THE FANDOM ZONE 172: "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Parts 1, 2 & 3" Is Up!

"Keep riding the lightning, son.  I know you'll make us all proud."
-- The Flash (Earth-90) to The Flash (Earth-1), The Flash: "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three"

Hello again, everyone!  My co-host Jesse Jackson and I are back with a very special episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This time, we're joined by DJ Nik from The Whiskey & Cigarettes Show to discuss the first three parts of "Crisis on Infinite Earths", the sixth annual Arrowverse crossover event, based on the classic 1985-86 DC Comics maxi-series and featured in episodes of Supergirl, Batwoman and The Flash!

In this episode, Jesse, Nik and I talk about things like DJ Nik making his debut on The Fandom Zone Podcast, rereading the original Crisis on Infinite Earths by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, Crisis being adapted for television on The CW, former original TitanTalk member and Supergirl writer Jay Faerber, all the great cameos from previous DC Comics movies and TV shows, the destruction of Argo City and Earth-38 Superman and Lois sending their son Jonathan to Earth in an escape pod, Oliver passing on the Green Arrow mantle to his daughter Mia and his death scene, Kevin Conroy's amazing Batman voice, Brandon Routh reprising Superman, Kevin Conroy playing an older Batman who murdered criminals and Superman, Supergirl and Batwoman as the new Flash and Green Arrow, Heat Wave babysitting Jonathan, Tom Welling and Erica Durance reprising Smallville's Clark Kent and Lois Lane, John Constantine meeting Lucifer Morningstar, Oliver becoming the new Spectre, Black Lightning stepping up after learning his entire family has been destroyed, antimatter cannons being very bad for Flashes, John Wesley Shipp getting a heroic ending as the Flash from Earth-90, the Danny Elfman theme from The Flash, our favorite quotes of all three episodes, listener David K. Proctor being turned on to Watchmen, and more!

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Be sure to come back in a few days, as Jesse and I review "A God Walks into a Bar", the eighth episode of HBO's Watchmen, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

Man of Steel: 75 Years of Superman

"Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed. Always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, if they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you...my only son."
-- Jor-El, Superman (1978)

Exactly seventy-five years ago today, Action Comics #1 was published in 1938 by National Allied Publications, the early version of DC Comics.  The most important comic book ever made featured the debut of the world's greatest superhero, Superman, in a thirteen-page story by Glenville, Ohio creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster that paved the way for the entire superhero genre that continues today.

The issue also featured the debut of Superman's love interest (and occasional wife) Lois Lane, who was based physically on Siegel's wife Joanne.  It wasn't long before supporting characters JImmy Olsen and Perry White and arch-nemesis Lex Luthor were added to the world of Superman, which continued to grow over the decades to include Superman's parents Jonathan and Martha Kent, his cousin Supergirl, his Smallville love interest Lana Lang, and a number of great villains including Brainiac, General Zod, Metallo, Bizarro, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Mongul and Doomsday.

In 1939, Superman became popular enough to receive his own self-titled series, which sold even better than Action Comics.  Just a year later, Superman branched into other media with The Adventures of Superman, a radio drama series starring Bud Collyer and Joan Alexander that ran until 1951.  In 1941, Fleischer Studios produced the first of seventeen Superman movie cartoon shorts that remain some of the best ever created.

Superman continued to grow in popularity and in 1948, the first live-action movie serial starring Kirk Alyn began with a second, Atom Man vs. Superman, following in 1950.  The first Superman featured film arrived a year later, with George Reeves taking over in Superman and the Mole Men.  Reeves remained in the role for Adventures of Superman, the first regular Superman television series, that ran for six seasons in syndication from 1952 through 1958.  Bud Collyer returned for a new series of television cartoons titled The New Adventures of Superman in 1966 that ran for a few years and then in 1973, Danny Dark defined the role for Generation X kids on the various Super Friends Saturday morning cartoons on ABC.

Those Super Friends cartoons were my first introduction to Superman at the age of four, creating my deep lifelong fondness for the character and encouraging me to read his adventures in Action Comics and Superman.  As the adopted son of two loving Midwestern parents, cursed with glasses at a young age, I easily identified with Clark Kent and was constantly inspired by his neverending battle for truth, justice...and simply doing the right thing.

