I feel like I shouldn't like "Superman"...

[Captain Caps]

and here's why.

I like the "Superman" movies.

The comic books are good.

I like the WB animated series, the black-and-white live-action version, "Superboy" and "Lois & Clark".

Yet here's the thing:

I tried watching "Smallville". Yes, you read it here...every WBC/WF board member's constant saying that I should give a it a shot (Mad Hatter, in particular) all those months ago made me snap, so I gave the show a try.

And I didn't like it. I stopped watching after 10 minutes, that's how much I didn't like it.

So, now I feel like I'm unworthy of ever enjoying a "Superman"-related project ever again.

Can I still like "Superman", but not enjoy "Smallville", or should I just shut up and go away?

Sincerely,

John "Captain Caps" Kilduff

[Failure]

Everyone has their personal tastes. Personally, I really like Smallville, but just because your not a Smallville fan doesn't mean you're not a Superman fan. I bet there's tons of Superman fans who don't like Smallville or maybe Lois & Clark or Superboy or whatever. Fact is, Smallville's just a tiny part of the Superman legend. If you don't like Smallville, oh well, at least you gave it a try. But I wouldn't beat myself up over it.

[Barb Gordon]

Not at all Capt! Like Failure said, everyone has their own tastes and opinions, and I know, though I'm not one of them, that there are others who aren't really big fans of Smallville. You could like just the comics, or just the cartoons, heck, even only the movies, and that wouldn't make you any less of a Superman fan. There are different continuties and storylines all over the place for Batman and Superman, some people like them, and some don't, and that's totally okay. I mean, a lot of Bat fans weren't fond of Batman Beyond, but that doesn't make them any less of a Batman fan.

Barb^-^

[adoptedBatpuppy]

I'm positevely agree with Barb and Failure. I' m not that big on Smallville myself.

[Clark J. Kent]

I really think turning it off after 10 minutes was completely unfair. You didn't even give it a decent chance. If you've never seen the show and you don't know what it's really like. And you watch one episode and turn it off after ten minutes? How did you even have time to develop an opinion? I think your prejudice was just shining through any chance you could've given the show... the show that is light years better than Justice League is lately.

[CadaverousEyes]

*snickers*
I like Superman but dislike Smallville as well. We can form a support group! Or something. Just think of it as a teen show guest starring Clark Kent and you'll get over it. Maybe.

[TheScarecrow]

So Cap, what reasons to you not like Smallville?

[MattL.]

I'm actually in an odd position because I'm a big Superman fan and (after much prodding from freinds since I was resistant at first) I watched Smallville and I liked it.

But heres the thing, I'm honestly afraid that the "no tights, no flights" attitude the producers have will end up being taken too far at some point and even after he reaches adult hood we'll be stuck with a Johhny Plainclothes Superman who doesn't fly.

So while I've liked Smallville so far, I guess you could say I'm extremely suspicious of it.

[DR. BELCH]

It's uneven at best. I wonder most why Clark's mom looks more like a slumming debutante than the traditional farmwife (it is mentioned she grew up in the city and married a redneck boy, probably a few rungs down on the social ladder and against her parents' wishes.). And the episode "Craving" made me cringe--easily the worst of the lot. Should I be worried that the villain, Lex, is more compelling than the hero?

[James Harvey]

Smallville isn't the best series, and I don't go out of my way to catch it - but I'll watch it if there's nothing else to watch. The show is different than the usual Superman mythos stuff we've seen before, I'll give it that. But if you don't like Smallville, that doesn't mean you can't read the books or watch the movie or shows. I don't like everyhting about Batman but I still really enjoy the characters.

[MattL.]

Yeah, being a fan of Superman or Batman isnt about brand loyalty to a character as much as it is being enamored with the fantastic idea of it and even to some extent the visual. (after all comics are a visual medium)

Like take me for instance. Batman. I love the idea. I like alot of the older comics. I love the animated series in all its forms. Yet, I loathe the modern comics, Dark Knight Returns 1&2, and Killing Joke. The movies....well they're nothing to write home about.

When it comes to Superman simalar thing. I love the idea. I like alot of the Golden Age comics, some Bronze Age stuff to. I liked the way John Byrne drew Superman but I think is revamp was kinda wretched. The current comics I only buy for the amazing art of Ed McGuiness. Superman: For All Seasons and Superman: Peace on Earth are two of my favrotie comics. I liked the early eps of the George Reeves show. I adore the first film (and some parts of the second). I like the Fleisher toons and of course I totally love STAS.


So as you can see being a fan doesn't mean that you like whatever they hand you because its got a S or a bat slapped on it. ;)

[MattL.]

bump.

and Captain Caps, I dug live action Superboy to even though the name bugged me because he was very obviously not a boy by that point.

