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If there’s one supporting character in the DCU who deserves their own book, it’s Lois Lane.
And I’m not talking about a Silver-Age, ‘How will I win that big galoot’s heart?’ kind of book…although those have their place (mainly in Showcases).
No, I’m talking about a tough as nails reporter willing to go the distance to get a story.
Need someone in the middle of a war zone? Send Lois.
Need someone to go undercover in a crime family? Send Lois.
Need someone to interview the inmates at Arkham Asylum? Send Lois.
Ten reasons why the book would rock:
10. No Superman – or at least very little. Have Clark as support, but don’t rely too much on his character. Leaving the cape out lets the book stay a little grounded, even when dealing with the fantastic.
9. Connections – Despite little Super-presence, Lois wouldn’t be afraid to use the contacts she’d made through him – Bruce Wayne, Wonder Woman, Black Canary – anyone who knows Clark’s identity is a resource to be used to get a story.
8. The Cast – Expand the cast – sure, you’ve got Jimmy and Perry but when was the last time you saw any of the rest of the old Superman supporting cast – Lois’ mother, Ron Troupe, Lucy, Cat Grant…and then there’s the potential for new members: the intern with a crush, the informant out for himself, the crooked cop…
7. World Traveller – Lois doesn’t stay in Metropolis – she follows the story, no matter how far. Need a correspondent on a brewing crisis in Skartarsis? She’s your guy.
6. Going it alone – You know how Jimmy has a signal watch? Lois has a signal blocker. Superman spends way too much time protecting her – she doesn’t need him busting in at the first sign of trouble, so she clicks the watch on and – voila! – she’s off the radar. Think of it as Hal leaving his ring behind when he flies.
5. Tough Girl - Lois is a military brat – no civilian knows their way around the red tape like she does. She’s got contacts so deep in the Pentagon that they make Deep Throat look like an amateur. Not to mention she’s no slouch at hand-to hand when she needs to be.
4. Daddy issues – Sam’s not dead – it’s been pretty broadly hinted in the past that Sam Lane isn’t dead, so make that the book’s first year – Lois finds hints her father’s alive. Why has he gone underground? Why is he still there even though Luthor’s out of office? Is it connected to Checkmate? How far will Lois go to find her dad?
3. The shady side of the street - Super-villains love Lois, but not as bait or ransom-fodder – most know Superman has a thing for her and they’re not that stupid. They know that if something goes wrong, she’ s an objective, honest reporter. Captain Cold needs to let the public know that the Rogues are out of his control and killing civvies? It’s going to be Lois he feeds the story to.
2. Stalker from afar - Lex Luthor really loves her. Like crazy, psychotic loves her. She’s married and yet everytime she shows up, its not Clark that shows up, its Superman – so he thinks she’s open to affairs. When he decides to shift attention from the Kryptonian to his lady love, who’s going to stop him?
1. Just Because – She’s Lois Lane, goddamit. And she deserves to have a starring role.
Good idea. Lois is still pretty darn fabulous.
This sounds awesome. But who would be the right creative team?
Writer:
Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka, John Ostrander, Tamora Pierce, Darwyn Cooke, Palmiotti & Gray.
Gail Simone is too busy (as is Brian Vaughn), but what about her BOP predecessor Chuck Dixon?
And my biggest long shot of all (because he NAILED Clark/Lois during JLA:Classified)— Warren Ellis?
Artist:
Sean Phillips, Jesus Saiz, Lee Bermejo, Jerry Ordway, Jackson Guice, Joe Bennett, Don Kramer, Mark Bagley.
While I’d quibble w/a few of your choices, I think the overall concept is a great one. It might even be a minor source of tension in their marriage, with her gallivanting off and when Clark objects, reminding him how often HE does the same thing to her!
Best,
Tim Liebe
Dreaded Spouse-Creature of Tamora Pierce -
and co-writer of Marvel’s WHITE TIGER comic – TPB out Aug. 8!
That sounds AWESOME!
Sally – oh yes. Oh yes she is.
Notintheface – To be honest, I hadn’t given any thought to that past me writing of course
Nicola Scott would be pretty good but she’s kinda busy…
Tim – Pleasure to see you round these parts – whens your blog getting updated??? The main thing I wasn’t too keen on was the Lex Luthor, Super-stalker thing. I think an arc centering around her father would be interesting even if he is dead. But thanks for the kudos.
Salymande – Yes, yes it does! Start your petition now!!
Hey, I just stumbled upon this this evening. I posted something similar last month, here:
http://davidgallaher1.livejournal.com/277310.html
Yours in a very articulate post …
I’ll repost mine here, just to supplement your great ideas:
——-
This morning, I stumbled upon this article (http://waltontribune.com/print.lasso?ewcd=f587ff45164f8112) which details advice for aspiring journalists. It’s a touching article, I enjoyed it.
Here is the part I found most interesting:
After her first round of questions, Michelle (the student) e-mailed a second time, this one immediately brought a smile to my face. See, her interest in this field started by reading “Superman” comic books, adding she never knew the field to be anything but The Daily Planet, where her idol, Lois Lane, worked. In asking me to compare them, Michelle felt she was naïve in believing the world that exists in the comic books.
So now, here is the thing. There is a young student inspired to become a journalist by Lois Lane, who is really the epitome of curiousity and strength. Sure, Lois has had her ups and downs – but every version I’ve read or seen with her always projects those same qualities: strong-willed, smart, curious.
Now, DC Comics could learn something from this. Certainly, I would be interested in reading an all ages Lois Lane book that focused not on her love for Superman, but the quality of her character and her award-winning career as a journalist. Sure, she doesn’t have any superpowers, but then again, neither does Batman. Call it LOIS LANE, REPORTER, rather than say LOIS LANE, SUPERMAN’S GIRLFRIEND – and I think you could have a really stellar book that speaks to young writers and young women.
Because as much as comics are meant to entertain us, they are also meant to inspire us …
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All the best,
David G
I am now totally stoked for a Lois Lane comic.
David – thanks for the link to your blog – looks to me like we’re on the same page as far as this goes…
Applejack – me too!!
Rich,
I linked to this article in my blog. Just a heads up!
this sounds like a pretty good pitch take it to didio.