Is Smallville Actually Better Than Superman & Lois – or Is It Too Old-School?

The CW has long been home to many series set in the DC universe, with many new fans believing that it was the Arrow that started the whole superhero craze. But in fact, the series called Smallville, which tells the story of Clark Kent's young years in a small American town, was the first popular modern superhero show back in 2001.

Although the series starring Tom Welling ended in 2011, it is still regarded by fans as the best Superman show ever, even though the currently-running Superman & Lois is often brought into the conversation as a potential runner-up.

To clarify, both series are equally beloved by fans, but Smallville certainly has the advantage of being older, having a huge fan base and a fully developed storyline.

Despite the fact that Smallville was released more than 20 years ago, the series still holds up pretty well because the main goal of the series was not to show us CGI battles and intergalactic travel, but to follow the upbringing of a gifted boy surrounded by friends and family. In that respect, Smallville is certainly better than Superman & Lois, as the cozy small-town atmosphere is superior to that shown in the new series.

As many fans have pointed out, it doesn't even make sense to compare the two shows, as Smallville portrays Superman as a young man, while Superman & Lois shows him in a very different role as a husband and father.

And both series do their best to develop Kent's personality in line with the events – in the new series, he's more mature and very different from Welling's version.

But Superman fans still have some beef with The CW, arguing that changing the actor from Welling to Tyler Hoechlin was not the best idea. That's not to say that Hoechlin is bad at playing Superman, on the contrary, he's great, but fans would like to maintain continuity from Smallville by making one series a continuation of the other.