Supergirl Returns To Smallville, Other Visitors Expected

Smallville may be coming to a close when next season ends, but it looks like the show will be getting a big send off. Superman’s home town will have many visitors as former cast members return, and new characters stop by for a visit. One highly anticipated visitor will be Laura Vandervoort, who again will fly into Smallville as Kara (aka Supergirl).

“I’m not going to be able to say too much but [the episode] definitely [has] a lot of Clark and Kara discovering their past and what she’s found while she’s been away for the year about their family,” said Vandervoort. “People have always wondered why Clark can’t fly and that’s going to be kind of discovered in this episode. It’ll be good. It”ll be the usual banter between [Clark and Kara] as well.”

The first episode of the tenth season will have an unusual returnee. John Schneider will reprise his role as Jonathan Kent in an episode titled “Lazarus.” He is also expected to return in at least one more episode during the season. I think that Schneider was great in the role of Pa Kent, and I was very disappointed to see him killed off during season five. The title might hold a hint to how they’ll orchestrate his come back, that is if you’re a big fan of the Batman comic books, but that’s just speculation for now. I wonder if this will be a straight-up-honest return, or if there’ll be twist to the newly returned Jonathan Kent? I also wonder if he’ll be back for good, or if he’ll return to the beyond by season’s end?

And while there is a lot of good news, there’s also some disappointing news. Michael Rosenbaum has previously stated that he will not reprise his role as Lex Luthor. He left the show at the end of the seventh season. And another actor played Lex in a brief appearance during season eight, where Lex was apparently killed in a n explosion. However, it was later hinted that Lex was still alive.

The actor of steel himself, Tom Welling, told MTV News that he’s a cheerleader for Rosenbaum’s return. “I want to see Lex [Luthor],”Welling told said. “I want to see him come back. In the show, he’s still alive. He’s just not around. But I want to see Michael [Rosenbaum] and I want to see Lex Luthor. I want to know how that relationship really turns out. Because that’s the big relationship that I believe propelled Clark to become Superman.”

I agree that the relationship between Clark and Lex was one of the most interesting things about the earlier seasons of Smallville. And Rosenbaum was great in the role. Lex should be back for the final season. And he should be in the last episode. It wouldn’t be hard for them to write up an explanation that uses plastic surgery or a clone as a reason for another actor to play Lex for the final season, but it wouldn’t be the same. I hope that Rosenbaum will have a change of heart and will come back for one final season.

Among other rumored guests, Sahar Biniaz is said to be appearing as Hawkman’s long lost love Shayera, also known as Hawkgirl, who was referenced in the episode Absolute Justice. And Michael Shanks will be back to reprise his role as Carter Hall/Hawkman. Geoff Johns hinted in his Twitter feed that Darkseid and the forces could appear in the tenth season. Blue Beetle, the Jaime Reyes version, is said to appear in an episode alongside Booster Gold. And Bradley Stryker is rumored to appear as Floyd Lawton, known in the DC Universe as the assassin Deadshot.

It looks like Smallville is pulling out all the stops for its final season, and is going to go out with a bang.

The 10th season of Smallville will debut on Friday, September 24.

Batman:Year One and All Star Superman Movies

If you’re running out today to buy the latest Warner Brothers/DC Comcis direct-to-DVD animated movie, Batman: Under the Red Hood, then there is big news for you coming out of Comic Con International. Under the Red Hood had its premiere at the mega comic book and media convention, and it was followed by a panel discussion after the screening. During this panel it was confirmed that Superman/Batman: Apocalypse will be out this September, although that is old news at this point. However, that was followed by the news that All Star Superman, the highly acclaimed story by Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, will be made into an animated film. And if that isn’t enough, producer Bruce Timm announced that the iconic Batman: Year One storyline by Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli will be made into a feature-length animated film in the near future.

All Star Superman is a story that has received much love from comic book fans, and it could make for an excellent movie. However, I wonder  what the art direction of the movie will be. If they try to create character designs based off of Quietly’s art from the comic books, like it was done with the Ed McGuiness art on Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, then I have some reservations about this movie. I have not been a fan of Quietly’s work, and I don’t know if it will translate well to animation. To me his people can seem “puffy” and I’m not big on his look. Still, it’ll be interesting to see how this one develops.

