• Peopel forget that Superman was the first superhero and without him the landscape for superheroes would look much different. I mean for God sake You have spiderman running down the street ripping his shirt off like superman...As for the red in blue suit. Who is to say it is outdated....Those colors are tradition! plus the colors are appealing to kids and why does everything have to be so damn dark and gothic these days, Geez don;t we get enough of that in real life. Superman stands for helping out your fellow man no matter what race and to always do what is right even if it means putting yourself in danger. Man I think we need a little more of this selflessthinking than the "ALL ABOUT ME" generation that we live in today

• WELL for 1 : Superman DID have a Black and Blue suit at certain points in the story.. also a similar suit AFTER Doomsday was destroyed.. SO seeing season 8 was Doomsday makes sense to me that it would be his "Darkest Hour".. i could probably bet money on it that he WILL don the Suit and Flight by seasons End. even more so Seeing there are more Flight Vilians in this season! namely... Zod... and IF Metalo grows... he will need Flight.. i say lets sit back and watch the Smallville Cast and crew ROCK like they ALWAYS do.. i have never been disappointed.. NEVER!

• wearing black has been around for a long while, specifically catholic preists, of which neo's suit was based. way to fail.

• Notwithstanding the rockin version of Doomsday's/Davis Bloome arc with original character Chloe Sullivan (best Lois Lane traits), S8 should've been the last season. Supernatural caught up with Smallville's S7 and passed it S8. It's only due to habitual SV watchers and Superman geeks it gets better ratings. Once Lex played by Rosenbaum left, the show ended. Hopefully SPN will pwn Thursday nights and SV die ignominously on Friday.

• Notwithstanding the rockin version of Doomsday's/Davis Bloome arc with original character Chloe Sullivan (best Lois Lane traits), S8 should've been the last season. Supernatural caught up with Smallville's S7 and passed it S8. It's only sue to habitual SV watchers and Superman geeks it gets better ratings. Once Lex played by Rosenbaum left, the show ended. Hopefully SPN will pwn Thursday nights and SV die ignominously on Friday.

• @Pariah: You must not watch a lot of TV then, because offhand I can name three shows that are better - House, True Blood, and Burn Notice. And the last one has Bruce Campbell, which makes it godly. Yeah, bullshit.

• I gave up on this show after last season... Geoff Johns' stuff notwithstanding.

• Again, go back and look at Jor-El's suit at the beginning of the first Superman movie. It's obviously an homage to that, with a bit of an updated look. Smallville is light years better than most of the crap on TV.

• My only real problem with Smallville is that it was never an interesting show on its own merits. The only thing that ever made it interesting, to me, was how the producers/writers reconciled their premise with the "real" Superman mythology. For the first three seasons, I thought they did a pretty good job. Then they brought in Lois Lane in Season 4, and while I don't dislike the show's version of the character, it always felt a bit like nuking the fridge. Of course, then they brought in James Marsters to play Brainiac in season 5 and the show actually seemed like it was trying, but that was also the season they intro'd Aquaman and Green Arrow. I honestly think the only reason the show is still on is to prove that it's better than Heroes. "Better" is all relative, naturally. Heh. I totally lost track of my original intention of posting... the suit. It looks like a bit like the black suit Supes wore after returning from the dead, which was never very good to begin with. This "suit" is the symbol of everything that's bad about Smallville: all style with no substance or account for taste.

• Actually, the new season looks like shit, and will likely involve more of the soap opera Dawson's Creek With Superman crap that has mired the show for the past four seasons. YAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWN. @ Robin: I think that's the first time I've ever heard anyone call Rob "Bricken", but it doesn't take a dipshit to know how bad the show is.

• New season looks good.

• Luckily, Bricken, it appears you get a pass for insulting Smallville since you obviously have no idea what you're talking about. Yeah, you're right, long black trenchcoat. Probably ripping off the Matrix. You haven't even seen it yet, dude.

• This is probably only a prototype Kryptonian suit. Kind of harkens back to Marlon Brando's Jor-El outfit. I actually think it's kind of cool. By the end of the series, Clark/Kal-El will have his classic red and blue suit. Mark my words. I still love Smallville.

