Superman #31 Discussion/Spoilers

[Xarek]

Chapter 4 of the Doomed: Infected saga is upon us.

spoilers:

After the events of Superman/Wonder Woman #8, Superman turns himself in to the authorities. Chained within what used to be Lex Luthor's former prison, the effects of the Doomsday virus appear to be taking a toll on his resilience. His colleagues from the JL (Batman, Cyborg) and a group of the most brilliant minds on the planet (Lex Luthor, Dr.Ray Palmer and Dr. Shay Veritas) struggle to find a way to stop the evil within from taking over. Meanwhile, Lois Lane visits the prison at Clark's request. Brainiac takes over during her meeting and mentally pushes an image of the Teen Titans in danger (courtesy of Detritus from Teen Titans #3) into his brain. Superman escapes. Aids the Teen Titans by decimating Detritus and appears to be embracing his Doomsday persona as he flies away.

end of spoilers
So the main question would be this: does Lobdell leave with a bang or a whimper? Unfortunately, it is the latter. The issue is a complete mess. A rushed lazy script, followed by inconsistent artwork, with a story that goes nowhere fast. Great comic book stories make you wish there were more pages. This one makes you wonder how did so many of them go to waste. Characters are disposable. Wonder Woman in particular (In the story she says she has to “stand guard outside” and yet does absolutely nothing when she sees Superman escape!)
The signs that DC editorial tried to cobble together a complete story out of this are all there: An issue that reuses interior art for its cover and bears no "Doomed" heading whatsoever, editorial notes that are incorrect (page 8 refers to SM/WW #9, when it is in fact issue #8 it is referring to), art assets that don't correspond from one page to the next (sometimes Superman is tied to a machine like device, no cape; other times he is trapped in a chain-link brace). It is like Ed Benes and Jack Herbert were not given enough time to review their continuity details among themselves.
All in all, a Chapter that could have easily been told in a single page.
Hopefully, Gregg Pak will move the story along once Action Comics #32 comes around.

[DochaDocha]

Chapter 4 or 5?

Yeah, this is pretty easy to skip. It didn't help for me that I don't read Teen Titans, so seeing the story jump to the Titans didn't add a particularly useful layer for me. To its credit, I am more curious about what's the deal with Lois Laniac, but I feel like the only thing you miss if you pass up on this issue is wonder how did Superman go from lockup to St. Louis.

Also, "Justice League Space Bunker"? Whatever happened to "Watchtower"?

[misslane]

I really wish I didn't have to read these stories as though Lois isn't in them at all. It's the strangest thing to read a character you love act like herself sometimes yet not really be herself. She's there but not there. I'd like to be able to enjoy reading her interactions with Superman, but I can't. It's not Lois.

Did anyone else think the Lois/Diana hug was odd? They barely know each other, and it's even weirder since they were just speaking to each other about Clark as Lois and Diana Prince. Lois meets Diana again as Wonder Woman not long after speaking with her in disguise (a poor one), and their interactions are quite familiar. It's amazing Lois doesn't recognize her; Wonder Woman isn't concerned Lois will connect the dots?

Finally, the last time Diana spoke to Lois, it was after she heard some pretty strange things about her behavior. Was it really a good idea to allow Lois, who might have strange glowing eye powers, near Superman?

[hellacre]

Glad Pak and Soule are taking the main writing duties now for Doomed. Their books were better. Lobdell had good ideas but his Superman got lost somewhere after Return to Krypton. I don't know why anyone would let any civilian even go near an infected Doomsday Superman. Story or no story. It's dangerous because he is so unpredictable and what's happening to him is not like if they all know how to handle it. It's the government's responsibility to warn the population because he is a risk. Is Brainiac reaching out and influencing everyone to get near to Clark? That could be the only sane reason to me. Else not sure what the heck Batman,Wonder Woman, Lex and even Clark and the military are thinking.

[misslane]

It's the government's responsibility to warn the population because he is a risk. Is Brainiac reaching out and influencing everyone to get near to Clark? That could be the only sane reason to me. Else not sure what the heck Batman,Wonder Woman, Lex and even Clark and the military are thinking.

