"There was always the hint that she might return one day, so I was keeping my fingers crossed," Swan tells TV Guide Magazine. "I love the cast and I really like the character." This time, Swan will appear in an early 2010 episode tentatively titled "Warrior." As for the why of Zatanna's return, the show is keeping super-silent. "But knowing the character and what she's capable of, it's going to be something pretty interesting," the actress teases.

Researchers believe they can benefit from tales about the caped crusader, Superman and even Dennis the Menace in the same way they can from reading other types of literature, despite teachers and parents often being snooty about comics, experts say.

According to the research, critics say that reading comics is actually a "simplified version" of reading that doesn't have the complexity of "real" books with their "dense columns of words and lack of pictures".

Last week, the second issue of the new Superman secret origin series titled, aptly enough, Superman: Secret Origin came out and revealed how Lex Luthor’s father was a nobody and Lex took a big life insurance policy out on his life. How unfortunate that DC didn’t incorporate more than just the Lionel Luthor name for Lex’s Dad in Superman’s new continuity. John Glover’s portrayal of Lex Luthor’s father – a character created just for the “Smallville” TV show – is iconic and the show’s billionaire Lionel with layers of secrets who’s ultimately done in by Lex for money, power, information, superiority, psychoses, revenge, hatred, insecurity, self-hatred, and envy, is infinitely more interesting than a drunk and abusive Lionel who’s ultimately done in by Lex just for the money.

I don’t think the TV Lionel excuses Lex Luthor for becoming a super-villain – lots of people have dysfunctional parental relations and don’t become green and purple armor wearing Superman hating evil billionaire scientists bent on world domination. But he does add layers of depth to Lex by showing how the best of intentions crippled by a multi-family generational secret can really mess with an already messed up kid’s head. “Smallville” Lex squandered all life’s gifts that were ever his – Clark Kent’s friendship, Lana Lang’s love, even the father’s respect that he always assumed he’d never had anyway. Ultimately, he squandered life’s greatest gift – life itself. But Lex Luthor is a cheater in any incarnation – he’ll be back if only to redeem Oliver Queen by having it revealed Lex wasn’t in the truck. Anyway, enough musings on “Smallville” – let’s get on with the listings.

First up is, well, what’d’ya know – more “Smallville”. Next Friday at 8 PM on the CW, Clark Kent is visited by twin siblings – with an affinity for purple -- whose attempts to help the Blur end up hindering the Blur. Well, it had to happen. Clark Kent meets Zan and Jayna, the future Wonder Twins of the Super Friends, in “Idol”. And on Friday the 13th too. Let’s hope “Smallville” does a better job of incorporating the Wonder Twins into its continuity than DC did a decade ago at the end of the run of the Justice League Extreme series. The zaniness could only be zanier if semi-regular “Smallville” hero Aquaman showed up too.

Click "Read More" to read this week's full "Superman on TV" column.

The "Speeding Bulletin" is your weekly Superman news video, recapping the latest events in the world of Superman. It also includes the "Bailey Planet" rant, Neal Bailey's thought of the week, brought to you in his own infamous style.

Subscribe to the "Speeding Bulletin" vodcast via iTunes or your favorite Podcatcher.

Merchandise seen in this episode:

• Steve is wearing a Superman Biker Metal Thermal Longsleeve T-Shirt (available in Black and Blue only) from Amazon.com
• Order Ruby-Spears "Superman" cartoons on DVD from Amazon.com
• Get the 40% discount off DC Comics merchandise at WBshop.com
• Purchase this week's Superman comics from TFAW.com
• Purchase "Speeding Bulletin" and "Bailey Planet" merchandise from CafePress.com.

All of the fans are abuzz about the two-part Justice Society episode, coming in January. Geoff Johns Tweeted about how Green Arrow and Hawkman "don't get along. At all."

No, they don't. They don't. They have completely different views on just about everything you can imagine. Hawkman (played by 'Stargate's' Michael Shanks) has this sort of antiquated, conservative point of view, while Oliver is the "liberal bleeding heart." Together, they are a match made in hell.

Add in Clark, Stargirl and Doctor Fate, and it sounds like it will be a comic-book lover's dream come true.

It will be. You have Geoff writing it, and then there's the fact that it was originally one show, but when it came in the producers were like, "This is a feature film; we better make it two." They're not sparing any expense. In fact, this whole year has been really, really good. I think we're begging for a Season 10, with all that we've been doing.

Question: Any chance that Smallville will segue into a new series called Metropolis?

Ausiello: If there was, executive producer Kelly Souders would know about it. And it sounds like she doesn't. "There's nothing official that I know of, but who knows? It's hard to say goodbye to this franchise. It's the show that keeps on going." Hmm... I think the key word there is "official."

Nrama: I've been told that you have a big role in the upcoming episode, "Pandora" and that you'll be kidnapping Lois. What can you tell us about that?

Freeman: Yeah! You know, Lois has been having these flashes ever since the beginning of the season and I figure that out. And I really want to know what they mean and what they're from and how to decipher them. So that's why I kidnap her. To try to figure that out. I think that it has something to do with the Kryptonians, and I think it has something to do with the Kandorians, and I think it has something to do with all these questions that I have. And if I can figure that out, maybe I can put the puzzle together.

Part index. Part commentary. Part history lesson. All podcast.

This week Jeffrey and Michael go over the Superman books that came out with the July 1988 cover date. Superman #19 leads right into Adventures of Superman #442 this month and we see a Superman stripped of his powers but all is not lost. Not only does he get some help from the Metropolis Port Authority but also a handful of super-heroes, such as Elongated Man, Captain Marvel, Aquaman and the Martian Manhunter. The villains? Psi-phon and Dreadnaught. All of this and e-mails too.

You can subscribe to the show in two ways. First there is the RSS Feed and there is also the iTunes link. You can also download the episode directly.

If you want to comment on the show or contact the hosts you can always private message Mike and Jeff, leave comments here or email them at fromcrisistocrisis@gmail.com. All questions, concerns, fears, trepidations and cheap shots are welcome.

The Two-Disc Collector's Edition also features:

"Smallville" fans will want to click on over to the TVGuide.com website and post a comment. TV Guide will later roundup all the results and announce the fan's most beloved shows for the year.

Special Treat: For something a little different, here's a photo of the cardboard cutout from the "Crossfire" episode.