Lois Lane #7 [of 12]
Scheduled to arrive in stores: January 1, 2020
Cover date: March 2020
“Enemy of the People” – Part Seven
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Mike Perkins
Cover: Mike Perkins
Variant Covers: Yasmine Putri
Reviewed by: Mario Bennese
At the Royal Wolverhampton in the UK, a nun comes to visit Jessica Midnight. Midnight believes the nun has come to kill her and is really Leviathan. In Chicago, a photographer waits on a rooftop before he spots what he’s been waiting for: Superman and Lois Lane to kiss. Renee Montoya in her Question attire stops the photographer and sends him packing. Superman greets The Question before taking off. The next day, Lois and Clark take a stroll before Lois returns to her hotel. Waiting in the lobby is Renee who follows Lane.
Lois is curious as to why Renee was on a rooftop last night. As they exit the elevator, Renee offers the intrepid reporter evidence that someone put a hit out on her. The two enter Lois’ room where they find a housekeeper has cleaned the room against Lois’ wishes. The housekeeper claims she doesn’t know the housekeeper that’s been servicing Lois’ suite for months. The new housekeeper leaves before Lois and Renee listen to the evidence. On the recording, it’s revealed that Lawrence Shaw put a hit out on Lois. The tape ends, but Lois is unwilling to accept it as evidence because Renee had used forceful interrogation tactics to get answers.
Elsewhere, monitors show audio and video of the suite are being recorded. The “new housekeeper” pulls off a mask to reveal a skull before detonating some explosives in Lois’ suite.
Story – 1: I’ll be honest, I forgot I even read this issue. Nothing really happens outside of Lois learning someone put out a hit on her and the hotel suite getting bombed. The rooftop scene and the tension between Lois and Renee feels unnecessary as Superman’s already revealed his secret identity a few weeks ago. The Lois and Clark scene is so bare that if you blink, you’ll miss it. Renee slightly senses something’s fishy about the new housekeeper and tries to slyly interrogate, but then nothing comes of it. I saw the attack coming from a mile away and frankly, it’s a little hard to believe that Lois and Renee didn’t. These characters aren’t dumb. A new housekeeper showing up out of nowhere is suspicious and with all of this political thriller stuff happening, Lois’ first thought should have been “Maybe the suite’s been bugged or rigged to blow.” Instead, Lois and Renee choose to stay in the suite and listen to the recording.
This issue feels so bare and stuffed with padding. I know Rucka is better than this. He wrote one of my favorite Superman runs and his Rebirth Wonder Woman stuff was engaging. It feels like this maxi-series is chained to whatever changes Bendis is making and I’d honestly just prefer if this were a standalone story.
Art – 3: The art in this issue is pretty solid. Superman looks rough in the few panels he’s in. I also think I’ve finally pinned down what doesn’t work for me about Perkins’ art: The eyes. Sometimes, they look fine, but there are a lot of panels where they look unsettling.
Cover Art – 3: It’s okay, but it pales in comparison to the variant. The bloody “S” shield is nice, but not enough to save the cover.
Variant Cover Art – 5: I adore this variant. The colors, the drawing, the shading. It all works for me. Lois is a champion of truth and justice just as much as Superman and this is a nice visual reminder. I wish this were the standard cover.
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Funny, Bendis writes great stories but Rucka is supposed to be trash. I admit the issue didn’t progress the story much but it was far more interesting than the mindless and short bam pow plus Clark’s reveal to Fire Chief Moore in Action Comics 1018.