My fan appreciation for Superman was made even more permanent in 1978 with Richard Donner's Superman, starring Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder.  Reeve defined the role of Superman for me and most of my generation in the first truly epic superhero film with gorgeous cinematography, powerful music by composer John Williams, and an incredible cast including Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Glenn Ford and Jackie Cooper.  The sequel Superman II folowed in 1981, which helped me get through one of the most difficult times of my young life.

In 1986, DC Comics relaunched its fictional universe in the limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths and restarted Superman continuity from scratch in the six-issue series The Man of Steel by writer/artist John Byrne.  For far too long, Superman comics had lost much of their appeal with bland, repetitive stories and I, like a number of fans, was only checking in every so often.  Byrne's reboot gave Superman's world a desperately-needed cleaning, updating the characters and storytelling for the eighties.  As Byrne continued on with Action Comics and the renumbered Superman series, my interest in Superman was reignited and I haven't stopped buying the comics since.  I attended the 1988 International Superman Exhibition in Cleveland, Ohio, which celebrated Superman's 50th anniversary and gave me the opportunity to meet Noel Neill and Kirk Alyn, along with a number of Superman comics creators.

Later that same year, the syndicated television series Superboy debuted starring John Haymes Newton and later Gerard Christopher.  The series was film at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and in 1990, I was able to appear as a background extra in the episode "Roads Not Taken, Part II" and managed to get a personally autographed photo from Christopher that I still have to this day.

In 1992, DC Comics began one of the most ambitious Superman storylines ever in "The Death and Return of Superman" saga.  The Man of Steel was killed in Superman (vol.2) #75 by a new creation called Doomsday, in a devastating battle on the streets of Metropolis.  DC left Superman dead for almost a year, with four different Supermen filling in, until revealing the character was slowly recovering in stasis inside the Fortress of Solitude.

Superman returned to ABC in 1993's Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher.  The show blended superheroics with a romantic comedy, resulting in the long-awaited marriage of Clark Kent and Lois Lane.  In an attempt to capitalize on the event, DC Comics also had the two characters marry in the Superman: The Wedding Album special published that very same week.  On a personal note, my future wife Lori and I spent time together watching the series, growing closer as time passed, and enjoyed all four seasons the show aired.

Superman appeared in animation once again in 1996, with the popular Superman: The Animated Series starring Tim Daly and Dana Delany.  The series captured a lot of what made the original Flesicher cartoons so appealing, while incorporating various elements from nearly sixty years.  As part of an animated universe crafted by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, the series carried into a new Justice League animated series starring George Newbern in the role of Superman.

Just one month after the horrific events of September 11, 2001, the television series Smallville debuted to an America in desperate need of inspirational heroes and who better than a fictional icon like Superman?  The series starring Tom Welling continued to beat the odds and lasted for an incredible ten seasons on the WB network though its rebranding as The CW.  And thanks to the kind people at DC Comics, I was finally able to contribute my own tiny addition to the Superman mythos by writing four stories for the Daily Planet 2017 newspaper included as an extra feature for the Smallville: The Complete Series DVD gift set.  After all these years of reading and watching Superman stories, the feeling was indescribable.

At long last, Superman returned to the big screen in 2006 with Bryan Singer's appropriately-named film Superman Returns starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey.  Despite pulling in almost $400 million worldwide, the film was considered a disappointment and took the Superman film continuity that began in 1978 into a creative dead end.

2011 saw DC Comics relaunching its fictional universe once again in the five-issue series Flashpoint.  Superman's continuity from 1986-2011 was wiped clean and the character was given a heavily detailed armored look.  In the renumbered Action Comics, writer Grant Morrison and artist Rags Morales took Superman way, way back to his original depiction by Siegel and Shuster as a social crusader.  The character was made single, slightly younger and according to the new timeline, has only been active for five years.

And now in 2013, we're less than two months from another Superman movie, Zack Snyder's Man of Steel starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and Michael Shannon.  The third trailer for the film was released earlier this week to rave reactions, promising a different approach to Superman's origin than the Richard Donner film while maintaining elements essential to that film and to the original comics source material.  After replaying Trailer #3 several times, I absolutely can't wait to see Man of Steel when it premieres just two days before my birthday.

Seventy-five years of Superman, the last son of a dying planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities beyond mortal men.  My deepest and sincerest gratitude to the late Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster for...well...for everything.

Look.  Up in the sky...

DAMN Good Comics -- SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 #1

Yes, Smallville fans, you've waited long enough but it's finally time for Season 11.  Might as well start things off with the Remy Zero theme song...

