aparut aseara si de care sunt foarte mandru, mai ales ca il caut de multa vreme si care …… va motiva aparitia altui cadou foarte curand, sper. Cadou totusi pe care o sa mi-l fac eu singur de aceasta data. Este vorba de un pick-up pentru a putea asculta, in primul rand, o muzica mai veche preferata de mine mult de tot. Chiar daca aum mai fost piesele intr-un articol cu KRYPTON, vor mai aparea si aici. Ele totusi sunt piesele care le agreez cel mai mult de pe albumul acesta, FARA TEAMA.

Chiar am ajuns sa traiesc muzica asta si la propriu si la figurat. Sper sa reusesc cat mai curand sa imi iau pickup-ul acela.

Here’s the next chapter in the on-going comic series Squirrels VS the Universe.

“The National” (CBC) among others ran this story in April 2007 that I found noted on a lost page…

Kryptonite has been discovered on earth…

But first let’s go back to 2006…I think they said it was ‘06…in the movie ‘Superman Returns’ a military crate was labelled with an obscure list of elements that comprised the green crystalline meteorite contained within (a piece of super boy Cal El’s home planet Kryton which in theory travelled here with him…hense, ‘Krytonite’).

Back to today, 30 years later Canadian metallurgists Pamela Whitfield and Simon Le Page from the NRC are asked to complete the analysis of an unknown mineral (and if I told you where it was found I would have to kill you, you know the deal).  They complete the testing and confirm the results.  They send the list of composite elements to their client who in turn searches the internet for the ‘ingredients’ and comes up with the ‘recipe’ from the movie.  Coincidence?

While movie watchers may be dismayed by the colorless, seemingly harmless pale whitish stone, true comic book fans will acknowledge the ‘fact’ that kryptonite comes in many colors, including white.  There is some serious contention for conspiracy theorists here isn’t there?   How could such a story be so easily discarded and swept into public TV news obscurity?  Could it be? Real?  The whole Canadian connection a coincidence?  Did one of ‘his’ followers in 2006 leak the document that ended up in the movie? Did that stone fall from the heavens as the last remnant of the lost planet? Is Superman listening? Are you out there? 

A priest once told me that coincidences are ’someone’s’ way of staying anonymous.  What do you think?

Meanwhile back on earth…according to the CBC, 30-40 new minerals are still being discovered every year.

Se pare ca am reusit sa gasesc pe Youtube cateva piese de pe discul “FARA TEAMA”, album care m-a introdus in lumea superba a muzicii celor de la KRYPTON de alta data, nu ce este acum pe piata!

Se pare ca melodiile care mi-au palcut mult de tot s-au cam intors impotriva mea, sau paote m-au palcut si ele foarte mult si au zis sa faca sa simt muzica pe pielea mea! Asta cel putin din multele piese pe care le-am si dedicat, dar le-am si placut de mic copil!

Din pacate nu mai gasesc muzica de pe tot albumul FARA TEAMA si nu numai, a celor de la Krypton. Nici macar vinilul nu il gasesc pentru ca eram dispus sa imi cumpar un pick-up special pentru muzica de alta data, dar in special KRYPTON

Full review posted to comixtreme.com.

Story: 3/5
Art: 2.5/5
Overall: 2.5/5

Asked if I had anymore Superman art, I didn’t think I had anything worth posting.  But then, I realized I had been working on some art-deco elements inspired by Superman Returns around the time of the movie’s release.  They are close up details on the roof of the Daily Planet from that film.  I never finished them though.  All I have are these work-in-progress images.
I might start working on them again in the near future after I’ve moved into the new house.  I’m especially interested in those elements now since returning from my vacation.  I have since discovered that a beautiful, old, Art-Deco era building I fell in love with in Vancouver is actually used as a stand-in for the Daily Planet on the CW’s Smallville. 

Krypton architecture on the other hand is especially difficult to feign, but I know I’ll take another shot at it someday.  I was working on these in a terrain generator program a few years back (Terragen I think).  I thought they’d might make nice backgrounds to some actual detailed mesh work.  I did like some of the atmospheric elements, but the structures as I continued to tinker with them eventually left me uninspired.  I will definitely aim my sights on this again though.

Da sie bald endgültig von Geoff Johns Secret Origin abgelöst werden wird, will ich die Zeit noch nutzen und Mark Waids Neufassung der Superman Origin besprechen.

Bevor ich aber zu „Birthright“ selbst komme, will ich noch einen Gedanken zu den unzähligen Superman Origins los werden. In einem Podcast (ich glaub Back to the Bins) zum Original Superman Film mir Christopher Reeves, wurde gesagt, dass die Superman Origin im Gegensatz zu der von Spider-Man, Batman und anderen Helden deshalb so oft neu gestaltet werden würde, da seine Geschichte so Besonders und Einzigartig sei. Dem kann ich nun überhaupt nicht zustimmen.

Eigentlich haben Shuster und Siegel schon damals gehörig gestohlen. Ein Typ wird als Baby von seinen Eltern vor der Vernichtung gerettet, in einer neuen Welt von Adoptiveltern großgezogen und steigt dort dann zum Beschützer des Volkes auf. Jedem sollten hier die Parallelen zu Moses & Co. auffallen. Hier passt auch hervorragend dass sich DC Jahrzehnte später noch mit Tod und Wiederauferstehung am Jesus Mythos bediente. (Übrigens habe ich unlängst gelesen, dass Kal-El auf Hebräisch „alles was Gott ist“ bedeuten soll. Keine Ahnung ob das stimmt, würde aber passen…)

Der Grund für die große Anzahl von Origin-Überarbeitung liegt vielmehr am Alter des Franchise und den vielen Lizenzierungen die vergeben wurden. So wurden Jimmy Olsen und das Kryptonit z.b. für die Radio-Show erfunden und erst nachträglich in die Comic-Serie übernommen. Auch die Filmreihe aus den 80ern und als aktuellstes Beispiel die Serie Smallville veränderten bzw. erweiterten die Legende des Mannes aus Stahls um ein gutes Stück. Die Neufassungen haben jetzt “nur” die Aufgabe, all diese von außen zugeführten Veränderungen auch im Comic unter einen Hut zu bringen und fügen dem Titelhelden im Besten Fall noch einige zeitgemäße Charakter-Facetten hinzu.

Birthright reiht sich nun nach dem Original, John Byrnes Version, dem Film und Smallville als 5te Station dieses Origin Reigens ein und lässt sich eigentlich schnell in einem Wort zusammen fassen: Modernisierung

Mark Waid probiert sichtlich die leicht angestaubte Geschichte in die Gegenwart zu transportieren. Lois Lane wirkt feministischer, Jimmy Olsen ist erwachsener und hat auch einen (zu) ausgeprägten Sexualtrieb (dass Lois sogar eine einstweilige Verfügung gegen ihn beantragen musste, musste ich zwei Mal lesen um es glauben zu können) und Martha Kent surft auf der Suche nach Aliens im Internet.

Besonders dieser Internet-Punkt ist nicht nur unnötig sondern auch nicht wirklich durchdacht. Wenn man bedenkt, dass das Internet noch nicht sooo lange Standard ist (besonders für 2 ältere Farmer in Kansas) wirkt es als wäre Superman erst gestern in die Stadt gekommen. Ein Anachronismus, denn wie lässt sich dies sinnvoll mit der langen Geschichte des Man of Tomorrow verbinden?

Auch ein ständig Streit suchender Herausgeber, der dem Daily Planet neu aufs Aug gedrückt wurde, und ähnlich wie JJJ im Bugle das Raubein in der ansonst netten Redaktion spielen muss, ist meiner Meinung nach völlig unnötig.

Auf andere, bereits etablierte Charaktere wie Lana und den anderen aus der Smallville Clique wurde dafür gänzlich verzichtet. Das heißt aber nicht dass Smallville komplett ausgespart wurde. Die größte Veränderung, nämlich die, dass Lex Luthor und Clark Kent sich noch von früher kennen, wurde sogar direkt aus der TV-Serie übernommen. Auch hier werde ich wieder an die Moses Geschichte erinnert. Auch Moses und der Pharao wurden laut Bibel gemeinsam erzogen, ehe sie zu Feinden wurden…

Lex Luthor wird hier wieder als verrückter Wissenschafter und allwissendes Genie dargestellt. Ich persönlich sehe ihn zwar lieber als Business Man (den er eh auch hier hin und wieder gibt) doch auch mit dieser Version bin ich sehr zufrieden.

Etwas seltsam ist, dass er nur auf Grund ein paar kleiner Hinweise die er in seinr Jugend entdeckt hat, bereits mehr Information über Krypton ausgearbeitet hat als Clark. Und dass obwohl diesem sogar eine Art „kryptonischer Laptop“ mit Daten hinterlassen wurde…

Dieses Wissen nutzt Luthor später auch um die Menschen in eine wahre Supermann-Paranoia zu versetzen. Er behauptet Superman wäre der Späher für eine Alien-Invasion, hetzt gegen ihn und bestätigt seine eigene Meldung mit einer von ihm selbst angeführten Fake-Invasion die Superman im letzten Drittel des Trades auch bekämpfen muss.

