So on the Batman/Superman divide, spectrum whatever you want to call it, I’m on the side of the Man in Blue. Have been since the fifth grade when Lois & Clark was my favorite TV show and my mom let me put Superman’s shield on my retainer. Also, the dark and broody thing has never really done it for me. I’m pretty much in agreement with John Green on this matter (“Batman is just a rich guy with an affinity for bats who is playing out his insane fantasy of single-handedly ridding Gotham of crime.”) I’ve read a smattering of Superman comics over the years, but I’ve always preferred the filmed versions over the comics. Give me Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh, Dean Cain or Tom Welling any day.
Yeah, I’m one of those “non-comics readers”. Superhero comics overwhelm me. Deal with it.
But as much as I love that thick-necked, tight-panty-wearing honorable musk-ox of a man, the actual reason that I love Superman so much is because where goeth Superman, Lois Lane goeth also.
I love Lois Lane. Love her. LOVE.
She’s smart and spunky and tenacious. She won’t take your shit. She’s nosy and persistent and knows just exactly how to push all of your buttons, either to get what she wants or just to annoy the bejeezus out of you. She’s sometimes bitter and caustic on the outside, but inside she’s all gooey emotional center. She’s the original marshmallow.
So basically the only thing I was wanting from this book was to make sure it did my girl credit. I’m happy to report that it did.
Gwenda Bond’s Lois is a seventeen year old army brat, newly moved to Metropolis. She’s spent her childhood moving from place to place and stirring up trouble, but this time her father has requested a more permanent assignment, and Lois is determined not to screw things up, and maybe actually make a friend that will stick with her longer than her next move. Her only long-lasting friendship is with a guy she met online in a mysterious occurrences message board. He refuses to tell her his real name, only going by the handle “SmallvilleGuy.” (winkwink)
But of course, being Lois, she manages to get herself right in the thick of things almost immediately upon entering her new school. Like, IMMEDIATELY. Pretty soon she’s on a crusade to save a student from a very bizarre and terrifying form of bullying, of which the administration not only ignores, but seems to go out of their way to cover up. She does this with the online chat type help of SmallvilleGuy, and with the resources of the student version of the Daily Planet behind her (Perry White, of course, having almost immediately recruited her).
It’s a really fun read. The mystery was pretty good, very reminiscent of the comics, but my favorite parts were Lois being Lois, and the close friendship between her and SmallvilleGuy. Their relationship frustrates Lois, as she wishes she could be closer to her friend, but knowing for some reason that she can’t.
It was a fun, quick read, and I hope enough people buy it and read it so that she writes sequels. I very badly need this whole thing with SmallvilleGuy to be worked out, even though I know how it will all end.
