Sneak preview pics of Smallvilles Justice Society

[icon_uk]

Courtesy of AusielloFiles


First up, Doctor Fate and Stargirl


And of course, Michael Shanks as Hawkman!



And for legality, one of my favourite covers from the old All-Star Squadron, the OTHER WWII hero set. They may not all be A-listers, but if I was Ultra (an early name of the Ultra-Humanite) then I'D be worried! They're so... determined... and I'm not sure what Flash and Robin are planning to do with those very determined fists of theirs, but I imagine it might make one's eyes water somewhat :)



(I think they might be referencing a WWII poster, but I don't know enough about that to be sure.

Comments

[queenanthai]

This.

This is the ONLY reason I've been watching Smallville this season. So I can be caught up enough to enjoy this. Seriously, this airs and then I'm done.

That said, that's a pretty awesome Hawkman right there.

[espanolbot]

He appears to either have a goatee or is drooling there.

[nikeskylark.livejournal.com]

i believe that's part of his helmet

[espanolbot]

Ah yeah. :)

[kamino_neko]

Stargirl's mask is awful...not that her mask is one that'd be easy to pull off, but there's so many better ways to do it.

[neuhallidae]

Motto. And the eyes on Fate's helm are just WTF. Shanks is lookin' good, though.

[icon_uk]

Not sure how else they could do Fate, his helmet's eyeslots couldn't work with an actors face underneath, so having them glow is probably as good as they could get for an effect.

[neuhallidae]

My problem with the eyes is that it's a cheap glow. Besides clearly having no light effect on the helmet whatsoever, it looks like it was either photoshopped in, or it's a really fake Halloween mask.

[tacobob]

Could be a photo before they threw in the FX.

[kamino_neko]

I kind of like Fate's glowy eyes. >_>

I'm impressed with Shanks...if I'd been told Daniel Jackson would be playing Hawkman, without pictures.... But...he seems to be pulling it off, mostly.

[jlroberson]

These look cheesy.

[kashmirkong]

I agree. It looks like they just went and bought the mask from a costume store.

[lynxara]

JSA costumes on a TV budget are not going to come off well.

This is why they avoided the tights

[jlroberson]

I'm getting flashbacks...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-qZVKzGoRA

Re: This is why they avoided the tights

[intertobamf]

I dream of the day they release this on DVD.

Re: This is why they avoided the tights

[lynxara]

OH GOD THIS THING

I thought I hallucinated seeing parts of it at a convention once-- I had no idea what the hell I was looking at!

Re: This is why they avoided the tights

[jlroberson]

My favorite part is Charlie Callas as Sinestro. Who looks almost OK when done up as Sinestro. But most of the time he appears, and fights with Hal, "disguised" as, more or less, Charlie Callas. I remember it struck me the same as Nicholson as the Joker appearing about half the time with a normal face(supposedly covered, for what reason? with "flesh-tone" makeup): was there some problem getting him into makeup and costume?

The casting itself in general is funny, leaving aside the obvious use of the existing TV Batman, Riddler and Captain Marvel. Usual combination in those days of young nobodies and past-their-prime hacks no doubt gotten cheaply in bulk to appear on this, the Gong Show and a few others through a casting agent named Manny. Oh, 70s TV. You hadn't the slightest idea what the audience wanted.

Re: This is why they avoided the tights

[lynxara]

I believe the logic for this is usually "We have a famous guy! Let's make sure audiences recognize our famous guy."

Re: This is why they avoided the tights

[jlroberson]

Match Game. I should have mentioned Match Game as well. Seriously, this is the kind of cast. I seem to recall too that this somehow morphed out of NBC's regular series of celebrity(read: Friar's Club) Roasts, the presence of Ed McMahon being common, I think, to both. I think the first of these took the form of a roast, at least at first. And a lot of people seem to have been carried from one place to the other.

It was the kind of thing where you'd be likely to see Red Skelton somewhere. And Paul Lynde, because he was everywhere.

[goldenbrowngod]

That pretty normal. besides what looks good drawn on paper may not look as good in real life.

[bluejaybirdie]

I agree, but at least it hides her identity pretty well? Yeah, I got nothing.

[kamino_neko]

Well, there is that...Still ugly as sin. (Not helped by the grumpy expression she's sporting.)

[bees_beads]

It looks like Stargirl and Dr. Fate just went trick-or-treating.

Also, Michael Shanks was so hot on SG-1, but I don't know if I can properly fawn over him without the glasses. Maybe the scruff will make up for it.

[jarodrussell]

Why hello, Stargirl!

[unicornicopia]

I can't help but love this.

[theanswer]

They couldn't find someone with y'know... muscles to play Hawkman?

[intertobamf]

That's my issue, too. And Stargirl looking like a Neanderthal.

[theanswer]

Yeah, her mask could be more form fitting instead of making her skull look like it has ridges it shouldn't have.

Hawkman just looks like some average dude at a cosplay event. o_o If he were built then he would be Hawkman.

[lynxara]

He doesn't even look as good as the bird-guys from the '82 (or so) Flash Gordon movie.

[icon_uk]

NO ONE has muscles like the current Hawkman... well, maybe professional weightlifters.

Plus if I have to choose between someone who can act and someone who just happens to be built like a brick outhouse, I'll take the actor any day.

[theanswer]

I don't think they need an Emmy worthy performance for Hawkman. They just need a built dude with a temper who can smash things really good.

[icon_uk]

That's only ONE Hawkman though, they might be going for more of a Carter Hall, archaeologist hero, feel to it.

[kamino_neko]

Which the casting of Michael Shanks suggests, even aside from his not being built like a roid-monkey - not a bad roll to get typecast as, really. He's perfectly realistically buff, either way, I think, in any case.