Diesen Modernisierungsversuch von Waid finde ich gelungen, denn in Post 9/11 Zeiten ist die Angst vor etwas Fremden realistisch und sollte somit auch den Eingang in die Comic-Bücher finden.

Trotz Supermans Schlacht gegen Luthors Invasion ist dieser Trade nicht besonders Action-lastig, sondern setzt sich stark mit den Emotionen der Charaktere auseinander. Die wichtigsten Beispiele:

Jonathan Kent hat Angst, dass sein Sohn sich von ihm entfernen könnte und sich nur noch seinen kryptonischen Wurzeln verbunden sieht. Dementsprechend launisch reagiert er auch auf die Nachforschungen seines Adoptivsohnes.

Der pupertierende Lex Luthor ist durch seinen überragenden Intellekt (gekoppelt mit einem völligen Fehlen an sozialem Gespür) ein kompletter Außenseiter der das Weltall in der Hoffnung erforscht, eine ihm ähnliche Lebensform zu finden.

Clark Kent ist als Teenager hingegen völlig orientierungslos und weiß nicht wo sein Platz in der Welt ist. Interessant ist, dass er sich erst zu einer Helden-Karriere durchringt, als er beim Beschützen eines afrikanischen Politikers (fast das komplette erste Drittel spielt in Afrika) versagt. Ich persönlich hätte mir von da an einen gehetzten Superman erwartet, der ständig Angst hat seinem Potential nicht gerecht werden zu können. Dieser Ansatz wird von Waid aber leider nicht mehr weiterverfolgt. Superman fragt sich zwar später noch hin und wieder ob Lex’ Charakter vielleicht heute ein besserer wäre, wenn er in derren gemeinsamen, freundschaftlichen Vergangenheit (noch) verständnisvoller gewesen wäre, doch ansonsten bleiben uns Versagensängste erspart. (Hat Alan Moore eigentlich schon was für das Superman Franchise gemacht? Wäre interessant wie er den „Boy Scout“ gestalten würde…)

Tatsächlich befasst sich ein Großteil von Birthright mit der Freundschaft von Clark und Lex und Waid bemüht sich sichtlich Lex Charakter zu erfassen und zu erklären. Das gelingt ihm so gut, dass ich nach dem ersten Mal Lesen das Gefühl hatte, eine Lex Luthor Origin gekauft zu haben. Auch jetzt sind mir die Luthor Szenen eindeutig mehr in Erinnerung geblieben als die des Titelhelden…

Was mir am Titelhelden gefallen hat, ist wie er und seine Eltern die “Tarnung” des Clark Kent einarbeiten, bzw. beschießen das Clark dem strahlenden Helden ein tollpatschiges AlterEgo gegenüber stellen sollten.

Auch Leinil Yus Artwork verläuft mehr auf der emotionalen Schiene. Ich finde dass Yu zwar schon ein guter Künstler ist, doch ich bin mir nicht ganz sicher ob er der geeignete Zeichner für Superman ist. Ich erwarte mir hier immer eine „ikonenhafte“ Darstellung und dafür ist Yu mit Sicherheit nicht der Richtige. Klar, er setzt manche wichtigen und auch oft kopierten „Standard-Szenen“ gut um, doch das „übermäßig heldenhafte“ fehlt den Zeichnungen meiner Meinung nach.

Vielleicht wollte Yu aber auch nur dem Stil von Mark Waid folgen und das Paradebeispiel eines Superhelden etwas vermenschlichen.

FAZIT: Ich fand die Darstellung von Lex Luthor ziemlich gelungen und auch die Tarnung Clark Kent / Superman bzw. die Ausarbeitung dieser wurde fantastisch umgesetzt. Mehr gibt dieser Trade allerdings auch schon nicht her.

Birthright ist eine solide, doch keine grandiose Neuinterpretierung der Superman Origin. Ich glaube zwar nicht dass Geoff Johns Secret Origin um vieles besser sein wird, doch würde ich bei einer Wahl zwischen den Beiden eher zu Johns Geschichte raten. Und das obwohl ich noch kein Heft von seiner Serie gelesen habe…

3/5

SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT (TPB, Softcover)

DC COMICS, November 2005

beinhaltet Superman: Birthright #1-12

Teaser

Summary: A nearly perfect episode that should be used as the measuring stick for all further episodes of the series.
Rating: 9.5/10

The quick skinny on the episode.

Clark offers to help Lois land a gig as a morning talk show host, but to their surprise the producers want both as co-hosts for the show. For their premiere story, Lois and Clark agree to go on separate blind dates matched by an online dating service and have them filmed while the other watches on from behind the scenes. Oliver takes it upon himself to mentor and improve the life of a young prostitute. Tess announces plans for LuthorCorp to build a solar tower as an alternative means of energy for Metropolis and is surprised to discover Zod is in charge of the company she is partnering with in the project. Meanwhile, in search of the Kandorians, Chloe runs up against a worthy technical challenge trying to hack into Tess’ LuthorCorp systems.

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the episode.**

Feature-Length Review after the jump.

The in-depth review.
Callum Blue has redefined villainy on this show that featured such strong, indelible visages of it in the forms Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor and John Glover’s paterfamilias Lionel. In the few brief moments we’ve shared with Blue’s Major Zod this season, he has presented a breathlessly engaging, fully-formed and fully unrepentant villain who commands the screen. No more so is this encapsulated than in the moment where Zod pokes Tess in the hip during conversation to make sure he has her full attention. It recalls the moment in Season 7’s ‘Apocalypse’ where Lex – or perhaps Rosenbaum – forced Kara to look at him with a word where her eyes had clearly wandered elsewhere. In this case, though, it’s much more sinister. It’s a tiny gesture but one that speaks volumes to Blue’s commitment to the role. The way he chews words and phrases up and slowly lets them seethe out makes this character far more appealing that I’d have thought. I wasn’t looking forward to Zod this season. Now, I can’t wait to see what he does next.

This reintroduction of Zod directly into the lives of the main cast is just one of many things to love about ‘Crossfire’, which is hands-down one of my favorite episodes in the entirety of the series and my favorite of the still-unfolding season. The tone of the episode, the three distinct storylines that all stood up well on their own and yet didn’t detract from one another, the surehanded performances and the spot-on writing all defined what every episode of the “new” Smallville should be.

To stick with the Zod theme for the moment, Cassidy Freeman and Blue burn the screen up together. Their intensities and the way their energies work together are electric and resolutely mature. I mentioned last review for ‘Roulette’ that “romantic” would be the one word I would use to describe this season to date. “Mature” would be the other big one. Even as the characters grew up last season, there was still some of the ol’ familiar teen melodrama present, particularly in the storylines involving Davis Bloome. This season, Zod is presented as very much a man and a directed man at that, putting aside childish things for purpose and consequence. This, in turn, has stepped up Tess’ game and Freeman meets the challenge with relish. Now that they’ve established this wonderful, playful yet diabolical tete a tete between the two characters, the darker side of Smallville has a plentiful sandbox in which to play. Giving Tess a partner in bad is a shrewd idea on the parts of the creative heads at the show. It continues to keep her character relevant and places her in the universe properly, whereas they kind of lost what to do with her in the second half of the season last year.

‘Crossfire’ also presents the first episode of the season in which I’ve liked Chloe. Certainly the first episode since ‘Savior’ that I’ve enjoyed her character in any fashion. I do still miss the adversarial relationship between Clark and Chloe that we witnessed at the beginning of the season. I don’t think they gave it proper enough time to explore. That said, I don’t necessarily mind the role Chloe is playing right now, if only they could make her feel more relevant to the overall storyline. Chloe being behind Oliver’s game in ‘Roulette’ was a good start and this episode goes a long way to bringing her back in. Again, I’m still lost as to what they are doing with her character but it seems much more deliberate now. They are putting pieces together for a bigger role for her outside of the first half of this season, which now intrigues me as to what kind of input Allison Mack gave on the direction of her character. This alliance Chloe has now built with Stuart, Tess’ tech gnome, opens up a few doors. (And a possible romance in the near future?) Coupled with her Big Brother-esque watch over the scattered League heroes and the looser morality over her methods, they are setting Chloe up to be both a godsend to the heroes of the [i]Smallville[/i]-verse and a possible Trojan Horse. Suddenly, her storyline is alive with possibilities and I’m thankful it will give Allison things to do rather than just be a presence on the show simply because she’s been a presence on the show in the past.

