"Smallville" did not work for me and I didn't enjoy it (I saw about 5 episodes over multiple seasons, read episode guides and reviews etc.):

it seemed mediocre and just... un-charming, and about as middle-of-the-road as "Charmed" or "Merlin".

there is a good standalone comic book called "Superman: Secret Identity" (Kurt Busiek) that I really like, and - this surprised me - the "Smallville" "Season 11" comic book (ca. 2011) was fun: I read five volumes and was sad when it ended after nine collections. https://www.goodreads.com/series/110938-smallville-season-11