So you may have heard of SMALLVILLE’s “Absolute Justice” special. Just maybe.

There were doubts, particularly regarding Hawkman’s costume, but the proof’s in the pudding and the two-hour long episode has proven an “absolute” smash.

According to Comics Continuum,“Absolute Justice” scored the CW’s best Friday night performance for adults and men ages 18 – 49, since September ’08 (adults and men? I suppose they're factoring for man-childs).  It was the highest-rated telecast in those same demographics for this season of SMALLVILLE and “built-in” a good 14 % of viewers for the second hour.  

Not too shabby. The episode, of course, was written by fan-favorite Geoff Johns and marked the first live-action appearance of the Justice Society of America.   If you’re beating yourself up over missing the show last week, we’ve got you covered.  Peep some choice clips of the JSA in action here  and here.  

I’ve never gotten into the SMALLVILLE, but I’ll tip my hat and do a curtsy to Johns and the people behind the show.   How long has this show been on the air, now? Since 2001? Sheesh… the CW was UPN and the WB back then, and I was still in high school. To have a show going for nine years straight is a feat in itself, let alone for it to be performing as well as this. But feats are what Superman's all about (even if he isn't Superman, yet). 

I do also find it ironic that the Justice Society’s beaten the Justice League to getting their own officially televised live-action turn on screen. You might recall that ridiculous, unused JLA pilot from ’97 that never got picked up. Previously, you could only witness it on degraded bootlegs at conventions. But, now, through the magic of the internet, you can see it for yourself.  

Compare and contrast the two. It’ll be fun.

-- Tom Pinchuk is the writer of UNIMAGINABLE for Arcana Comics and HYBRID BASTARDS! for Archaia Comics.   Watch out for the HYBRID BASTARDS! hardcover collection this March - - available for pre-order now on Amazon.com.

I am no fan of Smallville, but I checked out the episode, and although I found it cheesy and over-dramatic at times, I really liked it. It was fun.
 
Worst part: Jay and Alan are only mentioned in the episode, you never see them... CW!

I really enjoy the "Absolute Justice" episode and i'm hoping the'll do more JSA & JLA episode's.

Man that JLA vid was horrible and Guy is supposed to have red hair!!!

I remember that episode and recall seeing it when I was..well let's not get into the age thing lol.  It would be cool if FX or a station with a nice budget made a JLA or even an Avengers series.  I still to this day can't get over the comedian John Kassier as the Atom!

Introducing more comic characters is the only way they could get me to return to the show.I liked it,Hawkman aside, it was entertaining and I loved seeing all the comicbook stuff in it.Too bad they can't have episodes like this every week I know it wouldn't really be a Smallville or Clark centric show anymore but I would watch it.

That  had to be a fake JLA pilot that sucked & the costumes were ugly as hell. But Absolute Justice made me want to start checking out Smallville on a weekly basis I loved the Dark Archer episode too that got me hooked

It was a pretty good episode.....I've been a fan since season 1 and haven't missed an episode yet.....Glad that they will be back for a 10th season.....and hopefully some sort of spin off....

I don't really like Smallville, but I just watched the episode. It was pretty cheesy, but not bad. I hated that they focused on Hawkman so much. I think he was the worse out of all the members they showed. His voice, costumes, and lines were just awful. Dr. Fate looked a little Power Rangery, but other than that it was good.

Smallville SUCKS MONKEY A$$... that being said...  This 2 hour long episode (which, of course had to be written by Geoff Johns) was the best Smallville's been in oh, the past 4 or 5 seasons... 
 
The costumes were BAD, but the story was good enough to make it irrelevant ... it was very comic booky! 
 
 And Amanda Waller and Checkmate's involvement was an unexpected and welcome surprise.  Too bad the rest of the season can't (and won't)  be as good as this single episode was.  

Can't wait until this airs in the UK. (:
Does Stargirl have a big part in it? 
xxx

 Loved it. Coming soon in the Smallville Universe...THE Silver Age of Heroism. We're coming soon.

I liked it, never watched Smallville before. Made me want to watch the show.

Best part was when martian manhunter got his powers back.  Sweet.  I also thought Icicle was a little too strong.  Kill Dr. Fate?  Really?

