Tribute to the JSA (Smallville - Absolute Justice)

The double-length "Absolute Justice" episode from Season 9 of Smallville was the best thing on TV last year. It featured all the original members of the Justice Society of America - the original Golden Age superheroes. Furthermore, the episode was written by Geoff Johns himself. Watch the clip above and relive the glory days of the Golden Age. The clip reminds me somewhat of the flashback scenes from the opening of "Watchmen". A kind of eulogy to times past.

Smallville Season 10 Teaser Trailer

The last season of Smallville ended with Clark stabbed by Zod using a blue kryptonite dagger. Apparently, that opened a portal that sucked in Zod and allowed Darkseid to come to earth. Season 10 - the final season of the long-running TV series - begins with Lois moving to Africa (after discovering that Clark is The Blur), Chloe trading herself to rescue Oliver Queen, Tess Mercer waking up in Cadmus Labs discovering that she has been healed and also confronting an entire lab of Lex Luthor clones, and finally the advent of Darkseid in Metropolis. Saw the first four episodes with my kids last night. Looking forward to watching the rest of the season. I mean - it's DARKSEID on TV! What more can a fanboy ask for??? :)

Smallville Season 10: Teaser Trailers

The ninth season of "Smallville" ended with Clark given the Superman costume by Ma Kent, sharing a kiss with Lois and getting stabbed with blue kryptonite by Zod before sending all the Kandorians to limbo.

It is rumoured that Season Ten (the final season) will feature appearances by Booster Gold, Blue Beetle and even Darkseid. From the teasers above, it looks like Lex will return. Supergirl and Pa Kent also appears. Of course, the real attraction is Clark finally taking flight and putting on the classic Superman costume. It took him TEN SEASONS to finally do it but we're all thankful for the best coming-of-age superhero TV series ever made.

Review: "Crisis On Two Earths" and "Absolute Justice"

It's a wonderful DC weekend for my family and I. Attended five hours of revision lectures taught by a gay professor yesterday. Thankfully, I got to pick up the second half of Smallville: Season 9 on DVD in the evening. Saw the first two episodes and the Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths DVD (that I picked up some weeks back). I haven't had the chance to watch the animated film earlier and was surprised by how good it was - especially I wasn't really in much of a "DC"-mood over the past several weeks. After all, I spent several weeks reading old X-Factor issues (aside from my countless hours working and preparing for my LLB exams).

If you're wondering, the animated film is done in the classic Bruce Timm style with voice direction by Andrea Romano. It's a cross between the over-the-top stuff by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely a few years back but mixed with the Silver Age "Crisis on Multiple Earths" flavour. Former JLA scribe, Dwayne McDuffie, is responsible for scripting it. My kids and I agree that it's the best DC animated feature film so far - even better than their previous GL, Wonder Woman and New Frontier stuff. Especially Owlman - a very frightening villain whose real struggle was with his own existential questions. He reminded me a lot of Ozymandias from "Watchmen".

You'll love this animated film if you like any of the "Justice League" cartoons on TV. Continuity-wise, it's somewhere between the earlier "Justice League" stuff and the later "Justice League Unlimited". In fact, this is the one where Batman and the others finally recruited new members such as Black Lightning, Black Canary, etc.

All in all - highly recommended for anyone with even a passing interest in superhero stories. :)

Visited my grandma this morning. Nearly all the other family members are back here already. She's really getting weaker by the day due to her illness but she's very happy that everyone is back to visit her.

My kids got to watch "The Brave And The Bold" on TV. The episode featured Batman teaming up with the Outsiders and also Jonah Hex against Despero and Mongul. I was spending time talking to my grandma so I wasn't paying much attention to what was going on in the episode. It's good to see that she's facing everything in a very peaceful manner. Spent about 3-4 hours with her.

In the afternoon, my family and I got to see the double-length Smallville episode entitled "Absolute Justice". It features my favourite superteam of all time, the JSA, so that alone is reason to watch it. It's also written by Geoff Johns, who's responsible for some of the best JSA stories ever - including the under-rated "Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.S" series that first featured Courtney Whitmore (Stargirl). Johns was able to add in a lot of detail to delight longtime comic fans - like he did with the "Legion" episode that he also scripted (see my review here). Some highlights include:

• Hawkman and Green Arrow dukin' it out. The ultra-conservative versus the flamboyant-liberal!

• Courtney (Stargirl) telling Chloe Sullivan how the JSA is more of a family than just a group that meets for missions. Then, Chloe, Ollie and Jonn reflecting on how the Watchtower could be more homely.

• Dr. Fate's helmet - Nabu and everything!