The idea of Oliver (Justin Hartley) taking on an apprentice-slash-sidekick is, at once, both an understandable endeavor and a ridiculous notion. Ollie’s hit a breakthrough so he wants to share his experience as well as find a project that keeps him focused. At first, it seemed a bit out of place to have him take this approach in this episode, almost as if we missed a step in the process in between. It does fit Ollie’s character, though, as does his attempt to woo Lois on her blind date. He’s an addict and has a compulsive nature. What Ollie’s doing fits very well in line with those types of personalities and I give credit to the writers for slyly touching on that, intentional or not.

I know plenty are up in arms over the fact that they skipped over Roy Harper as Speedy and went straight to Mia Dearden. I don’t particularly have an issue with it. Far as I’m concerned, there’s only one hero who rightfully deserves to have a sidekick and that’s, ironically, the loner Batman. Robin’s always been the only sidekick that’s ever really worked for me and that has more to do with the relationships between Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake and Bruce Wayne than it does with Batman needing a traffic-light-colored elf hopping around alongside of him. With the Smallville version of Oliver Queen, it seems fitting that he would pick a hooker up off the street to save her life and mentor her. Besides, Ollie already used the name ‘Roy Connor’ (a nod to both Speedy and the comics’ Oliver’s son and eventual Green Arrow successor) in ‘Odyssey’ last year; and they alluded to Roy’s most infamous storyline last year with Jimmy’s drug addiction and pseudo-sidekicking for Oliver at the very end of the season. So Mia worked for me in the episode and I thought Elise Gatien was great in the role. She and Justin played off one another well and I thought she did good work with a role that read a lot worse on paper. I look forward to seeing her pop up throughout the season.

‘Crossfire’, though, belongs to the shows stars, Lois (Erica Durance) and Clark (Tom Welling). Awash in Louis Febre’s zippy score, the episode presented itself as a screwball romantic comedy with a fantastic set-up: Clark and Lois have to monitor each other on online-matched blind dates, forcing them to face the depths of their feelings for one another. Right from the get-go, this episode put into stark relief the differences between this romantic relationship and Clark’s relationship with Lana. Whereas that relationship dripped in melodrama for drama’s sake, the burgeoning love affair with Lois and Clark feels like two people actually relating to one another. That alone allows the writers to have fun with these two, and since they’ve always had an inherent comical and fun dynamic, it’s like the richest whip cream on top of a decadent sundae.

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud throughout various parts of the Clark and Lois storyline. Their entire interaction during the Good Morning Metropolis audition was priceless. A standout for me was Tom’s delivery of the “I’m sorry” line when the producer told them they’d been hired for the gig. I’ve heard others say that Tom should do a romantic comedy film but I hadn’t really seen enough to believe he could hold his own through one. That line reading and reaction, though, has sold me on him in such a part. Same with his reply to Lois when he got caught up in one of those tricky conversation cul de sacs during their discussion of Lois’ online profile.

Erica was handed the treat this episode of expressing a wide range of emotions and she succeeded well, particularly in the small, subtle shifts both physically and emotionally. To see her play out all the different levels and reversals in Clark’s blind date scene with Catherine (welcome to Smallville, Cat Grant!) was like a savory meal with your favorite dishes at every turn. Both scenes with Oliver allowed her to flash that wonderful dry wit and delivery and also gave her space to ground herself amidst the high-flying romance of her scenes with Clark. In particular, we were given a resolved and sure-footed Lois in the scene at the Ace o’ Clubs with Ollie where she made the choice that Clark was definitely who she wants to be with.

It was beyond relieving to see how confident and sure of himself as a man Clark was in this episode. Even when quietly dealing with his feelings for Lois behind the scenes, he appeared sure of what he wanted. Yes, it took Chloe to toss a line at him to get him off his ass, but rather than feeling forced into a decision, it felt more like a mirror being held up for Clark to confirm his own choice. From the beginning of the episode, Clark’s moves were all about pursuing and being with Lois. At the same time, it wasn’t work or didn’t come across that way. It wasn’t a chess game moving pieces. It was a Clark at peace with his feelings who was only slightly shaken by Ollie’s bold move and admission on Lois’ blind date.

Knowing that the kiss was going to happen in this episode, I was concerned coming in that it would be shoved to the end of the episode as a pseudo-cliffhanger. While it was at the end, it felt organic and informed and not a cheap lead-out. As on-point and committed as Clark was as the Blur saving Ollie and Lois in that stupendous gunfire scene, Clark wasted no time piddling around and got right to business with Lois. To see Clark proactively serve and protect the citizens of Metropolis is uplifting, but seeing a Clark in such command throughout all areas of his life is inspiring. It goes without saying that Clark will be wrung through the ringer this season, but it’s reassuring that they are building such a strong and, well, steeled character now to put through that. And that’s almost as big a jolt as that iconic kiss between our hero and his sweetheart.

‘Crossfire’ is an exceptional standout in a season already full of such quality, depth and superior craftwork. It defines the template upon which each subsequent episode should be built upon. It also shows a commitment on the team’s part to push things forward and steer away from the treading rut that has plagued the series in the past. Momentum is a huge key this season and this episode shows that they still have oodles of it.

Since last we spake of all things Smallville, the season premiere of Season 9 has come and gone: “Baby” Zod introduced, Tess the not-quite-hot Lex replacement reintroduced, Chloe weepy, Lois flummoxed, Green Oliver shirtless. And, of course, Kal-Neo with the black trenchcoat. To my surprise, early on in the plot there was a brief argument with Jor-El (The Useless) about flight, which the writers are setting up to be something of a reverse-impotence problem: whenever Clark thinks of Lois he can’t get it up, or rather, he’s never gotten it up. There’s even a throwaway scene where Clark leaps from the Statue of Liberty and plummets (the outcome is never shown so we can assume he went straight into the ground).

Most of the show was TIVO chow, that is, filler and needless exposition, but that’s true of most shows. The Kryptnonian Ninja-Girl who looked like a rip-off of a Mortal Kombat character made little sense. In the “sky train” she and Lois trade blows but later on KNG is seen using heat-vision. Well, does she have The Powers or not?

KNG introduces an extra minute or so of hot barn combat that comes free-of-charge with every Season Premiere. It was pleasing to see Clark FINALLY kicking some ass/holding his own after ninja-girl uses blue K to temporarily strip his powers. Before exiting stage left KNG warns Clark that he betrays everyone ‘one year from now’. Even Marty McFly had the good sense to write a goddamned letter explaining WTF is going on; just seems like common sense for any time traveler would be to have a ready explanation DVD or other media for when she meets herself, knowing she might be killed or knocked out on arrival.

Ah yes, I almost forgot, the most magical MacGuffin of all, the Power Ring which can alter entire plotlines in a single bound, and which in future eps will no doubt be used to bring Jimmy Olsen back and possibly even Lex.

The scenes with “Baby Zod” were all right, Callum is trying his best. The best thing about Zod and Friends are those Kryptonian army dog tags they wear, which I hope the WB has the good sense to make and sell to many nerds such as me.

“Special Guest” Brian Austin Green I’ve saved for last because his character runs right into the second episode, where he, as John Corbin, mysteriously becomes Metallo. It’s a mostly useless, predictable transformation, using the absurd and totally fake-looking CG hit-by-a-speeding bus effect. Corbin awakens not knowing how or who or why he suddenly has a kryptonite heart (in case he seems too sympathetic, writer laziness also has the kryptonite affecting his brain to make him ‘eviler’).

Actually, 9-0-2-1-Metall-0 makes a surprisingly strong case against Clark and his meddling. Turns out Clark saved a busload of prisoners from crashing…one escaped and raped and killing Corbin’s sister. To Corbin (and me) Clark is ultimately responsible for this negative outcome. It may not be right, it may not be fair, but godlike powers = godlike blame. Now we all know Superman doesn’t kill, but given the choice between saving a runaway bus loaded with rapists and killers blessedly heading for a tall rocky cliff of taxpayer savings or rescuing a kitten from a tree 100 miles away in the other direction…

Smallville Season 9 is off to a better-than-average start, but before anyone gets a big head over at the CW, let it be known when I mention the very name Smallville, almost universally the response is, “Wow, is that still on?“

The witty primer to this Season 9 ep review can be found here.

Finally Smallville returns with Tom Welling as the new producer. I for one am very excited from what I’ve been reading this season will introduce a lot of new aspects. For instance we’re looking at finally getting the return of Lex Luthor. Also getting an intro into Kandor, the shrunken city of Krypton. Jor-ell should also be in the Kandor episode. Also Alision Mack will be the director. So basically what we’re looking at is the cast taking over the full production of the show.

That can go good or bad, personally I think it’s gonna go great. The shows been on for years and I’ve really gotten into it. I’m really excited to announce that this season Clark will be wearing the Superman Shield more often, which means where getting very close to finally getting the cape. Once he’s in costume they’ll finally let him fly.

