduced to the three most integral relationships in the show. First, is that of Clark and his parents. They are the reason Clark becomes a hero and not the world's deadliest villain. Without their sound and noble upbringing, a superhuman alien boy could have gone very wrong. Next, is the relationship between Clark and his childhood sweetheart, Lana Lang. Their on again/off again puppy love is typical of high school youth (just throw in the whole superhuman alien bit). But the most important relationship in the show, in my opinion, is between Clark and Lex Luthor.

Given what we know about Superman, we have been given the beautiful gift of hindsight as we watch Smallville. We know these things to be true, retooling or not: Clark's future affections are reserved for a woman named Lois Lane, Clark will someday grow into a man and leave his parents' home for Metropolis, and Clark's arch-nemesis will be Lex Luthor. That is why the relationship between Clark and Lex is so important: Lex is Clark's future. Finding out how these two will go from being best friends to mortal enemies makes for one of the most intriguing television programs I have ever watched.

If you make it through the pilot episode, you will discover what millions of others have: Smallville has something for everyone. It is exciting, with some of the best special effects on television. (Finally, special effects that truly do justice to what could only have been drawn in comic books before!) Also, it has humor and a sense of heart. (This is actually family-friendly fair, minus the cheese of a 7th Heaven or Touched By An Angel.) On a superficial note, due to its home on The WB, there isn't an unattractive person in the cast. (Even Ma and Pa Kent get a facelift.) Trust me, one episode and you too will be a convert.