DC Universe Executive Editor Dan Didio revealed on Wednesday that Geoff Johns and Gary Frank will leave Action Comics to bring us a six-issue miniseries re-telling how Clark Kent became Superman. Since the Infinite Crisis, hints have been dropped about subtle alterations to the history of the Man of Steel.

After reading Geoff Johns retooled secret origin of Hal Jordan in the issues leading into the Blackest Night event he has planned, I eagerly await what he has planned for Kal-el and his supporting casts in Smallville and Metropolis. Will we see Chloe? I kinda hope not. In Green Lantern, Johns took a well known origin and history and managed to add many elements, make it fresh and modern yet didn’t destroy anything that came before. It takes an amazing talent to make something old new again without pissing off the diehard oldschool fanbase - but he did it with style. I can’t wait to see what this team will do to the big blue boy scout.

Here are some excerpts from a Newsarama follow up interview with Geoff Johns about the early 2009 project.

Superman: Secret Origin will feature new looks at the origin of not only Superman, but some of his greatest allies, enemies and supporting cast and it will tie into everything Gary and I have done so far on Action Comics as well as setting the stage for the future.

It goes from Clark’s teenage years, through his first adventure with the Legion of Super-Heroes and into his arrival and introduction to Metropolis as Superman. We’ve included the first four covers with the interview and you can see a pretty big part of Clark Kent’s history is being reintroduced as well - namely, Superboy. But with a bit of a twist.

This isn’t Smallville or Superman: The Movie or Superman: The Silver Age, this is Superman: Secret Origin by me and Gary. It’s a different look at the beginnings of the characters and mythos of Superman that will set the stage for the monthly Superman comics. And this does not signify the end of my involvement with the Superman Family.

Hmmmm. Perhaps Adventure Comics will be their new canvas?

With the single exception of his death at Doomsday’s hands, followed by the emergence of Kon-el, the Eradicator, Steel and the Cyborg Superman, I hadn’t really cared about Superman or his stories since the John Bryne revamp in the 80’s.

Geoff Johns’ words combined with Gary Frank’s images have gotten me so interested in Superman again that it’s one of my most eagerly anticipated purchases. I can’t wait to read this and see what they have in mind to follow it!

Geoff Johns definitely seems to be a fan of the Legion of Superheroes…

Clark Kent’s boyhood pals have shown up in the pages of his current arcs on “Justice Society of America” and “Action Comics” as well as being the central focus of his fan favorite “Final Crisis” tie-in, “Legion of 3 Worlds” with artist George Perez.

So who better to introduce the Legion of Super-Heroes into the “Smallville” mythos than Johns?

Ryan Kennedy as Cosmic Boy	Alexz Johnson as Saturn Girl	Calum Worthy as Lightning Lad

first announced at Comic-Con International in July, the Legion of Super Heroes episode of Smallville airs on the CW on January 15, 2009.

Geoff Johns, former assistant to Richard Donner, said it has “always been a dream of mine to work with a director much the same way I watched [screenwriter] Brian Helgeland work with Richard Donner during ‘Conspiracy Theory’” and he got his wish with this project…

Whether it be Gary Frank on ‘Action Comics’ or Ivan Reis on ‘Green Lantern’ or Ethan Van Sciver on ‘The Flash,’ the idea is that I am the writer but the artists are essentially the directors. So working with a director on set like that, and seeing him bring the Legion to life. Being there to help support that vision and work on the story and the script and the dialogue and everything, is a culmination of everything I like doing.

via CBR (read the whole article - some interesting stuff…)

Geoff Johns makes an appearance on the CBR Boat Show and talks about his upcoming stint writing an episode of Smallville, and not just any episode. The Legion of Super-Heroes are coming. I’m betting on Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy and Lightning Lad (maybe called Livewire) will be the envoy from the 31st century, any more Legionaries would be ultra-cool geektastic gravy.

The Legion of Super Heroes is coming to Smallville! I for one cannot believe it took this long to get the only superheroes who ACTUALLY did visit Smallville (in comics continuity) on the show! For those who didn’t know the only “superheroes” that visited Smallville, Kansas while Clark was Superboy in DC Comics continuity were Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad and Cosmic Boy, the founders of the Legion of Super Heroes from the 31st century. Geoff Johns (author of the eagerly anticipated Legion of 3 Worlds miniseries with art by George Perez) will be writing the episode!

Michael Rosenbaum from one of Alex Ross’ TV Guide Covers Dec. 2-9 2001

In Smallville news, Kryptonsite has announced that everyone’s favorite teenage bald archvillain in training, Lex Luthor will NOT be deviling Clark in season 8. Michael Rosenbaum will be leaving after season 7. Can’t blame the guy, he just wants to grow a head of hair. This revelation comes barely a month after we learned that show creators and chief creative force, Al Gough and Miles Millar are leaving after seven seasons, and will not be part of season 8.

It is reported that although Kristen Kreuk (who has played a significant role in the series as Clark’s high school sweetheart, Lana Lang) has also been rumored to be out for season 8, but outgoing exec Gough says she will be back for an “undetermined but small number of episodes.”

To make sure that Clark has something to do for a final season, new villains are being cast as you read this…

Doomsday: In season eight, Clark will face his ultimate challenge with the appearance of the legendary, unstoppable destroyer Doomsday, who appears on “Smallville” for the first time. As comic book fans know, Doomsday is notorious for being the only character in the DC Comics universe to have killed Superman.

The level of CG we’ve seen thus far on the series makes me believe it won’t be Doomsday as we remember him from Death of Superman, but a very different reimagining.

Female villain: Doomsday won’t be Clark’s only nemesis in the upcoming season. The executive producers are tight-lipped about a new female villain they will be introducing, but they can say she will be familiar to many fans and will set her sights on Clark in ways Lex never could. Intelligent, brilliantly manipulative, and dangerously sinister, our gorgeous new villain has one more weapon in her arsenal: Her mutual attraction with Clark may prove to be as deadly as kryptonite for him.

Speculation on who she may be includes: Blaze? Maxima? Ursa? Silver Banshee? Thorn? Matrix? Livewire? Superwoman? Any other suggestions?

Kryptonsite has a letter from Rosenbaum to his fans

I happened upon this online copy of the unaired pilot for the cancelled Aquaman series starring Smallville’s Oliver Queen Justin Hartley. I like Hartley, but liked the way Alan Ritchson fills Arthur Curry’s speedos. You may have seen the pilot when they put it out on iTunes, but I missed it and only saw the trailer, so here it is.

Full pilot video wouldn’t embed but a link is below this trailer…

link to full unaired pilot