Superman: Lois and Clark

Creator: DC Comics
Ship: Hm, not sure.... (Kidding aside: Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane)

Attention all Lois and Clark fans: it is now safe to read DC Comics again.  In fact, run, don't walk, to your nearest comic book store and start catching up on Superman: Lois and Clark, currently in progress.  As of this writing, the series is just about to release its 3rd issue.

The story goes that a married Lois and Clark from another universe have somehow ended up in the "New 52" universe that DC has going on, and they don't like it either.  (Their main issue is the "fear and suspicion" of this world, with no comments yet on the whole "Superman/Wonder Woman" business.)    They're hiding out as Clark and Lois White, and since their universe had a few years' head start on this one, they're trying to get the drop on all their would-be villains, with mixed success.  Also, they have a son.

While it's a little soon to say for certain whether this will be a fun ride in the long run, I've been enjoying the two issues released so far.  Issue #1 suffers a little bit of "As You Know" syndrome, and can feel like the author is desperately trying to bring you up to speed on all the exposition, but the 2nd issue recovers from this and is more enjoyable as a story.  Also, if my math regarding John's age is correct, then this version of Lois and Clark may well be the same couple from the 1990's comics, which is an extra-special bonus for fans like me who grew up with the John Byrne era and its fruits (such as the Lois and Clark TV show).

I'm sorry to report that this doesn't seem to be something you can just pick up a single issue of; the story is on-going, so you'll likely need to set aside $3.99 a month if you want to know what's going on.  Depending on your budget, though, it may be worth it, as we finally get to see a married Lois and Clark in action, together, in canon, for the first time in years

.

In-House Superman Fan-Comic: Issue #1

 I decided to start posting my own little home-made fan-comic here, in addition to whatever other goodies I find (which hasn't been much, lately).  Since it's an AU in which Supes and Lois are married, I figure it should fit right in.  So, here's comic #1, which has also been posted to the Lois and Clark fanfic boards and my DeviantArt account.  Feel free to either admire or make fun of it in the comment section.

Creator: Queen of the Capes
Ship: Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane

Spider-Girl

Creator: Marvel Comics

Ship: Spider-Man/Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Girl/May “Mayday” Parker and various.

Spider-Girl is a line of comics from Marvel that asks, “What would happen if Spider-Man and Mary Jane had a daughter, and their daughter inherited her daddy's superpowers?” The answer, of course, is “take names and slam heat as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.” The series was actually canceled multiple times but brought back due to high demand from fans, which just goes to show: you can't keep a good web-slinger down.

It's an excellent comic for girls to enjoy, since our protagonist is a well-written high-school girl with more personality than cleavage. It's also an excellent comic for shippers, since we get both the coziness of seeing Mr. and Mrs. Parker in domestic bliss and the excitement of young May's romantic prospects. Of course, the romance isn't the entire point of the comic: rather, it's balanced out with May's crime-fighting, her relationships with her parents and her friends, and the occasional pulse-pounding tangle with a deadly supervillain, meaning that this is just an excellent comic, period.

  If you're looking for a gift for someone who wants to get into comics...don't give them this one. It will set the bar too high, and they'll just be disappointed when they discover what most other comics are like. However, if you're looking for a comic for someone who just wants something good to read, then this is perfect.

Excelsior!

Superman Vs. The Elite

Creator: Joe Kelly (DC Comics/Warner Bros.)
Ship: Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane

Has anyone here seen Superman Vs. The Elite?

It's an animated movie based on the comic book story What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?  Both are written by Joe Kelly.  It's basically a look at idealistic heroes versus the darker, more violent anti-heroes that became so popular in comics all of a sudden.

The Elite, led by Manchester Black

In the story, Superman meets The Elite, a group of--well, dark and violent anti-heroes.  They believe in simply killing their opponents.  This philosophy, naturally, puts them at odds with Superman, and things escalate to the point where they end up challenging the man of steel to a duel to the death.  Since they are willing to kill and he is not, it seems as though there can only be one outcome.

Superman and Lois are married in this one.  While the relationship isn't really the centerpiece of the story, I think it does contribute a lot to the tension: by the end of the story, Superman's life is on the line.  If he were single, this would just be standard stakes for your typical Saturday-Morning Cartoon slug-fest.  Since he's married here, however, and since we can see how the situation is affecting Lois, the stakes are even higher: two lives may be wrecked, not just one.  If he dies, he leaves Lois behind as a widow.  Now it's drama.

Since this is more of an action story than any kind of romance, Lois and Clark's relationship can, at a glance, seem fairly frigid on the surface. I thought so, until I realized that Lois' comment about Clark needing cold showers wouldn't make any sense as a threat (even a mock-threat) if he were already taking them, if you know what I mean.  We also get a glimpse, towards the beginning, of just why Clark needs someone like her ("Someone's got to look after your S.") and, towards the end, why she needs someone like him.

Overall, Superman Vs. The Elite is a good movie, and while the relationship between Clark and Lois isn't center-stage, it is present.  Lois is a major supporting character here, and her role serves to better the story significantly.  Of course, one can always want more, but hey: at least we're not being beat over the head with the old "Superheroes shouldn't marry" stick.  I'd call this a step in the right direction.

Love and Capes

Creator: Thom Zahler
Ship: Mark Spencer / The Crusader and Abby Tennyson (Loosely based on Superman and Lois Lane)

Love and Capes is printed and sold as a comic book, although older issues are eventually put up on the official site as a web-comic.  It chronicles the relationship of Abby and Mark.

Abby Tennyson is an ordinary young woman who owns a bookstore.  She thought that her boyfriend, Mark Spencer, was just a mild-mannered accountant, but he turned out to be a little more than meets the eye.

That's right: he's the famous superhero The Crusader, which means that Abby now has to learn how to deal with issues like Amazonian ex-girlfriends, evil doppelgangers, and time-travel.  Plus, there is the greatest challenge of all to overcome: his mother.

Zahler states on his website that he was inspired by the television series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and this comic has that same blend of action-romantic-comedy.  The actual heroics take a back-seat to their effects on Mark and Abby's relationship, but there's still plenty of weirdness to give the feel of living in a comic book.  A giant meteor is threatening the Earth?  It must be Wednesday.

Most of the characters are very obvious expies of DC and Marvel personalities, although each is given their own unique twist.  There are also many subtle (and not-so-subtle) allusions to the various superhero mythologies and the comic book industry.  Half of the fun is in guessing who is based on who, as well as spotting the various references -- not to mention, the terrible puns that are occasionally slipped in.

Love and Capes is a beautiful combination of the fantastic and the mundane, the natural and the super-natural.  It has a goodly amount of emotional tension and character development, but at the same time, it doesn't beat you down with too much drama.  The tone is light and fun, reveling in all the bizarre things that frequently happen in a typical comic book, without being overly silly or serious.  In a way, it's like a love letter to the superhero genre, and an excellent example of how a "They Do" superhero story can work.