Smallville Retrospective Season 3

Smallville

The Best Superhero TV Show Ever

Having a TV show explain a complicated origin story, especially in this case, is a better format than trying to describe all the little nuances that come with growing up into a 2-hour movie. Sure, Superman with Christopher Reeve is still probably the best interpretation, but it can’t compare to Smallville. We dove into all the details here that make Clark who he is. Not only that, we learn why the other characters are who they are. You can’t get that in a movie. I’m really not a fan of Zack Snyder’s interpretation of Superman. In fact, it might be the worst I have seen. In the movies we see Clark’s transformation briefly, but we do not see everyone else and their transformations. This development isn’t limited to their superpowers, or criminal activities. It is steeped with relationship issues, school, money, and time; things all of us can relate to. This places it above everything that has come before or after it to this day.

Season 3

Clark starts this season in Metropolis after Jor El’s warning. With the red Kryptonite he becomes involved in living the life through stealing to get what he needs. When Morgan Edge gives him an offer he can’t refuse – to steal from Lionel Luthor – he gets in a little too deep. This is brilliant in the way that Clark gets to see the other side of life, the darker side. Jonathan is able to free him with the help of Jor El, but at a cost. That cost, as we know won’t be realized until season 5.

When he returns from the big city, Clark is forever changed. Meanwhile Lex, having survived an assassination attempt by his wife, also returns to Smallville. In the coolest move he could ever do, he buys the Kent farm and puts it in Jonathan’s name. I liked that. While Clark Explores his dark side (no pun intended), Lex is embracing his light side. Will it be his last embrace?

Lana is now pining for Clark, but, of course, Clark thinks of her well being before his own happiness and shuts her down until she finally gives up, and although she is still interested, she begins seeing other people. Adam, played by 1^st runner up to play Clark on this series, Ian Somerhalder, doesn’t exactly sweep her off her feet, but manages to form a relationship with her. Little does she know about his backstory, or that he was assigned by Lionel Luthor to track Clark. I love this storyline and it’s continuity through the season.

Adam isn’t the only one Lionel coerces for information on the Kent boy, Chloe gets so wrapped in her jealousy of the Clana romance that she agrees to report back as well. When Chloe uses her only chip to break free of Lionel’s grip, she requires Lex’s protection. Lex has his own preoccupation is with Clark and his investigating goes too far by the end of the season, and Clark ends their friendship. This was kind of a heartbreaking moment. I always like it when people get along, and on this show to see their friendship deteriorate was sad. Thankfully, it takes a couple of seasons to completely wither.

Overall, Clark not being so squeaky clean anymore, Lex’s dive into his own psychosis, Lana growing up and leaving to find herself, Chloe struggling with being the 3^rd wheel, Jonathan sacrificing himself for his son, and Pete leaving town as well to protect Clark’s secret, this ranks as one of my favorite seasons. Oh, and I totally forgot to mention Lex begins to drive a wedge between Clark and Lana! It’s exciting watching it back to see the subtle beginnings of what is to come and just how subtle the beginnings were!

I'd love to hear any other Smallville lover's opinions, please comment below if you wish.

Today's Lunchtime Reading West Coast Avengers #23 Showtime!

West Coast Avengers #23 Showtime!

Published: August 10th 1987

Writer: Steve Englehart Penciler: Al Milgrom Cover Artist: Al Milgrom

The Present

Hank Pym, Espirita and Moon Knight take Rover all the way to New York to the headquarters of the Fantastic Four. There they examine the wreckage of the time machine destroyed by Dominus. Hank and Reed begin putting the pieces back together while the Thing lugs heavy chunks of machinery all over the place.

2940 BCE

The Avengers now have only one chance left to get home – Doctor Strange. But first they must fight through another legion of soldiers loyal to Rama-Tut. The Priests of Khonshu, and those formerly enslaved by Rama, assist the Avengers and they battle their way from Rama-Tut's court back to the Sphinx.

By the time they get through all of this though, they learn that Doctor Strange has already escaped and returned home. But Hawkeye still succeeded in keeping his promise to Khonshu by aiding in the overthrow of Rama-Tut. By delaying Rama's guards from imprisoning Doctor Strange's body, they allowed Strange to separate his astral self and use his magic to transform the Thing back into a human, allowing him to slip free of his bonds and free the rest of the Fantastic Four. At which point, the FF forced Rama-Tut to flee into the time stream.