On the other hand, I think that Batman: Year One is huge news. This is one the most celebrated storys in the history of comic books, and most definitely one of the top three Batman stories, ever. Year One helped to revitalize Batman, it helped make a star out of Frank Miller, and it helped to change the look of the comic book landscape. If they’re doing adaptations, then I would have preferred to see this one first over a couple that they did before it. Batman: Year One is one of my all-time favorites, and I can’t wait to see it animated.

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse Animated Movie

I am always eager to see what is next in line for the direct-to-DVD animated movies that Marvel and DC have been doing. And while I’m waiting for Batman: Under the Red Hood to get here, I’m already being teased by DC next project. Thier next movie will be Superman/Batman:Apocalypse. This story will adapt the Supergirl storyline from Jeph Loeb’s run on Superman/Batman. And what could be better than Superman and Batman teaming up? Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy are returning to their voice acting roles as Superman and Batman, along with  Summer Glau (Serenity) providing the voice of Supergirl.

And continuing the line-up of DC Showcase shorts to accompany the movie will be a Green Arrow story.

Here is the full press release:

THE END IS NEAR!
WORLD’S FINEST WAGE WAR WITH DARKSEID IN ALL-NEW DC UNIVERSE ANIMATED ORIGNAL MOVIE SUPERMAN/BATMAN: APOCALYPSE AVAILABLE FROM WARNER HOME VIDEO SEPTEMBER 28, 2010!

Andre Braugher, Summer Glau, Ed Asner join popular voices Kevin Conroy & Tim Daly; New DC Showcase  GREEN ARROW on Special Edition Blu-ray & 2-Disc Special Edition DVD

To save an earthbound Kryptonian, the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight unite once again – this time to battle the powerful forces of Darkseid – in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, the ninth entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies coming September 28, 2010 from Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation. The highly anticipated, full-length film will be distributed by Warner Home Video as a Special Edition Blu-Ray™ and 2-Disc Special Edition DVD as well as single disc DVD. The film will also be available On Demand and for Download.

Fan favorites Tim Daly (Private Practice) and Kevin Conroy (China Beach) return to their seminal roles as Superman and Batman, respectively. The celebrity-laden guest cast is headed by Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age) as the daunting Darkseid. Sci-Fi heroine Summer Glau (Serenity/Firefly, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) provides the voice of Supergirl, and seven-time Emmy Award winner Ed Asner (Up) reprises his Superman: The Animated Series/Justice League role as Granny Goodness.

Based on the DC Comics series/graphic novel Superman/Batman: Supergirl by Jeph Loeb, Michael Turner & Peter Steigerwald, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is produced by animation legend Bruce Timm and directed by Lauren Montgomery (Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths) from a script by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Tab Murphy (Gorillas in the Mist).

After a spaceship splashes down in Gotham City Harbor, Batman and Superman encounter a mysterious Kryptonian with powers as great as those of the Man of Steel. The Kryptonian is soon revealed to be Kara, cousin of Superman, who takes her under his wing to educate her about the ways of Earth. However, the villainous Darkseid has other plans. Seeing an opportunity to finally defeat Superman, Darkseid abducts and gains control of Kara, utilizing the powerful Kryptonian to do his bidding. It’s up to Batman and Superman to save Kara, but they’ll have to take the fight to Darkseid within his hostile world – where unknown, deadly threats lurk around every corner, including a brainwashed Kryptonian able to match Superman blow-for-blow.

In addition to the feature film, the Superman/Batman: Apocalypse Special Edition Blu-Ray™ and 2-Disc Special Edition DVD include the third DC Showcase animated short, Green Arrow. Screenwriter Greg Weisman’s story finds Oliver Queen at the Star City International Airport to pick up his girlfriend, only to be forced into action as Green Arrow to protect the 10-year-old Princess of Vlatava from his old nemesis Merlyn the Magnificent and the League of Assassins. The short features the voices of Neal McDonough (Desperate Housewives) and Malcolm McDowell (Entourage). Bruce Timm is executive producer.

