Smallville - Bringing the JSA to television

[Terry Sloane]

yeah, I thought it was Jack.

Sorry, I could not get past all the pleather and Stargirl's mask looking like one of the blue gel migraine masks. Also the sword fight with distance weapons was as dumb as running up to a guy to shoot an arrow at them.

I love the JSA as much as the next guy, but my interest doesn't overwhelm my dislike of tacky TV.

PS - Doc Fate's costume was a good rough draft but hey - the helmet LOOKED plastic, and the man had the wrong body type to pull the bodysuit off. If any character had an excuse to have their real costume translated into some low budget trenchcoat thingee, it was Doc Fate.

[jsd3ct*]

I don't know if it was mentioned.....there are so many pages here. But how about chloe coming out of Radu's coffee shop and a guy in a blck jacket who is holding a rolled up flyer? magazine? walking in behind her. Didn't Kyle Rayner, in one of his initial appearances, walk into Radu's with a rolled up flyer because he designed it for Radu? Could we have seen just a glimpse of another GL in the same episode we got Alan Scott? Hmmmmmmm

[SethKane]

Buggy, I truly believe that this is what the real Kent Nelson COULD have become had the team fallen on even worse hardtimes than the real deal. If Kent slipped for even one moment and let his guard down/training slide, the helmet could easily have turned him into a basket case. I think Brent did a fine job with the material. Jim

Jim Beard

Hear Hear!

[Eric]

Heh... my friend played Wesley Dodds/Sandman. I thought he did a great job.

[jafabian]

Buggy, I truly believe that this is what the real Kent Nelson COULD have become had the team fallen on even worse hardtimes than the real deal. If Kent slipped for even one moment and let his guard down/training slide, the helmet could easily have turned him into a basket case. I think Brent did a fine job with the material. Jim

Jim Beard

I liked the continuous whispering you'd hear with the helm, and when it turned and looked at Clark when he x-rayed it also.

[SethKane]

I liked the continuous whispering you'd hear with the helm, and when it turned and looked at Clark when he x-rayed it also.

jafabian

I loved that! I was all, "Oh crap, it sees you!"

[bgztl]

Except she wasn't in the painting! Grem-

Gremlin

Grrrrrrrrrr. (general fist-shaking).

She WAS invited to the first meeting, I tell you, she WAS!!!!

You mischievous sprite, you!!

I was all just a retroactive whitewashing!!

[zekeman1]

funny how a lot of people have the opposite reaction as me. i didn't like the potrayal of kent nelson, but loved dr. fate. and hawkman wasn't what i wanted. he did need to be bigger and look older. his wings looked terrible when they had an overhead shot of the back. they looked too tiny.

[soyblitz]

I just saw the first hour of absolute justice last night and I gotta say, I loved the flashbacks. I kinda figured Stargirl would be in the show since its a character Geoff holds dearly to him and she looked really cool. Hawkman's wings could have been better but other than that, I really like the character. Dr. Fate's helmet was amazing, I really liked both the xray scene and the rest, but I didn't like his costume. Looked a little too much for a show where Clark wore a tie the whole hour.

Some of the nicer details were GA calling HM Bigbird, The detail on Alan's ring and the whole loyal partners that Clark felt respect towards during the clip. Kinda made the whole thing look more legendary.

Thanks for the great episode Geoff

[PyroTwilight]

Finally got around to seeing the episode.

Lots of good, some bad. All over fun.

I was a bit surprised they didn't have Black Canary show up since the JSA pic had Black Canary on it I believe. Would've been interesting to hear why Hawkman didn't try to round her up.

I liked the plot well enough but I thought it was silly to a degree. If Hawkman knew they were being attacked why not call in Alan or Jay to beat Icicle Jr (are they dead? We did see Alan's ring in the museum but what's stopping Hawkman or someone from using it?)? Dr. Fate also seemed really weak, he seemed like the one least likely to be hurt by Icicle. And if Dr. Fate could restore Martian Manhunter's powers...why not do it BEFORE he was on his death bed?

Anyone else find it odd that while Pemberton showed up as did Stargirl there wasn't any mention of the cosmic converter belt which was his key item? Instead he had the cosmic staff other Starmen have used?

On the other hand I loved the character cameos during the attack on the JSA. Al Pratt's actor surprised me, he looked like a german weight lifter, like what I believe Hooded Justice from Watchmen likely looked like. As well as Ted Grant and of course Ma Hunkel.

Other fun points. Nabu's helmet during the X-Ray scene, badASS. Also equally badass Martian Manhunter. "I'm the last survivor from Mars. There's a REASON for that".

[TJLamb0518]

Finally got around to seeing the episode. Lots of good, some bad. All over fun. I was a bit surprised they didn't have Black Canary show up since the JSA pic had Black Canary on it I believe. Would've been interesting to hear why Hawkman didn't try to round her up. I liked the plot well enough but I thought it was silly to a degree. If Hawkman knew they were being attacked why not call in Alan or Jay to beat Icicle Jr (are they dead? We did see Alan's ring in the museum but what's stopping Hawkman or someone from using it?)? Dr. Fate also seemed really weak, he seemed like the one least likely to be hurt by Icicle. And if Dr. Fate could restore Martian Manhunter's powers...why not do it BEFORE he was on his death bed? Anyone else find it odd that while Pemberton showed up as did Stargirl there wasn't any mention of the cosmic converter belt which was his key item? Instead he had the cosmic staff other Starmen have used? On the other hand I loved the character cameos during the attack on the JSA. Al Pratt's actor surprised me, he looked like a german weight lifter, like what I believe Hooded Justice from Watchmen likely looked like. As well as Ted Grant and of course Ma Hunkel. Other fun points. Nabu's helmet during the X-Ray scene, badASS. Also equally badass Martian Manhunter. "I'm the last survivor from Mars. There's a REASON for that".

