Lois Lane is a character who has been unfairly pushed to the side in the New 52 and has not played a vital role as she used to in the comics. No longer Superman's girlfriend, she hasn't really been deemed as interesting by DC Comics. But thankfully, with this one-shot, Marguerite Bennett has managed to hopefully turn things around and deliver a great issue that should see the start of a bigger focus on Lois Lane in further issues to come.
Superman: Lois Lane is all about its titular character. Don't go in expecting a Superman heavy issue, for the Man of Steel is barely present in this bumper sized Volume. The issue itself focuses on the involvement of Lois' sister, Lucy - who has become involved with deadly drugs. Lois meanwhile is still struggling to deal with the influence of Braniac, but the plot is probably the weakest part of this issue. It's mundane and not really standout, but the main talking point will of course be about Lois Lane - her character is pulled off very strongly and she feels very much in-character over the course of this issue. She's heavily pragmatic, dealing with problems sensibly and realistically, but all that goes out the window when goes when her sister is in danger. However, the book's biggest problem is that this could have been a lot more interesting if we haven't seen this type of story take place more than once in multiple comics in the last couple of months from DC alone. There's nothing that's going to blow you away here, but you'll be really impressed by Bennett's handling of Lois Lane.
The artwork is not quite perfect as well. There are four pencillers on this issue and it allows for some inconsistency in the artwork. Sometimes it does make sense when you have a flashback, but in other places it just feels odd and out of place. Whilst it's understandable to have more artists with the bumper sized issue it probably would have been better to stick just one penciler on this book with Benett rather than have multiple artists.
And also, whilst it's understandable that the word Superman was added to the beginning of the title, was there really any need? Much like Batman: Joker's Daughter, this book should have simply been called Lois Lane. For one, there's no Superman needed and this one-shot proves why an ongoing Lois Lane series would be a good idea - I'd welcome the presence of Bennett on writing duties and it will no doubt be interesting to see how things played out over the course of the series. However, that doesn't look like it's going to happen any time soon, but it would give Lois the attention that she needs as a character and will add another female-lead book to DC's stable of titles like Batgirl, Wonder Woman and Supergirl. Let's just hope this issue is only the beginning of greater things to come.
This book might not be the ultimate Lois Lane story, but it's certainly a damn fine read and you can't go wrong with it really. Despite its problems the book is unusually intelligent for a mainstream comic, dealing with a lot of complex themes that wouldn't be found in an average book - so if you're looking for a decent read that's smart from a promising writer, you'll want to pick up this book. Trust me, you won't regret it. Despite its flaws, the book remains an incredibly enjoyable issue. Recommended.
VERDICT: 4/5
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