This might be the worst way to introduce new readers to comic books. If a non-comic reader sees the headline “New Smallville Comic Continues Series” and finds this garbage we are in serious trouble. It’s been a rough year for Superman fanatics like myself, dealing with the terrible Superman title spawning from DC’s ‘New 52’ and watching Grant Morrison’s Action Comics reboot go nowhere faster than a speeding bullet. Adding to the frustration is this continuation of the Smallville television series in an extremely lackluster digital offering. Spoilers of awfulness lie ahead.
Story: This quick 22 page mess (which boils down to about 36 panels) contains no story. We see Oliver, Chloe, Lois, Lex, and Superman (sans underwear of course!) with no interaction what so ever. Superman saves a few Cosmonauts from a solar flare while the other cast members hug each other, lie in bed, and brood.
Format: This is where it goes all wrong. Comic books should be able to do anything, tell any kind of story and DC has failed to utilize the digital format on this title. A few weeks ago we saw the digital format used in an updated and fascinating way with Marvel Comics Infinite #1. Transitions from panel to panel can be used to show movement and page layouts can be explosive while contained in a rectangle. Unfortunately Smallville Chapter 1 is nothing more than boring boxes connected together in a “Sunday funnies’ kind of way.
Title: Smallville Season 11 Chapter 1 Guardian
Format: Digital first with a print edition in the future
Creative team: Bryan Q. Miller and Pere Perez
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