LOVE & LIVE in HIS PURPOSE

Wrote an article about Smallville Season 11, GUARDIAN, Chapter 3 on OSCK

Remember on May 2nd to buy 2 of the first Smallville Season 11 compilation print.  So you can  …

MINT THE PRINT!!

SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 REVIEW Chapter 2

Wrote a SS11 Chapter 2 review for OSCK.  

G2 Factor will be discussing this issue on Sunday on our podcast.

The Triangle Made For Two

Clark Kent and Superman are one in the same and Lois Lane is the love of his life.  Since 1938, people have been exposed to this concept.  

In Action #1 (the original)  We had Lois slapping a mobster for cutting in on her and Clark’s dance at a speakeasy.  Clark would not defend her (even though he aggressively pursues her for the date) because it might expose his other persona, Superman.  

This panel shows the duality of the Action Ace.  Inwardly he admires Lois’ Chutzpah but outwardly he must be frightened by her actions.  After the mobsters kidnap Lois for her indiscretion, we see the other side of this man born on another planet.

Superman is not going to allow his lady fair to be abused because he has to protect his other identity.  

Lois Lane was a female reporter in a tough guy world.  During this era she did not pose a threat to breadwinning males of her time as she was in the minority.  And as in the films of the time, Lois’ predicaments many times edged on the ‘Perils of Pauline’ or ‘damsel in distress.’  Lois got her self out of the these situations as often as she got into them — unless they called for a ‘job for Superman.’

Lois is always Lois and she is our ‘in’ to Superman’s life of duality.  The world was to believe that Clark Kent was a mild manner journalist with glasses while he hid the secret of being the confident Superman.  The ‘secret’ was established and was taken seriously.  

In the Golden Age, Clark and Lois were partners so much so they later married in the Bronze Age as Earth 2 Clark/Lois/Superman which was not continuity.  

The Silver Age began to make the ‘secret’ into a joke which reflected badly on the triangle of characters.  With the end of WW2, Lois as a female reporter posed a threat to job seeking veterans.  So the attitude of that time was to put her in her place.  Like other women of that time, they had to return to ‘the kitchen’ rather than working outside the home.  Lois now became the brunt of jokes and declared stupid because she didn’t know the guy she worked with was Superman because of a pair of glasses.  And when she did solve the mystery, Superman went through extreme measures and antics to make her think she was insane, silly, or stupid.  This is known as superdickery.  This behavior ‘seemed’ justified because of Lois’ constant snooping and trying to prove Clark and Superman were one in the same.  The convolution of these plots was enough to drive readers mad.  Superman did this to the woman he supposedly loved which made it all the more damning.  

By the Bronze Age, Clark was in front of the television camera instead of behind a newspaper desk.  This scenario was trepidatious even with worldwide computer, television and camera technology in its early stages.  With the feminist movement, Lois’ place as an award winning journalist was accepted.  Also during this time, the thought was to allow Superman to act on his emotions, Lois would have to become super powered in order for them to be together.  This was reflected in Superman the Movie when Clark had to give up his powers to be with Lois.  One of the characters had to change even though audiences had experienced Star Trek with Mr. Spock being part human and part alien.  His human mother was still alive, but the Superman mythos was stuck with some old time biases.  The Superman/Lois Lane relationship became primary with Clark Kent many times dating Lana Lang.  Over the last two ages, writers seemed to forget the one-and-the-same nature of the title character. 

The Modern Age (Post Crisis) brought a new line of thinking about the triangle for two.  Clark Kent became the prominent identity which allowed the man to have a fuller life, both as Clark and as Superman.  Clark and Lois became partners not only at the Daily Planet but in life as well.  They married in continuity.  A short time after proposing to Lois, Clark revealed he was Superman.  

In Action 662, 1991, Clark Kent reveals to Lois Lane that he is Superman.  There is a quote by Gracian on the final splash panel, “It takes as much caution to tell the truth as to conceal it.”  

