Most Memorable Moment: Clark Kent Dancing with Lana Lang at the Prom (Smallville)

This was such an interesting prom scene from the Smallville episode Spirit (season 4 episode 18) because there were a wide array of emotions shown from all the characters. From Clark Kent's surprise at seeing Lana Lang to Lana's nervousness of being at the prom. To both Lois Lane and her cousin (still not a fan of this) Chloe Sullivan feeling a little melancholy to Martha and Jonathan Kent's shock melt into happiness to Jason Teague's jealousy at seeing Clark and Lana dancing.

There was just so many emotions in this scene. I always found it interesting that despite Lois saying that she wasn't the one Clark wanted to dance with, you could see on her face after he left that she was experiencing some sort of emotion about it. Perhaps she did want to dance with him. But at that point in time Clark only had feelings for Lana who unfortunately was dating Jason (who in my opinion was using Lana because she had a connection to the stones). Jason might have cared for Lana but he was still using her.

Now back to Lois, the irony of her telling her cousin "You're headed for Metropolis. You are destined to be a big shot reporter at the Daily Planet." Which as we all know, is Lois' destiny. I have to mention that very bright and tacky pink dress and equally tacky earrings that Lois was wearing (maybe I'll do a Fashion Meets Comics for it). That look was so not Lois, however, it was all thanks to Dawn Stiles' ghost who had possessed her. Ugly dress or not at least Dawn did an amazing job with Lois' makeup because that was perfect. The sad thing was that one way or another Dawn was so set on being Prom Queen and she kept possessing different people to try to achieve that. Meanwhile, I just love Lana's complete look, it was very old Hollywood glam. Hair, dress, accessories and makeup, it was all perfect. And Clark had a very nice simple tuxedo that looked great on him.

They really had the perfect song playing with Lifehouse performing their song "You and Me". Because as the scene closes, there's Clark and Lana happily slow dancing without a care in the world not realizing the swirl of emotions all around them. They are just so blissfully unaware. This was just a memorable scene.

Fandom Thoughts #6: Buck and Eddie (Battle of the Ships), The Mandalorian and Lana Lang (Smallville)

Happy Monday! Here are some of my Fandom Thoughts:

- Congratulations to 9-1-1 characters Edmundo "Eddie" Diaz and Evan "Buck" Buckley for winning first place in the Tell-Tale TV's Battle of the Ship. They won for the category Ship You'd Most Like to See Sail. I wrote more about Buck and Eddie's win in a post at Truly Outrageous Buck and Eddie.


- On Sunday, I rewatched the third season of The Mandalorian. I really love this show and it was so wonderful revisiting this season. I just love how the story was going for Din, Grogu and The Mandalorians. As well as seeing how the remnants of the Empire were still trying to hold on to power. This was just a good season and now I can't wait for The Mandalorian & Grogu movie which unfortunately will not be released until sometime in 2026.


- Over the weekend, I also rewatched a few episodes of Smallville. I was surprised that I found myself wondering if Lana Lang should of had a spinoff. Because as the series went on, her character seemed like it had outgrown the series. And you could tell the writers didn't know what to do with her character (the same thing with Chloe Sullivan who was not one of my favorite characters). Anyway, after Lana's final episode Requiem (season 8 episode 14), it would have been interesting following her character in a spinoff as she faced new challenges after she turned herself into a superhero.

I'm not a big fan of the Lana Lang character, there are very few versions of the character that I like. However, I like the Smallville version. Maybe I'll post my favorite (and possibly least favorite) versions of Lana in a separate post. Okay, back to what I was saying, I thought Lana's journey was something very interesting because I could see her using her new superpowers and abilities trying to help others. And not to mention Lana's superhero journey would be something very different to Clark Kent's who was at that point in the eighth season still in the process to becoming the superhero Superman we all know and love

Art of the Day: Lana Lang (Smallville)

Artwork: Lana Lang by DavidDeb

Fandom Friday: Random Fandom Thoughts #25

Happy Friday! I can't believe it's already Friday, how has your week been? Mine has been pretty good. With that said, I want to know what fandom thoughts are on your mind?

