Smallville Season 11, it"s happening...

[Admiral James Kirk]

Admiral_Young wrote:

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That's very true about Alicia...I'd forgotten about that. Maybe I was projecting my own idealized version of Alicia? I always kind of liked her.

Yeah, Sarah Carter really made Alicia so sympathetic it was extremely easy to ignore what a wingnut she really was.

[Procutus]

Admiral James Kirk wrote:

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I would like to believe that but Alicia made it clear in the episode that she wanted Chloe to expose Clark's secret so that the two of them could live together openly as freaks. She hated being the one who elicited all the nasty looks and shocked whispers. It was classic Alicia. She really did have serious issues with boundaries.

Alicia's mistake was that she thought Chloe loved journalism more than she loved Clark.

Yup, that's basically the way I recall it as well, without pulling the DVD to watch the ep... Which I might, anyway. As you pointed out, Alicia was a real wackjob, but she underestimated Chloe's loyalty to the Big Blue Boyscout. It still would've been a lot cooler though, if the Chlovage had pieced it all together on her own. She certainly had the brains to do it.

Finished Issue 5 last night, and I'm really enjoying this, even more than I thought with all the lavish praise you two gents have heaped on Miller's efforts. Hopefully, I'll squeeze in a read on #6 later on tonight.

[Admiral James Kirk]

Procutus wrote:

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Finished Issue 5 last night, and I'm really enjoying this, even more than I thought with all the lavish praise you two gents have heaped on Miller's efforts.

We are a regular two-Admiral pep squad, aren't we?

[Procutus]

^

That you are!

[Procutus]

OK, Issue 6 was probably the best yet. I'm going to wait until 9 comes out to get the next three. This is definitely what the show should've been back in Season 8, IMO.

And just how does Supes communicate with Watchtower when he's out in space? I don't see a radio or anything... Not that he should be able to speak into a radio in a vacuum.



Then again, perhaps I'm overthinking it just a bit. After all, this is Smallville we're talking about.

[Admiral_Young]

He has his little blue tooth ear piece

[Admiral James Kirk]

Procutus wrote:

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And just how does Supes communicate with Watchtower when he's out in space? I don't see a radio or anything... Not that he should be able to speak into a radio in a vacuum.

Well, uh, you see there's... and uh, tactical telekinesis and um... personal forcefields and... er, air pockets and... eh...

I really dunno.

[Admiral_Young]

Oh oops. Must've have speed read over the vacuum of space comment...doesn't Ollie have Queen Industry communication satelights in orbit? I'm pretty sure Chloe helped set those up while they were first establishing the Watchtower and J'onn helped.

[Admiral James Kirk]

Admiral_Young wrote:

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Oh oops. Must've have speed read over the vacuum of space comment...doesn't Ollie have Queen Industry communication satelights in orbit? I'm pretty sure Chloe helped set those up while they were first establishing the Watchtower and J'onn helped.

They do have communication satellites in orbit but that doesn't explain how Supes can speak in a vacuum.

[Admiral_Young]

Yeah. It's not the first time he's spoken in space either. I remember the Exile story line before he left he used to have some kind of breathing apparatus with a built in radio to speak with Dr. Hamilton on Earth. Not to mention I believe Zod, and Ursa spoke on the Moon in "Supermen II". Clark spoke to the cosmonauts in "Superman II" as well when he saved them I think (that scene in the comic was a direct homage I believe). I just chalk it up to him being Superman

[Admiral James Kirk]

Yeah, I try not to examine these things too closely either. I gave up after I saw Superman IV where he had the extremely human Lacy Warfield flying with him through space.

[Admiral_Young]

Oi...LOL.

[Admiral James Kirk]

It's time for Smallville #9 and boy it doesn't disappoint! Well it didn't disappoint me at least. I suppose I should explain. Do you remember how in every Smallville episode the action and adventure portion of the show concludes about forty five minutes in and the remain 15 minutes of the episode is the character stuff? Well that's kinda what Brian Q. is doing her. Anybody hoping for the adrenaline and groin grabbingly glorious action of last issue are going to be disappointed. However if you've been enjoying the ride that Miller's been taking us on then you're just gonna go with the flow and have a good time.