In the Modern Age, the question was raised, did Lois fall in love with Clark Kent or Superman first.  But Clark (wearing the suit) clearly states Lois fell in love with Clark Kent and Superman was the creation she named.  He regrets not telling her sooner.  Lois believes she’s always knew in her heart, but dismissed it with her rational mind.  In a later issue, Clark recalls Lois’ reaction to the proposal and reflects that ‘no one can fool Lois Lane.’  She pretty much knew already.

Also in the Modern Age, 2001, the television series Smallville portrayed a young Clark Kent just realizing his super powers in the bucolic Kansas town.  In the tenth and final season (2010-2011), Lois Lane realizes that Clark Kent is Superman (the Blur) but does not let on that she knows.  In an episode titled PARIAH in season 4, Lois made this comment about people with secrets.  ”If I really cared about that person, I wouldn’t tell them that I knew. But I would go out of my way to be supportive of them so that hopefully, one day, they would be comfortable enough to tell me themselves.”  She did just that, 6 seasons later.  

Since Smallville ratings were at least 2.5 to 3 million weekly, this view of the triangle made for two is embedded into the recent psyche of Superman fans especially those who have developed an interest in reading the comics.

In the fall of 2011, DC Comics tore the DC Universe apart with a reboot.  Superman fans lost the continuity marriage of Clark and Lois Lane Kent.  Superman seemed to be the character and mythos they changed the most, taking him back to the blue jeans/t-shirt of Smallville.  In Action Comics, there is barely any Clark Kent to speak of and even less of Lois Lane.  (Unlike it’s 1938 predecessor) The Superman Comics seemed to give readers the establishing of the standard characters of the mythos and their relationships.  

Readers enter the story with a five year working relationship between Clark Kent and Lois Lane.  They are friends.  Lois has recently been promoted from the Pulitzer Prize winning Daily Planet reporter as well as a news anchorperson to be Executive VP of New Media and Executive Producer of the nightly news division.  Despite this separation, Lois insists that she and Clark keep in touch.  He hasn’t been acting like himself lately and if he ever wants to talk…  Clark seems to pine for Lois when he sees she’s ‘dating’ someone else and wishes things could be different as he takes her voice mail in the Fortress of Solitude.  We do not see face to face interaction between Superman and Lois even though she saved him during a battle in Metropolis.  Superman has become the ‘damsel in distress.’

In Superman #4, readers see that Lois Lane may know Clark Kent’s secret.  Clark Kent is being influenced by something with memory lapses of the HUGE kind.  We as readers to this new version of Superman don’t really know what he’s like.  The only character we may recognize is Lois Lane.  Lois is always Lois.  

Rebooted Lois is not a snoop trying to prove Clark and Superman are one and the same.  It’s not her raison d’etre.  She’s a working girl with an executive position with new technology of a modern world.  She’s on the cutting edge, smart lady that she is.  Clark in the past has said Lois is the brains of the couple.  She thinks first.  Clark feels first (although we haven’t seen that mythic heart too much in new 52 Action Comics).  So how does a Superman with a secret identity forge the troubled waters of new technology?  He can’t do it alone.  He needs a little help.  Oh, sure he could use his newly acquired EMP power to wipe out all electronics — but thankfully this Superman still wishes to be a help and not a hindrance to the world.

Has the DCnU given us a new view of the triangle made for two?  Lois Lane may know Superman’s/Clark’s secret.  Lois Lane eats the truth for breakfast.  She is strongest when she knows the truth.  She and Superman believe in truth and justice.  Knowing is a burden she has taken upon herself.  She will protect the truth with caution.  She will protect him as she has through every era.  She will wait for him to tell her he has a secret.  In the meantime, being the friend of the reporter and an admirer of the hero, she will be supportive.