There...That's better, isn't it?  Almost a year after the TV series' final episode, DC Comics has returned to this alternate Superman world with in a digital comic format that will also be released in traditional print every month.  Season 11 picks up six months after the events of "Finale," revealing what's become of various cast members and how the world is dealing with a Superman as its protector.

In this first chapter "Guardian" (Yes, the traditional one-word story titles have returned as well), Smallville TV series writer Bryan Q. Miller reintroduces us to married couple Oliver and Chloe, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor and of course, Clark Kent, now fully embracing his destiny as the world's greatest superhero.  We don't learn much in the process, although there's a new connection to the Richard Donner Superman films with Lex taking on Otis as his latest henchman/assistant.  Oh, and it seems Clark has swapped his Superman Returns uniform for a version that resembles a cross between the Shane Davis version from Superman: Earth One and the new Henry Cavill costume worn in the upcoming film The Man of Steel.

As for the art, a very bold cover by Cat Staggs (shown above) starts things off nicely with Clark as Superman bursting upwards through the series logo.  It's a very striking image that makes effective use of the widescreen layout and Staggs' rendition of Tom Welling seems more faithful to the series than Gary Frank's first cover for the print edition.  The main story belongs to Pere Perez, who produces some solid work that conveys the story even if it isn't particularly innovative or stylish.  However, some nice coloring by Randy Mayor makes the scenes set in Earth's orbit considerably more effective and interesting, especially a storm of energy that flashes behind a Russian space station.

And while I'm thinking about the horizontal/widescreen layout, while it seems to make certain things pop more than a traditional vertical comic book format, it also loses something in terms of story content.  Because it essentially splits vertical pages into two upper and lower halves, the story flow feels somewhat light with most horizontal pages containing only two-to-four word balloons per page.  Basically, ten pages of a traditional vertical format are stretched out to twenty pages, so you end up flipping through them faster and things are over before you know it.  There's also a minor issue with splash pages being repeated, with a horizontal version of half the page followed immediately with the full vertical splash that encourages flipping your iPad around in order to view it properly.

All in all though, a promising start and one that should prove interesting once things finally get going.  Lex is obviously ready to make some moves into classic Superman Vs. Luthor territory, and this energy storm that pops up out of nowhere should result in some other menace for Clark to address.  If nothing else, Smallville fans should take comfort that the saga of Clark Kent still continues and in many ways, is only just beginning.

DC Announces SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 Comic Book Series

Comics fans have noticed a considerable void on television since the Superman series Smallville ended its impressive ten-season run back in May 2011.  The only comic book series currently on the air is AMC's The Walking Dead, which obviously appeals more to fans of horror and survival tales than your standard superhero fans.

However, DC Comics has just announced that they're going to help fill that Smallville void with Smallville Season 11, a new comic book series that will be released first in digital format and then collected into a print periodical.  The series will be written by former Smallville screenwriter and Batgirl writer Bryan Q. Miller, with art by Pere Perez, Miller's creative partner on Batgirl: The Flood.

Smallville Season 11 will debut as a digital comic on April 13, 2012, with a new digital chapter coming out each week featuring covers by Cat Staggs.  A month later, the chapters will be collected into a print version that have the added bonus of a TV episode guide.  The first printed version is scheduled for May 16, with covers by none other than Gary Frank.

"Six months after Clark Kent donned the cape and took to the skies to save Earth from Apokolips…enter Season 11!” said Miller.  “New allies abound!  New enemies afoot!  And old friends return where they’re least expected!  Pere and colorist Chris Beckett have done a fantastic job of capturing the look of the show and the players, and Gary and Cat are knocking it out of the park on covers.  I couldn’t be more excited to help give seasoned viewers and new readers an all-access pass to Clark’s first year in the cape."

In the meantime, I'd like to heartily recommend/shameless plug the Smallville: The Complete Series DVD set from Warner Home Video, which features four Daily Planet stories from yours truly...

CW Developing DC Comics' GREEN ARROW for TV

Y'know, with all these various superhero TV projects in the works, I wonder if we'll actually get to watch one someday...

In the latest in a series of DC Comics television project announcements featuring Raven, Deadman, Booster Gold and The Spectre, it seems Green Arrow can now be added to the list.  Deadline reports that the CW network is finalizing a deal for a pilot order for Arrow, an hourlong drama based on the Emerald Archer.