PyroTwilight

That was a GREAT line to give J'Onn.

[jon-el87]

I was a bit surprised they didn't have Black Canary show up since the JSA pic had Black Canary on it I believe. Would've been interesting to hear why Hawkman didn't try to round her up.

PyroTwilight

Geoff's said in interviews, that he wanted to use both Black Canaries. But the actress who's played Dinah Lance was unavailable, having just had a baby.

Personally, I would've prefered to see them bring in Obsidian (who, when you think about it, could actually prove usefull, if the JSA returns in the season finale. Honestly, you're dealing with a group of superpowered Kryptonians. Who'd better watch your back, then a guy, who can cover the world in darkness (thus cutting off the Kryptonians access to solar energy, causing their powers to slowly fade away)?) in this episode. Which would've also allowed them to touch upon, the slowed down aging of the JSA:ers. Which they forgot, to deal with (the JSA:ers looked the same age, 30 years ago, as they do today.. But neither Clark or Chloe reacts to, "hey, you've barely aged a day, in 30 years!").

I liked the plot well enough but I thought it was silly to a degree. If Hawkman knew they were being attacked why not call in Alan or Jay to beat Icicle Jr (are they dead? We did see Alan's ring in the museum but what's stopping Hawkman or someone from using it?)? Dr. Fate also seemed really weak, he seemed like the one least likely to be hurt by Icicle.

PyroTwilight

Alan was obviously left out, due to budget concerns. Stargirl does mention, in the second episode, that Alan, Jay and Ted (Grant) are still alive.
Fate did seem rather weak and to tell you the truth, I didn't care much for their choice of villain (okay, the second Icicle manages to kill off Sandman, Dr. Fate and the Star-Spangled Kid... Nah, don't buy it. These guys, have brought down bigger guys, but somehow fail to fight off an teenage kid (while, interestingly, Stargirl (a complete rookie) manages to fight him off. Granted, with the aid of Green Arrow). Couldn't they have picked someone a little better.. Like Ultra-Humanite or someone?

Anyone else find it odd that while Pemberton showed up as did Stargirl there wasn't any mention of the cosmic converter belt which was his key item? Instead he had the cosmic staff other Starmen have used?

PyroTwilight

Indeed. Personally, I think, that if they really had to use Courtney, then couldn't they've brought her in as the Second Star-Spangled Kid? (And then return, in a later episode, as Stargirl. Having gained possession of the Cosmic Staff, offscreen, since her last appearance.) I don't really like the fact, that they seemingly left Ted Knight, out of Smallville's continuity, just to get to Courtney quicker.

On the other hand I loved the character cameos during the attack on the JSA. Al Pratt's actor surprised me, he looked like a german weight lifter, like what I believe Hooded Justice from Watchmen likely looked like. As well as Ted Grant and of course Ma Hunkel.

PyroTwilight

If you ask me, that guy looked way, way too tall for Al Pratt (in the scene of his arrest, a cop, who appears to be shorter, then Al grabs him. Okay, Al's supposed to be 5'1. So, then that cop would've had to have been 5 or 4'9).

[SethKane]

Geoff's said in interviews, that he wanted to use both Black Canaries. But the actress who's played Dinah Lance was unavailable, having just had a baby. Personally, I would've prefered to see them bring in Obsidian (who, when you think about it, could actually prove usefull, if the JSA returns in the season finale. Honestly, you're dealing with a group of superpowered Kryptonians. Who'd better watch your back, then a guy, who can cover the world in darkness (thus cutting off the Kryptonians access to solar energy, causing their powers to slowly fade away)?) in this episode. Which would've also allowed them to touch upon, the slowed down aging of the JSA:ers. Which they forgot, to deal with (the JSA:ers looked the same age, 30 years ago, as they do today.. But neither Clark or Chloe reacts to, "hey, you've barely aged a day, in 30 years!"). Alan was obviously left out, due to budget concerns. Stargirl does mention, in the second episode, that Alan, Jay and Ted (Grant) are still alive. Fate did seem rather weak and to tell you the truth, I didn't care much for their choice of villain (okay, the second Icicle manages to kill off Sandman, Dr. Fate and the Star-Spangled Kid... Nah, don't buy it. These guys, have brought down bigger guys, but somehow fail to fight off an teenage kid (while, interestingly, Stargirl (a complete rookie) manages to fight him off. Granted, with the aid of Green Arrow). Couldn't they have picked someone a little better.. Like Ultra-Humanite or someone? Indeed. Personally, I think, that if they really had to use Courtney, then couldn't they've brought her in as the Second Star-Spangled Kid? (And then return, in a later episode, as Stargirl. Having gained possession of the Cosmic Staff, offscreen, since her last appearance.) I don't really like the fact, that they seemingly left Ted Knight, out of Smallville's continuity, just to get to Courtney quicker. If you ask me, that guy looked way, way too tall for Al Pratt (in the scene of his arrest, a cop, who appears to be shorter, then Al grabs him. Okay, Al's supposed to be 5'1. So, then that cop would've had to have been 5 or 4'9).

jon-el87

Well we only saw Fate whose Magical properties could keep him from aging and Hawkman who's pretty much in the same boat, so that would explain them not looking older. And the JSAers were out of shape and practice which is why Icicle was able to kill them. Though Pemberton did put up one hell of a fight at least.

[jon-el87]

Just found out, that the JSA will return at the end, of this season... (Hopefully, we'll see some new members (and references, to many more), rather then just the same two. And please, let one of them be Obsidian (for the reason, I stated, in my previous post).)