Within the pages of Superman #4, Lois Lane berates her subordinates Miko Ogawa and Jimmy Olsen who have snooped into Clark’s private life and whereabouts.  ”But it’s up to Clark to pick the time he feels comfortable talking about what’s bothering him.”  Shades of Smallville’s Pariah?   After Miko and Jimmy leave her, we see that Lois sees a snapshot on her computer of Superman leaving the Smallville Cemetery where Clark Kent had gone to visit the graves of Jonathan and Martha Kent.  The reaction panel is very telling.  Lois Lane knows the truth and she will take it her grave.  

What does this mean for the triangle for two?  Probably the best version of this unique tale ever conceived.  You now have two people taking care of all sides of the triangle.  A Partnership.  Now Clark has a secret and Lois has a secret, too.  The secrets are one and the same.

Lois will protect Clark and his lame excuses for leaving his day job so he can go be the hero.  She will protect and respect the lifestyle Superman has chosen because the world needs this hero.  She admires both persona.  Lois Lane now sees the entire being that was transported from a dying planet and adopted by a farm couple.  

With her innate curiosity, we may see both Clark and Superman’s one-in-the-same from a completely new perspective.  With Lois’ new position at the Planet Global Network, she can help protect Superman’s other identity and offer assistance as she did with the invisible creature in Superman #2.   

Lois Lane will be the rock that readers can latch onto while Clark Kent and Superman finds his true self.  Clark/Superman will gravitate towards her, as other characters have done in these first 4 issues of Superman, because she knows who she is and protects the ones she loves.

This allows Clark to learn to trust Lois even more and eventually realize how deep his feelings are for her.  This is a true love story.  Foundation has been laid, at least in the Superman Comics.  (Morrison can’t write a love story so I don’t expect anything out of Action.  It’s all chaos, chaos, chaos from him).

Readers are concerned about the execution of this new reboot and this new triangle for two.  No era has been perfect.  Editorial will be editorial.  Whether good or bad or otherwise.  Let’s hope that this neverending story is about the heart of Superman.  He loves humanity and Lois Lane in particular.  Having her enter the triangle as an equal makes this story stronger and sweeter.

Oh and also @DCComics…

emeraldnight:

If you don’t like Clark Kent, if you don’t like Lois Lane, and you don’t like Clark and Lois - all of which are essential to Superman and written in character are brilliant, then the only option….

Get the hell off the Superbooks.

You don’t deserve them. And they sure deserve writers who appreciate and love them.

I think the key is … Clark Kent has been absent from the Superman story three years previous to the reboot and in Action, he is almost non-existent.  

Speaking about the pre-re-boot, Superman wasn’t necessarily Superman.  He was only Kal-El in World of New Krypton, not Superman and definitely not Clark Kent.  Tearing down the character to 1 of 100,000 other superbeings is literally the worst thing DC editorial and writers could do to the character.  The duality is gone, his human life is gone and thus, Lois is gone as well.  For a character of great heart, this is a murderous autopsy.  Yet DC decided in their ‘infinite wisdom’ to blame the marriage and Superman’s many layers (which they reduced to 1 layer for 3 years) for the demise of sales.  It was the character’s fault (like the icon had a life of his own outside editorial and writing staff.)  Readers never got a Kent marriage for the last 3 years of the 15 year marriage.  

Also DC heads said people couldn’t relate because Superman was too powerful (read: he wasn’t Batman), yet on New Krypton he was no more powerful than the rest of the population and on Earth in Grounded, he walked while being mind controlled.  That does not speak of being more powerful, it appears more like being powerless.  If Superman was sooo powerful, how come he wasn’t in his own books, Action and Superman for two to three years depending on the title.  

Now we have the reboot sans marriage. In Action, Morrison has kicked Lois to the curb and said he wants to give Superman other romantic relationships.  Not that many of us believe that Morrison can write a romance.  There is no heart in Action and Superman/Clark has always been a character driven by his heart.  A heart for people, Metropolis and Earth.

