Smallville - A Retrospective -8.

Greetings Friends,

More Smallville.

Season 2 Episode 7: Lineage (original air date 11-05-02).

Use of power: Clark uses his heat vision to toast bread. A mysterious woman breaks into the Kent house. Later the woman confronts Clark at his school. She tells him that she is his mom. Metropolis United Charities (founded by Lionel Luthor) adopted Clark to the Kents. Mrs. Dunlevy claims Lionel father her son and that Clark and Lex are brothers. The mystery man in Lana's photo is Henry Small of the Smallville Smalls. Jonathan tells Clark about the day the meteors fell. How they found him and his ship. And then down the rode found a stunned Lionel and helps him find his son Lex. The court wants to find out if Clark is actually Mrs. Dunlevy's son. Clark reluctantly gives a mouth swab. Later that night Clark and Pete break into the lab and steal the sample. Lana confronts Mr. Small about being her father. He tells her to go away. Lex tells Clark that they could be brothers. Mrs. Dunlevy then kidnaps Lex. Dramatic Rescue: Clark blasts through Mrs. Dunlevy's front door to save Lex. Clark takes an axe shot to the gut and the axe head explodes. In a flash back Lionel gives Jonathan the adoption papers but asks for a favor: Talk the Ross brothers into selling him their farm. Lionel tells Lex his real brother died when he was an infant. But hold on - Lionel has a picture of the child as a 6-7 year old.


Season 2 Episode 8: Ryan (original air date 11-12-02).

Ryan is back and being experimented on. He escapes his captors briefly and calls Clark for help. The mayor of Smallville shows up in Lex's office and wants a bribe. Nell tells Lana that she wants to move them to Metropolis with her boyfriend Dean. Clark tracks Ryan to the Summerholt Research facility and breaks him out. Clark hides Ryan with Lex at the mansion. The doctor from Summerholt wants Ryan back. Lex uses his lawyers to block him. Lana then tells Clark about her upcoming my to Metropolis. Clark tells her not to go. Lex shows Ryan his collection of Warrior Angel comic books. A noticeably sick Ryan passes out and goes to the hospital. Ryan tells Clark that he has a brain tumor and it is growing. It is killing him. Use of powers: Clark runs to Hub City looking for a brain doctor. The doctor agrees to try to help Ryan. Lana gets to stay in Smallville with Chloe. After his surgery, Ryan doesn't get better. Clark takes Ryan in a hot air balloon ride. Then Ryan dies.

Keep Watching.

D.L.

2012 - End of Week 8 - Books.

Greetings Friends,

As part of my 2012 challenge for 2012 I need to read 12 books (and 20 graphic novels, 500 comic books [single issues] and watch all 10 seasons of Smallville). I read (or finished) three books this week. Check them out.

Book #3 (of 12)

Zot 1987-1991 - The Complete Black And White Collection by Scott McCloud.

At 576 pages this book is a serious tomb. What is Zot? Zot is a super hero from an alternate reality Earth stuck in 1964. But their 1964 is more like 100 year in our future. They have flying cars, futuristic looking cities, ray guns and the like. And of course they can travel to other realities. Zot (who is about 15) comes to our Earth and hangs out with Jenny and her high school friends. All he wants to do is help people while he is here (crime is pretty much gone in his reality.) All Jenny wants to do is stay in Zot's reality when she can get back there.

As stated in the title this is the complete black and white edition by Scott McCloud. So this book collects issues #11-#36. It is explained in the forward that issues #1-#10 were color (and the story had a mild tweak at issue #11 so #1-#10 weren't needed for this volume). Also issues #19 and #20 weren't included because they were drawn by another artist. But their story boards are included. Cool. McCloud's artwork gets progressively better all the way through the series. His use of blacks and grey tones work well with his style of art. Nice series. Recommended.

Book #4 (of 12).

The Goon in Death's Greedy Comeuppance by Eric Powell (Goon #10).