- I know it's an unpopular opinion in the 9-1-1 fandom but I would like to see Margaret and Philip Buckley return for the sixth season. I know a lot of the fandom doesn't like them but I feel these were people who never dealt with the grief of the death of their son Daniel and ended up shutting down and closing themselves off from their remaining children, Maddie and Evan "Buck". In the fourth season episode Jinx, Buck had mentioned that him and his parents were attending a few therapy sessions, which I figure were virtual. I think it would be nice to see how the therapy sessions went and if they helped the Buckley parents to understand their grief and how it resulted in how they raised Maddie and Buck. It would also be nice to see them acknowledging that they were distant and that they want to get to know as well as love their adult children especially since over the years they weren't really there for them.

(Margaret and Philip Buckley      9-1-1 season 4 episode 5: Buck Begins)

DVD Pick: Superboy TV Series

I know it's Disney+ Day and there are a lot of new shows, movies and documentaries being announced but I was wondering what old shows are you watching or interested in watching? An old show that I plan to watch is Superboy which I had no idea even existed. You would think as a Superman fan I would have heard of this show. I didn't find out about it until I was doing a Superman related search and it led me to the Superboy TV series. The show ran for four seasons from 1988-1992 and underwent two changes: lead actor (John Haymes Newton in season 1 to Gerard Christopher for seasons 2-4) and show title (from Superboy to The Adventures of Superboy). The show which follows a young Clark Kent and Lana Lang who are attending college at Shuster University was executive produced by Ilya and Alexander Salkind, who Superman fans know produced the first three Superman movies along with the Supergirl movie.

I was so intrigued by all of this that I went searching to see if the show was available on DVD. Turns out, yes and no. The first season is out of print but seasons 2-4 are available pretty much anywhere DVDs are sold. As I continued my search, I found the first season being sold for $6.00 from a private seller on the Barnes and Noble's website. I bought that DVD and then bought the other three seasons from Amazon (they were slightly cheaper). I know I lucked out on buying the first season for $6.00 because unfortunately, I've seen it being sold for so much more online which I think is ridiculous. That's nothing more than price gouging.

Anyway, I can't wait to start watching this show. Whether this series is good or bad, it will be interesting to see how Clark balances being in college while being a hero.

Fandom Friday: Three Relationships That Don't Work

It's Friday, what fandom thoughts are on your mind? I was thinking about a few relationships that didn't (or don't) seem to work:

- On Gilmore Girls, I never thought Lorelai Gilmore and Christopher Hayden were ever a good match. Although, he may have been her childhood high school boyfriend and the father of her daughter Rory that didn't mean they were good for each other. Throughout the series there was always this push in the writing to get them together even though Lorelai and Luke Danes worked so much better. It took Luke being written out of character to lead to him and Lorelai breaking up so that she could finally get back together with Christopher. I guess this finally gave the writers the chance to explore the relationship between Lorelai and Christopher.

Lana Lang's Inspiring Fight to Save the Talon (Smallville)

In the first season of Smallville, Lana Lang proved that if it's something you feel passionate about you should fight for it. When she found out that her Aunt Nell had sold the Talon movie theater, Lana tried to convince the new owner, Lex Luthor to restore it. However, Lex had plans to convert the building into a parking garage and turned down her request. Something I found interesting is that despite being disappointed yet again, Lana didn't let that stop her from a second attempt at convincing Lex not to tear down the theater.

In her first attempt, she tried to appeal to Lex's feelings and emotions but this time she was more prepared and presented a detailed business plan which included an idea to turn the theater into a coffee shop. The plan would also keep a small section of the theater to be used to show movies and to hold various functions. By appealing to Lex's analytical side, she was able to convince him that saving the Talon would not only be beneficial but also potentially profitable.

Lex accepting her business proposal was the start of a partnership that would have Lana taking on the role of co-business founder and manager. Combine that with being a high school student, she took on this ambitious task until her senior year of high school where she planned to go to art school in Paris, France. However, that didn't quite workout and she returned to Smallville to complete high school and to reopen the Talon but this time with her living in the apartment above the coffee shop. Another change had Martha Kent taking over as manager with Lana still overseeing the business.