[Joe G.]

I agree with Clark. Ten minutes of an hour-long show just isn't enough to formulate any kind of valid opinion about it.

In formulating my opinion of your post, I read the whole thing. I didn't read 5 words of it and then say, "WRONG!". I read the entire post and THEN decided you were wrong :)

Seriously, though, give it a shot. Watch an ENTIRE episode. It's on tonight at 9 PM Eastern. Check it out. THEN come up with an opinion.

[Web Head]

To me Smallville is an elseworlds story of how Clark MIGHT have started out. If you like it that's great, you get another Superman story in a visual medium. If not, no biggie. It's a matter of taste.

And hey, you might find your opinion change over time. As the show evolves and your tastes change, who knows? My advice is to, if nothing else, check it out again in a year or two (if it's still on). By then Lex should be evil and it should be more like the traditional Superman mythos.

[Terminatah]

My dad is the biggest Superman fan I know, and he's not so crazy about Smallville. He prefers it when Superman projects don't stray so far from the original comic book. For example, he's always telling me how Lois shouldn't be so close to Superman. Otherwise, of course she's going to figure out who he is. But over the years, her role has significantly increased in Superman's life, painting writers into a corner when it came to hiding his secret identity. How have writers escaped this corner ever since? Through suspension of disbelief! Floats right over the paint. But now I've gone off on a tangent. My point is, you can be as big a fan as you ever were and still dislike some Superman incarnations. Hell, I know the movies themselves got progressively worse, but I don't hold it against Big S.

-Terminatah

[Naraht]

Heh, I feel silly..I like Smallville, and can't stand Superman! =D

Tonight's episode is very good (I watched it this morning!) I recomend it to gauge the show..it's not the best ep of the season, but not the worst....and the cheezy romance stuph takes a back seat to the plot for once...

[JusticeLeagueLegion]

Originally posted by Clark J. Kent
...the show that is light years better than Justice League is lately...

I wouldn't go that far! But I still think ten minutes is too short of a time to make a judgement...but again...I still like JL better than Smallville...Justice League is just so much more interesting...it focuses on a grown up Superman...which is more entertaining...and seeing him whoop Draaga's butt last Sunday was ausome...but still, I love Smallville...I'm glad the formula was dropped to a certain extent. Oh, I have a question, is Clark's middle initial really "J"? What's his middle name anyway?

[Joe Wagner]

Originally posted by JusticeLeagueLegion


Oh, I have a question, is Clark's middle initial really "J"? What's his middle name anyway?

I believe it is and I think the J stands for Jonathon. BTW I like JL better than Smallville to but I love both series, each for different reasons.

-Joe!

[Livewire]

I consider myself a Superman fan just because I love the animated series. I don't like Smallville either, but that in no way means that I'm less of a Supes fan.

[Clark J. Kent]

Actually, Clark's middle name is Joseph.

[Joe G.]

Seriously? Wow.

heehee

[JusticeLeagueLegion]

Originally posted by Clark J. Kent
Actually, Clark's middle name is Joseph.

I never even knew that...but then again I doubt that's very common knowledge.

[Clark J. Kent]

I first learned this in Superman Secret Files #1, but when you think about it, Superman was co-created by one Joe Shuster. :)

[cartoonboy]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinons/conclusions. Comic, Live-Action & Cartoon all have their own strengths & weaknesses.
Comics - writers/artists stick around for a certain period then you get someone new who you may not like + comics have become too expensive from the $1.00 days
Live-Action - I vaguely remember SuperBoy(all I can recall is it being on Sat or Sun @ 5 or 6pm) . Smallville is like a pre-Lois & Clark.
Cartoons - Super-Friends to Superman:TAS to JL. Superman:tas is by far the best to date. I can't get use to the Newburn voice & the fact that JL Superman is not as strong.

I'll watch it all just for the sheer enjoyment of watching a character come to life.

[Matt-Man]

Don't worry, Cap... Not everybody is perfect. :D

[The Mad Hatter]

Nah. No worries if Smallville isn't your cup of tea, as it's not the end-all be-all of the Supes experience. Though I should ask... which 10 minutes did you watch? Many folk believe that you truly can't judge a TV series unless you've seen three episodes. Maybe the first one you watched was a bad one... if someone watched, say, Prophesy of Doom as their first B:TAS episode, that person might conclude that B:TAS was bad. Two bad episodes... you can be pretty sure the series stinks, but one more is being fair. With three, you know for a fact that it's bad.

I know the idea of Smallville rubs you the wrong way, and that's fine. But if you really want to give the show a try, you need a full episode or two to see if the real thing can break through your pre-conceptions.