The one change I do want them to make though is in Clark’s love life. Yes Ericka Durance is very hot I’m not disagreeing there, but it’s not looks I’m thinking about here. It’s just that the Comics go back and forth on rather or not Clark and Lois end up together. In fact at the end of Superman the movie #4 Clark Kent ends up with Lana Lang. Call me sentimental but I would like to see Clark end up with his high school sweet heart. It’s worked so hard to have a good honest relationship with her and I think he deserves it for more than just a couple of episodes. At least like a season or so if not more. I just think after every thing he’s gone through for her he deserves that opportunity.

So be ready cause the new season starts on Sept. 25 and comes on Fridays now!

Teaser

Summary: An episode full of wonderful character work interrupted by a weak villain story.
Rating: 7.5/10

The quick skinny on the episode.

As Oliver continues his downward spiral into drunken darkness, he’s held accountable by two people: Tess Mercer, on behalf of their company’s shareholders; and the crazed ex-Queen Industries employee Winslow Schott, the Toyman, determined to clear his name in Lex Luthor’s “death” and put the blame on the true culprit, Oliver. When Clark intercedes on one of the Toyman’s plots to blow up a Queen Industries factory with workers trapped inside, the explosion causes a pre-programmed “trial” to awaken in Clark’s mind: the ability to hear people’s thoughts. Jor-El explains this is to train Clark on how to properly use the information for people’s motivations. Clark, however, finds other uses first, mainly with a certain co-worker of the female persuasion he sits opposite of.

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the episode.**

Feature-Length Review after the jump.

The in-depth review.
I have to state this again, for the record: Bryan Q. Miller was my favorite writer introduced in Season 8. While ‘Bulletproof’ was a fair letdown for me – though better on repeat viewings than my initial response – ‘Committed’ and ‘Hex’ were two of the best episodes of last season. Miller, who is now writing comics for DC Comics, has a strong comic book sensibility, perhaps the strongest of the writing staff since Jeph Loeb was with the show. He also has the best grasp of the romance of Lois and Clark and the most impressive mix of humor and plot. Going into ‘Echo’, I was champing at the bit because of Miller’s work.

I have to admit to being just a bit letdown by the episode, though. For the first time this season, this episode slipped back into some of the familiar modes from Smallville’s past. Though, they probably skewed a bit more towards Season 8’s handling of the material than earlier seasons. As a result, we get some of the best two-person characters scenes ever seen in the show mixed with a somewhat lackluster villain plot. The villain plot could actually have been excised from the show and not really had much effect on the overall story. We know this because we’re introduced to it briefly in the teaser, just to make the connection, and it’s not really picked up again until past the half-way point of the episode. Sure, Lois and Clark are investigating the factory explosion, but their interaction has more to do with them than really Schott’s plan.

The only saving grace of the Toyman part of the storyline was Chris Gauthier. I thought he was a bit better than okay in his first outing as Schott in last season’s ‘Requiem’, but the role didn’t really do much for me. He steps it up in ‘Echo’ and, while a bit hammy, his performance fits the Toyman well for me. My favorite bit with him, though, ended up being the final scene with Tess. He and Cassidy Freeman played off one another well and I enjoyed his idolization of the Metallo heart. I have a feeling we’ll see him again this season. I can’t really say whether I’d like to or not. The character just seems to be so secondary in both of the episodes he’s been in – no fault of Gauthier’s, though – that it leaves me rather apathetic regarding him.

One thing that really stands out to me as odd about the Toyman’s plot is that no one was really concerned with the amazing technical work Schott put into his decoy. That thing had to have been the most amazing artificial lifeform created on the show and it was basically an afterthought. C’mon, not even one scene of Hamilton geeking out of the thing?

As I mentioned earlier, the character work in this episode was beyond fantastic. I don’t think I’ve even been so rapt by the dialogue and interactions of the pairings included in this episode. Let’s start with the Tess and Oliver (Justin Hartley) scene in what I guess was Mexico somewhere. Tess as Lara Croft aside, when she started opening up to Oliver to get him to confide in her, I was lost in the scene. In an earlier review, I talked about how Cassidy was letting in so much vulnerability with Tess while trying to keep the hard but cracked exterior up. We’re given more of that here and I have to say I’m a big fan to see even more of it. Tess and Oliver are both fractured and, with their shared past, I’d like to see them grudgingly open up to one another more, to see them become emotional touchstones for one another. Justin and Cassidy have great chemistry, swimming with a good amount of darkness amongst the playfulness. That was evident when Tess touched his shoulder and Oliver’s silent reaction to her before he steeled himself up again.

This was matched with the amazing scene between Ollie and Clark (Tom Welling) on the Ace of Clubs balcony. My issue a lot of times with scenes between these two alpha males is that there is often an aggression from one or both of them. One is always growling and lecturing while the other has to react. This is the first scene between them in a while that I can recall them just having a conversation. I’m not a fan of the collapse of Ollie storyline, now brought to a head by Ollie willing to commit suicide, but the scene on the balcony was beautiful. Clark didn’t lecture, he opened up to him. The softness with which he conversed with Oliver was great work on Tom’s part and so refreshing. There was sincere care there and Hartley offered an exposed Oliver who genuinely listened and shared. Ollie’s not done in his depressing journey but having both Tess and Clark reach out to him could finally stir him out of it.

And, of course, every scene between Lois (Erica Durance) and Clark. I hardly want to comment on them because they were all gems that speak for themselves. I can’t tell you the numbers of times I smiled wide while these two were on screen together.

Once again, Erica and Tom are given great light comedy to work with to balance out the heavier parts and both excel at it. The looks of amusement both had on their faces at various points throughout the episode were priceless and so welcome. The smiles and beaming eyes both had as they spoke. So much bad happens that it brings even more joy to see the brightness these two bring one another. Just as writing Chloe and Clark at odds brought out more strength in both characters, introducing the romance into Lois and Clark makes each better.

I could gush on and on about Clois from each of their scenes, but I’ll just focus on that final scene. The charged conversation between them sparkled under Tom’s and Erica’s performances. With my own experience with acting, I know the difficulty of creating and maintaining “romance” between characters at times. Sometimes it just seems silly. I can imagine both Tom and Erica having some hilarious gag reel outtakes where they just start cracking up when they’re making googly eyes at each other. But they really pull it off well and really let forth the fun they are having. It’s such a treat to see Clark enjoy a relationship instead of being stuck in the melodrama over it. Maybe my favorite part of the scene – keeping in mind I loved the whole thing – was when Lois was copyediting Clark’s article and that finally look on Tom’s face that said ‘Okay, that’s just too far’. It was classic and summed up their competitive nature.

I also have to commend Erica and Tom for having to act and connect through all of the ‘thoughts’ scenes. It felt believable throughout even with the risk of stilting the dialogue and flow of the scenes. Series newcomer Wayne Rose did a fairly accomplished job directing and has a great way of working with actors. That he trusted his solid cast and the strong writing to just focus squarely on the interaction without pushing for extra flair and style was a smart choice. This showed well in Erica’s and Tom’s scenes. And because of how enjoyable they were, I have to note the corresponding donut scenes (blatant Dunkin’ Donuts product placement aside). Nice little moments and I especially liked how special Lois looked in the hospital one.

The development of Superman continues strongly. I nearly jumped out of my seat and clapped for the scene where Clark dresses down the guy witness who didn’t actually see anything. The cock of his head, the stern look, the command of his voice and directness of his words were iconic Superman. I maybe would’ve pulled back just a tad with the camera to get some torso with his face in the shot to really capture that cross-armed Superman look, but that was Big Blue Boy Scout all the way. Plus, Clark continues to use his brain. He took command of the Ace O Clubs (apparently, it’s not Ace of Clubs anymore) situation and put together that the Winslow Schott he was holding was a fake. Okay, he had some help from Chloe (Allison Mack), but it was in the proper sidekick way. He told her what needed to be done and she responded to him. It was much more than the traditional dumb Clark running to Chloe and her coming up with all of the solutions.

That whole first scene where Clark arrives on the rooftop as the cops show up, zips in to remove the hostages and confronts the “bomber” head on was vintage Superman. The only thing I didn’t like about it was Clark’s tough-handing dealing with the bomber. Don’t think he really needed to be backhanded across the factory floor. And, yes, of course I loved that Clark changed out of the Blur in the convenient phone booth at the factory. Especially dug on Clark’s response to Lois questioning that he would call her from a phone booth: “Apparently.” It was a throwaway line delivered perfectly. Tom seems to be so much more comfortable in the role of Clark than he’s been since the earlier seasons of the series.

The “trial” in the episode proved rather innocuous. It didn’t really seem to tie into the rest of the events beyond Clark listening to Lois’ thoughts. Upon a second viewing, it seems that it was meant for Clark to open his eyes regarding Oliver’s behavior but it still isn’t very clear to me. If that’s the case, I’d be mad if I was Jor-El. He ‘built-in’ this seed that was supposed to activate when an extreme condition required it too and this was that condition. Although Clark did become aware of Ollie’s state of mind, I don’t necessarily think he learned much about humanity and his Kryptonian instincts. Maybe I was just blind to it but it didn’t work for me. I was looking forward to these trials, not realizing until just this week that they were going to be playing out in Clark’s life rather than in the Fortress. I think it’s a terrific idea and I was anticipating this being a superb kickoff to those trials. It wasn’t.

