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 Review:
Smallville: The Official Companion: Season 1
Review by Craig Byrne - KryptonSite Webmaster
I
admit it. I'm a sucker for those "behind the scenes"
books about TV. Ever since the first one I read back in high
school (a book that shall remain nameless), I've been addicted
to reading the behind-the-scenes stories of my favorite shows.
Imagine my happiness when I heard that Titan Books, in cooperation
with DC Comics, was publishing a Smallville official
companion book.
The
challenge for a book like this, though, is the question of "could
this book really have information in it that I didn't know?"
After all, I've been following the development of Smallville
since before the pilot was even filmed. The answer is a resounding
"Yes."
Author
Paul Simpson did his homework on this one. He interviewed the
entire ongoing cast of Smallville Season One, including
departed cast members Sam Jones III and Eric Johnson. Many faces
from behind the scenes of the show are also interviewed; some
whose names we've seen in the credits but may have wondered
what exactly it is that they do. The book has trivia sidebars,
excerpts from the online Smallville Ledger, and, although I
know I'm repeating myself on this, lots and lots of interviews.
You could tell the cast and crew enjoyed talking with Mr. Simpson
and felt at ease doing it. (Simpson has also done many great
interviews already for the upcoming Smallville Magazine)
The
center of the book has many photos with alternate takes of shots
you've seen, bringing in a new visual experience. The design
is consistent with the "look" of the show's credits,
DVD packaging, and magazine material. It's a book that could
keep you busy reading for hours, and I really don't think it
would even be possible for there to be a more comprehensive
book about the series. No meteor rock is left unturned.
The
book really is a great "time capsule" of the series
in Season 1 and what went into putting the first season together.
You can learn about the show's growing pains of the first year
and the start of the phenomenon that made us believe a boy can't
fly. There are stories about the show's development before it
even hit the air, and there's a Foreword from Al Gough and Miles
Millar that will reveal the hidden connection between California's
Governator and this TV series about a leafy little hamlet.
I
am thoroughly looking forward to Paul Simpson's Seasons 2 and
3 books, which are scheduled to be out within the next year.
If they are as good as the first book, I don't think I will
be disappointed, and I hope you won't be either.
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