This review contains MINOR SPOILERS for "Odyssey," the Season 8 premiere of the CW series, "Smallville."

Some people have accused "Smallville" of being directionless, pointless and needing a long overdue retirement. Based on "Odyssey" though, nothing could be further from the truth. Clark Kent hasn?t taken to the skies, he has yet to don the red cape of the comic-book legend, and he is only just beginning his journey as a hero.

This season though, "Smallville" will be making do without the big bad of the show Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) and the man-of-steel's flame Lana Lang (Kristen Kreuk), and will instead introduce a new cast selection. Headlining the change is Oliver Queen, otherwise known as Green Arrow (Justin Heartly), who is by far the most interesting comic-book character to be brought into the small Kansas town.

Replacing Lex is Tess Mercer, played by Cassidy Freeman, who manages not only to hold an audience, but commands far more authority than Lex Luthor did in his early days on the show. She carries with her a hard edge that Lex often lacked.

And only seconds after she makes her appearance, the Justice League once again makes its presence known as a group of super-powered eco-terrorists with plans of saving the world. There is a strong element of coolness as the camera pans out, revealing Green Arrow, Aquaman, and Black Canary standing over Clark's now almost-trademarked red jacket, and you can't help but appreciate how far the series has developed.

Once upon a time, "Smallville" was a B-rated series at best, with predictable plotting (usually involving a kid no one likes, a plan to kill Lana Lang, and a heck of a lot of Kryptonite) and no ambitions to progress. Those days are well and truly gone. Lana is out of sight, Kryptonite is a rare commodity, and with a host of other comic-book characters, the series is now playing on the level you would expect America's greatest hero to play on.

What Worked

The opening prologue of the episode watches as a who's who in DC comics, with The Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Aquaman, and Braniac all joining the existing line-up of show regulars.

"Smallville" always goes for some cool sequences, and you can't get any cooler than the hunting down of the Justice League. With Chloe plucking out numbers from computer code and piecing together phone numbers, her realization of the Dept. Of Domestic Security and who exactly she was hunting was very nicely played out and showed not only just how vulnerable the super-powered heroes can be, but also emphasized the need for a secret identity.

Which brings us to point number three, the return of Justin Hartley as Green Arrow, who as always comes dangerously close to stealing the show right out from Tom Welling.

What Didn't Work

Lois' very easy infiltration into the Luthor mansion as a French maid was convenient, uninspiring. and almost pointless ... all the things "Smallville" isn't. In much the same vein, the mysterious disappearance of Lex Luthor fails to carry any level of intrigue and instead the real excitement comes from seeing the Justice League back on the small screen and also the slow introduction into the new found abilities of Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack).

And, once again, The Martian Manhunter swoops in at the eleventh hour and saves Clark from dying a horrible, if not very human, death. His inclusion has allowed for some interesting stories of the Kansas-fed alien's past (particularly in the fall of Krypton and Jor-El area). This time his crazy high-flying shenanigans come with a price, and we won?t be seeing the comic-book hero in any last-minute acts of heroism.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

"Smallville" stars Tom Welling, Erica Durance, Allison Mack and Justin Hartley. "Odyssey" was written by Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders; and was directed by Kevin G. Fair. "Smallville" airs on The CW Thursday at 8 p.m.

Alan Stanley Blair is the assistant news editor of Airlock Alpha and its sister site Rabid Doll.?He can be reached at any time at ablair@airlockalpha.com.

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