Canister X – A.P. Fuchs: Zombie, Paranormal Romance and Superhero Novelist, Blogger, Artist, Publisher

I’m blown away. Speechless blown.

This costume is perfect.

A breakdown:

- the S is nice and big, and has a classic design
- its a 3D S, but doesn’t look like it’s something he couldn’t hide beneath a shirt
- the cape is regal
- the colors are right
- the blue suit is detailed enough, perhaps a piece of Kryptonian technology
- his hair–though I’m partial to the combed-to-the-side-from-the-left look with a curl, this works as I suspect Clark will have his hair parted to further act as a disguise
- he looks big and powerful
- the red trunks seem to be gone; I’m old school so like the trunks on the outside
- he has an intensity that’s only appropriate for the Man of Steel
(Click for larger version)

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4.5 out of 5

Pilot Hal Jordan goes for the ride of his life when his test pod is mysteriously transported from the safety of an airforce hanger to a rocky desert only to encounter a bizarre dying alien named Abin Sur, who had summoned Jordan via his powerful. Abin Sur dies and Hal’s world is turned upside down and he is introduced to the Green Lantern Corps, guardians of the galaxy. Under the tutelage of Sinestro, Hal learns to use his newfound power and witness, thanks to Sinestro’s words and actions, that the Guardians of Oa—those who created the Green Lantern Corps and the green lantern power battery—have grown soft in their approach to intergalactic crime. Sinestro believes a more stern approach is needed and so takes Hal under his wing to show him that might makes right.

The Corps faces a crisis as the Yellow Element—the only force capable of weakening the Green Element, which powers the Corps’s green battery on Oa—has been stolen. Should it be used against them, the Green Lantern Corps will crumble and the galaxy as we know it will no longer be protected and chaos and evil will reign.

Green Lantern, to me, has always been a cool character, yet he’s also always been an overlooked character outside the realm of us hardcore superhero guys. Batman? Sure. Superman? We know him even better. Spider-Man? Yeah, good movies on the big screen. But Green Lantern? Wasn’t he that green guy from that old Super Friends show, the one with that ring that does stuff and, um, well . . .

Green Lantern is an outside character. He’s known and he’s unknown. I think of him like Superman, the difference being is he takes the ring off and he’s a guy like you and me. Superman doesn’t have that option because no matter what kind of clothes he’s wearing, he’ll always be a Kryptonian. Green Lantern: First Flight reminds us of that: that beneath the cool power ring Hal Jordan is just your average guy.

I really appreciated the origin tone of this movie and even more so that 99% of it didn’t take place on Earth. Here we got to get a solid look at the world of Green Lantern, which is an intergalactic one and not confined to a bustling Metropolis or an eerie Gotham.

To see the Green Lantern Corps—all those aliens with varied green uniforms—really added to the scope of what the Corps is all about and a visual reminder that humanity’s protection is only a small part of what they do. According to this movie, there are 3600 green lanterns, each with their own sector to watch over. Solid.

I had only a couple minor quibbles with this movie. I thought Hal Jordan dove into the Green Lantern thing rather quickly. He gets the ring and suddenly—BAM—he’s all green and knows what to do. He also seemed too casual and calm about all these alien encounters he suddenly finds himself having. If that was you or me, we’d be freaking out the second Abin Sur showed up, green ring or otherwise.

Likewise, Hal Jordan seemed to be the only guy who got back to wearing regular clothes when the ring came off, whereas everyone else still retained their uniform. I thought the uniform came with the ring. Take the ring off and you’re back to wearing whatever it was when you put it on.

Again, minor, but something I would have liked to have seen handled better.

I know that comic books and comic book movies are not as much for kids as they used to be. Once again this DC film has some foul language in it. Not impressed because it’s kids asking their moms for these flicks. It’s not like the old days where superhero cartoons were clean language-wise.

The action is great. The fights are cool.

If Green Lantern: First Flight is meant as a primer for the upcoming live action film, man, we’re in for a real treat and an awe-inspiring experience coming 2011.

This flick is solid, enjoyable and fun. Check it out.

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5 out of 5

If any one season of Smallville made me feel like I was deeply immersed in Superman mythology and was watching a true, live-action version of a DC comic book, Season Eight was it.

Not only is Clark Kent and Lois Lane working at the Daily Planet, but Doomsday, the monster that killed Superman in the comics, is the over-arcing plot this season. He comes in the form of Davis Bloom whom, we learn, experiences these mysterious blackouts as he transforms into the Kryptonian beast and murders anyone that crosses his path.

To make matters worse, Davis has a soft spot for Chloe and despite her best intentions, giving in only sets off a chain of events that screws up her relationship with both him and Clark.

