Smallville vs. Superman Comics

[Tsukimi]

i am just wondering myself if its based on comics i am thinking of buying some

[SuperDub2]

if you mean is it based on a comic to a 100% degree of accuracy i would say no. I also dont think their is a comic its based on at all but there may be a companion comic based on the show. its just their own take on the superman mythology, but i may be wrong as my knowledge on the subjest is quite limited

[daintern30]

It has a lot of similarities to the old, golden age Superboy comics, but it has some traits of different mythos, and some new things that are entirely it's own.

[xanadu314]

i dont know exactly where this is supposed to go in so posted this in the episode thread and in here.


what i was wondering is what mythology are they using to create the episodes on smallville. Now I havent read the comic books, and my only superman mythology I know is from "Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman" and then the tv show cartoons that are on The WB kids, and cartoon network?

If they are using the comic books as the base line storyline, what happens in the comic book mythology? On the older tv show, J Kent and Ma Kent are still alive. However, people are saying that from the comic book mythology, the death of his father is what solidifies Clark into becoming Superman after the guilt of the death of J kent.

[HalJordan4184]

Int he comics the death of his parents really didn't do anything. Very early on, it sort of led to him becoming Superman, but even then not so much. His parents contracted a rare illness, and died after going on a tropical vacation. And before Pa died, he told Clark he had to go do good in eh world, because he was a Superman. So Clark, took the idea, and made a literal new identity out of it, so he could help people in need. He wasn't motivated by the deaths of ma and pa, so much as that was just the last thing keeping him in smallville, and when they were gone, he was free to go do what he needed to.

Int he movie, the death of pa somehow leads Clark to being Superman. I never got why Pa had to die for Clark to be Superman, but apparently now everyone and their mother thinks if Pa doesn't die, Clark can't become SUperman, as he'll never leave Smallville or something.

[therip]

good point about the movie....i still like the birthright timeline for the most part

[UpandAtom]

Originally posted by HalJordan4184
Int he comics the death of his parents really didn't do anything. Very early on, it sort of led to him becoming Superman, but even then not so much. His parents contracted a rare illness, and died after going on a tropical vacation. And before Pa died, he told Clark he had to go do good in eh world, because he was a Superman. So Clark, took the idea, and made a literal new identity out of it, so he could help people in need. He wasn't motivated by the deaths of ma and pa, so much as that was just the last thing keeping him in smallville, and when they were gone, he was free to go do what he needed to.

Int he movie, the death of pa somehow leads Clark to being Superman. I never got why Pa had to die for Clark to be Superman, but apparently now everyone and their mother thinks if Pa doesn't die, Clark can't become SUperman, as he'll never leave Smallville or something.

I guess it's the same thing with Spider-Man. If Uncle Ben didn't die Peter Parker wouldn't have decided to become a costumed vigilante. Someone has to die to show the heroes power comes with responsibility. Although it would be good if they could find that out by themselves.

[HalJordan4184]

But it's not. With Superman, the movie was the only place that seemed to have to happen. It's out of character for Superman to be motivated by the death of a loved one. But Smallville and the movie are going the route that Clark is motivated by guilt and grief. That's a big thing a lot fo people have been saying is wrong with the show, and the character, but for the most part, fans who never read the comics and only saw the movie, don't understand why this isn't how Superman really came into being.

[UpandAtom]

In the Golden Age comics Clark only became Superman after his adoptive parents died. The same thing in the Silver Age.

[son2380]

Some people are confusing Spider-man with Superman. Although Smalleville seems to be a DC version of Spiderman.

I always thought it was that crystal that motivated Clark to become superman. That crystal called to him and lead him to the North Pole. I find it hard to believe the Crystal was activated by his fathers death.

[Synergy]

Superman mythology has never really been followed all that much on Smallville. Case in point, in mythology…

1.Lana was a freckled face red-head
2.Pete was white, blonde and freckled
3.Silver kryptonite was fake
4.Jonathan and Martha were not in their early 40’s as shown in the Smallville pilot, but much older.
5.1978 was stated in the pilot as the year Clark’s ship landed in Smallville. We know the year was actually 51.
6.Lex and Clark were never truly friends
7.Chloe never existed
8.Whitney never existed
9.Martha never conceived a child
10.Lois Lane and Perry where never in Smallville
11.Morgan Edge was once Clark’s boss in Metropolis
12.Lex went bald when an experiment he was doing went awry. Superboy put out the fire that resulted and caused chemicals to mix together that caused Lex’s baldness.
13.There was no Ross Creamed Corn Factory
14. Clark told Lana his secret after the Sr. Prom
15. Lionel Luthor was only mentioned in the comics, but never really a character.