• I think this is a teaser image and trailer. The producers show Clark flying (shock!) and wearing a black "S" outfit (shock!) to shock the audiences into caring enough to watch next season. Then, during sweeps week (or the season/ series finale), Clark will trade in the black outfit for the traditional blue and red outfit. Everyone will cheer and "Smallville" finally turn into the "Adventures of Superman". If the show returns next season, maybe we'll actually see Tom Welling flying and acting in the real Superman outfit. On the other hand, how does this affect the Superman movie franchise? If people get used to Tom Welling as Superman, will Brandon Routh be asked back for "Superman Returns 2"? Or will the next Superman movie have Tom Welling as Clark/ Superman and Michael Rosenbaum returning as a more evil Lex Luthor?

• As to the comment that they never used the black costume in a TV show or movie that is incorrect. Check out the animated series done by Warner Brothers around 1997-2000 and you will see for yourself. There was an episode were Clark thinks Lois is killed so he teams with Luther and starts wearing the black costume.

• The show even ripped off their old crap material. They took that background straight from the scene with Lex as Zod in Vessel. What hacks the new show runners are. What is this some lame Watchmen/Dark Knight attempt? Embarrassing. A story about the days before Superman? Yeah, that ended back in season five. This show is so bad man. Put it out of it's misery already.

• ROFL! Great review! It's crazy what the producers think we wanna see and what we really actually wanna see. But that doesn't stop them from <i>ripping off ZOD's get-up and matte paintings from 3 season ago</i>. When Zod was inside Lex and wanted babies with Lana, btw. Here is the visual confirmation of this: http://nyonyo.livejournal.com/474570.html

• I liked the first several seasons but haven't followed it seriously in quite some time, bu from the stray episode I've seen here and there, its gotten pretty craptastic in recent years, this suit fiasco is just another nail in the coffin of a series that as long since past its prime.

• Now I know what to wear for halloween. I already have a black glow-in-the-dark superman t-shirt. I'll just put my black trench coat over that and it's done.

• Now I know what to wear for halloween. I already have a black glow-in-the-dark superman t-shirt. I'll just put my black trench coat over that and it's done.

• Dammit they're tring to Dark Knight Superman, this looks like something Zod would wear.

• "It looks more badass this way anyway." Aaaaand it's safe to dismiss that particular opinion. No black-based costume will ever look better than a traditional superhero costume. You know why? Because it's so self-consciously, test-marketed to appear "badass" to people without taste that it loops all the way back around to being dumb. When given a choice between "timeless" and "badass", always choose timeless. Remember: everyone thought Rob Liefeld's character designs were badass back in the day. 15 years later, they're that outfit you have in the back of your closet that you hope your kids never ask what you were smoking when you thought it looked good.

• I think both GeekSexy and peterandwendy made excellent points about the suit and why it makes sense for the show. It is reminiscent of Jor-El's uniform from the movie, and Supes did rock the black after he pulled a Jean Grey in 1993.

• I can remember before Smallville aired it's first episode that the producers had agreed that they would never have Clark in costume or flying, and if they did they all agreed to walk away from the show, and I respected that sort of integrity... of course that was 9 years ago

• I believe ONTD's "DuskWillow" said it best: " The source (Topless Robot) is a bloody moron. You can tell because: 1) "Apparently it has some shots of Zod and maybe Metallo, but since they just look like all the other shitty 20-something actors the CW hires for everything, I can't tell which is which and can't find them interesting in any degree." He can't tell Callum Blue apart from Brian Austin Green, and can't tell the two apart from CW boytoy stars. 2) He thinks The Matrix is the one and only source for everything. Comic books did it before anyone knew who Wachowski brothers are. 3) Wanna bitch about Smallville, at least try and google-fu and check if what they're doing might have something with previously established canon. *cough*deathandreturnofsuperman*cough* All that said, does *anyone* think that Clark just suddenly deciding to try red&blue spandex would make more sense?! Let them build to the suit slowly. It looks more badass this way anyway. I wonder if our source also bitched about Wolverine's costume not being authentic looking in the movies... "

• Everyone has such a problem with Clark's suit for this season, calling it a lame attempt at being edgy or a Matrix rip-off, but the truth is it's an homage to the original suit Marlon Brando wore as Jor-El at the beginning of the Superman movie during the trial of Zod. It's almost an exact duplicate. [http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab155/Mark710_2009/jorel.jpg] [http://www.capedwonder.com/statues/JorEl_7.jpg] In fact, Jor-El basically only wore a black and a white version of the same outfit Clark will be donning, which is perfectly fitting as he goes up against Zod. If the Matrix had never existed EVERYONE would think it was so cool that they're calling back to the classic Superman movie. Producers have already said that Clark's costume would be trial and error because the whole supersuit idea would be new to Clark and he doesn't exactly have a tailor to make the perfect suit on the first try. I think wearing the suit Jor-El wore to prosecute Zod to the Phantom Zone is the perfect first attempt at an evolving costume as he goes up against Zod himself. Plus, with the Siegel/Shuster lawsuit going on they probably have to be careful about committing to anything to close to the original material at this point. Most of that has already reverted back to the Siegel estate. I think they're doing a fantastic job of staying close to the original property without stepping on anyone's toes during such a precarious time. The writing for the Zod storyline is going to be the true test for this season. I just hope they don't build up an extensively anticipatory storyline just to have it end with a whimper like they did with Doomsday. It was DOOMSDAY, for crying out loud! Here's to hoping...

