ITA. That's what counts. Not a marriage, not even necessarily that they're actively, monogamously dating. Its just that they have a strong bond that's important above all. You have that, and you're set to go from there. That, and only that, is what the New 52 did wrong for instance. Not that they weren't happily married, not that they dated other people, but that for too long they didn't develop an independent connection of their own.
"They can be a great people Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you. My only son." - Jor-El
Agreed. I don't think Lois should ever have learned Superman's secret identity, it takes a lot of the magic and conflict away. But there's not much that can be done about it now. As you say, only a hard reboot could fix it, and now isn't the right time for anything like that. Hopefully DC will still have room for "untold tales" with the traditional Lois/Clark dynamic.
None, really. Just wish that someone else could do Bat/Cat instead of King.
Clark and Lois I'm fine with. Not necessarily the way Bendis is portraying it, but it works.
To go kind of left field, end the Ric/whoever that rando is, bring back Dick, and make Mar'i Grayson a thing! Which means an actual relationship with Star.
If DC only plans to give us Wally moping about Linda all the time, I'd be find with the two moving on
It's the Dynamic Duo! Batman and Robin!... and Red Robin and Red Hood and Nightwing and Batwoman and Batgirl and Orphan and Spoiler and Bluebird and Lark and Gotham Girl and Talon and Batwing and Huntress and Azreal and Flamebird and Batcow?
Since when could just anybody do what we trained to do? It makes it all dumb instead of special. Like it doesn't matter anymore.
-Dick Grayson (Batman Inc.)
See the problem here is there are more people that haven't even started or managed to stay as a couple. The ones who have become a couple I have no problem.
Clark and Lois
One of the biggest complaints that people had about the New 52 in the first place was the erasure of Lois and Clark's marriage. Well, of all of DC's iconic marriages, really, but there was particular emphasis on the Lois/Clark marriage. Because, like it or not, in the 20+ years that they've been married, Lois and Clark have become sort of the figurehead for couples in the DC Universe. They're one of the most famous couples in fiction, after all.
Also, the whole love-triangle dynamic was what was iconic...30-40 years ago when the Donner films were coming out. Nowadays, its much more of a classic set up that Lois and Clark are not only together, but that she's keyed into the fact that he's Superman after a certain point. Smallville had that dynamic. The Lois and Clark show from the 90s had it. The animated DC movies have it, with a major plot point of Death of Superman being Clark coming clean to Lois about his double life and them moving forward with their relationship. Hell, the DCEU movies had Lois know that Clark was Superman from the very beginning.
The development of Lois from unwitting and gullible love interest without a clue to fully-trusted romantic partner and ally in Superman's adventures is one of the few cases of genuine development in comic books. Let's not mess with it.
I find it hard to believe that anyone could say that DC hasn't been treating Lois well when Rucka is giving us probably one of the best Lois Lane stories ever told. And, yes, their marriage actually does play a key part in it. After all, one of the main subplot points deals in the media's speculation over her relationship with Superman and supposed "infidelity."Didn't mean they did right by Lois after the fact, but that's a separate issue. That was a case of some writers being incapable of knowing what to do with her without her being Mrs. Clark Kent. Which to me is actually another indictment of the marriage and the complacency its caused toward Lois in particular, as opposed to being evidence that its necessary. It wouldn't severely damage anything. As long as they're in each other's hemisphere, that's all that matters. That's all that's ever mattered. You don't need the marriage for the connection.
They don't need to be married. Just as with every couple, they're their own independent people. However, them being married is an aspect of the lore that people love and was widely publicized when they did it. As such, its become something that I don't think many would want messed with.That they need to be married for the lore to work is a fallacy that's consistently debunked in many other comics and other media today. Some outside stories use it, others don't. With the specific idea of marriage never being a contributing factor to any greater degree of success.
People didn't like him with Wonder Woman largely because that relationship came at the expense of erasing his marriage to Lois. And, as I've said before, going back to the way it was before the marriage is just erasing character development that a lot of Superman fans really love. In fact, erasing character development was the key complaint lobbed at the New 52. Most fans weren't on board for the reboot, turns out. Gee, I wonder who saw that coming...
Last edited by Green Goblin of Sector 2814; 10-22-2019 at 07:30 PM.
Lois and Clark
Batman and Catwoman
Give me something new.
Some of us wait, some of us act.
Its another instance of it being said it was something people hated about a change to Superman, but it barely registered in any practical application of evidence. Outside of the concepts fans complaining and that will always happen . It of course has fans so they'd voice their displeasure, just like with any other idea. And I respect that, I do the same thing with things I don't like. I hate this 5G stuff upcoming but if it doesn't ruin the line, Beyond my distaste I won't be able to say the changes have any proof of rejection. But again its not at all something only the New 52 utilized. Lots of other media adaptations since the marriage first became a thing in the comics all the way up to today have worked without the marriage, just a strong connection, and its quite fine. Heck, the DCAU Death of Superman film, which was a hit, didn't even have the two engaged in this incarnation, much less married. But it hasn't occurred yet and it hasn't been a source of applied angst. Can even go as far back as to the old TAS, where they were not married or engaged. That worked out okay.
Last edited by Sacred Knight; 10-22-2019 at 08:49 PM.
"They can be a great people Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you. My only son." - Jor-El
Dan Didio and Jim Lee.