The volume is really two stories in one. In the first story (Goon #32 and #33) it's The Goon's birthday. And he is depressed. Side-kick Frankie tries to cheer him up. We also have the return of a Goon bad guy.

The second story is the three issue limited series Buzzard. This story is kind of a Buzzard buddy rode story. Buzzard is on a quest to kill some savages that have been killing innocent people. The Buzzard's guide is a bright, inquisitive boy. They bond on there way to certain(?) doom. Will they make it out alive? Always Recommended.

Book #5 (of 12).

Monster Truck by Shaky Kane.

Shaky Kane (artist of The Bulletproof Coffin) has done a book with the tag line "Automobiles Monsters And Mayhem" That is a good way to describe this book. There are fifty pages to this book. Or should I say panels. Each page is a panel. But that's not really true either. It's actually one long panel divided up into fifty pages. The story is basically a monster truck driving through a barren wasteland inhabited with all kind of crazy monster, alien, car or whatever Shaky Kane could come up with. The art has his usual Mike Allred feel to it. Nice concept. Execution: Just okay.

Keep Reading Comics

D.L.

2012: Week 8 - Comics

Greetings Friends,

Eleven comics read this week. Check them out.

#70. B.P.R.D. - Hell on Earth - The Long Death #1.

#71. Warlord of Mars - Dejah Thoris #10.

#72. Captain America & Bucky #627.

#73. Batman #6.

#74. Dicks #1.

#75. The Avengers #22.

#76. Planet of the Apes #11.

#77. Fear itself - The Fearless #9.

#78. Batman - The Dark Knight #6.

#79. The Li'l Depressed Boy #9.

#80. The Bulletproof Coffin - Disinterred #2.

Keep Reading Comics

D.L.

Smallville - A Retrospective -7.

Greetings Friends,

Even more Smallville watched. Check it out.

Season 2 Episode 5: Nocturne (original air date 10-22-02).

A boy is being held prisoner in his parents basement. The boy bids his time by writing Lana love poetry. Meanwhile Lionel (still blind) has fired another assistant. Martha Kent (bringing her products to the mansion) sees Lionel needs help and lends a hand. Lionel offers her a job. Byron (the captive boy) escapes his basement and leaves Lana more poetry on her parents gravestone. Clark (not understanding the poetry) is branded "The Man of Steel" by Lana. After a confrontation at Byron's house with his parents, Clark and Pete brake into Byron's house looking for him. Byron who gets out in the daylight turns into some kind of uncontrollable monster. Getting away Byron throws Pete through the air. Then he throws Lana at the cemetery. Byron (convinced that Luthor Corp. is behind his mutation) tries to bring down the Luthor Corp. chopper with Lionel and Martha in it. Clark stops Byron by knocking him into a well. In the darkness Byron reverts back to normal. Martha convinces Lionel to have Luthor Corp. work on cure for Byron.


Season 2 Episode 6: Redux (original air date 10-29-02).

Clark is swimming in the high school pool when another swimmer gets into trouble. Clark rescues his fellow class mate only to find him aged to an old man. Troy (the kid) is dead. It's revealed Clark's grandfather is alive and lives in Coast City. While cleaning out the Talon's theater, Lana finds old pictures of her mother with another man. Meanwhile Martha's father shows up on the farm. When he comes home early Clark meets his grandfather for the first time. When aunt Nell is no help, Lana solicits Lex's help in the IDing of the man in the photo. The new principal, Mr. Reynolds puts Clark on his radar when he sees him hanging with Lex. It is revealed Mr. Reynolds was the head master at Lex's prep. school - Excelsior. Freak of the week: High school girl with the kiss of death. Another student (Russel) gets his life sucked out of him. Clark realizes that Chrissy was with Troy and Russel prior to their deaths. Clark then stops Chrissy before she can kill the principal (who has been on her about her previous school records). Chrissy is thrown through the air, when she lands hard she ages till death. Chrissy was over one hundred years old and sucked the life out of others to stay young. Lana finds out that the man in the photo could be her father.

Keep watching.

D.L.

Smallville - A Retrospective -6.