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse 2-Disc Special Edition DVD features more than 1 1/2 hours of exciting extra content, including:

• Feature film (est. 75 min)
• DC Showcase: Green Arrow (10 min)
• Sneak Peak at the Next DC Universe Animated Original Movie (10 min)
• Featurette: Supergirl: The Last Daughter of Krypton – A comprehensive look at The Maiden of Might from her introduction in the classic age of comics to her death in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event to her appearance on Smallville and beyond.
• 2 bonus episodes from animated television series handpicked by Bruce Timm

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse Special Edition Blu-Ray™ will include more than 2 1/2 hours of intriguing bonus features, starting with all of the content available on the 2-Disc Special Edition DVD and adding:

• All-New Featurette: The New Gods. A primer on the wealth of material and stories contained in the New Gods series, along with a deeper understanding of why these characters – and especially Darkseid – are so memorable and important to the DC pantheon.
• All-New Featurette Pods
• Orion – The mightiest warrior on either New Genesis or Apokolips, Orion follows an almost Shakespearean arc culminating in the slaying of his father, Darkseid. This mini-featurette shines a light on this classically tragic character.
• Mister Miracle – This mini-featurette focuses on the greatest escape artist the universe has ever known and how he was traded in a peace effort to be raised by Darkseid, the enemy of all New Genesis.
• 2 additional bonus TV series episodes handpicked by Bruce Timm
• Digital copy on disc of the feature film

“Great things happen when powerful entities come together, and the partnership of Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation is proud to continue this popular film series by once again uniting the two most popular characters in the DC Universe in a story that truly tests their strength, trust, loyalty, ingenuity and heroism,” said Matt Bierman, Senior Vice President Production, Warner Premiere.

“It is a testament to the larger-than-life nature of Jeph Loeb’s blockbuster storylines that two of the first nine DC Universe movies are based on his work,” said Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment. “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse lets us see Superman and Batman in action side-by-side again, but this time along with Supergirl and one of DC’s greatest villains, Darkseid.”

“Just as Superman and Batman stand atop the DC canon of characters, so do the respective seminal voices of Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy in the hearts and minds of fans. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse will no doubt please comic-centric and mainstream audiences alike – particularly in the performances of Daly and Conroy opposite dynamic actors like Andre Braugher and Ed Asner, and fanboy favorite Summer Glau,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brands.

To tell the truth, I thought that Superman/Batman: Public Enemies was only a so-so movie. It was alright, but  I wasn’t really swept away by it. And because of that I would almost rather see them do a different movie next, before going back to the Superman/Batman comics for another movie. And after Public Enemies and the upcoming Under the Red Hood, I would like to see them do another orignal story, like they did with Crisis on Two Earths, rather than adapting another comic book story.

Still, I love comic books. And I love animation. So, this is a movie that I have to check out. Original or adaptation, these animated movies have been good over all, and I’m always looking forward to the next one.

Comic Goes Up Up And Away

Action Comics #1, one of the holy grails of geekdom, has sold for $1 million dollars. This sale leaps over previous record sales in a single bound. The comic, which was published in 1938 and features the first appearance of Superman, was sold by a private seller to a private buyer. The two parties wished to remain anonymous.

The sale took place through the auction site comicconnect. com. Stephen Fisher, the co-owner of the site, said that the seller was well known in New York for having a top flight collection. And the seller was a familiar customer who had previous bought a lesser grade copy of Action Comics #1.

“Its considered by most people as the most important book,” offered comics enthusiast and System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan. “It kind of ushered in the age of the superheroes.” Dolmanyan is also a comics dealer who owns Torpedo Comics, and last year he brokered a deal to purchase a copy of Action Comics #1 for a client with a $317,000 price tag.

This copy of the comic book inflated to the million dollar mark due to it being in better condition then other copies. The book was given an 8.0 grade which rates it as being in “very fine” condition. The high rating is increasing rare for the comic book which is believed to have only around 100 copies in existence.

Even for a rare and historical comic like Action Comics #1, it seems insane to pay a million dollars for it. However, the really crazy part is that this is the second copy that the person has bought. There’s only 100 copies in known existance and this person has two of them? Stop hording the Action Comics! Sheesh.