Yes, whether we Superman fans like it or not, “Smallville” is on its ninth season and continues to stagger on like the mummy. You know it’s falling apart, but nevertheless it just continues to shamble on and on. “Smallville: The Complete Ninth Season” on DVD only signifies that the series has done every single thing imaginable to stray away from the true Superman mythos in an attempt to not only keep the general fans of the show interested, but to dodge the continuing lawsuit DC is enduring from the Shuster family.
So instead of the blue red and yellow Superman suit we’ve gotten Superman a la Tim Burton dressed as Neo, donning a bland very cliche costume and now being identified solely as “The Blur.” Not Superman, but “The Blur.” Whether we like it or not. But for anyone still grasping at straws and trying to find something Superman-ey within this new season there is the modern re-invention of the Wonder Twins that “Smallville” does excel at. One of the main selling points of this series has been that the writers are able to re-invent classic characters and not so classic characters and they do it in spades with the Wonder Twins by casting the charming David Gallagher from “Seventh Heaven” and the incomparable Alison Scagliotti from “Warehouse 13” as Zan and Jayna, two rebellious teen vigilantes who decide to emulate “The Blur” by fighting crime and posing as Clark Kent when thwarting local criminals.
Anyone who is a fan of “Warehouse 13” as I am at the moment will be pleased to see the cool Scagliotti as Jayna who brings her A Game to “Idol,” another episode implying Clark Kent’s domino effect influence on the world around him. While he’s not the first hero, he does act as a source of inspiration for folks like the Wonder Twins who he manages to teach a lesson to in the midst of keeping his identity a secret from Metropolis. “Idol” is the very definition of what “Smallville” should typically aspire to be about; re-inventing not so classic superheroes and super villains while also exploring the prevalent influence Superman continues to have on people around him. There is also the “Smallville” movie entitled “Absolute Justice” a look at the Smallville version of the Justice Society of America that teams together loyal adaptations of DC’s banner superheroes to fight an otherwise forgettable foe who is knocking off their members one by one.
The primary attraction for “Absolute Justice” is the stellar direction not to mention the rather whimsical atmosphere that is matched by the incredible variations of banner DC characters Dr. Fate, Hawkman, and Stargirl, among others, who give Clark a taste of his Justice League destiny and form a foreshadowing of his god-like supremacy over the DC Universe leading the charge for the future super team against modern foes. Beyond those two instant classic episodes, season nine is classic “Smallville” dribble with Zod being reduced to a forgettable terrorist one-note villain thankfully salvaged by Callum Blue, and Brian Austin Green pulls in a fairly forgettable performance as Metallo.
Among those many ho hum elements, “Smallville” continues staggering on with its abysmal writing and all around horrible production qualities and uneven performances from its entire cast, and we’ve yet to get a glimpse at an actual Superman among this garbage, which is ultimately what “Smallville” purports to be about when all is said and done. Like every season since it began, the show is one giant tease making grand promises to its viewers that it never makes good on. Special Features for the DVD release includes a small featurette on the evolution of General Zod who went from classic big screen villain to comic scourge to soap opera villain in mere decades, there are also two episode commentaries, and a major look at the evolution of “Absolute Justice” and its inception on “Smallville.” Worth the price if you’re willing to wade through the muck of the majority of season nine.