Greetings Friends,

I'm deep into my quest to watch all 10 seasons of Smallville now. Check it out.

Season 2 Episode 3: Duplicity (original air date 10-8-02).

Doctor Hamilton is back but not acting well. Lex decides to end his investigation into the meteor crystals and fires him. On his way down the rode, Dr. Hamilton has an episode of the shakes and causes another driver to crash his van. Pete sees the crash, helps the victim and sees Clark's ship in the corn field. After dropping the victim at the hospital, Pete gets Clark to help him get the ship back to his house. The next day it is stolen out of Pete's family tool shed. He suspects Clark. To prove his honesty to Pete, Clark tells him his secret. Lionel is back at the mansion now but blind. Dr. Hamilton (looking for new funding) "shows" Lionel the ship he stole from Pete. Lana tells Clark that she has broken up with Whitney. Clark tells his mom and dad that he told Pete the truth. That news causes a fight between them. A desperate for answers Dr. Hamilton kidnaps Pete and tries to get him to talk. Clark rescues Pete. During the fight, Dr. Hamilton is doused with Kryptonite liquid. This makes Dr. Hamilton shake so violently it kills him. Clark and Pete then get the ship back to the Kent cellar. Lionel and Lex go to see the ship at Dr. Hamilton's but it is gone.


Season 2 Episode 4: Red (original air date 10-15-02).

There is a new girl at school that dresses on the wild side. It's time to get his new class ring. When Clark puts it on his personality changes. Lionel (now fully moved into the mansion) makes Lex's office his own. Clark (with ring on) refuses to study with his friend. He then checks out Chloe with his special vision. Clark is starting to act out and everyone else is paying for it. Clark kisses Lana (at the Talon) and tells her he has feelings for her. While out on a date with Lana, Clark dumps her for the new "hot" girl. Chloe finds out that the stone in the class rings are fake. Pete discovers that the stones are a form of Red Kryptonite. Clark is told that the stone in his ring is Red Kryptonite. This Red Kryptonite could be changing his personality but he refuses to take it off. Jonathan and Pete confront Clark about his class ring. Pete flashes a Green Krytonite meteor rock from a lead lined box. While he is briefly down, Jonathan crushes the stone with a sledge hammer. Clark reverts back to normal. When trying to apologises to Lana she refuses to accept it.

Keep Watching.

D.L.

2012: Week 7 - Comics

Greetings Friends,

Here's my weeks comic book reading. Check it out.

#58. Detective Comics #6.

#59. Lobster Johnson - The Burning Hand #2.

#60. Murky World (one-shot).

#61. Captain America #8.

#62. Spongebob Comics #7.

#63. Peanuts #0.

#64. Peanuts #1.

#65. Peanuts #2.

#66. Adventure Time #1.

#67. Winter Soldier #1.

#68. Winter Soldier #2.

#69. Godzilla - Kingdom of Monsters #12.

Only twelve comic books read and no new books. Ouch! That's a slow week.

Keep Reading Comics.

D.L.

Smallville - A Retrospective -5.

Greetings Friends,

I've started watching season two now. Check it out.

Season 2 Episode 1: Vortex (original air date 9-24-02).

Beginning from the last season cliff hanger. Clark flies into Lana's truck as the tornado suspends it. He saves her. Lex rescues his dad as the tornado bears down on the mansion. The ship flies into the tornado. As the tornado hits, Jonathan and Nixon end up in a hole in the ground covered by a trailer. Clark catches Lex in a lie (about Nixon) while they are searching for Jonathan in the woods. Lana uses the Talon for tornado relief. At the Talon, Clark has to lie to Lana about her rescue. When confronted Lex tells Clark about Nixon. Lionel has to get emergency surgery. Once they get out off the hole, Nixon tries to kill Jonathan but Lex kills him. Clark tells his dad that when he was in the tornado it felt as if he was flying. At the end Lionel will walk again but he is blind. The ship winds up in a corn field.

Season 2 Episode 2: Heat (original air date 10-1-02).

