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A Baptist Minister on the Many Deaths of Lois Lane From Tom King and Andy Kubert in Walmart

Published Sun, 17 Feb 2019 10:00:09 -0600

The Rev Jerrod Hugenot writes for Bleeding Cool,

Tom King and Andy Kubert's fifth chapter of "Up in the Sky" had immediate criticism for its multiple depictions of Lois Lane meeting her end in distressing, if not violent, situations.

I read about the reaction long before I was able to find a copy of Superman 100-Page Giant, #7, thanks in part to the maddening distribution of said comic at local stores. (This time around it was nearly two weeks after DC announced the "shelf date" before I found a copy lovingly jumbled in the haystack of older issues. Anyone need to insulate their house this year? The DC holiday special issue may be a lower cost alternative.)

The issue does indeed involve the many deaths of Lois Lane. They are the fevered imaginings of Superman far from home. He tried calling Lois back on Earth, and she didn't answer. After a long stretch away, his idle thoughts get amped up by his fatigue and anxiety, and the "what if—?" scenarios plague him.

On one hand, this chapter fits into the overall storyline where the search for an abducted child is secondary to King's interest in pondering how even the superhuman can struggle with being resilient yet subject to reality.

I see this theme in his other writings, whether Scott Free, Bruce Wayne or the Vision, all trying to do the heroic while being caught short by the emotional burdens of mundane mortals (or the hubris that follows when not dealing with your baggage). There is a comic element this image of the strongest person on Earth falling apart in waiting room hell for his number to be called and stewing in his lack of peace of mind.

Nonetheless the creative choices of depicting that emotional journey are at the expense of Lois, treated as a victim over and over.

Frankly, we need storytellers to think through the optics of what they write, draw and edit. One would hope times had changed. Early on in my own comics reading history, DC itself allowed a story beat years ago during the Ron Marz Green Lantern run that rightfully remains infamous and deeply disturbing.

A more considerate style of storytelling is needed so we are not also tacitly depicting unchecked violence against women. Lois is served poorly here as the damsel in distress at best and cannon fodder at worse.

We should expect better stories!

Jerrod Hugenot is a Baptist minister living in upstate New York. He considers Wednesday's their own kind of sacred day.

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