• I'm glad I stopped watching this a season ago. The guy playing Lex Luthor was the only decent thing about the show and even then they clearly had no idea what to do with him. Whatever quality this show ever had was lost a long time ago, and his departure was the final nail in the coffin. Sorry Neo-Superman, I won't be tuning in to see your "badass" getup.

• Hey I got a great idea! Lets get Rob Leifeld to do the show Frank Miller style... he can have them inject Tom Welling with all sorts of collagen and add super puffy peck muscles and big butt-forearms and butt-calf-muscles and just generally make MORE of a mockery of the whole thing. I have NEVER liked this show! I always called it Superman-90210. Everyone is so fucking whiny and shiny in this show. I wish for once the guy with the amazing superpowers would be HAPPY that they have superpowers! Allison Mack is the ONLY reason that show is even tolerable at all. She has an Ass that just wont stop! BTW... the Matrix has ruined just about every action oriented movie that has come out since it release. It was believable in the Matrix because they were in a computer program, using cheat codes... butevery other movie/TV show. . . come on.

• I recall years ago the show's creators stating Clark would never don the costume and never fly because that's not what the show was about. The focus was on young Clark, not Superman. I can see they not only pissed that down their leg seasons ago, but they've also made a mockery of it. I really think they should have stuck with that decree.

• Seems fair to me, since Neo ripped off Superman's flying in Matrix Reloaded. Turnabout is fair play!

• ROTFL^^, "Shoot up the High School" Hilarious... Why didn't they just use the leather-jacket with sunglasses Superboy outfit...Atleast there's actual content for that...I'm out of words for this show...Tom Welling you had a window to become a have way decent actor, but now, jesus skywalker...Daytime Soaps will be the only thing that awaits you once you ditch the Colombine Trenchcoat...

• "In other words, when people think that Superman isn't edgy or hip enough, they toss him in the silver and black number and hope people think he's cool again... " AFAIK, they've only ever put him into the silver-and-black outfit for... what, about six issues at the end of the Death / Reign / Return arc? It's showed up disproportionally in merchandising because, unlike Batman, there's not a whole lot of artistic variance in the modern Superman look due to it being nailed down so superbly by JLGL and Perez. If you want an example of them trying to make him look edgy, that's Superman Blue.

• ... really? It's gonna be me who finally says it? Well, alright... <a href=http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/dcuam/doomsday/bios/superman/38.jpg>SUPER-MULLET.</A> In other words, when people think that Superman isn't edgy or hip enough, they toss him in the silver and black number and hope people think he's cool again... even though he manages to be consistently popular whether or not he's got a stunt thrust on him or not. That's the whole thing: Smallville from the start has been "Superman With X", as if Superman alone is incapable of holding our interest. You only need Superman. He's chocolate. You can throw in nuts or gummi bears or bumble bee thoraxes, but at the end of the day, just chocolate will ALWAYS be good. Just Superman will ALWAYS be good.

• Jesus Christ, just put him in the Superman costume already!

• "If you want to start fucking with tradition, DON'T TAKE THE DAMN PART!" To be fair, I think the show lasted long past any sensible person thought it would, and given how drastically its changed in direction from the early days, I doubt Welling ever thought he'd be doing this type of stuff one day. On the other hand... at least now we know what the aborted Abrams treatment would've looked like.

