Smallville - Absolute Justice

I've had a very strange relationship with Smallville. I started watching it long about the time Green Arrow showed up the first time, because I thought Justin Hartley was hot was all the reason I needed to watch a show (although I also liked the Green Arrow costume design). Then to refresh myself with the mythology I went back and watched the first season and intended to watch the second but never got around to it. In the present day (at least present back then) I watched several of the seasons (although I'm not sure exactly which ones) until the time when Doomsday showed up. Not that I lost interest in the show, just that I didn't have enough interest to make time in my busy schedule for it. I've sorta kept up on spoilers, but in general I just don't bother much with it.

Except of course when they have a Justice Society of America episode. Or perhaps it's better to say JSA Event. One of the things I've always loved about Smallville is its examination of Superman canon. Granted that can also be one of the things I don't love about Smallville, especially when they take the canon and run away with it. Not that I've ever been the world's biggest fan of Supes, but you can't set something in a universe and then completely disregard all of the rules of said universe (It amuses me that Chloe is such a popular character yet clearly has to either die or become someone else unless they want to ret-con all of the Supes comics). Whenever there is some big event/episode that brings in other DC characters, I feel a mix of giddy and wary. Not unlike when I go to sento in Japan.

Hawkman's got the bigger weapon, Oliver. And Size Matters.

The basic plot of this story starts off with some villain killing people with ice. Or more to the point the plot starts off with this guy with a glowy staff talks to Chloe, and then gets killed by Ice. We then find out he's not the first or the last. When the next guy dies, JSA gets scrawled across the wall, and we're off on Clark's excellent adventure to find out what JSA means. They connect it to this series of arrests several years earlier, and Clark and Chloe and Arthur just can't understand why these criminals are getting killed off. Clark gets kidnapped only to wake up in the JSA Museum of Memories, and we get to meet all three of the JSA members that are currently alive. I think I have this whole plot slightly out of order, but the most important part is Clark manages to inspire them to fight again. Then we get to see Star Girl, Dr. Fate, and Hawkman in action. The episode ends with Hawkman promising to gather the troops, and vague promisings of seeing each other later.

It's no Hal Jordan, but I'll take it.

A few thoughts:

• Did Michael Shanks attend the Christian Bale School of Superhero Acting? I've met people with voiceboxes that sound less strange.
  
• However he sounded, though, Michael Shanks looks damn good in a set of wings. Even if the wings looked a little funny.
• Star Girl is a ridiculous name for a character.
• I love when the Martian Manhunter shows up.
• I love that Chloe is Watchtower, as long as I completely ignore that Barbara should be Watchtower.
  
• I continuously fail to understand why DC can't loosen up the rights to have Clark meet Bruce Wayne or Diana Prince. I did enjoy all the homages to the other Silver Age heroes, like the Flash and Green Lantern
• As a fanboy, I always love Easter Eggs. Mentioning things like "We were from a Silver Age of Heroes", seeing the cape in Doctor Fate's vision, all that stuff. It would mean nothing to the general public, but I appreciated it immensely.
• I like how we're building up the Justice League, showing them as a family more than a team of superheroes. I think it stems from my wanting Smallville to end and a JLA series to start. How awesome would that be? Too bad it can't happen with the rights issues.
  
• It's amazing how missing two seasons of this show can completely confuse the hell out of me. If it wasn't for the occasional Smallville spoiler I would be completely lost.
  
• Geoff Johns continues to impress.
  

I can't come up with anything snarky enough to truly express how
ridiculous a name I find "Star Girl" to be.

Overall I didn't think it was necessarily a great two hours of TV, but I did enjoy it a great deal. I think they did a very good job of integrating this whole team of heroes while still adhering to canon fairly well. Sure there are little things, like Shiara being dead, but on the whole it was a good outing. It helps that I know next to nothing about the JSA, so any canon misteps would completely fly over my head.

Overall, I'd give the episode four stars. Probably four and a half if you're a big DC comics fan. It's definitely enjoyable, if slightly predictable, and this is coming from someone who could care less about Supes. What did y'all think?