If I had to conjure up some explanation, I'd say Superman doesn't have a whole lot of faith in the military to share the news in the fairest way possible. Batman, Wonder Woman, Lex, and Clark might also take a chance on bringing Lois in to speak to Superman because it is important to keep him connected to who he really is. When Smallville worked with a similar story, the beast side of a Kryptonian was kept at bay by keeping the people he cared about close to him. Clark's best friend, in other words, might be one of the best things for him right now. Keep him focused on that which makes him Clark rather than the things that make him a monster.

[Black Angel]

a big ass whimper i mean seriously some of it makes no sense and yes the wonder woman scenes really were not necessary, but alas such is comic book writing you can't make every issue golden.

[UltimateTy]

I didn't know Batman/ Superman had a doomed tie-in, will I be missing much if I skip that?

[butterfingers158]

I didn't know Batman/ Superman had a doomed tie-in, will I be missing much if I skip that?

I'd say yes, plus it was a good issue

[Typhoeus]

Just read it and I don't know what to think. It's the usual 'Lobdell Superman' thing I guess. I didn't hate it but I don't really like it either. Overall, I'm not sure this issue was really necessary. I already knew Superman was sick, Lois was 'Brainiac-ed', the league was looking for a cure... No, I really don't think it was necessary.
Anyway, Bye Scott (Lobdell)!

[devinofthedead]

I didn't know Batman/ Superman had a doomed tie-in, will I be missing much if I skip that?

If you liked Morrison's Action, there is callbacks to that. I loved the issue!

[Xarek]

I really wish I didn't have to read these stories as though Lois isn't in them at all. It's the strangest thing to read a character you love act like herself sometimes yet not really be herself. She's there but not there. I'd like to be able to enjoy reading her interactions with Superman, but I can't. It's not Lois.

Did anyone else think the Lois/Diana hug was odd? They barely know each other, and it's even weirder since they were just speaking to each other about Clark as Lois and Diana Prince. Lois meets Diana again as Wonder Woman not long after speaking with her in disguise (a poor one), and their interactions are quite familiar. It's amazing Lois doesn't recognize her; Wonder Woman isn't concerned Lois will connect the dots?

Finally, the last time Diana spoke to Lois, it was after she heard some pretty strange things about her behavior. Was it really a good idea to allow Lois, who might have strange glowing eye powers, near Superman?

Your points are valid. I might not be a fan, but even I can see that Lois has been wasted under Lobdell. Hence, she hasn't had the renaissance that characters like Lana Lang or Steve Trevor have had. Lois getting psychic powers and possessed has gotten her nowhere (we get it, Brainiac, you want to destroy the world, get on with it or move on)! Once that pointless arc is over, maybe Johns can bring Lois some needed character progression.

If I had to conjure up some explanation, I'd say Superman doesn't have a whole lot of faith in the military to share the news in the fairest way possible. Batman, Wonder Woman, Lex, and Clark might also take a chance on bringing Lois in to speak to Superman because it is important to keep him connected to who he really is. When Smallville worked with a similar story, the beast side of a Kryptonian was kept at bay by keeping the people he cared about close to him. Clark's best friend, in other words, might be one of the best things for him right now. Keep him focused on that which makes him Clark rather than the things that make him a monster.

If that were the case Wonder Woman would be right there with him. She has faced Doomsday before and can survive the spores. Furthermore as Lois is Superman's best friend, I doubt he would even consider endangering her life in any way. It is a massive plot contrivance, just to get Brainiac near him.

On another note, and to make matters worse, Lobdell brings out his lame villain creation in the end for, again, no purpose whatsoever.
(sigh)
Let's expect better things from Doomed.

[Blacksun]

I really wish I didn't have to read these stories as though Lois isn't in them at all. It's the strangest thing to read a character you love act like herself sometimes yet not really be herself. She's there but not there. I'd like to be able to enjoy reading her interactions with Superman, but I can't. It's not Lois.

Did anyone else think the Lois/Diana hug was odd? They barely know each other, and it's even weirder since they were just speaking to each other about Clark as Lois and Diana Prince. Lois meets Diana again as Wonder Woman not long after speaking with her in disguise (a poor one), and their interactions are quite familiar. It's amazing Lois doesn't recognize her; Wonder Woman isn't concerned Lois will connect the dots?