In Superman, Perez has given us inklings of romantic feelings from Clark/Superman.  He appears to pine for Lois when she’s ‘dating’ the blonde friend guy.  Superman worries most about Lois being endangered and listens intently at her voice mail messages forwarded to the FOS.  He also gets very emotional with Lois on his feelings about the new corporate structure and Clark misses being her partner since her promotion.

New romances in Superman after Jurgens and Giffen take over.  No names were attached to that.  I’ve been feening for a Pizzy hookup. ;)  We all knew it was inevitable giving Lois and/or Clark others to test emotional waters with, but in Superman, we do see that Lois and Clark do have a connection.  A very strong friendship which is the iconic and best foundation for their relationship.  The great love stories are about beating the odds and Clark and Lois are the greatest love story that DC Comics will ever have.  Love sells — keep that in mind, DC.

Readers and fans of the Superman story have had their world ripped apart multiple times in 2011.  Smallville finally got the mythos right and at least gave us a wedding and a shirt rip with Clark ‘flying’ to save Lois and the world.  But then it was over, no more Superman story on our televisions.  Then DC in it’s ‘infinite wisdom’ decided Superman was boring and the marriage was like a disease keeping the character from being Batman (emotionally retarded, unmarried with multiple children).  (Thank God it did!)  So no more marriage.  Superman fans could now totally relate to Spiderman fans even though we’ve been watching that marital demise with ominous dread.  The dread is over and now we live with the heartbreak.  It hurts.  

DC needs to tread carefully here.  In their zeal to get adolescent male new readers, they may be cutting away from a loyal (out of target) fanbase.  Superman is a love story.  Has been since the early pages of Action Comics 1938 (Golden Age).  IF DC gets the Clark and Lois relationship right; IF DC develops the Clark Kent character as an equal to Superman within the story; IF DC develops the Lois Lane character and the rest of the Daily Planet family, giving Clark the iconic dual identity …then MAYBE … .MAYBE DC will make Superman a success.  

Morrison refers to the character as Superman.  Dan Jurgens refers to him as Clark. I’m depending on Dan Jurgens and Ken Giffen to give us the beginnings of this love story — Clark/Superman with people, Metropolis, the Earth, all beings in general and Lois Lane in particular.  I’ve seen Jurgens in different Superman documentaries and he has a real love and understanding of the character.  (Not so Morrison)

Showing where Clark’s and Lois’ true heart leanings while they ‘date’ other people is not a bad thing.  It makes for a great love story.  It’s the beginning again.  Byrne’s Post Crisis was not perfect as far as the Clark and Lois relationship.  I’ve read Dan Jurgens Lois Lane and he totally gets her — so I’m not worried.

Am I pissed off I have to wait YEARS to get back to the established iconic couple? YES!!! I had to wait how many years for Clark and Lois to get together during Post Crisis and on Smallville?  HOPEFULLY (yea, Superman fans still have that even if their guy doesn’t at the moment in the comics) we’ll see a real love story between Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane, one for the newer modern age.  If anyone can pull it off with gusto, it’s the writers on the Superman book.  I’m all for second chances, and I’m willing to give that to the Superman book because it hasn’t disappointed me yet.  The writers are dealing with the editorial (and Morrison’s) decisions in regards to the character while still making him recognizable as the iconic superhero people have loved for over seventy years.  I certainly recognize new 52 Superman in the Superman book as Superman more so than I did in WONK or Grounded.  At least he’s in Metropolis working for the Daily Planet and in Lois Lane’s orbit.

Action is a lost cause to me as long as Morrison is on it especially with Morales’ wonky, ugly art.  It’s detrimental and disrespectful.

Do I hate DC for the change in the status quo and DC heads’ complete attitude problem towards fans and the Superman character?  ABSOLUTELY.  Do I think that Didio and Jim Lee need a PR handler — OMG YES!!!

I guess I’m just going to have to read back issues, watch my final seasons of Smallville and LnC, and vote with my time and money as far as the new 52 is concerned.  If I don’t like it, I’m not going to buy it!