Smallville - Season 1-10 Complete [DVD]

Well what can I say about Smallville? For 10 years it gave us a unique portrayal as the Man of Steel. Here we get to see his life before the flight and tights and the events that shaped the hero we all know.

Over the course of 10 seasons we see Clark discover the truth about who he is and where he came from, first from his parents Jonathan and Martha and later from Jor El, we also see Clark gain new abilities and learn how to control them...all of this is a real joy to watch and it's fun seeing Clark not only learn about his Kryptonian heritage but also embrace it. We also get to see him grow up, we see him go from High School student to College to the Daily Planet to hero.

Special praise has to be given to Tom Welling for the way he has played Clark Kent for 10 years, not only do we get to see the character grow but we also get to see the actor do the same. Tom Welling improves as an actor every season and he really does make the show as great as it is. Playing such an iconic character may prove to be daunting but he seems to take it in his stride and is able to bring Clark Kent to life. For me Tom Welling should be proud of his 10 years on the show as he has been able to show many different sides to this character as well as being able to play different versions of Clark, whether it is Clark on red kryptonite or Bizzaro Clark he does so exceptionally well.

What makes Smallville unique is the way it takes established characters and puts a new spin on them, the two best examples of this is Lex Luthor and Lois Lane. In Smallville Lex Luthor is there from the beginning and is actually friends with Clark, this brings a whole new dynamic to this classic rivalry and it allows us to see how Lex Luthor went from being a good guy trying to be his own man to one of comics best villains. Equally amazing is how they introduce Lois Lane with no Superman...the relationship between Clark and Lois is the biggest departure from the usual Superman mythology and a lot of people thought it was a mistake to being her into the Smallville universe, however thank god they did. Not only are we given a new take on this classic romance with her actually helping Clark become Superman but we are also given what in my opinion is the best portrayal of Lois Lane in any incarnations thanks to the amazing Erica Durance. Erica Durance is able to show all sides of Lois Lane from army brat to vulnerable girlfriend to a tough as nails journalist and thanks to this it's easy to see why Clark would choose to be with her. Smallville also develops the relationships Clark has with his parents Jonathan and Martha (who are played beautifully by John Schneider and Annette O'Toole) as while as with Pete, Lana and the all new character Chloe...who may be my favourite addition to the Superman mythos.

Smallville also introduces us to classic DC allies such as Kara, Black Canary, Aquaman, Cyborg, Zatanna and Hawkman. Special mention has to be made of Justin Hartley's Oliver Queen/Green Arrow as another great Smallville success....I love Smallville's Green Arrow and his interactions with Clark can range from funny to touching and it really helps Clark in his journey of becoming a hero. We are also given an embarrassment of riches when it comes to Smallville villains starting with the freak of the week to classic DC villains such as Toyman, Bizzaro, Brianiac, Doomsday and even Zod. The way Zod is portrayed in season 9 is really good and Callum Blue does an excellent job of bringing a fresh perspective to this classic villain and the same can be said for the way Doomsday is shown.

By bringing in established characters from the DC Universe but with a fresh perspective really helps to flesh out the Smallville universe and allows it to exist in its own unique reality.

I would also like to mention the various appearances from actors who have previously been in the Superman universe, such as Margot Kidder (Lois Lane in Superman), Dean Cain (Clark/Superman in The New Adventures of Lois and Clark) as well as the ultimate Christopher Reeve (who know who he is!). It really is a pleasure to see Christopher Reeve not only back in the DC Universe but also on screen with Tom Welling and it really does feel like a passing of the torch moment and every episode that Christopher Reeve is in should be enjoyed as much as possible and I guarantee you goosebumps whenever you see the ultimate Superman on your TV screen.

Smallville really is one of the greatest TV Shows ever made and it will be missed and I hope you enjoy as much as I have. So buy this and watch Clark Kent become Superman over 10 amazing years....you won't regret it.

Thank you Smallville.

I'd just like to let you know that this isn't the special edition that the Amazon.com site have, we don't receive the extra 2 disc's of special features and we don't get the yearbook layout or the Daily Planet either. So if that's one of the reasons your buying this then be warned. Otherwise it's a great product and Smallville is fantastic, however it might be worth waiting to see if a Blu-Ray is announced in the future for those of you who already own the season's separately.

Every episode, from every season, ever; you could ask for a more comprehensive edition of the Smallville series, but I doubt you'd get it. There are also quite a few extras included, a lot of deleted scenes and a featurette or two with every season. For these I can't say whether this is utterly comprehensive, but it adds at least an extra hour or two, which for the current price is more than enough for me on top of the 150+ hours of actual episodes. Physically, this boxed set was surprisingly small in terms of its packaging. Given how large the boxed sets of individual seasons were, I feared that this would be equally bulky, but the discs are packed into slimline cases and the only other extraneous packing is the box itself. All in all, excellent value for money and a great way for any fan of the series to avail themselves of the entire journey from Superboy to Superman.