• Hey Rob! Please re-read this: "because... er... the blue and red tights superman's been wearing for the last 70 or so years would look silly, but an all-black outfit with black leather trenchcoat taken right out of the Matrix, a film that entered the public consciousness a decade ago, and became trite shortly therafter." Notice anything? Here... Again. Maybe this will help: "but an all-black outfit with black leather trenchcoat taken right out of the Matrix, a film that entered the public consciousness a decade ago, and became trite shortly therafter." IS WHAT? You didn't finish your sentence buddy. Now I won't normally play grammar police, but in this case you really broke a lot of rules. If using an apostrophe in the wrong way is a misdemeanor, then this would be like a grammar felony. - - - - As for the outfit... Well, "Smallville" sucks. It's not Superman. It's "Dawson's Creek" but with a few super powers. There's a reason we do a live chat for "Heroes" and don't do one for "Smallville." It's not worth it. It's WORSE then "Heroes" (and that's hard to do) because it's so concerned with the teen/tween audience that it becomes a total soap opera and a total mess. It's always been that way. It's like DC comics if they were written by Stephanie Meyer.

• Wonder what the Siegel/Schuster estates think of this series?

• I would think the curse is attached to the part, not the suit.

• Wait. . . Superman doesn't want to wear the Superman outfit? What the hell? That's like the incumbent Doctor going, "You know, I think that whole Police Box thing is past it's prime. Lets gets a sexy red sports car instead". If you want to start fucking with tradition, DON'T TAKE THE DAMN PART!

• To me the only Superhero outfits that make much sense are the Fantastic 4 (movie version), Hancock and some X-Men outfits, but I prefer the Fantastic 4 jumpsuit/wet suit style look because I think the black leather is a little much.

• This isn't the first time Supes has worn a black outfit. Rumors surrounding the show say that Welling refuses to wear the traditional suit because he doesn't want the "curse" attached to it. DC comics long ago establish the black suit as a legit Supes outfit and Welling shouldn't have any issues with wearing it because it's never been used in any of the movies or prior TV shows. This is the last season of the show and they need to firmly establish Clark as Superman - if Welling won't wear the "traditional" suit, this is their option to tie into the comics and potentially move into a movie studio and save Warner a ton of headache in the very near future. Of course, given the lack of even rumored development of a movie script the movie studio move is pretty speculative.

• At least they moved it to Friday night; that ought to put the lastnail in the coffin.

• So Clark is trading in his <I>Red/Blue Blur</I> identity for this??? Well, I guess that answers what kid of horrible incarnation of Black Lightning would finally show up in <I>Smallville</I>.

• I am sure that is really him wearing it, and didn't clark learn to fly by falling off a building in that lois and clark show back in the day? Oh and I am sure the outfit comes from the fortress as some sort of kryptonian house of El military suit that Jor-El's robo ghost has sotred for him in a closet or somthing. I don't care I'll watch it like I have for the last 3 years, once in a while and while readinga book

• &#64;D.H.Writer- because! There are all these hot chicks around him that he never sleeps with- DUH. If they didn't want him in the red and blue tights, couldn't he have worn something that looked like comic-book Kryptonian? (as in, not just the military/Superman 2 stuff) Maybe he just Happened to have some crazy space-suit in the rocket or something?

• not to mention the fact that every episode of this show Clark has been wearing some outfit consisting of mostly red and blue. So of course the next obvious step is black leather.....idiots. How is it shows like this live on for an almost unnaturally long run and things like Pushing Daisies get canned WAY before their time?

• I personally can't say too much other than to say: "Smallville? Eh. Who cares really?" I always found this show to be lame-o anyway.

• yeah, not to mention the fact that since the show started he's been wearing a different outfit every week always consisting of red and blue (sometimes red and blue plaid). but obviously after all that the next obvious step is the black leather. retards. How does this show keep going and yet things like Pushing Daisies get axed way too early.

• I'm going to guess that this is going to be yet another time when Clark is possessed by someone else who is able to fly as Clark, even though Clark hasn't figured it out yet. This isn't the first time he's flown while wearing all black. But I have a feeling the real suit will eventually come to pass. They had the whole story line last season of "the red-blue blur", and eventually Green Arrow dressed up in red and blue (giant red cape and all) in an attempt to debunk the story. So they seem to like hinting at it. But really, who cares about the costume. Why doesn't he try to figure out how to fly? He knows he can in the future. He's done it before when someone else is controlling him. If I knew I could fly, AND couldn't be hurt, I'd just go up to a cliff and jump off over and over until I figured it out. Being able to fly would be one of the coolest things possible. Why WOULDN'T you make that your top priority?

• Pretty sad that the most interesting moment in that trailer was catching a glimpse of Alessandro Juliani. Lieutenant Gaeta ftw.

• I get the idea that the red and blue outfit is silly, but is that really a problem with Superman? He can literally throw the entire planet into the fucking sun, he can wear whatever he wants. Fuck, just give him an actual line to that effect and that'll close the issue.

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