Finally, the last time Diana spoke to Lois, it was after she heard some pretty strange things about her behavior. Was it really a good idea to allow Lois, who might have strange glowing eye powers, near Superman?

oh lol everybody is unable to connect Diana prince, clark gf to WW, without any distiguise. cat and lois are the worst journalists ever lol and to think vicki vale in pre 52 discovered batman identity only connecting the dots between bruce and batman...
I'm worried about lois and ww, lois is possessed and ww at this point is another superman supporting character. diana go get a life pls

[kidstandout]

gotta say, the panel with lois and diana hugging was surprisingly refreshing. was really confused with the titans parts

[misslane]

Your points are valid. I might not be a fan, but even I can see that Lois has been wasted under Lobdell. Hence, she hasn't had the renaissance that characters like Lana Lang or Steve Trevor have had. Lois getting psychic powers and possessed has gotten her nowhere (we get it, Brainiac, you want to destroy the world, get on with it or move on)! Once that pointless arc is over, maybe Johns can bring Lois some needed character progression.

Lois got her own annual, her own one shot, did relatively well under Morrison, and is great in Snyder's top selling Superman Unchained. It's not an altogether bleak picture, though it is not nearly what I'd hope for and what I think Lois deserves. But what I meant originally was I was frustrated with this particular storyline, specifically how it's difficult to tell when Lois is herself and when she's Brainiac. It's so bad I can't really say I feel I'm reading Lois or seeing her get any character development in this so-called Superman event where few of the characters in the Superman mythos are featured extensively, including a completely with it Superman.

If that were the case Wonder Woman would be right there with him. She has faced Doomsday before and can survive the spores. Furthermore as Lois is Superman's best friend, I doubt he would even consider endangering her life in any way. It is a massive plot contrivance, just to get Brainiac near him.

Maybe, but he had a dual purpose here. He wanted to talk to Lois privately about entrusting her with his message in the press about his current state, and he likely wanted to see her. When he was battling Doomsday's influence before, he reached out to Lois via a phone call that apparently got kind of intimate (enough for Lois to warn Diana) and he retreated to his human home in Metropolis. So something about his emotional ties to Clark Kent's life seems to be important to him as he's at war with the alien monster inside him. It's also made clear that the situation in the room was under control with various safeguards which allowed humans like Batman and Lex to be just fine. Whatever the rationale is, I'm just pleased that Lois was featured at all and got to have some one on one time with Superman.

If you want to focus on possible writing hiccups, I suggest you examine how Wonder Woman has been written in this arc so far. The varied and voluminous errors made by all creators involved in their respective books has combined to portray Wonder Woman as both stupid and reckless.

gotta say, the panel with lois and diana hugging was surprisingly refreshing. was really confused with the titans parts

It's refreshing but it makes absolutely no sense. Lois and Wonder Woman have only met on the page one other time during a brief encounter when Metropolis flooded in "Throne of Atlantis." Lois's interactions with Wonder Woman have been with exclusively Diana Prince. The level of comfort and familiarity on display is utterly out of step with the history of these two characters in the New 52.

What's even more confusing is that Lois recently spoke to Diana Prince who was not well-disguised, and during that time Diana discovered that Lois had been seen behaving strangely (i.e. her eyes were glowing). Not only does Lois not recognize Wonder Woman as Diana Prince, but Wonder Woman doesn't seem remotely interested in following up on what the soldiers told her about Lois. Wonder Woman's poor disguise combined with her apathy about Lois's odd behavior are unfortunately examples of sloppiness on her part (really the writers writing her) that should never have happened in the first place.

[Sacred Knight]

I thought the issue was alright. Definitely the weakest of the arc but it had some good moments, like Shay showing some emotion, the mental visuals of Brois, and Superman busting free with ease to help "the kids".

The Wonder Woman/Lois hug was okay, but definitely loses something knowing that this is just Brainiac putting on airs. It surely makes Diana look really good, but it'd be nice to see the two characters get along when Lois is really Lois.