1876

Mockingbird decides to track down the Night Rider alone. Racing on a horse through a perilous rainstorm, she finds the Rider floating above Spirit Peak. She begins fighting him, but the Rider continues to profess his love to her. Mockingbird batters him back with her battle staves forcing him over the cliff's edge. The Night Rider manages to grip onto the edge of the cliff and begs Mockingbird to rescue him. Bobbi has plenty of time to save the Night Rider's life, but chooses to let him lose his grasp and fall to his death. This decision will haunt her for many months to come.

The Present

Back in the present, Hank and Reed complete the repairs on the time machine. Along with Moon Knight and Espirita, they travel back to ancient Egypt in the year 2940 BCE. They pick up the rest of the Avengers and then travel forward to Lordsburg, New Mexico in 1876 to pick up Mockingbird.

One final trip forward through time and everyone is finally home. And it was all because of Hawkeye's enduring two-hundred year old note.

Today's Lunchtime Reading West Coast Avengers #22 Lost in Space-Time, Part 6: The Time of Sands!

West Coast Avengers #22 Lost in Space-Time, Part 6: The Time of Sands!

Published:

July 10th 1987

Writer: Steve Englehart Penciler: Al Milgrom Cover Artist: Al Milgrom

In 1876, Mockingbird, Two-Gun Kid, and Rawhide Kid ride into Lordsburg looking for Lincoln Slade. The Phantom Rider is already onto them, however, and lures them out into his territory where he can fight them using all his illusory tricks. Mockingbird sees through all of them easily and together with Rawhide and Two-Gun, they force Phantom Rider to run.

In 2940 BC, the Priests of Khonshu direct the revived Avengers to a hidden path to Rama-Tut's base. Inside, they catch a glimpse of Doctor Strange, also visiting the time frame for dubious reasons, but they're soon too busy fighting Rama's guard robots to help Strange deal with his own robots. They also spot monitor screens showing Rama tormenting a young Fantastic Four.

With their fellow time travelers just out of reach, the Avengers instead focus on what they came for, time machine parts to help them return to their own time. Unfortunately, they're so besieged by Rama-Tut's defenses that they're unable to gain anything useful before the concurrent adventures end with the facility being destroyed and every other time traveler leaving without noticing them.

In 1917, Mexico, a much older Isabel Ramirez shows her grand-daughter, Chita the family bible she had hidden in a tree after stealing it back from the local church. While she's revealing the bible, a nearby rope bridge collapses, endangering a boy named Benito Juarez.

Isabel pulls the boy to safety, though the strain causes her own heart to give out. Chita decides to honor her grandmother by cherishing the bible that was her inspiration.

And in the present day, Hank and Bonita return to Avengers Compound from taking Rover out for a spin only to greeted by a trespassing Moon Knight. Hank takes the opportunity to try out his combat skills using the re-sized gimmicks in his pockets, but Moon Knight isn't there to mess around, he's there to point them to the conspicuous note hidden between the pages of Bonita's family bible.

 Finally realizing that the other Avengers are lost in time, they race to contact the FF, but find they're too late. Reed Richards explains that Dominus' Desert Dwellers had already arrived and destroyed their Time Platform.

NYSQ Comic Con at Home Quick Hit Marvel's Helstrom

Tom Austen and Sydney Lemmon respectively star as Daimon and Ana Helstrom, the children of a powerful serial killer who hunt the worst of humanity. Elizabeth Marvel, Robert Wisdom, June Carryl, Ariana Guerra, and Alain Uy also star. Helstrom was officially announced with a series order at Hulu in May 2019, planned as the first series in Marvel Television's Adventure into Fear franchise. Filming took place in Vancouver from October 2019 until March 2020. Oversight of the series was moved to Marvel Studios in December 2019 when Marvel Television was folded into that company.

Helstrom is set to be released on Hulu in October 16, 2020, and will consist of 10 episodes

San Diego Comic-Con International is a non-profit multi-genre entertainment and comic book convention held annually in San Diego, California, United States since 1970, with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is commonly known simply as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con or "SDCC".

 

It was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention in 1970 by a group of San Diegans that included Shel Dorf, Richard Alf, Ken Krueger, and Mike Towry; later, it was called the "San Diego Comic Book Convention". It is a four-day event (Thursday–Sunday) held during the summer (in July since 2003) at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego. On the Wednesday evening prior to the official opening, professionals, exhibitors, and pre-registered guests for all four days can attend a pre-event "Preview Night" to give attendees the opportunity to walk the exhibit hall and see what will be available during the convention.

NYSQ Justice Con Quick Hit Snyder Cut Justice League

Justice Con is being hosted by the Nerd Queens in association with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Ink to the People. The event is completely free and was available to stream on the Justice Con YouTube page and still is available.

