Fan Ramblings – Chloe in DCU!

Back when I was in high school I started watching a little show called Smallville. My favorite character was one Chloe Sullivan, intrepid girl reporter, classmate, and friend to our hero Clark Kent. While in the first few seasons Lana struck me as the highly annoying center of Clark’s hopeless romantic delusions, Chloe was the good friend and helper. She was curious and caring. And even though you understood that she had some feelings for Clark beyond friendship, she remained loyal and helpful.

I only watched the first two seasons regularly and the third season sporadically before I went off to college and my evenings became filled with homework and group meetings and dinners with friends. I pretty much stopped watching all TV except for Adult Swim. The last episode I remember seeing my senior year was the cliff hanger season finale in which they set up the idea that Chloe may well have died in an explosion! I was upset and worried that they were writing my favorite character (who wasn’t DC cannon after all) off of the show. Luckily, it was not so. I know a few things that have happened thanks to the internet, but I’ve avoided most news. I have a LOT of Smallville to eventually catch up on. And one day I’ll find the time and the means to do so (despite advertising it, my local video store doesn’t have Smallvillle DVDs and Hulu doesn’t work outside of America).

When I left the show Chloe had not yet learned Clark’s secret. I always wanted her to do so, because I pictured her really helping Clark test his own limits and learn to control his powers. I saw her functioning sort of like the big sister from The Secret World of Alex Mack (anyone else remember that show? I used to love it!). I pictured her setting up experiments and gathering data and being really amused by the whole situation. Her character was established as a trustworthy companion and I wanted that relationship to expand. And, of course, I wanted Chloe to have a bigger role on the show since she was my favorite character. I am happy to know that she does in fact learn his secret in a later season.

Recently I was thrilled to discover the news that Chloe will finally be coming to the DCU proper! She is a great character with a lot of potential and I am so excited that she can now play a role in the comics. It will be interesting to see what her comic back-story will be. Reportedly she is still from Smallville and is a reporter. Is she still the childhood friend of Clark Kent? From what I’ve heard of the show recently Chloe fills sort of an Oracle like role, being the go to girl for information with a vast network. Clearly that role is already filled in the comics but will she retain any of those skills? And I suppose most importantly, does she still know Clark’s secret?

With Smallville preparing for its tenth and final season I was really worried that her character would fade from popular radar and never find her way into the comics. There has been talk of potentially adding her character for some time now, but I was beginning to fear that we were never going to get beyond the talking about it stage. But to Nick Spencer who finally made this happen, I say thank you! And best of all, he is a fan of the show and the character and is trying to fit her into continuity with as much of her character in tact as possible.

Chloe will be appearing in the Jimmy Olson back up in Action Comics. I can’t imagine she will have the largest role, but just getting her into the comics universe was probably her biggest hurdle. Now that she will be established as a character in the DCU any writer can use her in a story. And I really hope they will take advantage of this opportunity.

Chloe isn’t the first character to make the jump from media property to comic book cannon. Two other amazing female characters from the Batman universe got their start on Batman the Animated Series. They would be, of course, René Montoya and Harley Quinn. Both characters have had a great run in the comic’s universe growing and developing as characters. With those two in mind it’s easy to look forward to Chloe’s comic future.

Welcome to the DCU Chloe Sullivan!