James Marsters ("Spike") has signed on to play Brainiac on Smallville

[Everlost_MI]

Aint-It-Cool-News (http://aintitcoolnews.com/) has posted the official press release (http://aintitcoolnews.com/display.cgi?id=20807) from Warner Brothers stating that James Marsters, Spike from Buffy and Angel, will play Brainiac on Smallville.

Oh and Tom Wopat (Luke from the original Dukes of Hazzard) is going to show up too.

I think Marsters is a good actor and he could be an interesting Brainiac. I've never caught any Smallville episodes, is the series decent?

[TrackZero]

*goes back 4 headlines*

Yeah, there's some gaming news. ;)

Edit: Not that I don't think there shouldn't be non-gaming posts. Just that 3 in a row (all the inital headlines for many) seems a bit much.

[Gitaroomaan]

I think Marsters is a good actor and he could be an interesting Brainiac. I've never caught any Smallville episodes, is the series decent?

Eh, it can be alright. It really screws around with the Superman origin, but it can be decent. I used to watch it religiously, until every episode started to turn into the OC with the occasional superpower thrown in.

[Cha-Ka]

I couldn't get past Smallville's use of random kryptonite effects to create a villain of the week. I only saw a couple of early episodes, but the "highschool football coach who demands the best from his team encounters kryptonite and gains superhuman strength" made me drop this show in a hurry.

Honest. It was that lame.

[Justin_McElroy]

Let's turn this thread into a "who should Tom Wopat have played?" type of jam.

My vote? Solomon Grundy.

[Tyrant]

I like the show, although I'm not sure how Brainiac could fit into it. Especially if it resembles the Justice League cartoon rendition.

[RMan]

I couldn't get past Smallville's use of random kryptonite effects to create a villain of the week.
Yea, the first season was just freak of the weak stuff. I actually like the show overall, which is odd since I always thought superman was pretty lame. If you can get past the first season (which is not overall as lame as what you have seen) the second season is pretty good, a nice mixture of plot progression and krypto-freaks. If you don't like the second season, then IMO you won't like the third. It's not as fast paced as something like 24, but it's still pretty fun and really makes me wish there were more tv superhero shows.

[Zeal]

Man, I really miss Buffy and Angel. Great shows, truly.

[Heretic Machine]

I like Smallville... to an extent. It's not something I ever plan on buying on DVD, but I can watch it without vomiting (which is not the case with Charmed.) However, as much of a James Marsters fan as I am, I don't see how he could play Braniac.

[PIPBoy3000]

When I'm watching Smallville, it's typically in a second window behind the NWN toolset, occasionally Alt-Tabbing to watch the interesting parts. Few things get the privilege of my full attention. Battlestar Galactica. Veronica Mars (strangely enough). Doctor Who.

James Marsters can be a good actor at times, so I have some hope it'll bring value to the show. Smallville is okay, a handful of good episodes among the OC-like dregs.

[Thenetcase]

I love Smallville. The only reason people say it screws with Superman is because they fail to follow the dimensional aspects of the Superman formula.

[EGO]

Spike ruled! That actor is totally cool and deserves to work more!

[Kefkataran]

My vote? Solomon Grundy.

My housemate, another comic nerd like myself, has this weird thing where he sings the lyrics to The Beetle's "Eleanor Rigby", but replaces "Eleanor Rigby" with "Solomon Grundy." I always feel so bad for that poor guy.

The only reason people say it screws with Superman is because they fail to follow the dimensional aspects of the Superman formula.

Dimensional in what ways?? What do you mean?

[Thenetcase]

Dimensional in what ways?? What do you mean?

That's my point. You didn't even know.
The creators of Superman (the two teenagers who 'invented' him) always said that he was a multi-dimensional character and that there were various versions of him living diffferent types of existances in different dimensional plains. This has been an underlying Superman theme to create dozens of subplots for the last couple of decades. If you remember right, in the 90's cartoon they had Lois Lane cross a dimensional plain to meet another Superman who was mourning Lois' death in another plain of existance.

The creators of Smallville said a LONG time ago (Season 1 Debutish) that they felt that this wasn't a mutilation of Superman but a "what if from a different plain of existance". This is quite with in their liberty and freedom to do since this dimensional stuff has existed since Superman was conceived.

