Idle Thoughts after Superman 654, no spoilers involved
I have to admit, I haven't been really keeping up with Superman OYL. I like Superman, don't get me wrong. And I like Kurt Busiek's writing, so I'm not really sure *why* I haven't been keeping up. Anyway, I decided to change that with Superman 654.
I won't say much about it. It's a downtime sort of issue. Nothing spectacular. Just a day in the life sort of thing. But damn if it's not cute. It reminds me of why I always get slightly disgruntled watching any of the TV shows or movies regarding Superman. Because for all that they shine in other areas, I've never seen any of them really make the Lois Lane and Clark Kent/Superman relationship shine.
This story does it. They don't even interact that much, a handful of pages scattered through the entire story. But damn if it doesn't really hit my buttons. It really shows how well they work for each other, and how their marriage can become a part of, rather than an obstacle, to storytelling.
It makes me happy. Especially with all the rumors of trouble with Spiderman and Mary-Jane or Reed and Sue (which I find really sad, as I still think of the issue where Reed makes a computer version of himself to distract a rogue program and ends up randomly asking her, in the middle of battle, things like "Can I carry a tune?" It was sweet...I'm upset they're going away from that). It's good to know that there's one couple, THE couple as far as I'm concerned, still going strong. :-)
I won't say much about it. It's a downtime sort of issue. Nothing spectacular. Just a day in the life sort of thing. But damn if it's not cute. It reminds me of why I always get slightly disgruntled watching any of the TV shows or movies regarding Superman. Because for all that they shine in other areas, I've never seen any of them really make the Lois Lane and Clark Kent/Superman relationship shine.
This story does it. They don't even interact that much, a handful of pages scattered through the entire story. But damn if it doesn't really hit my buttons. It really shows how well they work for each other, and how their marriage can become a part of, rather than an obstacle, to storytelling.
It makes me happy. Especially with all the rumors of trouble with Spiderman and Mary-Jane or Reed and Sue (which I find really sad, as I still think of the issue where Reed makes a computer version of himself to distract a rogue program and ends up randomly asking her, in the middle of battle, things like "Can I carry a tune?" It was sweet...I'm upset they're going away from that). It's good to know that there's one couple, THE couple as far as I'm concerned, still going strong. :-)
posted by kalinara @ 4:53 AM
16 Comments:
At July 13, 2006 7:49 AM,
Marionette said…
I can't help feeling that Marvel's move toward breaking up long term married couples, and their planning sessions that consist of a bunch of guys getting away from their wives and families for a weekend are not entirely unconnected.
At July 13, 2006 8:12 AM,
Brandon Bragg said…
The running gag with Jimmy trying to figure out the anniversary and the electrified popcorn trap were both nice touches.
At July 13, 2006 10:58 AM,
Rich said…
Agreed, this was a great issue - mainly because it showed just what's right about Superman/Lois. It's the best portrayal she's had in years.
I'm not completely sold on Pacheco's take on Supes, though.
At July 13, 2006 11:20 AM,
Ferrous Buller said…
Curiously enough, this reminds me of one of my main dissatisfactions with Superman Returns: there's not enough of a sense of Superman and Lois interacting like a normal couple (even an estranged one) for me to find them sympathetic. Superman remains the Mysterious Man in Blue for whom Lois carries a big torch, but who she really doesn't know: he's more like an unattainable object of adoration than a guy she likes who happens to fly. :-)
At July 13, 2006 4:37 PM,
kalinara said…
marionette: Maybe. :-)
brandon: Yep! It was cute in general.
rich: I loved her in 52 as well. It's a good Lois week. :-)
ferrous: I've always thought there was a bit too much...distance...between them in the movies. :-( The comic relationship feels much more real.
At July 13, 2006 7:45 PM,
Zaratustra said…
I never manage to keep up with Superman either. I think it's because you -know- nothing too different or exciting will ever happen. Superman is the most mild-mannered superhero comic around.
At July 13, 2006 10:27 PM,
notintheface said…
Is it me or does Joe Quesada drop another IQ point every time I reread this issue?
At July 14, 2006 2:48 AM,
Anonymous said…
I liked the bit where Lois saves Clark's butt from Perry, but manages to do it in a way that highlights the fact that -she- wears the journalistic pants in the relationship as far as she's concerned.
