Mapping Smallville

<p> One of the first full-length academic projects on the television series <I>Smallville</I> this collection of new essays explains why the WB/CW series is important to understanding contemporary popular culture. The essays are presented in four sections covering broad categories: Clark Kent's metamorphosis to Superman and the influence of his parents and the home; the role of the series' noteworthy female characters; the series' representations of the Other explorations of identity and the ways in which characters speak to Clark's own struggles; and audience reception of the series and its position within the Superman narrative universe.</p>