The pilot is written and executive produced by Green Lantern co-writers Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim and Fringe and Green Arrow/Black Canary writer Andrew Kreisberg.  David Nutter, who directed the terrific pilot for the CW's Superman series Smallville, will likely direct the Arrow pilot as well.

However, it appears that actor Justin Hartley, who starred as Green Arrow/Oliver Queen on Smallville, will not be reprising the role.  An odd decision, considering Smallville ended last May and Hartley has only appeared on an episode of NBC's Chuck since then.  Also, Arrow will have a new setting not based on the comics, which could mean just about anything.

Working on a DC Comics television series to replace Smallville was important to the CW during this development season.  "We’re looking next year to do a superhero show if the right superhero comes to be,” CW president Mark Pedowitz said back in August.  In addition to Arrow, the network is developing the aforementioned Deadman, scripted by Supernatural creator Eric Kripke.

Charles Skaggs, Mild-Mannered Reporter for the Daily Planet

Okay, maybe not "mild-mannered" but you get the idea.

If you happen to swing by your local Best Buy or Target today, you may notice a certain complete series gift set for the television series Smallville, based on the legendary DC Comics character Superman.  And if you check out the set's special features, you might notice that it includes a Daily Planet newspaper from DC Comics that highlights important storylines from the show's ten seasons.  This edition of the Planet has somehow managed to time-travel back from the year 2017, where it was last seen in "Homecoming," Smallville's 200th episode, when Clark passes a newsstand full of papers with the headline "Superman Saves the Day!"

Pretty cool, right?  Well, guess which huge Superman fan got to disguise himself as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper?

Thanks to project editor Ben Abernathy and my Generator Rex editor Michael McCalister, I was able to contribute four newspaper-style stories for this special edition of the Daily Planet.  As someone adopted as a baby by two kind and loving parents and growing up in the midwest, Superman has always been one of my favorite comics characters and the opportunity to add something, however small, to that legendary creation by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster means more to me than I can properly express.

Sadly, my name doesn't appear in any of the bylines (Some hacks named "Clark Kent" and "Cat Grant" take all the credit), so here's a list of which stories I wrote...

• "Metropolis is Alive with Signs of Urban Growth" (Front Page) -- An exploration of the city of Metropolis and its various districts and boroughs.  Superman trivia geeks should love this one.
• "Kent Addresses VRA Stance at Fundraiser" (Page A3) -- An update on Martha Kent's political career as a Senator of Kansas and a rundown of the Vigilante Registration Act storyline from Season 10.
• "LexCorp Stock Climbs Despite Turbulent History" (Page B1) -- The history of LuthorCorp and LexCorp, especially LuthorCorp's impact on Metropolis and the role it played in various episodes.
• "Q&A: Scott Communications CEO Outlines Future Plans" (Page B1) -- A Q&A style interview with Alan Scott, a.k.a. Green Lantern from the Justice Society of America, that recaps events from the "Absolute Justice" TV movie and explores the character's background.

I had such a great time writing these stories and even if I never get the chance to write anything involving Superman again, at least I was able to contribute something to the character that has meant so much to me since I was five years old.  So thanks again to Ben and Michael for letting me live part of my Superman dream.

Looking up in the sky...

Syfy Orders BOOSTER GOLD Pilot Script

DC Comics' Booster Gold may have lost his solo ongoing series a few months ago, but may have a shot at something even better.

The Hollywood Reporter states that the SyFy ghost science-fiction channel has ordered a pilot script for a one-hour drama based on The Greatest Hero You Never Heard Of. 

The project from Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television, will feature Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters, No Ordinary Family, Green Lantern) as an executive producer.  Fringe writer Andrew Kreisberg, who worked with Berlanti on ABC's Eli Stone, will handle the script and executive produce.  DC Comics is also listed as executive producer.

According to the article, the story focuses on Booster Gold, "a washed-up athlete from the future who travels back to the present in hopes of becoming the greatest super hero of all time.  Instead of chasing criminals, however, his main priority is chasing fame and money.  But Booster Gold discovers that being a hero takes more than just a megawatt smile, and that the future doesn’t happen without first protecting the present."

Booster Gold recently appeared in live-action in "Booster," an episode from the tenth and final season of the CW's Smallville.  He was played by actor Eric Martsolf.

Saying Goodbye to 10 Years of SMALLVILLE

This Friday night, it'll be 10 years and done ...just like that.  Inconceivable.

