In a first for the long-running “Smallville” TV series it will broadcast a two-hour “movie” this Feb. 5, which features DC Comics’ oldest and most venerable team of heroes, the Justice Society of America.

“Absolute Justice” was written by Detroit native Geoff Johns, currently DC’s most prolific and popular writer. Johns also works as a screenwriter and producer in Hollywood. Bringing the Justice Society to live-action is something of a dream come true, he told me, as for almost ten years he chronicled the group’s adventures in their DC comic book. Ironically, “Absolute Justice” comes at a time when the writer has recently stepped down from the “Justice Society of America” title to work on other DC projects.

Dr. Fate and Stargirl on 'Smallville.'

Johns informed me that the “Smallville” TV film was originally intended to be a single episode, but after he handed in the script the show’s producers were so impressed that they quickly enlarged it to two one-hour episodes. From there it was merged into a single, two hour event, worthy of the mighty JSA. From what I understand, Johns’ writing of both halves of the film is something of a rarity in TV production, as normally the same writer does not write more than an hour episode at a time. There was a brief moment when he was unsure of the needed time to write both halves but he quickly decided that the opportunity to do his beloved team of heroes “justice” on television was too important an honor to pass up.

The story spotlights three JSA members from the comics: Hawkman, Dr. Fate and Stargirl. The latter is near and dear to Johns’ heart; as her creator he’s wanted to bring her to life on film for some time now. Her two partners in “Absolute Justice” are both more than 65 years old as published characters. Actress Britt Irvin brings Stargirl to life and Johns reportedly couldn’t be happier with her portrayal.

I was incredibly fortunate to see a rough cut of the TV movie and I’m here to tell you that both “Smallville” and Justice Society fans are in for quite a treat. The care and passion put into the filming are evident in every aspect of the production.

Tags: Geoff Johns, JSA, Smallville, Superman

This entry was posted on Friday, January 8th, 2010 at 12:00 am and is filed under Arts and Life, Comics, TV listings.
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