‘Echo’ worked for me for the most part. That was primarily in the scenes that were just between the characters rather than dealing with the plot. That’s where the majority of my score comes from. The overall storyline wasn’t much and the villain situation felt like something from the series pre-Season 9. The cinematography and visual design was also more traditional. That was a disappoint to me after the significant change of the look of the series in the first three episodes of the season. It looks, perhaps, like that visual change might just have been an anomaly. We’ll have to see.

Teaser

Summary: What could have been a weak horror movie retread becomes a surprisingly vicious and romantic episode.
Rating: 8.5/10

The quick skinny on the episode.

An airborne virus plagues Metropolis turning citizens into modern horror movie zombies. When Tess becomes infected, Lois & Clark investigate the strange illness. Clark takes a sample of Tess’ blood to Chloe and Emil at the Watchtower to determine the origin and find a cure. The two come to find that the virus is Kryptonian in origin and need a sample of the alien blood to create an antigen. After Clark helps Lois fight off a gruesome horde at the Daily Planet, resulting in her being infected, Clark decides to give his blood for the cure.

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the episode.**

Feature-Length Review after the jump.

The in-depth review.

I was worried about this episode. Not as much as I am about ‘Idol’ coming up later in the season, but the idea of a zombie show didn’t sit well with me. We’d already had a ridiculous “vampire” story (the rancid ‘Thirst’) and a Saw knock-off in Season 5 (the relatively decent ‘Mercy’). When Smallville falls back on these mimicry kinds of shows, it usually doesn’t turn out well.

How surprised am I?

‘Rabid’ is a fantastic episode that both plays its horror aspects just right and weaves an incredible romantic tapestry for Clark and Lois. In fact, it’s this dichotomy that I find one of the most awesome and indelible triumphs of this episode. I follow series composer Louis Febre on Twitter (be sure to check out his weekly column at Starkville’s House of El (SHoE) Podcast for great insight into his writing process) and he mentioned how he was having to balance the horror with the emotional for ‘Rabid’. I had no idea just how much he meant.

If ever we’ve had an episode in the series that was a dedicated Lois & Clark episode, this is the one. Everyone else was relegated to brief scene work and the developing twin stars of the show were pushed to the forefront. I could not be more thrilled. I have been a fan of Lois and Clark on the series since she was introduced in Season 4. Erica Durance and Tom Welling have a wonderful chemistry and have always added extra zip to their scenes together. I actually love the fact that Clark really only seems to have fun in the series with Lois. Tom’s delivery and his whole demeanor becomes lighter and brighter when the two are working together, so I relish every moment. This episode had that in spades.

From the opening of Act One, we’re given some lighthearted comic moments with Clark using his abilities to distract Lois and the beginnings of his own delineation between himself and the Blur. Jordan Hawley’s script was overall a little punchy with the wordplay but the lines given to Clark regarding his alter ego were priceless. This episode showed, in stark relief, just how much more they should give Tom comedy to work with. He seems to have more fun and comes a live a bit more when he’s not being run through the ringer, as the show is wont to do. And it’s not slapsticky, in-your-face comedy. It’s nice, subtle bits like his response to Lois asking about smelling smoke after he’d returned from putting out the fire and his quick correction to ‘2 seconds’. Also, the speed with which Clark types and clicks his mouse to get his ‘Blur’ scoping off the screen when Lois comes back to her desk.

Tom was wonderful in this episode, alternating between the lighter and forward-moving Clark and stoic and righteous Blur with ease. It was a good distinction and I must say that I’m enjoying them slowly developing the different “personalities” between the two. They’re still the same person and each has aspects of the Clark we’ve known for 8+ years, but they are making an effort – in small increments – to create a Superman persona separate from Clark. I’m not sure if this is strictly on the writers or if Tom has a hand in this but I fully approve and look forward to more of it. And is it just me or did Tom seem like even more of a man in the episode than any before?

Despite third billing, Erica and Lois have quickly become the yang to Clark’s yin in terms of focus and impact on the series. Rightfully so. Erica continues to turn in shaded performances of her Lois that they began to allow her to do last season. The overconfident Lois in the beginning; the shell-shocked yet determined Lois in the hospital after Tess threw her across the room; the soft, revealing Lois at the Planet after the initial zombie attack; the caring-so-much-it-hurts Lois with Ollie in the elevator; the vulnerable Lois in Clark’s arms after the antigen changes her back; the chummy yet desirous Lois at the farm with Clark; and, of course, zombie Lois. Erica had so many shifts this episode and she handled each with aplomb. I know she rubs people the wrong way as Lois but it goes without saying, for me, that she has become the leading – if not yet quite definitive – version of Lois Lane in live-action. They keep giving her more room to move and she continues to step up to the challenge. And I’d be remiss to not remark on how positively gorgeous Erica was throughout the episode, snarling, spitting green mouth aside.

For being an episode about a virus that turns people into ravaging zombies, I was surprised at how little there actually were. And pleased. Using the zombies sparingly really helped to establish a sense of dread in an intimate way. It sold the plot of the whole city being infected by seeing the effects on our main characters up close and personal. If we’d been left to visuals like the widespread panic of ‘Dark Thursday’, I don’t think it would’ve been as effective. When these zombies were onscreen, it was serious and mean and powerful. I’m not one who is scared by zombie movies but I do have to say that between the make-up department, the lighting designer and the cinematographer, they made these zombies scary.

I think the person that sold this the most was Cassidy Freeman. Seeing Tess get so freaked out in that hallway when her head of security was taken down by a zombie really set the mood, even more so than the punch at the end of the teaser with zombie Lois attacking Clark. There is a surprising frailty to Tess this year that Cassidy really allows to shine through the hard exterior Tess is trying to maintain. You can tell that this is a woman who has really been affected by these crazy things she’s been witness to in the last year. I think it’s marvelous work by Cassidy and gives real depth to a character who is written a bit more surface than she should be. In addition, she gets to do fabulous stunt work with the sword – she can be so badass.

That brings us to Oliver (Justin Hartley). I have to own up to not being that interested in Ollie’s dark path so far. It seems much like a retread of where he was last year. Now, understanding the dark disease of addiction, it makes sense that Ollie is back to this place since he hasn’t dealt with his demons. Filmically, it gets a bit staid and old. That said, I’ve always appreciated that Ollie was the mouthpiece of the audience, calling anyone and everyone out on their B.S., especially Clark. Even when he’s being the ultimate dick, which Ollie excelled at in this episode.

When Ollie laid into Clark about being ‘God’ and a ‘modern Jesus’ I was as taken aback as I was with Chloe’s outburst at Clark in ‘Metallo’. It was so vicious and succinct, playing on some common themes that have been weaved into the Superman mythos throughout the years. I also got a kick at how nonchalantly Ollie just dismissed Clark’s new outfit. It was written and filmed too early to really be a shout-out to the audience – many of whom have an issue with Clark’s dark duds – but once again Ollie speaks to concerns of those watching the show.

Hartley shines in being an overbearing, pompous, self-loathing prick as Ollie so this scene with Clark and the scene with the hot cop played out very well. He was also dead-on in the elevator with his confession and staring into his reflection. It makes sense that he would grasp at Lois as he’s falling apart. I don’t think he loves her. At least, not romantically. But he’s looking for some rope to pull himself out of this hole, whether he admits it to himself or not, and convincing himself he’s still in love with Lois is just that rope. I am interested in how he’ll get back to a healthier self and reclaim his Green Arrow mantle – as well as if he’ll keep the same suit design or come up with another when he throws his togs back on after burning his originals – but I’m finding going through the muck with him not that fascinating.

I’m wondering what they are going to be doing with Chloe (Allison Mack). So far she’s becoming quite marginalized this season. She might as well have been an extra this episode but for the nice but oddly written exchange between her and Emil Hamilton on the jet. If they do have something big planned for her down the road, I’m fine with her being pushed to the background for a bit. If not, they need to find some way to make her role important enough – without overshadowing Clark and Lois – or just move Chloe on. Hamilton has become increasingly more important and Alessandro Juliani is fitting in nicely with the cast. (Thought it was odd that Hamilton knew about Clark’s abilities but didn’t know he was an alien.) I can see them sliding Chloe out and moving Hamilton into her place. I would just hope that the transition would be respectful of Chloe and Allison.

‘Rabid’ continues a stellar run for the beginning of this season. I can’t recall the last time a string of episodes has been of such good quality for the show. The most impressive thing continues to be the, well, continuity between episodes this season. While this one is more self-contained than ‘Savior’ and ‘Metallo’ were, the lasting effects of the budding romance with Lois & Clark, Ollie’s decision to walk away from everything, and Zod’s mission still build on the season and spin well into the next episode.