[toby_wan_kenobi]

I just watched Conan the Barbarian last night. Vintage Arnold! I mention this because the professional wrestler Triple H has been mentioned in connection with future Conan movies (as Conan's son, I believe) and could probably pull off the whole Hawkman physique/routine.

And he would fit theanswer's criteria.

[kamino_neko]

HHH would need a chest toupee to pull off the take on Hawkman he's built like. >_>

[okkult3000]

HHH is built like a balloon animal. He'd tear his quad putting on the wings.

[jlroberson]

The Rock.

And with his previous Scorpion King associations it's almost a perfect match.

[rdfox]

The Dwayne is already attached to play Black Adam in the Captain Marvel movie, and isn't likely to be available on a TV budget, anyway.

I'm still hoping against hope that they'll cast Tripsy as Thor; he's damn near perfect for the character.

[neuhallidae]

The Dwayne is already attached to play Black Adam in the Captain Marvel movie

For serious? No shit? That'll either be hilariously bad or awesome.

[darklorelei]

I'm thinking BOTH.

[mullon]

Hawkman is the least silly looking one. That's pretty hard to pull off.

[bluejaybirdie]

Wait, I thought that the point of Smallville was to avoid brightly colored spandexy costumes? Hence the stupid Matrix-esque Superman suit? It's kind of weird to see that compared to this (mind, I would actually rather have a superhero show with costumes like this than costumes like that).

[icon_uk]

My thought too, though as these are supposed to be the inheritors of a heroic legacy, they're not new heroes the way Green Arrow and his troupe are.

[yaseen101]

The thing is Geoff John's is guest-writing this ep and has a say when it comes to costumes plus the whole 'no spandex' thing were a thing of the old producers who left two seasons ago. The new dudes doesn't seem to be that concerned about the whole costume thing.

[autolychus2]

Costumes aside, it's nice to see that Hawkman and Ollie seem to have the same relationship in the Smallville-verse as they do in the comics.

[intertobamf]

Violence and eventual sex?

Well, in my dreams, at least.

[perletwo]

With side orders of leather, weaponry and breath-play, apparently....

[jcbaggee]

All the JSA members so far (we've yet to get a good look at Sandman and Green Lantern) look like they've walked off the set of a bad Power Rangers reunion. But really, it's going to be hard to do better than this without blowing the budget for the next 2 seasons.

Fate and Hawkman look passable, though I think the helmets are too big and Hawkman's wings are a bit small. Kinda the same deal with Stargirl.

Regardless, these suits are still better than the hip-hop tracksuits they gave the faux-JLA in the past few seasons, and better than PunisherSuperman's outfit.

[jaybee3]

You know if they ever did a JSA movie (it could happen - the whole plot would be old super-heroes teaching young ones (really young like Stars). Make it a generational thing. Anyway with a movie budget I think it would work well. Here it look like CosPlay - especially Stargirl's face mask (ick!) and Dr. Fate's plastic looking helmet (DC Direct released a gorgeous metal Fate helmet a few years back that probably 0 with some alterations in the eyes - could have fit in with Smallville's budget).

[thanekos]

perhaps Daniel Jackson's life would be easier if he had a mace of Nth Metal.

[darkblade]

There are very few people whose lives would not be improved by owning Nth Metal weaponry.

[icon_uk]

Nah, he was never really the aggressive sort.

I have one question...

[robogeek]

Why does a sorceror need rubber armor?

Re: I have one question...

[sir_mikael]

I agree with this. They really could have used blue cloth, and I just don't see why they didn't. It must have been cheaper and better looking. Superheroes doesn't have to equal rubber. And that amulet is so cheap looking. The suits, I mean. Not your icon. That is positively gorgous. Eye of Agamotto right?

Re: I have one question...

[robogeek]

Right. I only wish I had the real piece.

[dorothy1901]

I wish that Stargirl would either pull her shirt down, or else pull her pants up.

[darkknightjrk]

I seem to recall her always having a bit of an exposed navel.

[sethgray]

Wow, these costumes are ridiculously bad looking. O_o

[mcity]

I am torn exactly in half between "lol whut" and "do not want".

Also, Fate has an arrow pointing to his crotch.

one of these days I hope to see Tom Welling in tights

[mad]

I get the feeling Warner Bros is testing to see if people can get on board with costume heroes on television again. They've been slowly easing us into it, and Hawkman, Stargirl and Dr. Fate so far appear to be the most like their comic book depictions.

We are now that much closer to a JLI sit-com, people.

Re: one of these days I hope to see Tom Welling in tights

[lynxara]

Oogh. I remember seeing the pilot for the first one. Terrifying stuff....

Re: one of these days I hope to see Tom Welling in tights

[mad]

Yeah, that was pretty awful. But if there could be one that was actually closer to the comic, I think it would have the potential for awesomeness.

Re: one of these days I hope to see Tom Welling in tights

[lynxara]

I also think it'd work better animated.

Re: one of these days I hope to see Tom Welling in tights

[mad]

True. Just about any superhero comic would look better animated IMO.

[team_mummy]

WOWWW!!! FATE!!!

[ian_karkull]

Honestly, I think the costumes look pretty good, considering what they've had to work with.
Besides, those are Golden Age characters. They should look a bit silly and cheesy.

ick

[ravenous_raven]

the plastic and rubber...they burn...couldn't they at least spray paint the pieces to give them a rougher, more metal-like texture? :(

[halloweenjack]

Great Caesar's ghostwriter, these are awful. Stargirl has the ugliest mask in creation, Fate has the sort of fake muscles that make the infamous Joel Schumacher Batnipples look good, and Hawkman's wings look like they're molting. Hideous.