Smallville, Kansas. A town that never changes but somehow always manages to find itself getting destroyed. Nestled in the comfortable sunny midwest of the United States, Smallville is a city where everyone knows everybody else. A town where strangers are often welcomed with open arms. A town where legends are born.
They say it takes a village to raise a child and this village did just that. Years ago, a small space shuttle of unknown origin crash landed in a town frozen in time. A young, childless couple discovered the pod, startled to see that it contains a young life.
This couple take it upon themselves to raise the helpless infant, enriching him with the values that they believed were right. This one choice would not only change Smallville forever, but it would alter the course of human history like never before. Their decision changed the world forever.
Locations
Like all of DC’s fictional cities, Smallville is always adapting to fit the stories that take place within its city streets. Some locations, like the Kent family General Store, faded within the pages of DC Comics history as time passed. Others, however, continued on to withstand the test of time simply because they are timeless.
The Kent Farm
The Kent Farm is home to Martha and Jonathan Kent. Two idyllically iconic people charged with the epic responsibility of raising the universes greatest superhero. The Kent Farm has been in the family for generations.
The Kents raise crops, care for animals and shelter extra terrestrials in need on this stretch of paradise. It is the perfect locale for those who are learning to hone their powers. They say that Lois Lane, Metropolis, is the heart of Superman, but this place is the soul.
The Lang Farm
Neighbors to the Kent’s, The Lang Farm is mainly equestrian, housing a number of horses as well as crops. This is the home of Lana Lang. The first ever person (other than his parents) that Clark Kent shared his powers with. Lana and Clarks relationship would soon blossom into Clarks first love.
Smallville High School
Home of the crows, Smallville High is where Clark Kent solidified his friendship with fellow classmates Pete Ross and Lana Lang. In other variations this is also where he met Lex Luthor, who would later become his ultimate rival, and best friend Chloe Sullivan.
The Talon
The Talon is mainly a “Smallville” show locale but I felt, due to its iconic nature, that it deserved a spot on this list. Once the go-to movie cinema in the village, this iconic looking structure sits in the heart of the city.
Within the show, “Smallville,” Lana Lang convinces the buildings owner, Lex Luthor, to form the abandoned cinema complex into a classy Main Street café. The large marquee, historic nature and bright colors make it one of Smallville’s most iconic landmarks.
The Smallville Ledger
Smallville’s fictional newspaper isn’t as concrete as its mega sized counterpart, Metropolis. Sometimes referred to as the Smallville Daily, as well as other names, the Ledger is a fictional local weekly newspaper that reports on the events that take place in their little hamlet. Its offices are located in the city center on Oak Street.
Center Street
This is the city’s Main Street and central business location. It’s home to numerous locally owned shops and the Kansas National Bank. When you hear the term “small-town friendly”, center street, and its picturesque architecture, design, art and structures are what comes to mind.
This is the location where Smallville residents have fellowship and talk about their happy, yet sleepy lives in their small Kansa community.
Small town tragedy
As a village in tornado alley Smallville sometimes falls prey to a number of natural disasters. It’s been hit by severe thunder storms, tornadoes and frightening blizzards. But as a city marked with the responsibility of catering to a Kryptonian, It’s also been scared by a villain or two… or many.
In some continuations, the small town has been devastated by meteor showers, crumbled by recreations of Doomsday, pummeled by Zod and even Darkseid, or practically purchased by Lex Luthor who originated from the city himself.
Most of these tragedies were stopped or prevented by Superman, the Man of Steel. But one tragedy was one Superman could not stop. The death of his father Johnathan Kent (and sometimes his mother, Martha) were matters completely out of Kal-El’s control.
All that power and he couldn’t help the ones who took him in. The ones who gave their all to him. This was the ultimate tragedy in all of Smallville history.
A town of miracles
I always found it funny when I pondered about the two fictional cities Clark Kent called home. One is a sprawling utopian-like city filled with culture and basically everything imaginable. The other is small, quaint, quiet and tranquil.
What I found humorous about these two cities was their names. Metropolis’ literal definition is “a very large and densely populated industrial and commercial city.” This is ultimately reflected within the city’s story in comics.
And Smallville doesn’t really need a definition. The meaning is literally in the name. But don’t let the name fool you. Smallville is a village with a large heart. Something it distilled in its favorite hero, Superman.
Featured photo courtesy DC Comics
[…] Another accepted day is June 18. This was the date that Clark Kent’s adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha, found Krypton’s last son in a spaceship that crashed in the small Kansas based town of Smallville. […]