This episode went a stunning long way towards a Clois coupling. How could my romantic heart not go pitter-pat during that scene in the rain where Clark contains Lois as she’s cured? Or in their final exchange at the farm? When Clark grabbed her arm when she tried to punch him in that ol’ familiar way and they shared those looks of longing, I’ll admit I squirmed in my chair a bit. I like that they are growing this romance but also that they are putting it out in front too. I wouldn’t exactly call it subtle but I don’t feel it’s being shoved down our throats with the Blur’s fist either. I had to cringe when Clark pulled that picture of Lana out of his wallet, but by placing it in the photo album, Clark has made his choice. That small scene was handled with a lot more tact than the outcome of ‘Requiem’ and was a nice passing of the torch.

I was a little disappointed that one of Zod’s minions and not Zod himself was behind the unleashing of the virus. That’ll show you to have some initiative, peon! Zod handled it masterfully, though, and was able to benefit from the unexpected results. I liked Tess’ interesting bit of foreshadowing about the Kryptonians blending in and disappearing with the reveal of Coats being one of the Kandorians. Of course, you had to know Coats wasn’t long for this world by overstepping his bounds. Zod had him kneel – in a smooth, soft rendition of the word by Callum Blue – and meted out his penance. While the last shot was a bit too [i]Highlander[/i] for me – I was waiting for the Quickening and for Zod to yell out ‘There can be only one!’ – I got a kick out of Zod being just as skilled with a sword and unflinching in his response. Blue is knocking this character out of the park and they way they are writing him is assuaging any fears I had of him being a one-note character that we’d already seen on the show before. I look forward to Zod having information about the House of El being on Earth.

Kudos once again to the production and visual design of the show. It continues to feel completely different yet set in a familiar world. And I can’t heap enough praise on Louis Febre for his score. The voices he found for the horror scenes with the squelches plus the layered plays on the Blur theme, the growing Clois theme and the Green Arrow theme were exquisite. The weight of his score adds to the overall visual feeling in ways that are beyond measure.

Full review posted to comixtreme.com.

Story: 3/5
Art: 3/5
Overall: 3/5

Y como el blog trata especialmente de 7 series, aquí os pongo la última de las “Review” que analizaré, hasta la fecha que ya se han producido mucho estreno y todavía no he tenido tiempo de ver mucho más. Corresponde al primer episodio (9×01 Savior) de la 9ª temporada de “Smallville”.

Por fin, lo que muchos fans pedían a gritos, “Smallville” ha dejado de ser la típica serie de adolescentes para dar un paso adelante. Ya no trata las cosas de la misma forma y se ha visto un creciente cambio en la actitud del protagonista. Clark Kent intenta dejar su pasado atrás y guiado por la voz de su padre, Jor-El, tendrá una adiestramiento para deshacerse de sus emociones humanas y evolucionar. Junto a ello intuimos que poseerá la capaz de volar, que con tanto ahincó llevamos esperando 9 temporadas.

Y aunque cada personaje toma su rumbo: Jimmy y Davis han muerto; Chloe intenta ayudar a su amigo tras la desaparición del borrón azul y rojo de Metropolis; Oliver no levanta cabeza y deja de ser Flecha Verde para no tener un futuro comprometido con nada; Tess se encontrara con el General Zod de Krypton que no sabe todavía qué está haciendo en la Tierra, ni como ha llegado ni cómo podrá escapar; y Lois regresa del futuro para encontrarse con un nuevo reportero del Daily Planet, que posteriormente creo que veremos convertido en Metallo.

Aunque nueve temporadas pueden parecer muchas, al fin creo que “Smallville” está encontrando su camino donde podremos ver la dualidad de Clark Kent, y donde parece que todos los personajes tienen algo que aportar y algo que esconder. El primer episodio ha sido muy gratificante como cambio, esperemos que todos sigan la misma estela ya que un giro de argumento no le venía mal ya que su desgaste era evidente.

Teaser

Summary: A strong effort on what is essentially the “freak of the week” trope that the show was known for in its early days with long-lasting effects.
Rating: 8.5/10

The quick skinny on the episode.

John Corben is on a personal vendetta to expose, discredit and take down the Blur. He believes that the Blur is responsible for his sister’s death. Corben is horrifically hit by a truck and wakes to find that someone has built him bigger, stronger, faster… with a Kryptonite heart. At first appalled, Corben discovers the benefits of his new body and decides to take out the Blur himself. To do this, he kidnaps Lois, who Chloe comes to find out just how much more she means to Clark now than anyone else.

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the episode.**

Feature-Length Review after the jump.

The in-depth review.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of ‘Metallo’. I mean, we knew it was going to be the introduction of a prominent figure of the DC Universe and one of Superman’s best known adversaries, so it would be handled with, presumably, a good hand. But it also ran the risk of being exceptionally cheesy and yet another K-rock groaner.

I’m thrilled to say it’s the former, actually taking the “freak of the week” concept from the earliest days of the show and making it relevant. Going into the episode, hearing some of the spoilers and reading the CW’s official description, it sounded like Corben’s gripe against the Blur was rather flimsy. I was actually surprised at how well they worked that story point into the episode. It harkened back to that mother on the TV in ‘Infamous’ where Clark and Chloe are in the Kent house with all of the media outside. She complains about how Clark should’ve been able to be everywhere and he has no right to choose who he gets to save and who he doesn’t. That the Blur was indirectly responsible for Corben’s sister’s death – and then again, not really, because the inmate was ultimately the one who committed the crime – felt like a stronger motivation because it was based in this particular view of a hero’s duty and worth.

I have to say, I was impressed with Brian Austin Green throughout the episode. He really gave layers and shading to Corben, especially after his horrific accident. You could feel this was someone who lost himself and continued to as Krypto-juice and growing hatred filled his body. When it comes down to it, he really only interacted with Lois (Erica Durance) throughout the episode, with the exception of a few brief moments with Clark and with Emil. So left to his own for the majority of his time on-screen, I was surprised how captivated I was by him. Corben really wasn’t around much in these first two episodes, but he made an impression and I have to give credit to BAG for that. I liked that Erica had another sparring partner, one with some bite between them, as well. I hope they manage to bring him back for an episode or two later in the season.

I was somewhat worried about Chloe and Allison Mack this episode. It seemed as if we were going to get a bit of a one note effort, with Chloe feeling hurt and left again by Clark (Tom Welling) communicating with Lois as the Blur. And then… And then… Holy crap! When she unloaded on Clark in the Kent house my jaw hit the floor. I never would’ve expected that much venom from Chloe directed towards Clark. Frankly, she was right in everything she said. It might have come from an angry place, but she wasn’t wrong. And Clark knew it.

Then, the follow-up scene to wrap the episode between the two in the Watchtower was nice and honest. Personally, I like this tension between the friends because they seem to be writing them stronger bouncing off one another. They feel more adult in dealing with these issues than with anything else they’ve faced up to this point. It was dissipated to a slight degree in that last scene, but I’m hoping they continue on a bumpy road. It doesn’t feel forced and comes from very real places for both Clark and Chloe. This was a smart choice on the parts of the producers and writers.

Lois was terrific in this episode, displaying both her sharp side as well as her tenaciously devious side. I was wondering how Lois was going to make her way back into the Planet officially, and it was just like Lois Lane to confront Tess (Cassidy Freeman) the way she did. I loved how charged the scene between Tess and Lois was, feeling at any moment the two could go at one another and yet that they both knew it would be beneficial to let Lois ‘get her way’ in this one.

Also, I can’t help but get giddy when Lois reacts the way she does to the Blur. Erica really sells her infatuation with the superhero. It seems a bit juvenile and over-the-top at points but that’s because it’s infatuation. It’s supposed to be that way. Her affection for Clark, though, is something different altogether. Erica plays this just right as a mix of reserved with occasional unconscious outburts. What she has with Clark and feels for Clark is deeper and, in the end, affects her more. The distinction has been written well and Erica plays it note perfect. The scene where she crumbles a bit when the Blur doesn’t show her his face measured against the longing for and embrace of Clark are great examples.

I don’t care what anyone says, Clark was full-on Superman in this episode. From his focus to his thinking to his actions, this could possibly be the most Superman-like Clark we’ve ever seen in the series. Listening in on the city from his perch, feeling at once a part of everyone’s lives and completely divorced from everyone all the same, you could feel the weight of his burden, the depth of his concern and the strength of his convictions. The headlines from other cities’ newspapers a nice touch, nearly every move Clark makes now is with purpose. It’s like they’re making up for all of the years of Clark’s reactivity and inactivity by having him go full-bore proactive all the time, and it fits the Big Blue Boy Scout he’ll eventually come to be known as.

