It's kind of hard to believe that Smallville lasted 10 seasons. Sure, there are some that would argue it should have thrown in the towel before hitting that milestone, but it's still a damned impressive accomplishment given how hard it is for a show to survive even one season in today's TV landscape. The show acquired a die-hard fanbase, many of whom felt robbed that they never really got to see series star Tom Welling don the iconic red-and-blue duds and take to the skies. Sure, the finale gave us a few distant shots, but we didn't get that hero shot fans had been dreaming of. Well, while we'll never get to see Tom Welling soaring the skies above Metropolis on the small screen, we will be getting a nice consolation prize. Clark's early adventures as Superman will be continuing in the upcoming comic-book series Smallville Season 11. You can check out the first issue's digital cover, by artist Cat Staggs, below, courtesy of IGN.
Nor will you have long to wait. The series will premiere in digital-comic form on April 13th. DC will be releasing new installments every week, and then collecting them into print form every couple of months. The first print edition will hit shelves on May 16th. Smallville writer Bryan Q. Miller will be penning Clark's adventures on the page, with interior art by Pere Perez, print covers by Gary Frank, and digital covers by Cat Staggs.
The series will see the return of many fan favorites from the show, including Oliver Queen (Green Arrow), Chloe Sullivan, Lex Luthor, and, of course, Lois Lane. The comic will also follow in the show's tradition of having various other DC Comics heroes and villains putting in appearances. In an interview with Comic Book Resources, here's how Miller described Smallville Season 11:
The season premiere, as all of ours historically have, sets up not only the plot-journey for the year, but what everyone's personal struggles will be. That isn't to say there will be tons of angst. There's only a bit of angst here and there. The goal is to make this as entertaining a read as possible, and Clark's at our center for that. He's how we'll process that information. He's Superman now. No more hiding in the shadows in a black trench coat or a red jacket. He gets to shake hands with the people he saves. He likes flying. He's transitioning from seeing his abilities as a burden to seeing them more as a job. And he loves his work.
This isn't the first time a beloved TV series has continued in comics form. It's following in the footsteps of shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Farscape, all of which have continued with "canonical" adventures in comics form in recent years.
