Smallville Vs. Continuity Superman:

A Blow By Blow, Straight Outta Wizard Debate

By Neal Bailey

Okay. We all know that Smallville deviates from comics continuity. Or at least most of us. So the obvious question every fanboy without a date is mumbling to themselves is which is better...time tested continuity, (a la Superman, not a la X-Men, let’s define terms here), or the newer, hipper, more current take on the Superboy story. Thus, when confronted with the Big Blue Report, I decided to take them both to task. See if you agree:

First off...there’s Kryptonite.

Continuity: The substance is rare, potentially life-ending, and it doesn’t take your average teenager and give them superpowers.

Smallville: The substance is prominent, to the point of almost not being a threat anymore, and as the last episode illustrated, will not weaken to the point of vulnerability, at least all the way. It also has the capability to give most normal humans superpowers.

Advantage: Continuity. The Kryptonite in Smallville is getting old, fast.

Then we move along to character.

Continuity: Lois is a firm, headstrong reporter. Superman is a tried and true idealist. Lex Luthor is the President, and acts accordingly. They all display their characters in prominence, and save in fluke occurrences, typically stick to them, and stick to them well.

Smallville: Clark is brash, but idealistic. He sticks to his guns. Lana is your typical cheerleader, but she shows signs of obvious human improvement towards compassion. Chloe is a future reporter with an evil wit. They are all dead on, typically, save Clark’s suicidal desire to reveal his secret identity by constantly compromising it. Still, it all fits into the compartment of a weekly drama rather well.

Advantage: Neither. Tie. Point to each.

Next: Love Interest.

Continuity: Lois is a complex, changing, powerful woman figure that even the guys can identify with as a strong, good force in Superman’s life.

Smallville: Lana is a cheerleader who goes for the jock, though Clark is obviously a better, more humble man.

Advantage: Smallville. AH! You thought I’d say continuity, didn’t you? Well, bear in mind, when does the nice guy EVER get the strong, beautiful women. Face it. Nice guys finish last, and Smallville is a more accurate projection of a real life love interest. The grass is always greener.

Special Effects...

Continuity: On the page, you can easily be shown the destruction of entire universes, characters wracked with grief, heck, even words can convey a thought or emotion based on font.

Smallville: Admittedly good, but the biggest thing we’ve seen so far is an exploding greenhouse.

Advantage: Continuity. Let’s see Smallville do Imperiex or Warworld.

Plot and story.

Continuity: Most Superman titles are not resolved in your average issue, with plot, sub-plot, innuendo, mystery, and foreshadow key components of your average issue.

Smallville: Ditto. Lots of references, allusions to the future, and character development leading somewhere. However, in every show, a teenager develops a super-power and suddenly forgets that killing is wrong. That character then mysteriously disappears, dies, or goes to jail. Very formulaic and unchanging.

Advantage: Continuity. Sometimes, it pays not to be constrained by television formats.

Length.

Continuity: I can read an average Superman comic in ten to fifteen minutes. They come once a week.

Smallville: I can watch Smallville over an entire hour, and it’s free.

Advantage: Smallville.

Best Villain.

Continuity: There are many good, steady, contant villains, including the big Kahuna, Luthor. However, interaction, as of late, has been minimal in terms of knock down drag out fights of the mental or physical kind.

Smallville: Clark and Luthor are friends, yet lethal enemies already. Clark doesn’t even know he’s being manipulated, and Luthor is showing and using his genius to take people down all over the place. Plus, he’s constant.

Advantage: Smallville.

Origin.

Continuity: Superman crashes to Earth as a baby, grows up in Smallville mostly unseen, and life focuses on his post Smallville heroics. Very little about youth is covered save in flashbacks.

Or

Continuity: Superman crashes to Earth, somehow manages to end up with a Super-Dog, and galavants around Smallville saving the world until he grows up. Thus is born Superman.

(pick one)

Smallville: A detailed account of Clark’s youth, albeit one changed to add a meteor shower, ample Kryptonite, and a constant Lex Luthor Presence.

Advantage: Continuity. It was farcical, silly, and more than a little hard to read at times for the plot-holes, but the pre-Crisis Superboy was fun, interesting, and lasted for a lot longer than I’ll bet Smallville will, much as I love it. Further, the post-Crisis Superman, while lacking much in the Smallville department, is still nice, compact, and doesn’t involve a small town going bonkers, X-Files style.

And the final judgment: Overall.

Continuity: Time tested and well read for over sixty years, Superman and his continuity are the backbone of youth, some would argue the backbone of America itself. Do you know a kind who can’t tell you Superman’s secret identity, or the name of the big bald villain? There is also the advantage of volume, number of people involved, and future prospects.

Smallville: The most promising show that has ever graced the WB, Smallville will no doubt continue to bring new people into the Superman mythos, much as Lois and Clark did, much as Superboy did, much as Super-Friends did, in its time. Good characterization covers somewhat shady plot devices, and you care for the characters like good friends, though it’s been barely two months of episodes yet, if that.

Advantage: Continuity. Smallville is great, easy to watch, wonderful fun. But you just can’t disregard or forget what made Smallville, what Smallville always has been, and what Smallville always will be...a construction off of the continuity.

Final Score:

Continuity: 6

Smallville: 4

Close, Smallville, but no cigar.