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Smallville, Volume 1
The Man of Steel was once a teenager, facing all the regular problems of growing up, and then some! Featuring comprehensive material from five seasons of the hit TV show, The Visual Guide follows Clark's development from a shy farm boy to a super hero on the brink of fulfilling his destiny. Packed with photographs from the hit TV show and featuring unique insights into characters, storylines and locations. Includes maps of Smallville and Metropolis, cross-sections of the Luthor Mansion, Clark's spaceship, and the Ancient Caves. Smallville Visual Guide was produced in full collaboration of DC Comics and Warner Bros. SMALLVILLE and all related names, characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics (c) 2006. All rights reserved.
160 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2003
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About the author
Mark Verheiden
272 books34 followersMark Verheiden is an American television, movie, and comic book writer. He was a co-executive producer for the television series Falling Skies for DreamWorks Television and the TNT Network.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 24, 2025
A nice collection of comics. I only wish this wasn't the only set because I am aware that WB's Smallville merchandising ran a magazine that published not just these comics but several more for a couple of years into maybe the seventh or eighth season when they stopped writing.
But I guess after season 3 of Smallville the merchandising tie-ins that dealt with Smallville were diminished because they stopped having faith in the show's success. The marketing of merchandise was very inconsistent and I think it is unfair.
Nevertheless, this was a decent collection. It's a series of spin-off stories that are probably no longer canon. Running as early as season 1 to season 3. Some of them were original meteor freak of the week stories that couldn't be adapted into an episode like a meteor freak who becomes part dinosaur, a young girl with a chemical touch, or another kid who becomes invisible. But some stories resolve certain character arcs like what happened to Lionel Luthor's aide Dominic. Clark, and Phelan on their car ride to Metropolis, Chloe's Daily Planet Internship, and a flashback to Lillian Luthor. Though, like I mentioned before some things have been retconned, like the absence of HJ Olsen who Chloe mentions in season four and whom we got to see in seasons 6-8, as well as Lillian Luthor having heart disease, not cancer.
Still, not bad but I wish they would release Vol. 2.
But I guess after season 3 of Smallville the merchandising tie-ins that dealt with Smallville were diminished because they stopped having faith in the show's success. The marketing of merchandise was very inconsistent and I think it is unfair.
Nevertheless, this was a decent collection. It's a series of spin-off stories that are probably no longer canon. Running as early as season 1 to season 3. Some of them were original meteor freak of the week stories that couldn't be adapted into an episode like a meteor freak who becomes part dinosaur, a young girl with a chemical touch, or another kid who becomes invisible. But some stories resolve certain character arcs like what happened to Lionel Luthor's aide Dominic. Clark, and Phelan on their car ride to Metropolis, Chloe's Daily Planet Internship, and a flashback to Lillian Luthor. Though, like I mentioned before some things have been retconned, like the absence of HJ Olsen who Chloe mentions in season four and whom we got to see in seasons 6-8, as well as Lillian Luthor having heart disease, not cancer.
Still, not bad but I wish they would release Vol. 2.
October 3, 2015
After just rewatching the entire Smallville tv show, I read this comic book tie-in collection.
The stories fit the show rather well, and can pass as epsiodes from earlier seasons easily. The main difference between the tv show and the comic is the fact that in the comic you hear the internal monologue of the characters, but you get used to it. The characters are mostly true to the tv show, although there are rare occurrences where characters talk out of character, but, as I already said, these are rare.
The art is pretty good, the fact that each story has a different artist takes a bit of getting used to, but for the most part, characters resemble their tv counterparts rather well.
All in all, a fun read for the fans.
The stories fit the show rather well, and can pass as epsiodes from earlier seasons easily. The main difference between the tv show and the comic is the fact that in the comic you hear the internal monologue of the characters, but you get used to it. The characters are mostly true to the tv show, although there are rare occurrences where characters talk out of character, but, as I already said, these are rare.
The art is pretty good, the fact that each story has a different artist takes a bit of getting used to, but for the most part, characters resemble their tv counterparts rather well.
All in all, a fun read for the fans.
April 2, 2022
I'm rewatching the early seasons of Smallville right now, and decided to pluck this off my shelf for a re-read, given the stories in this volume tie in to the first couple of seasons of the TV show. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed them.
Writers Mark Verheiden, Clint Carpenter, and Michael Green all worked on the show, so the voice of the characters and the tone of it are all perfectly captured. This is really what's best about this volume--you can hear the character's voices when you read. The art is better than I remembered it, though some artists are better at capturing the likenesses of the actors than others, which is to be expected.
A fun little collection of stories for the hardcore Smallville fan.
Writers Mark Verheiden, Clint Carpenter, and Michael Green all worked on the show, so the voice of the characters and the tone of it are all perfectly captured. This is really what's best about this volume--you can hear the character's voices when you read. The art is better than I remembered it, though some artists are better at capturing the likenesses of the actors than others, which is to be expected.
A fun little collection of stories for the hardcore Smallville fan.
May 2, 2023
Only one out of this I didn't really like was issue 2. The art was just so different and bad compared to the rest.
July 29, 2024
A few good moments and decent artwork, but pretty boring and uninteresting. Only recommend to a hardcore fan of the show…
July 7, 2013
Ha! I love this comic. Great artwork and decent stories. I still have my copy--it has an ad for Firefly in it, "coming this fall." *Sniff.*
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews