DC Comics Launches Smallville Season 11

In one of the closing scenes of last May's Smallville series finale, Chloe Sullivan tells her Superman-worshipping son, "There will always be more adventures for another day." That day is about to arrive, thanks to a new comic-book series that picks up where the long-running show left off. On April 13, DC Comics launches Smallville Season 11 in digital format (and later in print collections).
Season 11 begins six months after Clark Kent defeated Darkseid and stopped the planet Apokolips from crashing into Earth. He's now settling into life as the Man of Steel while continuing to carry on his dual identity as a mild-mannered reporter at the Daily Planet. "It's Clark's first year as Superman," says writer Bryan Q. Miller, who was also a writer on the TV show and has previously scripted DC's Teen Titans and Batgirl comics. "He's riding the high of everything working out so far. And he enjoys that he can stop and shake hands with folks after he saves them."
Don't expect the good times to last forever. Lex Luthor — brought back from the dead as Smallville ended but wiped of his memories, including that Clark is super-powered alien — will be one of Superman's main adversaries in the series. "Most people are thrilled that Superman saved the world by moving a planet out of the way," Miller says, "but Lex and a handful of others are concerned that there's a guy out there who can move planets."
Fans of the TV show will no doubt be thrilled to see many of the supporting cast featured prominently in the story. "It's a continuation of the lives of characters seen weekly over the course of 10 years," Miller says. "It's an ensemble book with Clark Kent at the core. Clark just so happens to now be Superman." That ensemble includes Lois Lane, his fiancé and fellow reporter; his childhood best friend, Chloe; and Oliver Queen, aka the Green Arrow. As was teased in the finale, Chloe and Ollie are now married. (In fact, she's going by the name Chloe Sullivan-Queen.)
The first arc of Smallville Season 11 is scheduled to include 12 chapters, which will be available via the DC Comics app on Apple, Android and Windows mobile devices, as well as online at read.dccomics.com. The first print edition goes on sale May 16 and will collect the opening four chapters, along with an episode guide to the TV show. The digital covers (including the one pictured above) are the work of artist Cat Staggs, while Gary Frank will handle the print covers. Pere Pérez, who worked with Miller on the Batgirl comic, will handle the interior art.
UPDATE: Here's an exclusive look at the first print edition cover, by artist Gary Frank.