Hey!!!  In a rare NYC appearance, Robert Picardo’s gonna be signing at the shop on Saturday the 5th at 1pm!

Robert’s genre credits are numerous (to say the least… Smallville, Stargate’s Richard Woolsey, The WonderYears’ Coach Cutlip, and of course, Star Trek’s Holographic Doctor) so this event should appeal to a broad range of fans.  Plus, we hear he’s a terrific fella… so come on by and get an autograph!

This will mark our first with a Star Trek celebrity since 1998 and we’re thrilled beyond belief.  Hope to see you there.

This week is chock full of season premieres.  Here are a listing of some of the genre-friendly things I’ll be setting my DVR to.

1. This is the first time I’ll admit on the Internet that I’m a fan of Ghost Hunters. The show on Syfy follows a bunch of New Hampshire plumbers who use scientific devices to detect ghosts. Its actually  kind of interesting in that documentary style in the sense they use devices like digital recorders, infrared cameras and electronic magnetic detectors to prove the presence of ghosts.  Sometimes they catch some stuff on camera that is actually pretty neat. My girlfriend likes to give me crap that the reason I watch it is for Kris Williams, but the fact remains I’ve watched it long before she was on the show.  Regardless, I’m not going to deny that she is popular and judging by her 15,000 Twitter followers, I’m not the only one who digs her presence. The show is on tonight at 9pm.
2. Everyone won’t shut up about Flash Forward. Coming from Batman Begins and Dark Knight screenwriter David S. Goyer, this show promises to have a Lost level of annoyance. At least in my mind, but it does seem to be a cool concept. The show premieres tomorrow night at 8pm.
3. Friday night has a few reasons to stay home.  Smallville in its new time slot at 8pm will open with Lois Lane (the awesome Erica Durance) meeting the future Metallo (Brian Austin Green).
4. Also on Friday night is Dollhouse.  Joss Whedon’s show that got a second chance, premiering at 9pm.  I’m kind of intrigued to see why it got a second chance because the first few episodes I watched last season had me walk away from the show pretty quickly.  Throughout the three episodes I watched I found myself saying out loud: “C’mon, Joss, you can do so much better than this.” Apparently the show got ALOT better as the season progressed, which I would say isn’t that hard to do because it started out terrible.  Though, it had its problems with network interference according to Joss’s talk with Ira Glass last night.  Regardless, check out the new trailer for the show.
5. The other show I’m pumped to check out is Stargate Universe, that doesn’t premiere until Oct. 2. From what I understand its supposed to be very much in line with the original Stargate movie, which as a seventh or eighth grader was totally awesome.  Especially with the spectacular Robert Carlyle and freakin’ Lou Diamond Philips.

In this week’s edition of the Hollywood Lot tour we have a replacement for Nicolas Cage in The Green Hornet, news on a possible Lobo star, Mark Millar, the awesome Bruce Campbell, and Julian Sands has been cast on Smallville.

• The brilliant Nazi traitor from Inglourious Basterds Christoph Waltz has replaced Nicolas Cage to play Seth Rogen’s nemesis Chudnofsky in the Green Hornet. Well, that’s a step up certainly.  Previously, Rogen said that the character was meant to be scary, but “not over the top”. Sounds like Waltz is perfect for that angle.
• The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) aka as Katherine Heigl’s dead boyfriend from Grey’s Anatomy wants to play Lobo, according to MTV’s Splash Page.  I think that’s possible, he seems like a guy who could do that. Sure.
• Lobo creator Keith Giffen couldn’t be more thrilled with Guy Richie directing the Lobo movie. Shockingly, I don’t think I’ve ever read anything Giffen has been ecstatic over. But that’s cool that he digs this idea. Giffen said Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was one of his favorite movies in ages.
• Sam Raimi cameo artist Bruce Campbell will have a “major” part in Spider-Man 4, reports Access Hollywood.  From the report it sounds like the Burn Notice star will play a key role in the film. Access went off about him playing Myserio but I laughed loudly and shockingly at this statement to the point that the next door neighbor knocked to make sure I was okay.  Anyway, I love Campbell’s cameos, and more of him in the Spider-Man franchise the better.
• Michael Ausiello sleuths that Julian Sands will play Jor-El on Smallville.  The Warlock star (wow, way to bust that one out) will make his first appearance as Clark Kent’s biological father in an episode titled “Kandor” and will establish his connection to General Zod (played by Callum Blue). I’m pumped for this season which premieres next Friday, Sept. 25, at 8pm.
• Mark Millar opened his mouth again about his epic Superman movie trilogy.  He says he thinks he’s too expensive for DC/Warners now with his success in regards to Wanted and Kick-Ass. That’s fine, Mark, they weren’t interested anyway, you just sound really bitter. Regardless, they have no plans for Superman, says newly minted DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson.
• Chris Evans is likely to not be in the Fantastic Four reboot which is a shame because he was the best part of that series.
• Finally, the movie adaptation of Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber’s Eisner award winning Whiteout was a flop this weekend.  The Kate Beckinsale staring film only raked in $5.1 million this weekend.  Haven’t  seen it yet, but considering my love for all things Rucka related, I’ll endeavor to make it.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Kreuk will play Hannah a new love-interest for Chuck in a multi-episode arc where she goes to work at the Best Buy…errr, Buy More. Routh, will play the new agent in charge of the Bartowski Project.  Regardless, this stunt casting has worked out for Chuck to say the least with last season seeing  fan favorites Chevy Chase, Scott Bakula, and Tricia Helfer.  I personally can’t wait for Chase’s new show Community with Soup host Joel McHale.  Though the best thing to come out of the Chuck ‘verse was the miniseries written by show staff writers Peter Johnson and Zev Borow and drawn by Jeremy Haun.  It just kind of confirmed the fact for me that the series would excel as a comic.