That little scene between Emil (Alessandro Juliani) and Clark at the hospital was succinct and well-written. I really enjoy Emil as a minor character and I’m glad to see more of him on-screen. Clark was all-business but also turning the ol’ hampster wheel the entire time. What a nice jolt to see them leave a scene with Clark coming up with the big lightbulb for the predicament.

Which brings us to the confrontation between ‘Metallo’ and Clark. This might actually be one of my favorite “bad guy” showdowns of the series, not because it was big and flashy, but because it was thoughtout and full of smaller bits that added up to a great whole. We knew Clark would have an issue getting close to Corben because of the Krypto-heart. The EMP grenade was an ingenious bit of thinking on Clark’s, Emil’s or both’s parts and seemed like a sensible, if a bit convenient, solution. But then they throw us the curveball. It works for a minute but then Corben’s back on his feet. Clark feels ill, Corben chucks Clark across the room and we’re left with that sense of ‘what the hell do we do now’.

Then, Clark eyes his next great gambit: a lead door from one of the furnaces. Without hesitation, he smelts the thing with his heat vision and superspeeds to clamp it onto Corben’s chest, sealing the K-rock output. Immediately, you think, ‘Oh, well, that’s done’ but the writers actually keep with it. Just because the heart is sealed doesn’t mean it isn’t still powering Corben. He yanks the plate off, realizing that the meteor rock has some kind of effect on the Blur and he’s going to use that to his advantage. But… oh… the heart piece is welded to the lead door… And down goes Corben, incapacitated. That sequence of events alone jumps their “fight” into the top 3 showdowns of the series for me.

While we felt there was a renewed energy to the series in Season 8 over the tired Season 6 and exhausted Season 7, there is something altogether different about Season 9. The show truly has shifted into something else entirely. Yeah, there are pastiches of the former show about but the energy, the direction, the overall face of the show is changed. I can’t say for the better or for the worse. It’s a metamorphosis more than anything else.

In just these two episodes, Season 9, to me, is already the most visually arresting season of the series. The cinematography and lighting have evolved and matured, if you will. They seem to be taking some time to establish some iconic shots as well as push to define a changed attitude and atmosphere in the choice of angles, filters and more. That sequence tracking down from the Planet globe to Clark looking out of the city was fantastic, followed by that epic shot of Clark standing on the ledge, looking out over the city with the sun shining on him, his coat lightly blowing like a cape. One of the lasting images of the series right there. In contrast, the switch to a more horror-film look in the scene of Corben after he’s been hit by the truck – with the suitably over-the-top flourish of the river of blood – is both gruesome and vivid. Not to mention the Metallo reveal scene, which had been released in preview but still played just as effectively in the episode. Also, the effective use of reflection in the Watchtower scene where Chloe is helping Clark track down Corben, watching the way he reacts talking about Lois.

Also, I’m not sure how many noticed just how they were lighting Clark in this episode. They had him in sunlight in the beginning, but they began to do real interesting lighting tricks to keep Clark a bit more in the shadows. It’s particularly noticeable in the final scene between Clark and Chloe in the Watchtower. They stare out the window and Chloe is lit in full daylight. Clark has colder, bluer tones thrown on him. This, of course, is lifted when Clark returns to the Planet as “himself”.

Overall, I found ‘Metallo’ an excellent episode that carried the threads from ‘Savior’ over well while still continuing more for the season. I like that Clark is tethered to his life by Lois not just in feeling but in order to keep an eye on her now. The scene of Lois telling Clark a story was just as iconic, in my opinion, as the earlier shots of Clark on top of the building.

I’m interested to see what the ‘Metallo’ experiment brought to the Kandorians and find the connection between the two odd and yet fitting. Also, this idea that there really are hundreds of other Kryptonians out there opens up a lot of avenues. I’m still not a big fan of Kryptonians other than Clark being on Earth, but with Lois’ visions of the future, this looks to play out interestingly. And I have to assume that’s Jor-El who was lying naked in the House of El ‘crop circle’.

Plus, you can’t scoff at the inclusion of Shelby in the story and an all-too-infrequent mention of the lovely Senator Martha Kent. Superbly written by Don whitehead and Holly Henderson, who are far from my fave writers of the series (giving us ‘Arctic’ and ‘Requiem’ among others), and masterfully directed by Mairzee Almas, my favorite director from Season 8. Not to forget Louis Febre’s wonderfully rich score, filled with quite a bit of horror film-like cues as well as epic crescendos throughout. This season keeps building strong.

Tortellinis amb formatge

200g de tortellinis
125g de baicon
60g de formatge roquefort
60g de formatge d’ovella
60g de formatge elemental
75g d’espinacs
75g de nata líquida

1) Es fonen els 3 formatges en una paella.
2) S’afegeix: la nata líquida, el bacon i els espinacs a la paella.
3) Es bull la pasta en una casserola a banda.
4) Finalment ho barregem tot.

[recepta per a 2 persones]

Teaser

Summary: A powerful and promising start to a season that once again looks to rewrite the show.
Rating: 9/10

The quick skinny on the episode.

Clark has decided to shed his “human” relationships to focus solely on his destiny to be the world’s greatest superhero. He’s begun training with Jor-El in the Fortress but both come to realize that there is one relationship that is holding him back: Lois. Out patrolling Metropolis, Clark saves an elevated train that’s fallen off its tracks and speeding toward the ground. He discovers that Lois is aboard, unbeknownst to him that she’s just returned from the future, of which she has no knowledge. She’s not alone, as a Kryptonian assassin has followed her back with sights on Clark. And perhaps Clark’s greatest challenge, Zod, arrives at Luthor mansion via the orb… and he’s not alone. All adds up to one of the best premiere’s in the show’s history and an outstanding episode that actually presents intriguing plot threads to be explored throughout the upcoming ninth season.

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the episode.**

Feature-Length Review after the jump.

The in-depth review.

‘Savior’ is perhaps the most accomplished season premiere in the history of the series. That’s saying much given that the series is known for its premieres and season finales. The writing is assured, lean and focused (with but one odd scene). The cinematography is astounding and moody in such a way that I hope they didn’t blow a big portion of the season’s budget on it for being so good. Louis Febre’s score is even more layered and his themes continue to mature and deepen. And the performances throughout were consistent and right on the money.

While the writers/producers decision to crib some notes off The Dark Knight for Clark’s new persona was met with some derision, it’s clear right off the bat (no pun intended) that this all speaks well to where Clark (Tom Welling) is in his journey. Many joke that his new outfit is too much like Neo’s from The Matrix trilogy and therefore too much of a cliche. For me, it’s as if Clark let the color run out of him. The t-shirt and the jeans are the same outfit he’s worn for years and what came to be known as the Red-Blue Blur’s togs, just black now. And the black trench coat is the perfect approximation to a cape without actually putting him in one.

The biggest – and best – thing about Clark in the premiere is that he’s continuing the streak of proactivity that began to manifest itself in the latter half of Season 8. Clark has a purpose and a direction and he makes solid choices based on that. His interactions with Jor-El in the Fortress for his training were of someone focused and decided. When he called Jor-El out on his inability to fly – despite knowing that this was the writers throwing a bone to the audience about the subject – he was firm and direct and the answer absolutely worked for me.

Clark and Chloe (Allison Mack) are left in an odd place. Obviously, by Clark denying Chloe’s request to save Jimmy that widens the schism between them made by Clark’s decision last season. That rift between the two best friends is real and feels honest rather than something just forced upon them, which astonishes me after the ridiculously breakneck choice of Clark to shed his humanity in ‘Doomsday’. I like that Chloe feels both proud that Clark is taking his stance and betrayed by her friend. She sums up their course in her speech to Clark on top of the Planet, telling him that they knew at some point they weren’t going to be a part of one another’s lives anymore. It helps to set-up Chloe’s likely exit from the series this season.

I’m excited to see more of Emil Hamilton (Alessandro Juliani) and I really dig the relationship they’re building between he and Chloe. I’m glad they’ve decided to make him even more geeky than he was last season, which should set up a wonderful dynamic for Juliani and Mack to play. And the set-up for the Watchtower is such more appealing than the closet at the Isis Foundation. Plus, he’s already created a Watchtower logo. (You can see it on the interacting table when Hamilton shows Chloe the pictures of the time anomalies before she zips it up onto the monitor wall.)

Probably the weakest parts of the episode were the scene with Oliver (Justin Hartley) in the underground fight club and some of the confrontation between Clark and Alia (Monique Ganderton) in the Kent barn. These existed mainly for exposition and felt like it. I did like how Ollie recognized the heat vision glow in Alia’s eyes and told everyone to get down. I also liked the actual fight in the barn. Sad that it was more impressive than the letdown of the “cataclysmic” battle between Clark and Doomsday. Clark was a lot more willing to engage in the combat and acquitted himself well. Though, I did find it creepy that they alluded to Clark burying her body on the farm. Something’s really off-putting about that. Also, what was with the blue contacts they used for Alia’s eyes?