What I found interesting about Lana was that in the episode Hotheads (season 1 episode 3), she was such a terrible waitress at the Smallville Beanery coffee shop that she ended up getting fired. I understand, she was a nervous newly hired waitress who could barely get orders right but once she started managing and working at the Talon, she had a much better grasp on taking orders and preparing drinks. I figure Lana took it serious that she was running a business and put a lot of time and energy into making sure the Talon succeeded.

For me the life lesson I got from Lana Lang is don't be afraid to take risks and fight for something you care about. It might have taken two chances but she did save the Talon which is why I was so disappointed that it was destroyed when Rick Flag blew it up in the final season episode Ambush (season 10 episode 7). All her hard work wasn't in vain because despite the Talon's destruction, she still created a successful business.

(Photo Credit: Geek World Radio)

Book of Interest: Superman of Smallville

Superman fans, the new graphic novel, Superman of Smallville, is out next month. Although it's geared towards middle grade readers, I think anyone can read it. I certainly will, how can I not want to read about the adventures of a teenage Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman (more like Superboy) set in Smallville. This just seems like it will be a fun read.

If this is really good, I hope there will be more stories about a young Clark Kent and maybe even include Lois Lane in a few stories as well.

Book: Superman of Smallville by Franco Aureliani and Art Baltazar

Publication Date: September 3, 2019

Description:

Can Superman keep Smallville from going to the dogs?

Acts of awesomeness are happening around town. People are being rescued, runaway tractors stopped, and fires extinguished. This is all in a day's work for the hero known only as "Superman." But who is he, really?

Thirteen-year-old Clark Kent knows. He has a super-secret—one his parents are constantly worried will get out. Clark promises to be extra careful, but when random objects begin to take flight and disappear, his parents threaten to ground him. Except he's innocent! If Superman isn't responsible...who is? Join Clark in this hilarious adventure as he sniffs out the real culprit.

From New York Times—bestselling and Eisner Award-winning creators Art Baltazar and Franco, comes a fun, whimsical story featuring young Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, and of course Clark Kent.

Art of the Day: Lana Lang (Smallville)

Artwork: Lana Lang by Riverlimzhichuan

Art of the Day: Lana Lang (Smallville)

Artwork: Lana Lang by C0y0te

Fashion meets Comics: Smallville's Lana Lang: Earrings

Say what you will about Smallville's Lana Lang but you can't deny she wore some really amazing clothes especially as the series went on. And besides the fabulous clothes, Lana wore a bold variety of earrings with most being either drop or chandelier.

Below are just a few Lana Lang inspired earrings that I think even she would love:

Nordstrom 'Delicate Lace' Double Drop Earrings   $28.00   Nordstrom  (nordstrom.com)

Petal Chandelier Earrings  $20.00 sale  Banana Republic   (bananarepublic.gap.com)

Peacock Chandelier Earrings  $39.50   Ann Taylor   (anntaylor.com)

Vintage Chandelier Earrings  $49.50  Banana Republic  (bananarepublic.gap.com)

Turquoise Hue Chandelier Earrings  $39.50  Ann Taylor  (anntaylor.com)

Stephan & Co. Teardrop Earrings  $12.00   Nordstrom   (nordstrom.com)

Villa Chandelier Earrings  $39.50  Ann Taylor  (anntaylor.com)

Book Review: Superman For All Seasons

Book: Superman For All Seasons written by Jeph Loeb with illustrations by Tim Sale and color by Bjarne Hansen

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

I actually had a hard time trying to figure out what to say, not because I didn't like it (I gave it 5 stars) but for the fact that I thought it was Perfect. The excellent writing coupled with the amazing artwork told a captivating story.

It was a great take on Superman and you got to see what made him such an awe inspiring character. Although Superman For All Seasons is about Clark's journey to being Superman, it's not told from his point of view instead it told by Jonathan Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor and Lana Lang in four different yet interconnecting stories. You get a sense of how they saw him whether it be love or hatred (in Lex's case) but also as a hero.

