Review: Supernatural, Episode 4.1, "Lazarus Rising"

The third season ended with the death of Dean Winchester and his soul trapped in Hell. Talk about a cliffhanger. No spoilers here, but creator/showrunner Eric Kripke starts off the fourth season by writing a whiz-bang episode that sets up what looks to be the main story arc of the season. Some things happened as I thought they would, others I didn't see coming, but every moment reminded me of why I enjoy this show so much.

Review: Smallville, Episode 8.1, "Odyssey"

The seventh season ended with a cataclysmic showdown between Clark Kent and Lex Luthor in the Fortress of Solitude. The eighth season begins with both men missing and feared dead. Green Arrow's Justice League searches for Clark, while Tess Mercer, acting head of LuthorCorp, searches for Lex.

This is a fun start to what could be the show's final season. It was important to get off to a good start after original showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar left after seven seasons and were replaced by the showrunning committee of Darren Swimmer, Todd Slavkin, Kelly Souders, and Brian Peterson, all of whom have worked on the show as staff writers since the second season. Based on this episode written by the four new showrunners, I'd say it's in good hands.

Besides the change in showrunners, regular cast members Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor) and Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang) also left the show after last season, while Justin Hartley (Green Arrow), Cassidy Freeman (Tess Mercer), and Sam Witwer (paramedic Davis Bloome) join the regular cast this season.

Season eight of Smallville and season four of Supernatural begin tonight on the CW network. You know I'll be parked in front of the telly.

This Week's Comics

Action Comics #869, Hellblazer #247, DC Universe: Decisions #1, Greatest Hits #1, Air #2, Walking Dead #52, Uncanny X-Men #502, Young X-Men #6, X-Factor #35, X-Men: First Class #16, Iron Man: Director of SHIELD #33, Trinity #16, Robin #178, Flash #244, Birds of Prey #122, Conan the Cimmerian #3, Batman and the Outsiders #11.