With a hot new biology teacher, Clark gets a little over heated: New display of powers - Heat vision. Desiree Atkins (the teacher) is Lex' new fiancee. She gives off pheromones and men do her bidding. These pheromones cause Lex to marry her. Meanwhile Lana is filming messages to Whitney (in the Marines) from everyone. While filming and thinking about Lana, Clark has a flare up and sets the Talon on fire. Desiree wants Clark out of Lex's life so she sets her car on fire and blames Clark. Clark goes to jail. When Lana and Chloe visit Clark in jail they tell him about their Pheromone theory. Clark then gets out of jail and rescues his dad and Lex from Desiree using his heat vision. The final message on the tape to Whitney: His and Lana's relationship is over. Ouch.

Keep Watching.

D.L.

2012: Week 6 - Comics

Greetings Friends,

I've read a few comics this week. Check them out.

#50. The Bionic Man #6.

#51. Demon Knights #6.

#52. Blue Estate #9.

#53. Batwoman #6.

#54. Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes #4.

#55. Next Men - Aftermath #40.

#56. Punisher Max #22. It's over. No!!!

#57. Powers #8. It's back. Yes!!!

As one really cool series ends another one comes back. That's comics for you.

K.R.C.

D.L.

Smallville - A Retrospective -4.

Greetings Friends,


I finished up season one of Smallville. Check it out.



Season 1 Episode 17: Reaper (original air date 4-23-02).

A woman lies dying in her hospital bed. She asks her son to kill her. He gives her some pillow therapy and then falls out the window to his death. During his autopsy he wakes up with new powers. Enter freak of the week: Tyler Randle The Absorbing Boy. Tyler helps old people die by absorbing their life. Dominick Sentori is sent from Luthor Corp. to investigate Lex's corporate spending (investigation of his car wreck involving Clark). After investigating an old ladies death, Clark tries to talk to Tyler but has to save his mom from him in the process. Chloe gets a copy of Tyler toxicology report. It says Tyler had pain killers and meteor rocks in his system. Clark saves Whitney's dad (on his death bed) from Tyler. Clark shows Tyler that his mom is still alive. A guilt stricken Tyler kills himself. Lex confronts Lionel about Dominick's investigation. Lionel to Lex "Well done". Lex tells Jonathan that the book on the investigation into Clark is closed.





Season 1 Episode 18: Drone (original air date 4-30-02).

Freak of the week: Bee Girl. When Bee Girl wants to be class president, the other candidate start having bee related accidents. Pete puts Clark on the election ballot. Mom and dad Kent are okay with Clark's running for office. Lex calls Clark "The Man of Tomorrow". In her Torch editorial Chloe backs Paul for class president. Lana is having trouble making money at the Talon because of a rival coffee house. Lex tells her to go to the mattresses. Clark saves Lana from a bee attack. Clark then saves his mom from a bee attack. Bee girls bees turn on her in her barn. Clark has to save her. Lana plays hard ball with rival coffee house. Lex tells Clark that he wants to be president some day. Clark loses the election. Lex works out a deal with the tramp reporter.



Season 1 Episode 19: Crush (original air date 5-7-02).

Freak of the week: Justine the mind artist. Justine was a great artist until the accident. Now he blames his sergeant that his hand is useless. But Justine's mind works just fine and draws for him. It can also do his bidding. The navy recruiter tells Clark "I see you in a uniform flying". Justin goes back to school and meets up with Chloe. Meanwhile Lex's nanny is back and she has cancer. Justine reveals that his injury was a hit and run. And he has remembered part of the licence plate. Justine and Chloe share a kiss which causes things in the room to float around them. Justine then tells Chloe the truth that he can move things with his mind. She's okay with that. During the kiss, a plate match comes across the Torches computer. We now see Justine confront Principal Kwan at his home about hitting him with his car. Then the car hits Kwan. Lionel shows up to tell Lex that they are selling Cadmus Labs, because they only bought it to bankrupt Sir Harry. Clark then finds out that it was Kwan's son that hit Justine with the car. Clark finally rescues Chloe from Justine in his barn using speed, strength and invulnerability. Finally Whitney's father dies.