On October 16, 2001, a country that had spent just over a month reliving the tragic events of the September 11th attacks tuned in for the pilot episode of the WB network's Smallville, based on the Superman and Superboy stories from DC Comics.  8.4 million viewers tuned in, the highest-rated debut for the WB, to see the adventures of the teenager who would one day become Superman.  The country was desperate for heroes to inspire feelings of hope and safety and nobody personfied that better than Clark Kent.

With a somewhat ridiculous "no tights, no flights" rule put into effect by writer/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, Smallville started out with Clark and his friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross facing typical "Freak of the Week" villains that would receive distinct superpowers from some form of exposure to Kryptonite radiation.  Some of the storylines were surprisingly impressive, some of them less so, and let's face it, a few were just downright painful to watch at times.

Fortunately, in addition to Clark's heroic journey, we also were able to see the beginnings of the person who would someday become his arch-nemesis, Lex Luthor.  In a nod back to classic Superboy comics, Clark and Lex started off as friends, until each gradually went their separate ways into superheroism and supervillainy.  As Clark discovered more about his Kryptonian heritage and became romantically involved with Lana, Lex dealt with numerous issues surrounding his father, Lionel Luthor, and various suppressed memories. 

In 2004, Pete was written out at the end of Season 3 and the series introduced Clark's future wife Lois Lane at the start of Season 4.  Although initially just a recurring character, Lois became a series regular the following year and eventually replaced Lana as Clark's main love interest.  Jonathan Kent, Clark's father, was killed off in Smallville's 100th episode, "Reckoning."  Henry James "Jimmy" Olsen and Oliver Queen, alias Green Arrow, were added to the show's cast in 2006 as the series began to broaden more into the Superman and DC Universe mythos.  Clark's mother, Martha Kent, was written out at the end of Season 6, but appeared occasionally.  The show continued to undergo a number of changes, adding Clark's cousin Kara, the future Supergirl, for Season 7, writing out Lana and Lex by the season's end in 2008, killing off Lionel at Lex's own hands, and changing showrunners after Gough and Millar left the series with the actors.

With Season 8, Smallville shifted the central focus of the series to Metropolis and the Daily Planet newspaper.  The show began fully embracing its DC Universe origins, adding Tess Mercer as a version of the comics character Mercy Graves to replace Lex's role and Davis Bloome, who becomes the season's Big Bad nemesis, Doomsday.  Numerous DC characters began to populate episodes and these fresher storylines, including a younger cloned version of General Zod that was established as the Big Bad for Season 9.

So it's been a long and winding road to see that definitive scene when Clark dons his Superman uniform and finally, finally flies.  The show has been such an entertaining and often frustrating ride, but you can't deny its ability to endure.  Even when consigned to the Friday Death Slot in 2009, Smallville somehow found a way to persevere and earned itself a final tenth season.  It's become the longest live-action Superman series ever and even lasted long enough to become the longest-running science-fiction series in America.  (The world?  That title belongs to another show entirely...)

Smallville has been such a weekly ritual in my life for these past ten years.  It was there as my family and the nation coped with the tragedies of September 11th.  It gave my wife and I hour after hour of time together enjoying one another's company.  It cheered me up on evenings I was recovering from minor surgeries or simply wasn't feeling well.  It provided solid entertainment my parents could enjoy at their home and then share with me during our Saturday breakfasts together.  And recently, it even allowed me to have a writing opportunity I might never have had otherwise.

So thanks for ten years of wonderful memories, Smallville.  Some of your episodes may have been like Kryptonite, but you'll always be super in my book.

Amy Adams Satisfies "Craving" for Another Superman Cast Role

In just ten years, actress Amy Adams has gone from a "Freak of the Week" to the woman who becomes Superman's wife, Lois Lane.  Nice upgrade.

The Los Angeles Times reported today that Adams has landed the role of Lois Lane in the upcoming Superman: Man of Steel  film by director Zack Snyder.  Beating out other rumored actresses such as Kristen Stewart, Olivia WIlde, Rachel McAdams and Mila Kunis, Adams joins Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent, Diane Lane as Martha Kent and Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent in the reboot project scheduled for release in December 2012.  Adams has been previously nominated for three Academy Awards as a supporting actress in the films The Fighter (2010), Doubt (2008) and Junebug (2005).

Oh, and...um...she was also a fat-sucking vampire on the TV series Smallville in the first season episode "Craving" that originally aired in 2001.