Also introduced this season—and taking the place of Lex Luthor—is Tess Mercer. At first she’s as loyal to the Luthor name as anyone, but when she learns what kind of a man Lex Luthor truly was, everything changes and we encounter a woman who is just as evil as her predecessor.

I have to admit I was unsure how Smallville was going to work without Lana Lang and Lex Luthor as key characters, and for the first few episodes, the show did feel a little empty, but that was more than made up for with the breakneck pace the show took and the dark path it led its viewers down while creating the Doomsday saga. With Tess Mercer and Doomsday as the central villains, you forget all about Lex Luthor and instead try to read between the lines to see how he’ll one day return as Clark’s rightful foe, while watching Tess and Doomsday lead the world into destruction.

I was really happy with how this season turned out after my initial skepticism. The episodes were great, the appearances of other DC alumni like Zatanna, Maxima, Jimmy Olsen, the Legion of Superheroes and more just made Season Eight fantastic.

Like I always say, this show just keeps getting better and better and I cannot wait to see how everything pans out from here on in. Too cool.

Recommended.

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4.5 out of 5

Kicking the season off, Clark fights a bizarro version of himself, picking up the cliffhanger from the previous season. Great start. Then things get even more cool with the emergence of a super . . . girl? Yup, you guessed it, Supergirl herself has arrived on Earth. Her name is Kara. She is Clark’s cousin from Krypton and Laura Vandervoort does a fantastic job as the Girl of Steel, who not only proves that blood runs thicker than water, but also has no fear of heights like her farmboy cousin and does plenty of flying to prove it.

Not only is there one Supergirl in this season, but two. Kinda. Helen Slater, who played Supergirl in the 1984 movie of the same name, made an appearance as Clark’s Kryptonian mother, Lara, in the episode that shared her namesake.

Season Seven was a load of fun and was one of the best ones of the series so far.

The only episode I didn’t really like was “Wrath,” where Lana gets Clark’s powers and uses them to get her revenge on Lex. Again, this kind of thing was done before in Lois and Clark (the power transfer), and I was getting tired of seeing these repeat ideas as they had done Lois and Clark-type episodes in the past. Speaking of which, the Dean Cain episode, “Cure,” made me feel like I was watching Lois and Clark all over again and though this episode was more filler than moved the Season Seven story arc along, it was cool to see Dean Cain back in the Superman universe. They even called his character Curtis Knox (see the initials?).

The last thing that bothered me about this season, more specifically the episode, “Quest,” was the major playing up of Clark being some sort of messiah. I’m a Christian, so this probably bothered me more than most, but that aside, it still was overdone. Okay. We get it. Clark’s going to save the world one day. Move on.

This season was a step up from Season Six, so 4.5 stars out of 5.

Recommended.

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5 out of 5

More powers emerge as Clark gets ever closer to his destiny as the Man of Steel.

This season made you know the show was here to stay and showed a slight, more mature change in the writing style (if memory serves), despite the show still being kind of like The Twilight Zone meets Superman.

Regardless, throwing into the mix someone outside the Kent family permanently knowing Clark’s secret—well, things got a little more complicated for our favorite farmboy as he’s now got the concern of “what if so-and-so spills the beans?”

What really made this season, of course, was the guest appearance by Christopher Reeve, who everyone in my generation knows as the Superman, bar none. His role as Dr. Swann, who shows Clark his Kryptonian heritage, really brought a passing-of-the-torch moment to the show, cementing in Superman fans’ heads that Tom Welling was indeed our new boy and—if anyone else out there is like me—makes you itch for Welling to one day put on the tights in a feature film (or seven).

I love the mythology episodes in this series and Season Two had enough to remind you that, yes, you were watching Superman and not just a show about a young man with developing superpowers.

Go watch this, then check out Season Three right after it. You know what? Go watch ’em all then follow Season Nine week-to-week like the rest of us. You won’t be sorry.

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5 out of 5

When I heard they were coming out with a new Superman television show back in 2001, I was thrilled. I had watched Lois & Clark religiously, so to learn that Supes was back, but this time exploring his pre-Superman years as a mild-mannered teen in Smallville, well, needless to say I was pumped, and Season One of Smallville didn’t disappoint.

We got our first glimpses of Clark’s developing superpowers, how he and Lex met and the friendship that would later help forge the greatest archrivalry of all time, Clark’s Kryptonian heritage and more. Likewise, to meet Lana Lang for the first time and not just as a mere movie character but someone who—if you know even a chunk of the Superman backstory—made a huge impact on Clark as he grew up was especially interesting.

I remember watching the season finale and flipping out over the cliffhanger ending.

I’ve been watching the series ever since, every week, barely missing an episode.

Check this series out if you haven’t already. This stuff is good. Real good.