Comic book heroes are getting their share of TV Guide covers these days.  Next week's issue of the most popular magazine about TV in the U.S. features the stars of WB series Smallville, Tom Welling and Kristin Kreuk, who portray Clark Kent and Lana Lang in the popular series about Superman's high school years.  Smallville has avoided the sophomore slump and soared to new ratings heights during its second season (see 'Smallville Ratings Hit All Time High').  The series has achieved the highest ratings ever won by a WB TV series in the all-important 18-34 demographic, and its renewal was a slam dunk no-brainer.  The TV Guide cover is a fitting tribute to the WB's most successful series ever.

 

Waiting in the wings for his own TV Guide tribute is that not-so-jolly green giant known as The Incredible Hulk, who will get his prime cover spot just prior to the opening of Ang Lee's Hulk movie on June 20.  Little by little, bit by bit, comic book culture is putting more and more of its imprint on that giant amorphous beast known as American popular culture.