In the episode, Adams played Jodi Melville, an overweight Smallville High student obsessed with becoming thin.  After downing a diet drink composed of liquified vegetables grown from soil mixed with radioactive Kryptonite meteor rocks, Jodi undergoes a dramatic loss of weight and becomes thin.

Of course, since these were the early "Freak of the Week" years of Smallville where someone would gain a different set of abilities from something irradiated with Kryptonite and go on an inevitable rampage just about every single week, Jodi soon runs into a bit of a problem.  It turns out her new thinner body now requires a constant consumption of fat -- lots of it.  She uncontrollably binges, devouring all sorts of food from her kitchen and then wisely decides to go driving in the pouring rain at night while scarfing down hamburgers and milkshakes.

In a total Smallville drinking game cliché, she predictably ends up in a car accident as a deer steps out into the middle of the road.  The deer is struck and as Jodi gets out of the car to check on it, her stomach rumbles ominously.  Then, in the big money shot, her mouth extends ridiculously out of proportion and she proceeds to consume the deer right there in the middle of the road.

From there, it's an expected downward slide for Jodi as she sucks the fat out of a fellow high-schooler that regularly torments her about her weight, leaving him in a coma.  Then her Stomach From Hell almost causes her to snack on her crush, Pete Ross, but Clark Kent shows up (in the nick of time, of course) and sends her hiding in her greenhouse.  Naturally, Clark follows and ends up in trouble because the greenhouse is full of Kryptonite.  Jodi bashes Clark over the head with a shovel, but is repulsed by her own reflection and goes into rock star hotel trashing mode on the greenhouse.  She smashes a gas line and some lights, causing the necessary sparkage, and the greenhouse goes boom.  Clark does his hero thing and protects Jodi from the explosion, then makes sure she gets sent to Metropolis General Hospital.

"Craving" was Amy Adams' only appearance as Jodi Melville, so we have no idea what happened to the character afterwards.  Either Jodi's body ended up consuming itself or she's in a lab somewhere or she's hanging out behind a McDonald's waiting for a human-sized Happy Meal.  I don't suppose there's still time to work her into the Smallville finale scheduled for May, is there...?

SMALLVILLE Has More Adventures in the DC Universe

As many fans of Smallville know, the ten-year-old series has made a considerable effort to incorporate many elements from the DC Comics universe since the departure of former showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar at the end of Season 7.  This has managed to make the series feel more fun and entertaining over the past few years and even though the show is in its final season, there's still more DCU goodness to come.  Courtesy of Kryptonsite, here's a list of who we can expect to see in the weeks and months ahead:

"Ambush" (November 5, 2010) -- General Sam Lane (Michael Ironside, former voice of Darkseid on Superman: The Animated Series), Lucy Lane (Peyton List) and Rick Flag (Ted Whittall)

"Abandoned" (November 12, 2010) -- Ella Lane (Teri Hatcher, former Lois Lane on Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman), Granny Goodness (Christine Willes), Mad Harriet (Lindsay Hartley, wife of Green Arrow actor Justin Hartley), Jor-El (Julian Sands) and Lara (Helen Slater, former Supergirl in the Supergirl movie)

"Patriot" (November 19, 2010) -- Deathstroke (Michael Hogan, former Colonel Saul Tigh on Battlestar Galactica) and Aquaman (Alan Ritchson)

"Luthor" (December 3, 2010) -- Lionel Luthor (John Glover)

"Icarus" (Early 2011) -- Deathstroke (Michael Hogan), Hawkman (Michael Shanks) and Black Canary (Alaina Huffman)

Untitled Episode (2011) -- Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, written by Geoff Johns

And, of course, there's the upcoming showdown between Clark and the Big Bad for Season 10, Darkseid.  Here's hoping it's as good of a finale as the series deserves...

New SMALLVILLE: "Homecoming" Trailer

It looks like Smallville fans have a lot to look forward to on Friday, October 15th when the long-running series airs its 200th episode, "Homecoming."

TV Guide posted a new trailer for the episode, which is different from the one that will air at the end of tonight's episode, "Supergirl."  Featuring the return of James Marsters in a slightly-different role than his Brainiac character, "Homecoming" has Clark attending his high school reunion with several nods to his past and more importantly, glimpses of his future in what TV Guide claims as "the most 'Man of Steel' moment the show has thrown at us so far."