2002 Comic Book News Archives

Smallville Comic Book

November 26, 2002: Tom Palmer Talks “Smallville” Comic Books

With DC Comics announcing that they will be publishing an ongoing "Smallville" comic book to tie-in with the hit TV show, we thought it would be a good idea to catch up with the Editor on the up-coming "Smallville" comic books... Tom Palmer.

Tom Palmer Jr is no stranger to the world of Superman, as he works alongside Editor Eddie Berganza as Associate Editor on the regular Superman titles. Tom was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer a few "Smallville" comic book questions for the Superman Homepage.

Q: Do you have an exact release date for the first issue of the on-going "Smallville" comic book?

A: Early March 2003.

Q: Who is writing, pencilling, and inking the series?

A: Smallville supervising producer Mark Verheiden (who also wrote the lead story in the one-shot) is co-writing the first issue along with Clint Carpenter, who also works on the show. Art is by Kilian Plunkett (Legion Worlds, the upcoming Superman Red Son) with inks by Mark Morales. Kilian's a great artist who has also drawn lots of Star Wars comics for Dark Horse, so he's the perfect choice to capture the likenesses of the Smallville cast. The whole thing's topped off with another beautiful painted/photo cover by John Van Fleet. John's been able to give us the best of both words: a photo cover that doesn't look like all the other comic book photo covers out there!

Q: What impact will the comic have on the TV series and vice versa?

A: Publishing lead time and TV production schedules being what they are, the comic won't have a noticeable impact on the TV series. But, we are able to reflect what happens on the show and fill-in some of the gaps between episodes. The first issue is a perfect example of that.

Q: Can we expect magazine type extra features such as was the case with the Smallville one-shot?

A: Of course! I'd like to think the magazine-style features helped make the Smallville one-shot a success, and made it appeal to readers who don't normally read comics. We're going to push that aspect even more with the regular series.

Q: Will this comic follow the "Freak of the week" pattern that defined the show for quite a while in the first season?

A: The first issue will have a "freak of the week," but that won't always be the case. Since the first issue could possiblty be a comic fan's first exposure to Smallville the TV series, we wanted a story that would establish the ground rules of the show and give us a chance to introduce all of the characters. Upcoming stories will focus on some of the other regulars on the show, like Chloe and Lex.

Q: Where will it take place in continuity in relation to the TV series?

A: Stories in the series will be self-contained, giving us ample opportunity to play off of events that happen on the show. The first issue's story takes place directly after the events in "Duplicity" where Pete Ross learns Clark's secret. Issue 2 has a short story that reveals what happened during Chloe's internship at the Daily Planet between Seasons 1 and 2.

Q: Any chance we'll see a regular comic continuity villain they can't show in the series due to copyright or special effects issues?

A: No villains from the comics just yet, but we are able to play with the unlimited special effects budget that comic books allow. The half-dinosaur teen from the one-shot is a perfect example of this, and the first issue has another Kryptonite-baddie that would be too costly for TV.

Q: As a "Consulting Producer" on the TV show and a long-time Superman comic book writer, will Jeph Loeb write any issues of the "Smallville" comic book series?

A: We'd love to have him! Jeph's a busy guy these days, with his work on Batman with Jim Lee and the upcoming Superman/Batman with Ed McGuinness, but hopefully we can get him to contribute.

Q: What level of input do Gough and Millar have in this affair?

A: Just like anything involving Smallville, Al & Miles are very involved to make sure the characters stay true to their television incarnations.

The Superman Homepage would like to once again thank Tom Palmer for taking time out to answer these questions.



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