Killing Fate and Sandman, 2 of the best heroes in the DCU was total crap

You will never get comic costumes right , whether it's on the small screen or the big screen. The spiderman costume is the exception that proves the rule!

yeah it was good accept for 2 things, one, there was only one villain, icicle, when there should have been more for a 2 hour show, and 2, icicle kills dr. fate, what kind of crap is that, dr. fate could give superman a hell of a fight and probably almost kill him

" This week's guest for Smallville? Zatanna! :D 
 

"

Yeah, I saw this at Dragon-con several years ago. It's the definition of terrible...even for 1997.

"yeah it was good accept for 2 things, one, there was only one villain, icicle, when there should have been more for a 2 hour show, and 2, icicle kills dr. fate, what kind of crap is that, dr. fate could give superman a hell of a fight and probably almost kill him "

I believe that Geoff Johns will be back and will be bringing Jay, Alan and Ted Grant with him. It might could maybe possibly become an annual event - the JSA and the JLA teaming up together on Smallville...  

" Can't wait until this airs in the UK. (: Does Stargirl have a big part in it?  xxx "

I'm hoping for a JSA series either before or after absolute justice

Positives: what i did like about the show was that it had JSA. Stargirl was cute. Chloe is awsome again
Negatives: Kindergarten dialog/characterization; a very weak and boring villain(and his name was horrible); a little too much of the kindergarten dialog and too few action secens; the absence of any of the other "JLA of smallville" (aquaman, cyborg, flash); the whole macho thing between green arrow and hawkman. The martian's outfit.
 
I know some of these things cant be fixed; the grapichs have not been updated, it seems like, since the show came on and i have been watching it the whole time.  It surprises me since smallville as contiually drawn in a good size audience for the network. I guess i just like it when adults talk like adults. Correct me if im wrong but didnt these "heroes" go to college. Im not going to get into that but it just seems like the dont say anything meaningful or that isnt completely obvious. 
I didnt have that big of an issue with hawkman, but it was with the martian, clark, and dr fate. to unrealistic and fake, to emo for superman, and wtf ( i did dig the helmet) in that order. S

The episode was ok it was a little to cliche' and where was the respect for Dr. Fate.  I like the ep with the "JLA" better. As much as i like smallville its just sad that it seems like everyone but batman and wonder woman can come on the show ( i know all the leagal issues). Really i think the show is stretching itself to thin. Its a good time to move on. I would actually watch a show about chloe before a show about this current superman. I wish this had better dialog/characterization. Most of the characters seem to shallow. At least we got the JSA on something. I hope Dc gets its legal issue straightened out so that other characters like batman can be on the show. 
I did give this ep a C minus. it was ok considering some of the classics ive seen the smallville crew put out. The main problem with this is that once again no villain nor ally is equal to superman and to compensate they routinely make clark do very unsuperman things.  Maybe the whole chess thing will work out to be a good story. Like i said though i've seen that before too.

" yeah it was good accept for 2 things, one, there was only one villain, icicle, when there should have been more for a 2 hour show, and 2, icicle kills dr. fate, what kind of crap is that, dr. fate could give superman a hell of a fight and probably almost kill him "

 I watch smallville and i've come to expect some episodes to suck and some to be good. "Absolute justice"     
was pretty much a suck fest with the exception of Doctor Fate. The icicle kid was a weak villan, star man looked like a roadie for  jethro tull, star girl's mask had a neanderthal forehead for some reason, and hawkman, what the f**k could i say about hawkman besides the bad acting, bad special effects, and the costume that obviously was designed for a bigger actor who either dropped out or dropped dead from laughter after seeing the damn thing. I would have been happier if they would have dug up stock footage from "Fash Gordon" and put this guy in it even if the lines didn't make sense. 

...hahahahahahahaha oh god people liked that 2 hour pant load?! that icicle jagoff made me want to roll in my yet to be digged grave

Not done watching the episode yet so I'll save my judgements, but Kent Nelson's transformation into Dr. Fate really looked like the morphing sequence of a Mystic Force Power Ranger.

I loved the first three seasons of Smallville but after that, it quickly jumped the shark. And then it kept finding more sharks to jump. I only watch the show out of morbid curiosity than anything else. The only high point in the past few years has been Justin Hartley's Green Arrow (this guy should have his own show, screw Smallville).   
 
Now that being said, the JSA episode has got to be one of the worst episodes of Smallville in recent memory, and that's really saying something. I would have preferred no costumes for the JSA as opposed to the horrible ones we got. Funny this article mentions the JLA pilot, because when I saw flabby Hawkman, I was instantly reminded of David Ogden Stiers and his Martian gut.