Season 1 Episode 20: Obscura (original air date 5-14-02).

A gas main blows and Lana is showered with Meteor rocks. Lana now has precog powers. Lex brings the Kent's a check for the dead cows and contaminated grazing land. Roger Nixon from the Inquisitor newspaper is back in Smallville. He is now investigating his own leads on the Kents. Lana "sees" that Chloe has been kidnapped and buried alive. Lex and Roger meet with a former crop duster who saw a ship come down to earth with the meteors. Clark rescues Chloe. Lex is having the field where Clark's ship hit tested. Jonathan who is suspicious of Lex gives him back his check. The octagonal disk is found in the field by Dr. Hamilton. Lex tells Clark that his life changed the day that the meteors hit. And he met a man who saw a ship fall from the sky that day. The deputy kidnaps Lana. Clark rescues her with a display of speed, strength and invulnerability. The deputy is killed by the police. All is witnessed by Roger Nixon. Clark asks Chloe to the Spring Formal.




Season 1 Episode 21: Tempest (original air date 5-21-02).


Lionel is back to close the plant. Whitney tells Lana he is going into the Marines (just like his dad did). Clark finds the disk in Lex's office. Lex offers an employee lead buy out of the plant. Clark's display of power: driving fence posts into the ground, surviving his truck blowing up, shoving the truck door off and no injuries to skin when his shirt is on fire. All filmed by Roger Nixon. Clark kisses Chloe. Roger tells Clark that he wants to do a story about him. Roger eavesdrops on the Kents. Whitney gets final dance with Lana but not at the formal. Nixon steals disk from Lex. Lana drops Whitney off at the bus station and gives him her necklace. A violent storm is brewing. Roger finds the ship in the Kent's storm shelter. Remy Zero is playing at the dance while Lana is having a wreck because of the storms. Jonathan and Martha find Roger in the shelter with the ship. The disk flies out of Roger's hand into the ship and it starts up. Roger gets out of the shelter. Jonathan gives chase. The ship flies out of the shelter. Meanwhile Clark leaves Chloe at the dance to find Lana. Lex and Lionel are injured in the storm. Lex saves his dad at the last minute. Clark sees Lana (inside her truck) be lifted into the tornado. Clark runs into the tornado to save her.

Wow. That is a lot for a first season. On to season two.

Keep watching.

D.L.

2012 - End of Week 5 - Books.

Greetings Friends,

This week I read two more Graphic Novels. Check them out.

Graphic Novel #6 (of 20). Grandville - A Detective - Inspector Lebrock of Scotland Yard Scientific - Romance Thriller by Bryan Talbot.

Set in France and England in another time with a different reality, this story features anthropomorphic (animals walking up right, dressed and acting as humans) characters. Our protagonist is Detective - Inspector Lebrock (a badger) who is trying to solve a murder with his assistant Detective Roderick Ratzi (a rat). This story is well paced with a lot of nice action (beatings, gun fights, explosions, etc...). Mr. Talbot does some very nice things with the story. The art is beautifully rendered also. ----A winner! Recommended.

Graphic Novel #7 (of 20). A Small Killing by Alan Moore and Oscar Zarate.

This story involves a man - Timothy Hole who is leaving town to take a job. While waiting for his plane to take off, Timothy sees a small boy who has been around during different stages of his life. When Timothy finally gets a chance to talk to the boy, the boy tells Timothy that he wants to kill him. This story is told through multiple flash backs into Timothy's life. The art while adequate, does little to help the story along. ---An okay read for Moore fans.

K.R.C.

D.L.

2012: Week 5 - Comics

Greetings Friends,

Okay, five weeks down. This week I read a whopping four comic books. Check them out.

#46. Fatale #2.

#47. Omac #6.

#48. The Punisher #8.

#49. Fear Itself - The Fearless #8.

Wow four books.

K.R.C.

D.L.