This was not a re-telling of his origins but more of a snapshot of a year in his life. The first story set during the Spring narrated by Jonathan Kent, told of how Clark was dealing with how different he was feeling but also showed a father's love and concern for his son. After a tornado ripped through town, Clark wished he could have done more to help the people and the town. He wanted to make a difference and to just help. Knowing he would have to leave his home to do this, Clark embarked on a new life in Metropolis as well as being the new hero Superman.

The second story set during the Summer narrated by Lois Lane, gave the reader a chance to see why this man who could do anything especially with all of his abilities, chooses to help. To be a hero. Even though she's a seasoned reporter, you can tell she's a bit blown away by the existence of Superman. That he's too good to be true (her own words) yet it's the idea of what he stands for that inspires her as well as piqued her curiosity and whether she would say it or not, awed her.

So far with these two stories, there was an underlining sense that Lex Luthor was not happy that someone was taking all of the city if not the world's attention off of him. Like Superman just trying to help has somehow threatened Luthor in some way. In the second story, Luthor put his jealousy to work by creating the Guardians of the City to help protect the city. He wanted that attention back and to do that he needed to be the hero to the city again.

So by the third story set during the Fall with Lex Luthor as the narrator, you get to see Superman through Luthor's twisted mind. To see how Superman has taken the city away from him. His pride is so injured he came up with an plan to destroy Superman but not in the usual way. He needed to tear down the Man of Steel's confidence in his ability to keep the city and its people safe. And in a way it worked.

Which leads to the last story set during the Winter told by Lana Lang. This story showed Clark back in Smallville sorting through his life. There are these two pages that I love, it shows Lex Luthor and Lois Lane as they are both staring out the window of their perspective buildings. Lex is as happy as he could be while with Lois you could see her sense of longing for not just Superman but also for Clark (who had decided to take some time off).

Through Lana's story the reader got a good understand of who Clark was as a friend and as a hero. He genuinely wants to help and what you see is what you get. And when a flood threatens the town, Clark's main focus was on trying to help. It was interesting that you got to see his heroics through the eyes of the town's people and his parents and Lana. I love that not only was Clark able to save the town he also got the top story for the Daily Planet. And even though Luthor thought he won, the only thing he did was inadvertently create an even stronger Man of Steel. Clark had to realize that he couldn't do everything like he thought he could in the beginning but he could still do the best he could. Which is all that anyone can do, super powers or not.

I absolutely love this story because it captured everything perfectly, be it Clark's life in Smallville to the grandness of Metropolis. But also Clark's loneliness in the big city and how different he felt returning to Smallville. In a way he was no longer that small town guy. I like how Smallville felt like I was looking at life by Norman Rockwell with a feeling of the Andy Griffith show. While Metropolis was shown mostly from the air looking down at all the tall buildings with everyone going at a fast pace.

Sorry this was a bit long, I just wanted to write how amazing I thought this was. Sort of wished I hadn't waited so long to read this.

Currently Reading: Superman: For All Seasons

This is considered a Superman classic and I've had it for a while (yes, I know but I am trying to get around to reading all my books). Can I say that I'm really excited to read this? Totally can't wait.

Book: Superman: For All Seasons written by Jeph Loeb with illustrations by Tim Sale and color by Bjarne Hansen

Description:

In this coming-of-age tale witness the experiences and adventures that transform a simple country boy into the world's greatest hero. Told through the course of four seasons in the Man of Steel's adolescent life, it illustrates that it is the person, not the powers, that makes Superman a hero.

The catalyst for the "Smallville" television program, Superman: For All Seasons is emotional and insightful, humanizing the alien from another planet so that he is not only realistic but also relatable. It also features in-depth characterizations of Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane and the Kents.

This volume collects Superman For All Seasons #1-4.

Lana Lang from Superman: The Animated Series

This is one of my favorite versions of Lana Lang from the Superman: The Animated Series. My other favorite LL is from the third Superman movie who was portrayed by Annette O'Toole (she's also Mrs. Kent on Smallville).

They were both fun and smart and neither were obsessed with Clark (like the comic book version) or treated him poorly (like the LL on Smallville). They were just Clark's high school sweethearts and didn't hinder him in anyway.