Despite some delays and a bizarre last-minute network shift, My Adventures With Superman, the latest animated adaptation of the Last Son of Krypton, has been a rousing success. Over the course of its recently wrapped first season, the show has garnered near universal praise from critics and fans alike thanks to its anime-inspired look, stylish action, and overall optimistic tone that make it feel like a breath of fresh air amidst a sea of grim and gritty Superman adaptations.
And you can count me among those fans. I’ve been following the show week to week, absolutely love it, and have been wanting to write a piece on it basically since it premiered. As the story unfolded and discussions around the show grew, I quickly realized what I wanted to focus on. This show’s version of Lois Lane and why she’s the best the character has ever been. So now that all ten episodes are out, let’s dive into exactly that. I’ll try to avoid major spoilers, but if you haven’t seen the show and don’t want to know anything, you might want to turn around now.
The Basics on Lois Lane
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For those of you that have been living under a rock for the past several decades, here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know about most previous versions of Lois Lane, particularly the original comics. She debuted in Action Comics #! way back in 1938 alongside Superman himself. She’s a star reporter for The Daily Planet with an unwavering commitment to the truth, even if it means putting herself in danger in the process.
Lucky for her, Superman is quick to come to the rescue whenever she’s in trouble; both because he’s Superman and saving people is his whole thing and because he’s in love with her. And whether that be as Superman or Clark Kent, Lois eventually realizes she loves him back and the two start dating and later get married. Until their marriage was erased in the New 52. And then un-erased in Rebirth. Comics are weird.
The point is that Lois Lane has always been a more proactive and self-sufficient character than most other comic book love interests, especially those of the Gold and Silver Age. She had her own wants, needs, and personality that existed completely independently of Clark. And this clearly resonated with comic readers early on as from 1958 to 1974, Lois had her own solo book entitled Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane.
However, there are three core issues with this archetypal version of Lois. Firstly, early stores especially tended to paint her exclusively as a damsel in distress, with her proactive nature arguably being used less to empower her and more to make her look like an idiot in over her head. Secondly, her classic design has often been sexually objectified, taking away some of her agency. And thirdly, when she’s allowed to be capable, she’s almost too perfect.
I don’t mean to start any “Lois Is A Mary Sue” conversations or similarly inane discourse, but when we first meet Lois Lane across most incarnations, she’s already one of The Daily Planet’s top reporters. We don’t often get to see how she gained that reputation or much of what makes her stand out compared to the Planet’s other writers. And that’s where My Adventures With Superman comes in.
What My Adventures With Superman Brings To The Table
The Lois of My Adventures With Superman is very much not a damsel in distress. She may be occasionally rash, but she always has a plan to an arguably absurd degree. In the episode “Kiss Kiss Fall In Portal,” she has an entire conspiracy board prepared just to prep for a date with Clark. This woman is nothing if not ready for any eventuality.
She’s proactive and will put herself on the line for the sake of a story or to help others; but she can recognize when she’s out matched and will act accordingly. She may occasionally rely on Superman’s help, but it feels much less like damsel in distress and much more like “I’m an ordinary human, he’s basically a god, and I have common sense.”
As for the objectification problem, you can see from the image above how well the show’s design team understood the assignment in regards to updating Lois’ look for the modern era. Shorter hair and a more tomboyish wardrobe help this Lois look more like an actual human being instead of eye candy while still maintaining a distinct feminine cuteness.
As for the lack of development that comes from Lois already being a star reporter, My Adventures With Superman has a rather ingenious solution to that: she’s not. Instead, she works as an intern at the famous newspaper alongside Jimmy Olsen and Clark Kent. However, her famous commitment to the truth remains intact from previous versions; as she is constantly shirking her intern duties in order to pursue more substantial journalistic endeavors, such as investigating Intergang or the true identity of Superman.
Here, we actually get to see Lois rise through the ranks, struggle, and make mistakes as she learns how to be a journalist and the balance it takes to find a good story while maintaining a moral compass. This is especially apparent in the episode where Vicki Vale offers Lois a byline on a story about “the dangers of Superman” and Lois, having recently learned that Superman is Clark and therefore a good person, vehemently rejects the idea.
In Conclusion
While My Adventures With Superman only has one 10-episode season under its belt so far, it has quickly proven its deep love and understanding for the Superman mythos both by what it keeps and what it changes. It understands that Superman himself is meant to be an optimistic symbol of hope and thus leaves that as is, while also understanding that many of his villains have been done to death and thus trying something new with them.
In the case of this piece’s subject, the series understands that Lois Lane is a dedicated journalist and will seek the truth no matter the cost while also understanding that many aspects of her classic depiction are outdated by today’s standards. The core of this Lois is the same as always, but she’s not a sex object, not a damsel in distress, and not someone whose major accomplishments already happened offscreen.
The My Adventures With Superman version of Lois has flaws and often struggles, but never loses sight of her goals and her ideals. She’s her own person while still having a genuine and loving relationship with Clark. She’s intelligent, she’s funny, she’s often a little paranoid, and it’s easy to see why she’s the best Lois Lane.
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