The issue opens up with a scene reminiscent of the Superman/Lois flying scene in the first movie. It's a cute, romantic moment amongst the clouds. It's also the site of the only error in the issue. What error? Nothing as egregious as the misplaced pages a couple of issues past, thank God. It's just a little typo. "Day" when they meant "Dad". Nothing too distracting. We all make 'em. I just thought I'd be a geek and mention it before anybody else did.

Next up is Ollie and Chloe discussing whether they really want to leave Matropolis for Star City. It seems like, yes, they're still going to move. Kinda, sorta. I get the impression Chloe mostly wants to go and Ollie kinda doesn't. I'm not sure if the characters are being ambivalent or if Miller's writing is just vague in this scene. Either way the best thing about the scene is the revelation that they're being stalked by the person in the spaceship.

The next scene and one of the best is between Lex and Tess. I really like the interaction between the two characters. They're like an old married couple by this point. Sick of the sight of each other and I really get the impression that they like tormenting one another.

The story is moved forward by the revelation that Hank Henshaw's consciousness is being transferred into one of the drones from last issue. What's more Lex intends to have Tess removed from his mind in the same way and then dismantled.

Yeah, Lex is going there!

There's also one more revelation that's almost worth the price of the entire issue. That revelation being that Smallville's Otis is about one brain cell less retarded than the Ned Beatty Otis of the movies. Okay it wasn't really important to the story I just thought it was wacky and goofy.




The issue ends with Hank Henshaw finding out what Lex has done to him. Hank is not happy and that is an understatement that ends this issue with an exciting cliffhanger that gives us the first use of the ultra-sonic signal watch in the Smallville mythos! No, it isn't Jimmy Olsen who uses the watch. However the fallout of Lex's actions and the ramifications on Superman should be made clear one week hence.


And now the long wait for Smallville #10 begins.

Thanks, Brian!

[Admiral_Young]

I swear there hasn't been a bad or boring issue yet with this!!! Oh boy where to start, Admiral James Kirk did a great job of summarizing the issue. The funniest line goes to Otis!!! I can totally picture that happening if this was live action, and Lex's reaction to it was hilarious and a nod to Gene Hackman. The conversations between Lex and Tess are wonderful. Tess gets to really the heart of the matter and understands more than most just how Lex ticks. He's not necessarily an evil bastard, he starts out with good intentions but because of just how he operates and he was raised and conditioned as a child, those good intentions end up being flawed, and he simply doesn't see what he does as being "evil". He thinks he's doing genuinely good things and wants to help the world. Paul Cornell explored this aspect of Lex's character during his year long Action Comics run as well. I love when writers really truly understand Lex Luthor.

Henshaw....oooooooooh Cyborg Superman is coming ever closer! An interesting way of continuing to seed the character and foreshadow what is to come later. "Smallville" did a good job of this season after season. Just the execution was sometimes...lacking. I don't think that will be the case this time around. EMIL!!!!! Oh and I absolutely loved the Lois and Clark, and Chloe and Ollie stuff! The balance of writing and plot is excellent in this...and I too have to thank Bryan for that. Next issue...BRUCE and STEPH!!!

[Admiral James Kirk]

Admiral_Young wrote:

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EMIL!!!!!

I didn't really want to mention it in my review because I thought it was another nitpick that was just too nitpicky to mention. But then again, being a fanboy... why abstain?

My nitpicky nitpick is an artwork nitpick which is probably one of the nitpickiest nits one could ever hope to pick. I mean it's all a matter of interpretation so I really shouldn't bitch but here I go...

I thought Emil Hamilton was too good looking in this issue. He looked less like Alessandro Juliani and more like Dean Cain with a Jewfro.

I know! Dumb nitpick! I guess I just like Hamilton as the fugly little chud from the tv show!