Title: Smallville (DVD) Review Word Count: 468 Summary: Leaping onto the television landscape in Fall 2001, Smallville follows the exploits of a young Clark Kent in the years leading up to his emergence as the beloved Superman. Following a slew of TV renditions of the character's life since the comic book first appeared, Smallville sets itself apart by focusing on the lesser discussed niche of Clark's earliest developmental days. Superb casting and consistent writing have combined to make Smallville one of the more popular shows o... Keywords: smallville, dvd, review Article Body: Leaping onto the television landscape in Fall 2001, Smallville follows the exploits of a young Clark Kent in the years leading up to his emergence as the beloved Superman. Following a slew of TV renditions of the character's life since the comic book first appeared, Smallville sets itself apart by focusing on the lesser discussed niche of Clark's earliest developmental days. Superb casting and consistent writing have combined to make Smallville one of the more popular shows on television (especially in international markets), making the show one of the WB network's most successful creations to date… Tom Welling stars in the imminent role of teenager Clark Kent, a refugee from the dying planet of Krypton. His ship having landed in the rural American town of Smallville, Clark is raised by locals Martha (Annette O'Toole) and Jonathan Kent (John Schneider - of Dukes of Hazzard fame) as their own son. Unlike some of the film and TV spin-offs, Smallville attributes powers to other individuals in the area as a result of some of the debris associated with Krypton's destruction. As a result, Clark is forced to keep his own powers a secret while battling against other individuals who are more powerful than traditional human criminal elements. The show also provides a glimpse into the early friendship experienced between Clark and Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) as well as Clark's romance with two high school classmates, Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) and Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk). Part sci-fi fantasy and part teenage soap, Smallville is an instant television classic… The Smallville DVD offers a number of exciting episodes including the series premiere in which the stage for the series is set by recounting the story of Clark's voyage to earth in the aftermath of Krypton's destruction. Clark meets Lex Luthor for the first time as well as a human mutated by the strange green rocks which accompanied Clark's spacecraft in the meteor shower… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include "Hourglass" in which the green rocks enable one man to reverse the aging process so that he can seek revenge on his enemies, and "Stray" in which a runaway kid named Ryan has the power to read minds, prompting his stepparents to attempt to exploit him for financial gain… Below is a list of episodes included on the Smallville (Season 1) DVD: Episode 1 (Pilot) Air Date: 10-16-2001 Episode 2 (Metamorphosis) Air Date: 10-23-2001 Episode 3 (Hothead) Air Date: 10-30-2001 Episode 4 (X-Ray) Air Date: 11-06-2001 Episode 5 (Cool) Air Date: 11-13-2001 Episode 6 (Hourglass) Air Date: 11-20-2001 Episode 7 (Craving) Air Date: 11-27-2001 Episode 8 (Jitters) Air Date: 12-11-2001 Episode 9 (Rogue) Air Date: 01-15-2002 Episode 10 (Shimmer) Air Date: 01-29-2002 Episode 11 (Hug) Air Date: 02-05-2002 Episode 12 (Leech) Air Date: 02-12-2002 Episode 13 (Kinetic) Air Date: 02-26-2002 Episode 14 (Zero) Air Date: 03-12-2002 Episode 15 (Nicodemus) Air Date: 03-19-2002 Episode 16 (Stray) Air Date: 04-16-2002 Episode 17 (Reaper) Air Date: 04-23-2002 Episode 18 (Drone) Air Date: 04-30-2002 Episode 19 (Crush) Air Date: 05-07-2002 Episode 20 (Obscura) Air Date: 05-14-2002 Episode 21 (Tempest) Air Date: 05-21-2002