Lois Gets Grounded
If you've read DC for as long as I have, you come to understand these fill-in issues are an inevitable evil. Far too many "top shelf" creators fall behind on their deadlines and DC relies too much on Batman and Superman to go a month without publishing their titles, so sometimes you have to deal with fill-in issues by "lesser" creators breaking up your story arcs. Superman #704 is one of those issues, and it could've been worse. First off, I like how this issue at least attempts to fit in with JMS' "Grounded" story. I'm sure writer G. Willow Wilson (whose Air series is sorely missed) wasn't allowed to use Superman since JMS has plans for old blue, so Wilson decides to "ground" Lois instead. She does this by taking Lois on a trip back to her college days which forces her to question her life with Superman. This was the part of the story I liked the best. Lois' musings on how her career has taken a backseat to her relationship with Superman and how she doesn't necessarily feel needed by a husband who has super powers felt like genuine concerns for Superman's wife. The quote where Lois calls herself a bad feminist for making her career on "standing behind a man" sounded like something a strong woman in this day in age and in Lois' position would say. All of this even reminded me of my favorite Lois Lane story from the Silver Age (in Lois Lane #20) where in an imaginary story Lois marries Superman and adopts Supergirl only to discover that she's made miserable living a family life without her career and with a Super-family that really doesn't need her to do anything. So I have a great deal of respect for how G. Willow Wilson has characterized Lois and feel like she's made the character more real and dynamic than most of the recent Superman scribes.
However, there are too many weaknesses to issue #704. The art is a major drawback. Leonardo Oliveira tries to project the full, lush style of artists like Ed Benes, but his characters come off as stiff and a bit basic. He also struggles with depth and certain inanimate objects. With a bit more practice and experience, Oliveira could become a good comic artist but he's not there quite yet. Another major problem with this issue is the fact that nothing really happens. Many readers have already been complaining that JMS' "Grounded" has been light on action and thrills. Despite being a break from JMS, issue #704 does not give us a lot of excitement to break up the normal joe monotony. Here's the plot: Lois shows up in town, meets an old friend, has dinner with her friend's family, questions her marriage, reaffirms her marriage, and cuddles up with Supes. Not too much of note goes on unless you're into emotional journeys and if you're not... Don't get me wrong, I'm all up for full characterizations and taking the time to make fictions feel like real people. But this is a superhero comic and it NEEDS some action. If "Grounded" doesn't raise the stakes soon, this will go down as one of the most boring eras of Superman all-time. It also should be noted that Lois was the only interesting character in the issue. Everyone else felt like place-holders. We had generic sorority girls and a generic suburban couple that came from the void and can return there without being missed. Even Superman's personality felt a bit off as he appeared at the very end to reaffirm Lois' importance to him. Like I said, Lois was beautifully and realistically characterized, but, unfortunately, she was the only one. In the end, I was glad to see G. Willow Wilson still working for DC. She's a unique and interesting personality in comics and a talented writer, so I hope she gets a new monthly title out as soon as possible. But, Superman #704 is a soft and flawed effort that does nothing to help this era of Superman feel more interesting. I wait to see what JMS' next move is...