In other Superman actor news, MTV’s Splash Page has the first picture of Tom Welling as Neo.  And I have to ask: WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!  I would really love to know the reason behind saying yes to this design, because I can’t see it making any kind of sense at all. Have a look:

Barring that, there are many good things to look forward to in Smallville this season including a Geoff Johns written episode introducing the Justice Society of America,  General Zod, Metallo and, yep, the Wonder Twins! Yes way! Set DVRs to obliterate. Smallville premieres Sept. 25 with “Savior” which is written by fan-favorite Geoff Johns, according to Splash Page.

Brian Austin Green as Metallo on Smallville.

Mickey Rourke as Whiplash in Iron Man 2.

Heh.  Well, this is awkward.  No, not that the fact that the former 90210 alum is sticking close to something that he previously did on Sarah Conner Chronicles BUT the fact that he looks so much like the new design for Whiplash.  I guess it would be tough for him not to look like that.

I have to say I applaud Smallville.  The first couple of seasons were really stagnant, boring, and like watching a broken record season after season. However, that changed quite significantly after they killed off Jonathan Kent and to say the least, the show has become its own thing.  Its not afraid to do something different with the Superman mythology and has continually broken expectations towards what “should” happen in the mythos of the character.

• Geoff Johns will be introducing the Justice Society of America to TV show Smallville. That’s pretty great news, though I’m not really sure how they are going to fit into this context, though with a wide range of characters to draw from, I’m sure the episode will be chock full of fun characters.  Also,  we’ll see Clark in costume for the first time: he’ll be rocking the black and silver costume he wore after dying in the comics.  Laura already made the mullet joke, so I’m just going to stop right there.
• In other Johns news, he and former assistant Sterling Gates will both be taking on new “Flash” books.  Johns will write “All-Flash” which will include the entire family of speedsters, and Gates will write a solo “Kid Flash” book which makes me happy that Bart is getting his own title again.
• Clips, clips, clips.  A bunch of clips landed at Comic Con, including  Green Lantern First Flight, and clips from the anime versions of Wolverine and Iron Man, both written by Warren Ellis.
• “Pushing Daisies” creator Bryan Fuller wants to write superhero comics.  I say let him, since his show has been canceled with the comic spinning into Wildstorm.
• “Lost” actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje may be playing the Black Panther. I wouldn’t even know how to pronounce that name.  I think this is a stellar idea, he’s both jacked and intimidating.  Also: he was awesome on “The Wire”.
• Archaia Studios is teaming up with Spock. To produce new comics under Quinto’s production company.  Seems like this kind of thing is happening more and more in the comics market place as comics and film become more attached. I realize that’s stating the obvious, and I do not think its a bad thing. I think it can only bring new readers into comics and that, for me, is always a good thing.
• Joss Whedon says there is going to be more “Dr. Horrible” comics coming. Plus the posters for his “Cabin In The Woods” horror flick look great.

Coming up we’ll have a list of all the things that came out of Comic Con that’d we like, David Tennant’s final thoughts on leaving “Doctor Who” and some other announcements.

Earlier today, Heidi informed us of the Comics Interweb on a recent ruling in the Superman case. It’s a ton of legalize in the release statement but essentially, a court ruled back in 1999 that the Siegel family had a legal right to royalties from the Superman property, but recently the family pushed to get some of those royalties for the “Smallville” property, since it is Superman-related.  Excuse the Sportscenter reference, this may be the wrong crowd, but DENIED. From the ruling:

Accordingly, the Court finds that the non-exclusive rights conveyed by DC Comics to Warner Bros. in the Smallville television agreement was not for below fair market value and, therefore, finds for the remaining defendendants on this point as well.

Conclusion: The Court decides this case, as it must, not on the evidence that could have been submitted or even the evidence that should have been submitted, but rather on the evidence that was in fact admitted at trial.  Based on the preponderence of that evidence, the Court is compelled to reach the conclusions set forth above and accordingly finds in favor of the defendants [DC Comics] on the issues before the court.

Looks like they won’t be getting anything from the eight seasons of best selling DVDs of Tom Welling running around in a red jacket and blue Levis.  Its a shame, but at least they are getting something from DC, it only took 60 years.