 

Justice Con's YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmbXef0QoqdIfcXUMj_DD7A

 

Some of the panels featured in the Justice Con schedule, which will took place on July 25 and 26, the same weekend as Comic-Con@home, include spotlights on several of the film's stars and crew, including Darkseid actor Ray Porter, cinematographer Fabian Wagner and director Zack Snyder himself.

 

Zack Snyder's Justice League, or the Snyder Cut as its come to be known thanks to the #releasethesnydercut movement, was announced for HBO Max for early to mid-2021. While many of Snyder's initial ideas were cut from the theatrical version of Justice League, the director said there were "no compromises" made for the upcoming release.

NYSQ Comic Con at Home Quick Hit the Boys

The Boys is an American superhero web television series based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Developed by Eric Kripke for Amazon, it follows the eponymous team of vigilantes as they fight back against superpowered individuals who abuse their abilities. The series premiered on July 26, 2019. Ahead of the premiere, Amazon renewed The Boys for a second season, which is set to premiere on September 4, 2020 The Boys is set in a universe where superpowered individuals are recognized as heroes by the general public and owned by powerful corporation Vought International, which markets and monetizes them. Outside of their heroic personas, most are arrogant and corrupt. The series primarily focuses on two groups: the Seven, Vought International's premier superhero team, and the titular Boys, vigilantes looking to keep the corrupted heroes under control. The Boys are led by Billy Butcher, who despises all superpowered people, and the Seven are led by the egotistical and unstable Homelander. As a conflict ensues between the two groups, the series also follows the new members of each team: Hughie Campbell of the Boys, who joins the vigilantes after his girlfriend is killed by one of the Seven; and Annie January / Starlight of the Seven, a young and hopeful heroine forced to face the truth about the heroes she admires.

San Diego Comic-Con International is a non-profit multi-genre entertainment and comic book convention held annually in San Diego, California, United States since 1970, with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is commonly known simply as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con or "SDCC".

 

It was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention in 1970 by a group of San Diegans that included Shel Dorf, Richard Alf, Ken Krueger, and Mike Towry; later, it was called the "San Diego Comic Book Convention". It is a four-day event (Thursday–Sunday) held during the summer (in July since 2003) at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego. On the Wednesday evening prior to the official opening, professionals, exhibitors, and pre-registered guests for all four days can attend a pre-event "Preview Night" to give attendees the opportunity to walk the exhibit hall and see what will be available during the convention.

NYSQ Comic Con at Home Quick Hit the New Mutants

San Diego Comic-Con International is a non-profit multi-genre entertainment and comic book convention held annually in San Diego, California, United States since 1970, with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is commonly known simply as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con or "SDCC".

 

It was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention in 1970 by a group of San Diegans that included Shel Dorf, Richard Alf, Ken Krueger, and Mike Towry; later, it was called the "San Diego Comic Book Convention". It is a four-day event (Thursday–Sunday) held during the summer (in July since 2003) at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego. On the Wednesday evening prior to the official opening, professionals, exhibitors, and pre-registered guests for all four days can attend a pre-event "Preview Night" to give attendees the opportunity to walk the exhibit hall and see what will be available during the convention.

Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves. Based off the Demon Bear Saga which is the New Mutant’s defining comic arc, written by Chris Claremont with art by Bill Sienkiewicz. The movie was supposed to come out in April 2018, but the film went into massive reshoots and was repeatedly delayed by Fox. Once Disney acquired Fox, they decided to go with director Josh Boone’s original version of the movie and after watching this trailer, I think they made the right decision. The movie is getting released on April 3rd 2020 and has since been rescheduled for August of 2020

 

Written and directed by Josh Boone and starring Anya Taylor-Joy as Illyana Rasputin / Magik: A Russian mutant with sorcery powers, who "uses teleportation discs to travel". She is the sister of Colossus. Maisie Williams as Rahne Sinclair / Wolfsbane: A Scottish mutant "struggling to reconcile her religious beliefs with her power to turn into a wolf". Charlie Heaton as Sam Guthrie / Cannonball: An American mutant "who can propel himself into the air and is invulnerable while doing so" Henry Zaga as Roberto da Costa / Sunspot: A Brazilian mutant "with the ability to manipulate solar energy". Blu Hunt as Danielle Moonstar / Mirage: A Native American mutant "who has the power to create illusions drawn from the fears and desires of a person's mind". Alice Braga as Cecilia Reyes: A mentor to the group, and a medical doctor "who has the ability to generate a protective bio-field around herself".