Here are 15 different things that Smallville changed that were part of mythology, so it is pretty darn clear that Jonathan Kent did not have to die! I sincerely hope the decision to kill that character comes back to bite all the writers and producers of Smallville in the ass. They have ruined the best show on TV and lost one of the best actors they had. I hope the time comes when they have to get down on their knees and beg John to come back. It would serve them right to have to gravel at his feet.

[ajax]

i think its a mixture of the movies and various superman and action comics mythos

[UpandAtom]

Exactly. Smallville doesn't just follow one interpretation. It mixes from all different sources.

[UpandAtom]

It's both. Some of Smallville is original (and by original I mean ripped off) while other elements are based on the comics.

[~*Lois & Clark Fan*~]

Originally posted by HalJordan4184
But it's not. With Superman, the movie was the only place that seemed to have to happen. It's out of character for Superman to be motivated by the death of a loved one. But Smallville and the movie are going the route that Clark is motivated by guilt and grief. That's a big thing a lot fo people have been saying is wrong with the show, and the character, but for the most part, fans who never read the comics and only saw the movie, don't understand why this isn't how Superman really came into being.

It wasn't the death of his father in the movie that led him to become Superman. He didn't even leave Smallville in the movie till like a year later after his dad died. It was the crystals calling to him that caused him to leave.

[Lara Lane]

Comic based
Al/Miles messed :p

[greengoose]

I have not read comics on a regular basis in a long time, and when I did it was Marvel. I am considering getting into DC Comics soon because of Smallville. But from I remember about Marvel and what I have read about Superman, it seems there are all sorts of "continuities" in comics. At first this bothered me. But if you think about it, you should really relaunch a character every so often to keep him/her fresh. Superman began in the 1940's, so if you want to keep him fresh, you have to keep pushing his origins up in time. and maybe you should suspend your disbelief. It will keep yourself sane. I think EVERY generation should have a Superman. Smallville is giving us ours.

[HalJordan4184]

Even then, a crystal, is never what made Clark become Superman. THis was more to do with marlon Brando's ego. His motivation to be Superman, is simply it was the right thing to do. No one had to teach him how to do it, or make him motivated to do it. It's just what he went on and did, on his own, without outside help from a disembodied voice.

[UpandAtom]

I don't want Smallville's Clark to be my generation's Superman. I'm happy with the one in the comics and will be happy with the portrayal of Brandon Routh in Superman Returns.

[Bizzaro1975]

Int he comics the death of his parents really didn't do anything. Very early on, it sort of led to him becoming Superman, but even then not so much. His parents contracted a rare illness, and died after going on a tropical vacation. And before Pa died, he told Clark he had to go do good in eh world, because he was a Superman. So Clark, took the idea, and made a literal new identity out of it, so he could help people in need. He wasn't motivated by the deaths of ma and pa, so much as that was just the last thing keeping him in smallville, and when they were gone, he was free to go do what he needed to

I have been reading superman comics for a long time. i dont recall his parents dying like that. then again there are so many different storylines. I do recall him coming back to smallville from time to time to have dinner with his mom. like a FLY BY.
I even recall in the superboy comic books there was a story line of a kent family curse that would be great story in smallville and instead of odd things happeneing to pa kent they should just use martha for that story line.

[meteor_phreak]

superman's origin is one of the most changed in the history of comics. wiki has a decent article on it.

i always got from the 1970's Superman movie that his earth dad's death didn't cause him to become superman, but rather he just wasn't leaving much behind anymore. like he would have always become superman because of his values, and his upbringing. maybe his parents dying is why he moved to metropolis, but i always thought he would have done all that anyway.

[kiariclois]

Well, Smallville didn't actually follow the comic books' storylines... But some of the strong facts are still there... Smallville are fascinating to watch... I loved it... However, I loved the comic books even more...

[supercatmom]

Right On - Synergy

[Super Maverick]

most of the similarities are in the form of writers/producers of the tv show throwing a bone here and there to diehard fanboys.

[KryptonScouse]

http://www.amazon.com/Smallville-1-Various/dp/1401202047/sr=8-38/qid=1169519996/ref=sr_1_38/102-4822569-6867344?ie=UTF8&s=books

Buy this. I did and it's a pretty good read.

Tis a graphic novel.

[Pedroff]

Originally posted by meteor_phreak
superman's origin is one of the most changed in the history of comics. wiki has a decent article on it.

i always got from the 1970's Superman movie that his earth dad's death didn't cause him to become superman, but rather he just wasn't leaving much behind anymore. like he would have always become superman because of his values, and his upbringing. maybe his parents dying is why he moved to metropolis, but i always thought he would have done all that anyway.

Oh wikipedia, if it's on there it must be true :rolleyes: , JK had to die in order for Clark to come into his own and realize what he was meant to be. :cool: