In anticipation of the highly anticipated release of Batman v Superman, I’m mixing up the regularly scheduled program a little to bring you a group of articles from the WWAC archives highlighting individual thoughts on Superman and Lois Lane as characters, and as portrayed in comics. Enjoy!
Let’s begin with Wendy’s thought provoking piece on The Thing About Superman, January 15, 2015,
Last year, I wrote a piece where I selected Captain America over Superman as representative of what it means to be an inspiring, benevolent, super powered person. I based my decision on my feelings about the character of Superman, which tend to lean towards that of Lex Luthor. I appreciate that Superman does wonderful things for the human race, but continue to ask myself “why?”
Is he helping because that’s what Ma and Pa Kent taught him to do? Does he help because he can?
I confess I didn’t know much about Superman beyond the “boy scout” basics, but as far as boy scouts go, my preference is for a character who is human first and understands what it means to be the downtrodden. For me, Captain America is the better representative of someone who does the right thing, not because he has the power to do so, but because that’s who he is. The Superman I know is presented as someone who is a good, incorruptible person – but has never firmly exhibited how I ought to relate to him as a human being. He may have grown up with humanity, but the moment his powers manifested, he became far more than human, though he chooses to pretend otherwise.
Though not prominently presented as such, Superman is a genius. His powers are immeasurable. For all intents and purposes, he is a god among us. And while he does suffer the occasional loss of powers that allow him a glimpse into what it actually feels like to be human, there’s never a doubt that he’ll go right back to being a god by the end of the story. There are many characters in the comic world that have similar god-like status and abilities, but with Superman, I am supposed to believe that he can set all of that aside to hide behind a pair of glasses.
Consequently, my favourite portrayals of the character are the ones that explore this concept. Superman: Red Son by Mark Millar, Dave Johnson, Kilian Plunkett, Andrew Robinson, and Walden Wong is on the top of my list, with a Superman who lands in the Soviet Union, instead of the little town of Smallville. It explores the idea of nature versus nurture. Unlike Ma and Pa Kent, Joseph Stalin doesn’t raise his adopted son to be kind and true. It is Kal’El’s need for order that leaks into everything he does. He doesn’t necessarily help people because he is a good person, but because he wants to maintain a sense of order and control and has the power to do so.I would find Superman a much more interesting character if he was more of the ticking time bomb Luthor fears in Lex Luthor: Man of Steel (Brian Azzarrello and Lee Bermejo). This is the utterly alien being who steals humanity’s sense of hope and aspiration because Superman is powerful enough to do everything for us. He doesn’t do this because he is evil. He does this with the far more frightening justification of benevolence. There’s nothing more frightening than an all-powerful being who has determined what’s good for us. READ MORE
What do you do when you can’t find a satisfying Superman comic? Our WWACers brainstormed a few story ideas that will make you smile in the Top Five Alternative Superman Stories We Wished Existed, November 6, 2014,
Superman is a character who seems to solve most of his problems with logic through an easy going grin and/or punching nouns. What happens when we dedicate standalone stories to issues people deal with on a regular basis? More importantly, what happens when someone like Superman has to deal with these issues? Stuff happens. Lots of it.
5. Superman vs Microaggression
After that whirlwind five issue story arc, Superman is in a good place. He’s dating Lois, he’s at the top of his game as a reporter and just saved a family from a burning building. Life is good for a Superman who can finally control his abilities after going batshit crazy that one time but what happens when Superman is introduced to… MICROAGGRESSION?? Kal-El will soon learn that being part of a dominant culture means he’ll accidentally belittle and alienate a marginalized group — without intended malice — in his social exchanges. Given that he’s white, male, heterosexual, cisgender and very able bodied, it’s safe to say he’s belittled and alienated many people unknowingly. Superman finds his self awareness in this trippy tale written by Gail Simone and drawn by Marco Rudy.