• Flashbacks showing Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, Ted Grant, Al Pratt and even Ma Hunkel resisting the government (while not openly referring to McCarthyism - every comic fan recognises the reference).

• Jonn getting his powers back again - with Dr. Fate's help.

• Star-Spangled Kid (the original Sylvester Pemberton) fighting Icicle. Then Wesley Dodds as well. Stripesy is also mentioned, possibly for the first time ever on prime time TV.

• The JSA Brownstone and Museum is a central feature throughout.

• Hawkman explaining his origins - and Shiera Hall's as well. If you thought that Geoff Johns should be commended for streamlining Carter Hall's convoluted past in the comics, you'll hold him in even higher regard that he actually dared incorporate the entire thing into 2-3 minutes of prime time TV!

• A glimpse of the Superman cape in the vision that Dr. Fate shares with Clark - another push towards his destiny as the Man of Steel.

• Lois Lane as the one clearing the criminal accusations hurled against the original JSA members.

• Pam Grier as Amanda Waller and the revelation that Tess Mercer is also an agent of Checkmate!!!

In short, this is as close as the Smallville series actually got to embracing the entire history of the DC universe. It's unbelievable that Geoff actually injected in so much of the delightful history that have thrilled comic readers for close to a century into two hours of prime time TV. Here's hoping for an even better Season 10 (if Geoff agrees to write more episodes, that is).

Here's a small video featuring scenes from "Absolute Justice":

Smallville (Season 8): Legion

I rewatched the "Legion" episode from "Smallville: Season 8" on DVD late last night. This is the first episode penned by Geoff Johns - who has also written the Justice Society episode for Season 9. It's amazing how the TV series is so closely linked to the goings-on in the monthly books. You see, Geoff Johns had just set up his trilogy of "Legion"-themed stories: (1) JLA/JSA: The Lightning Saga; (2) Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes; and finally (3) Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds. Then he got invited to meet up with the powers-that-be behind the Smallville TV show and was offered a chance to write the episode featuring the appearance of Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl from the 31st century!

I agree with everyone else that this was the best episode from Season 8. Firstly, it resolved a lot of plotlines such as Brainiac's possession of Chloe Sullivan, Davis Bloome as Doomsday and the return of Lana Lang. Secondly, it also featured the most "comic-booky" villain to be shown on TV so far - the Persuader, a big bulky dude with an ax that can cut through anything! Thirdly, there were so many nods to the monthly comic books that a fanboy can get dizzy just pointing them out - here are some samples:

• "No glasses, no tights, no flights? He is nothing like the Man of Steel I've read about!" Garth (Lightning Lad) says about Clark Kent. The Legion was formed because they were inspired by the legend of Superman. Going back in time to meet Clark Kent is akin to meeting some huge historical figure like Gandhi or Abraham Lincoln. The interesting truth about people is that they are usually quite different from what their official memoirs described them to be. Initially, the Legionairres were a little disappointed at the cape-less, flight-less Kal-El. But by the end of the episode, they come to realise that he possesses all the qualities that made Superman a legend even in the future - chiefly, his staunch commitment to the code of no-killing.

• Chloe Sullivan is said to be excluded from all "histories" of the Man of Steel. That's hardly surprising if by "histories", we are really talking about the monthly books. Chloe is an original character created for the TV show!

• Lightning Lad had the best lines - "Hey Kal, where's your cape?", "You may be known as Clark Kent now, but one day you will be known as Sup..." and "Kal, I may have the smoldering good looks of a human, but I'm actually from a hunk of mud called Winath!" How can any fanboy not sit up and cheer? It's the first and only time "Winath" was mentioned on TV!!!

• The three-sphere symbol for Brainiac was used for the first time.

• There was mention of a Levitz Museum in the future - an obvious nod to famed Legion-scribe Paul Levitz.

• The baseball autographed by Clark as a gift for Lightning Lad's sister (Lightning Lass in the comics) is actually the one from Geoff Johns' "Superman: Brainiac" storyarc! The feeling of watching this episode was surreal... so many elements from the four-colour pages were coming to life right before my very eyes!

The episode ended with a "techno-exorcism" of Brainiac from Chloe's body. The scene was funny and scary at the same time. It's another example of how techgnostic elements are fast becoming staples of popular culture (see Erik Davis' book on the subject for more info). Brainiac represents the villainous aspect of alien-lifeform. He's also, in a way, the perfect extropian dream-creature of pure-thought and totalitarian control. I'm glad that the TV show actually dabbled in these concepts.

Here's hoping that the upcoming JSA appearance will be just as good... :)