CREDIT: DC Comics
Rating: 4/5 – Hello Superman, I Missed You.
By ComicSpectrum senior reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
The first issue of Lois and Clark was a joy to read, but frustrating at the same time. In order to explain the frustration, we’ll have to go through some DC history and some Convergence spoilers so if you haven’t read that series be warned, spoilers ahead. At the end of Convergence, the DC Multiverse was reset so that everything in DC’s past matters again. In order to get to that place though, DC had to make it so that Crisis on Infinite Earths never really happened. The original Superman, Parallax, Flash and even Supergirl (the one who died in the original Crisis on Infinite Earths) went back and stopped the Anti-Monitior and by doing so, stopped the destruction of all the infinite earths. Hopefully you’re still with me…
So now that the Multiverse has been saved we don’t now where those heroes ended up, but with Lois and Clark we know where the pre-New 52 Superman ends up! And that’s how we open this first issue, by finding out that Superman and Lois are now living in the…wait for it…the New 52 DCU!? That’s right. DC loves to make it as confusing as possible for readers, and for me, just as aggravating. I haven’t been a fan of the “new” Superman so I’m happy the old one’s back, but I was hoping to read about this Superman in a Universe that’s not the New 52. We have the multiverse back, so let’s use it. At the same time, the possibilities of a story like this are compelling and exciting and will no doubt add to the multi-universe complexity that is the DC Universe.
Superman arrives right where the first New 52 Justice League storyline ends, with the defeat of Darkseid. Writer Dan Jurgens then jumps ahead to the Clarks, who are now going by the Whites, living on a farm and raising their son Jonathan. Jurgens writes the Superman that I missed. Heroic, together with Lois, and one who sees the heroes of the New 52 as a darker version of the heroes he knew. The family scenes feel great and Lois, now as a mom, is a much more enjoyable version of the one we know in DC’s current continuity. Lee Weeks’ art is absolutely beautiful and was a great choice for this series. There are quite a few panels that show Superman in iconic and inspiring poses, and the quieter scenes on the farm are drawn with care and an attention to detail.
It feels great to have the Superman I love back, even though he may not be in the place that I want him. At the same time, having him on the New 52 Earth presents a lot of new story possibilities and there’s an exciting cameo of a villain who I can’t wait to see how he’s changed on this earth. This will be a challenge for those not as familiar with DC’s past to put all the pieces together, especially with a title that’s as simple as Lois and Clark, but having the pre-Flashpoint Superman back is reason alone to celebrate. And despite all the confusion with continuity, this was an enjoyable and strong debut issue.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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