4. Superman vs Terrorism
Superman wonders why terrorists still run rampant in the Middle East and beyond despite his efforts (eye lasers, super cold breath, punching and being really fast). Not even his logic and need to discuss things seem to be working! After a wise old arab man — blind in one eye — tells him about being invaded by the West, Islamophabia and other neat stuff that are also possible reasons for young men and women heading towards terrorism, Superman realizes that this is soooo much more complex than just being jealous of the American Way. As he stares at his hands wondering what his all powerful self can do about ideology, Steve Rogers makes a surprise appearance so they can both ponder this question together. It’s the ultimate DC and Marvel crossover event! READ MORE
Did you know WWAC highlighted 75 years of Lois Lane with guest post essays right before the release of Man of Steel? If you missed it, now’s your chance to catch up with the Master Post: 75 Years of Lois Lane, June 12, 2013,
This is the master post for our week of guest posts on Lois Lane’s long publishing history. As always, thanks to all of our wonderful writers, and our supportive readers.
Now, who’s ready for a new Lois? Two days until Man of Steel, friends. Two days.
Guest posts
- Why A Black Lois Lane Matters, Natasha Townsel.
It would mean that for (possibly) the first time, a Black woman was the center of a mainstream narrative as more than just the bitch/mammy/best friend/sexpot/token Negro. It means a Black woman would be the center of a mainstream comic book narrative where she is characterized as having integrity, strength, and sexiness without it being at the expense of her femininity or desirability. It would mean a Black woman would be the symbol of Hope for one of the most powerful characters ever created.
- Lois Lane’s Cry For Help, Tim Hanley and Lori Wozney.
In the “Letters to Lois” column in SGFLL #38, a reader named Jim summed up the situation: “Dear Editor: Why does Lois always cry, cry, cry?” Frankly, it was hard to miss, even from the first issue: Lois cried in every single story in SGFLL #1. She sobbed when she thought her actions led to the death of a Count (it was all a ruse by Superman), bawled when Superman didn’t like her cooking enough to fall in love with her, and wept when she thought she’d turned into a witch (another ruse from Superman). Lois’ tears were a hallmark of the book from day one.
Yet, even taking into account the times, there is still something very disrespectful in what was done to Lois Lane. She was turned in to a caricature of herself. The full burden of the triangle for two was put on her shoulders. Clark Kent was the disguise, and his disguise was a caricature. He was timid, not a go getter, and often portrayed as afraid of his own shadow. Lois was strong, but 1950s Lois’s strength wasn’t celebrated the way it was in 1938. Instead it was held up as a flaw. Readers were expected to believe that because Lois was attracted to the man Clark really was, aka Superman, she was some kind of power hungry gold digger. READ MORE
And last but not least, Jamie’s fantastic review of Superman: Lois Lane One Shot, March 17, 2014,
Superman: Lois Lane
Marguerite Bennet
Emanuela Lupachina, Megan Ketrick, Ig Guara, Diogenes Neves
The first thing I noticed about this one shot was the majority female storytelling team.
The second thing I noticed was the shining filament of connectivity with previous versions of Lois Lane. Even though this is The New 52! (complete with exclamation mark), there are indications that this Lois is still part of the Lois we knew from Superman: The Movie and Superman The Animated Series; from Lois & Clarkand Smallville. Lois Lane is the prize-winning, fiercely determined, unrelentingly inquisitive reporter–thank God that DC Editorial hasn’t seen fit to change that. She’s also a terrible speller, who somehow knows the roots of the words she can’t spell, a devoted to and protective older sister to Lucy and most importantly, she still wears purple. Purple for passion. Because finding the story–the truth–and making the bad guys pay are the burning passions that make her a spitfire.
These nuances are the things we love about Lois Lane, and those nuances are vital to who she is as a character, and to telling any story from her point of view. The story is told in a clever way with little bookends and interludes of Lois and Lucy’s childhoods that carry over a year. The art for these is done by one artist, while the present day art is done by another.
In the present day, Lois is recovering from a coma, and would rather work than sleep, but Perry won’t allow it. Her sister comes stumbling into her apartment, babbling in that child-code they haven’t used in decades, begging Lois to help Lucy find her missing roommate, Amanda. READ MORE