My favorite parts of the premiere: Zod and Lois.

Callum Blue sold me as the most dangerous threat on the show since the Luthors left in his first few minutes on screen and definitely in the scene with Tess. He’s already more interesting than Davis Bloome was the entirety of Season 8. And Blue already raises the acting bar of the series. The scene where Zod wins all of the Kandorians back to his side was powerful, forceful and gives real creedence and weight to the character. The interactions between Zod and Tess are going to be juicy and I look forward to Blue and Cassidy Freeman really chewing scenery well together. Their cunning and playing close to their vests will recall the chess game between Lionel and Lex and give both characters a lot more depth and direction.

I am completely gaga over Lois and Erica Durance in the role. And she hits the ground running. It’s almost as if we were looking at Lois through Clark’s eyes through the episode. There was something very loving in the way they captured her in this episode (disregarding the one bad decision to have the flash zoom on her in the train). Having Durance to play off of let me enjoy Brian Austin Green’s performance as John Corben more as they added a little extra spark that the two needed. And the way she played her almost-giddy affinity for the Blur opposed to her soft, subtle affection for Clark was a joy, especially for the romantic at heart.

Romance really is a key part of this season and it was touched on in the right measure in ‘Savior’. That last interaction between the Blur and Lois on the phone, when he clearly decided that he wasn’t giving up on her was touching. Seeing her smile in the end as she was climbing into bed really helped seal the moment.

Special mention must be made of Febre’s score. As the series continues to grow into a dedicated superhero show, Febre appears to be having growing fun in creating a magical and atmospheric musical landscape. Sure, I could hear touches (or influences), intentional or not, of Zimmer and Newton Howard in some of the more ‘Batman’-like scenes, as well as vibes and flourishes of Williams informing the Fortress and Clark scenes.

However, his heroic Blur theme continues to evolve into an inspiring backdrop, stretched now into a sweeping underscore to Clark’s acts. The tweaks he’s added develop a strong motif that I look forward to hearing a full-fledged superhero theme come out of. The motif also gives soil for the Lois and Clark romance theme to spring from. We got to hear strains of it in ‘Doomsday’ last year and a bit more toward the end of this episode in the Blois (?) phone call and as Lois is putting herself to bed, smiling. With romance a budding plot this year, I’m anxious to hear how this theme matures. Same for the rest of Febre’s growing signature tunes in this new version of the series.

‘Savior’ ranks right up there near the top of my fave premieres and as one of the strongest episodes of the series. Plus, how could I not get excited by Clark finally have the ‘S’ on his chest and that fabulous scene of him swan-diving off of the crown of the Statue of Liberty? The fact that he’ll be continuing his training during the season rather than shutting it down after this episode and that clear threads are left to carry on through the season leave me hopeful for Season 9.

SMALLVILLE is back!

I, like so many other nerds will be there Friday night (or TIVO will) for the premiere of Season 9 . The first ep of a new season is usually the most exciting because of the deceptively well-edited recap of the last season (ugh), spending a tad more on the effects and well, there’s just a lot of promise and potential…at least for the first half of episode one.

I don’t know what to make of the Season 9 promo. Clark in an all-black Matrix Reloaded Neo getup…minus flight. So many people would sacrifice 20 or even 30 years off their lifespan to be able to fly, yet for some reason Clark has no interest in it. Even if he hated to fly, shouldn’t he realize flight would enable him to save more people faster?

I know their hands are chained by all kinds of legal and story continuity/canon reasons, but Smallville’s producers/writers have shown time and again, they’re not overly interested in the logic or story shards they CAN work with, not even comic book logic. Season 8 sucked, there’s no way around it…the only interesting moment I can remember is Lois possessed by Faora, Wife of Zod. Season 7 was even more atrocious than 8, and would’ve been redeemable only by having Lana thrown into the sun, any sun, red or yellow. Lex Luthor’s character arc was ultimately a bust. Doomsday should’ve been a one or two episode character, not a dragged out, go-nowhere, season-long fugazi.

Brian Austin Green as Metallo? Well, Green’s been working with robots the past few years, but Metallo is Metallo…ultimately just another one of 50 or so characters that have thrown Clark across schools, labs, forests, caves, icicles or fields. Every time Clark meets new villains, he seems completely clueless how to fight them; like he has no prior experience. Which after 8 years has gotten very, very old.

And then there’s Zod.

I Was A Teenaged Zod. Oh look, finally, a roomful of kneelers to actually listen to Zod command them!

I’m going to take a guess about the origin of this new younger Zod, who is supposed to be not yet as evil and powerful. Instead of being born evil, this Zod will be a cynical military officer who was somehow betrayed by Krypton’s government in a none-too-subtle liberal allegory of the Iraq War (or Afghanistan). Hey, my guess is as good as any.

Actor Callum Blue* seems interesting enough and even has a “Zod-like” voice, but who knows? Sam Witwer was a superior actor last season and his character went nowhere.

Word is that a Season 10 of Smallville is official. Instead of committing to it, now would be a damned good time to end Smallville and begin “Metropolis”, a fan-inspired idea for a show about “grown-up” Superman. Put Welling in the suit already! No blame to Routh, but Superman Returns was a bad, illogical movie. Let Metropolis rock for a few years on the tube, then do a Superman reboot for the big screen.

For all your Smallville needs (minus my bullshit) be sure to visit KryptonSite.

* The name “Callum” means “dove”. Irony!

Read the follow-up review to this post here!

Lasso of Truth is your weekly guide to what’s hot and what’s not in the DC Universe.  Each week, the Red Baron goes through his comics haul to tell you what’s worth buying and what’s best left alone.

Here’s the key:

Must have – there’s no question, you should buy this great book.
Buy it – a high-quality read that won’t disappoint.
Check it out – pick it up if you have some extra cash.  May be an acquired taste.
Avoid – a disappointing read.  Save your money and steer clear.

Adventure Comics #2
Written by Geoff Johns ǀ Art by Francis Manapul
A heart-warming tale of love re-kindled, with some surprising developments on the Luthor/Brainiac front.  The best Superman book since Johns left Action.
Verdict: Must have.

Blackest Night: Batman #2
Written by Peter J. Tomasi ǀ Art by Adrian Syaf
Without a doubt the best Blackest Night tie-in on the stands.  It’s simple enough to stand on its own, and Tomasi does even more to flesh out the new Dynamic Duo.
Verdict: Buy it.

Green Lantern Corps #40
Written by Peter J. Tomasi ǀ Art by Patrick Gleason
Tomasi continues to mine the rich landscape that he himself created.  The return of the dead means the return of past plot threads, and Tomasi weaves them together beautifully.
Verdict: Buy it.

Secret Six #13
Written by Gail Simone ǀ Art by Nicola Scott
I’m really digging this “Depths” story arc.  Secret Six continues its proud tradition of anti-heroics and black humour.  If you haven’t been reading this book, you really ought to be.
Verdict: Must have.

Superman: World of New Krypton #7
Written by James Robinson & Greg Rucka ǀ Art by Pete Woods
The entire Superman line has been a real disappointment to me since Geoff Johns and Gary Frank left Action Comics.  Everything just feels so…orchestrated, contrived, storyboard-ed – so many adjectives spring to mind, few of them positive.  I expect more from James Robinson and Greg Rucka individually, but together!  This should have been the Golden Age of Super-storytelling.  Instead, the whole thing’s mired in uninteresting political posturing.  “Phantom Menace” continually springs to mind.
Verdict: Avoid.

Wednesday Comics #9 & 10
Written by Various ǀ Art by Various
Wednesday Comics just keeps getting better as it sprints towards the finish line.  There’s really only one weak story in the bunch.
Verdict: Buy it.

Geek’in Krypton serisi ADSL modemlerin pazara girmesiyle DSL kullanıcıları birçok yeni özellikle tanışıyor. Örneğin otomatik port açma özelliğiyle kullanıcıların artık, oyunlar (Age Of Empires gibi), sunucular (http, posta sunucusu), sesli ve görüntülü konuşma sistemleri (Netmeeting,
MSN Messenger) için port numaralarını ezbere bilmesi gerekmeyecek. Krypton serisi ADSL modemler, port açma ayarlarını programlara göre otomatik yapıyor.
Otomatik Kanal Tarama özelliği ise ortamda bulunan en uygun kablosuz frekansın otomatik olarak seçilmesini sağlıyor. Türkiye’de
üretim yapan yerli firma Krypton serisi’nin en avantajlı yanı ise kablosuz modem kullanıcılarının sıkıntı yaşadığı kablosuz bağlantı gücünde: HyperG 140 teknolojisiyle gelen iki adet 5dBi’lık anten, üç kat daha fazla güç sağlıyor. HyperG 140 ile kablosuz ağ, kalın beton duvarlar ve çelik yapılarda bile çok az kayba uğruyor. Ayrıca veri aktarım hızı 140mbps’a kadar çıkıyor.