What are your thoughts on the All-Star Clark and Lois?
At July 14, 2006 2:50 AM,
kalinara said…
zaratustra: I love Superman. Money's just been *really* tight lately. :-)
notintheface: Well, I don't like to be so direct. But honestly...it does kinda.
ben: Oh yeah. She's better than he is and knows it. And he knows it. And loves her even more for it. They're so cute!
At July 14, 2006 4:30 AM,
Anonymous said…
"Up, Up, and Away" Lois was awesome, too. In fact, I have a strange feeling that Busiek will turn Lois into one of my favorite DC characters, which I never in a billion years would have thought possible. I hate Lois! Dammit, Busiek, why won't you just let me hate her?!?
At July 14, 2006 6:59 AM,
kalinara said…
Cove: Because Lois is inherently awesome, of course.
She's loud, obnoxious, bitchy, forceful, opinionated, stubborn, reckless, career-obsessed and really smart. And Clark loves her so. :-)
At July 14, 2006 12:25 PM,
Anonymous said…
The odd thing about Reed and Sue is that at one point, she did leave him. I think Crystal replaced her in the FF at the time or I could be thinking of another time. So they've treaded this ground before...and the marriage survived and got stronger, so why do it again?
MJ and Peter - well, as long as they actually deal with the divorce and what it's like for two people who love each other that much to come into that place and divorce each other, rather than treating it like a non-existent marriage...
Lois and Clark, though? Tried and true. They're as much best friends, accomplices, et cetera, as they are spouses. Gold. And I love that they're married in the comics, while all the other media portrayal still has Lois not knowing his Superman and failing utterly to grow up, narrative-wise.
At July 14, 2006 11:35 PM,
notintheface said…
If Marvel's moving to break up their big two married couples, then they're suffering from the classic case of not knowing a diamond when they're holding it in their hands. Guys like Mark Waid and Dan Slott mined Reed & Sue's marriage for gold over the years. Same for Pete/MJ.
All those naysayers anted to break up Clark/Lois, but look at the situation now. We have Busiek AND Johns giving us their take on the Super-couple.
To Marvel: If it's running like a dream, don't fix it.
At July 15, 2006 5:00 AM,
Aditya Bidikar said…
I haven't read much Superman, and I haven't read any Golden Age/Silver Age Superman, but Lois always struck me as entirely awesome.
An Indian celebrity recently said somewhere that he hated Lois because she was, among other things, too ambitious.
WTF! That's the best thing about her!
Anyway, my favourite Lois/Clark was in Warren Ellis's JLA Classified thing, one of the reasons being that that was where I first saw her calling him 'Smallville'.
At July 15, 2006 5:33 AM,
kalinara said…
ben: Yeah. I mean I doubt the Richards will be separated permanently, but there's so much story potential with them together and the kids. They've been doing fine thus far...
I wouldn't mind necessarily a Spiderman divorce if it sounded like the execs were doing it for a good, sound story reason. The press so far though seems to indicate that it's not even for a story, just that the marriage makes Peter somehow less accessible...
But yeah Lois and Clark are perfect. They survived almost 70 years of being linked together romantically, and have only gotten stronger since they were *finally* allowed to tie the knot. It's probably akin to why no other version of Lois works for me.
notintheface: I agree completely! I loved Waid's F4. He really knew how to make Reed (my favorite) human.
aditya: Aww, I hate to see someone so miss the point, like that guy.
Her ambition and abrasiveness are the point of the character. She's so not the "perfect woman" archetype, especially if you consider the 1930s-40s. But Superman, *the* Superman, falls head over heels for her.
Hmph, if she's good enough for Superman, clearly she's out of that guy's league anyway. ;-)
At July 17, 2006 12:17 AM,
Anonymous said…
In Morrison's All-Star Superman #3 - once you get past Lois being a Superwoman but not getting to do anything particularly super - there's a moment where Lois asks why Kal wants to be with *her*, when he's *Superman*. I love that he just says, "There has to be something I can't help.
's a good series and highlights their relationship from a different angle. Earth-1, SA Lois and all her history with her Superman. I like the look into her psychology...
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