-TNC-

[Racknahm]

That's my point. You didn't even know.
The creators of Superman (the two teenagers who 'invented' him) always said that he was a multi-dimensional character and that there were various versions of him living diffferent types of existances in different dimensional plains. This has been an underlying Superman theme to create dozens of subplots for the last couple of decades. If you remember right, in the 90's cartoon they had Lois Lane cross a dimensional plain to meet another Superman who was mourning Lois' death in another plain of existance.

The creators of Smallville said a LONG time ago (Season 1 Debutish) that they felt that this wasn't a mutilation of Superman but a "what if from a different plain of existance". This is quite with in their liberty and freedom to do since this dimensional stuff has existed since Superman was conceived.

-TNC-
I just don't like Smallville because it seems everyone knows Clark Kent has superpowers.

[MosBen]

Now, I know this isn't really de rigeur on the internet, but it was bugging me. It's "plane of existence" not "plain of existence".

[Kefkataran]

The creators of Superman (the two teenagers who 'invented' him) always said that he was a multi-dimensional character and that there were various versions of him living diffferent types of existances in different dimensional plains. This has been an underlying Superman theme to create dozens of subplots for the last couple of decades. If you remember right, in the 90's cartoon they had Lois Lane cross a dimensional plain to meet another Superman who was mourning Lois' death in another plain of existance.

I DO know. I just wasn't sure that's what you meant.

This isn't the status quo now. The DC universe had multiple earths that existed in other dimensions up until 1985. Then the editors decided it might be confusing for new readers to find out there are three, four, or more Supermans, Batmans, and Wonder Womans, not to mention the more minor heroes. So they held what was basically the first huge comics crossover event, Crisis on Infinite Earths. Many heroes died (the original Supergirl, the Barry Allen version of Flash), and all the multiple earths were converged into one, basically in a somewhat-successful, somewhat-failed attempt to kickstart and clean up DC continuity.

So, anyways, Smallville would be going by this new standard and retelling the Superman origin story with only one earth.

I'm not really a Smallville watcher myself, though I've always been meaning to check it out.

[Adewade]

I really enjoy the series, but it is a bit of a teen drama, with superpowers. Then again, being 18, I guess that makes me the target audience.

Still, it impresses and entertains me.

[Kefkataran]

And actually, upon further thinking, in the comic's official continuity, even if they were follow the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths, pre-1985 way of going, the multiple dimensions weren't discovered until Superman was already well into adulthood and leading the JLA.

[Thenetcase]

And actually, upon further thinking, in the comic's official continuity, even if they were follow the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths, pre-1985 way of going, the multiple dimensions weren't discovered until Superman was already well into adulthood and leading the JLA.

It doesn't really matter if they were discovered. They existed before they were discovered.
We may never discover an alternate dimension in our lifetimes, but it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. :)

Anyway, that whole thing is my take on Smallville. I don't care if you like it or not and I don't care if it doesn't make sense. Does an alien who can fly make sense?
The creators of Smallville made the multi-dimensional explanation once at the debut of the show and I haven't heard another word about it. It may not be an "official" explanation, it could have been one person spewing off. But it kind of makes sense.

It also kind of makes sense with out the dimensional stuff, really. There really hasn't been a difiniative story about Clark's childhood that made any intelligent sense, as far as I know (I could be wrong).

I too am bothered by the amount of people that know Clark's powers and all that. Some of the relationship stuff with Lex doesn't exactly make sense either. The whole Brainiac thing is going to have to be approaced carefully because they are dealing with major events in the Superman future there.

Anyway, that's my $.02.

Peace,
-TNC-

[Kefkataran]

It doesn't really matter if they were discovered. They existed before they were discovered.
We may never discover an alternate dimension in our lifetimes, but it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

Yeah, but obviously Supes won't encounter it until it's discovered. :p

I too am bothered by the amount of people that know Clark's powers and all that. Some of the relationship stuff with Lex doesn't exactly make sense either. The whole Brainiac thing is going to have to be approaced carefully because they are dealing with major events in the Superman future there.


While I haven't yet watched the show much, that bit does bother me too. It seems a bit much.