Superman (2023) #21 – written by Joshua Williamson, with art by Dan Mora – is all about Lois and Clark exploring their relationship now that Lois has powers to match Clark's own. Despite trying out various super-powered date ideas, such as throwing boulders like darts on the moon, or a trip to Gemworld, the two only feel at ease again after going for breakfast burritos in Smallville.

"I know what was missing...us. Lois and Clark. A city girl and a small-town boy," Lois explains, reaffirming the humanity of their relationship in a moment that truly touched me.

I've Always Appreciated How Lois & Superman Have Never Needed Powers To Work As A Couple

Superman (2023) #21 – Written By Joshua Williamson; Art By Dan Mora; Color By Alejandro Sánchez; Lettering By Ariana Maher

I think Superman #21 offers a lovely dive into the chemistry that makes Lois and Clark tick, especially now that yet more superpowers have been added to the mix. Contemporary Superman has never shied away from Lois's extraordinary qualities: her journalistic prowess, her coolheadedness in a crisis, and her strong sense of justice. Granting Lois superpowers is a fascinating twist on their dynamic because Lois has never needed them; now, however, Lois has the chance to relate to Clark as an equal and I find it fascinating how the two struggle to connect to each other as superheroes.

Related

Absolute Superman Rewrites Clark's Lois Lane Romance, Turning Her into an Official Villain

Lois Lane is Superman’s latest villain, redefining one of the DCU’s most beloved relationships. However, fans still might get a Clois romance.

Posts 1

Likewise, Superman has always been defined by his humanity and comion over his Kryptonian abilities. I’ve often argued that Superman, not Wonder Woman, represents “love” in DC’s trinity of heroes, because the character’s hallmark trait is his seemingly endless comion. But Superman isn’t just some impossible standard of inhuman patience: his comion stems from his rural, small-town upbringing, where community and communication is king. The “Big Blue Boy Scout” is inextricably linked to Midwestern American values, which inform his character far more than the super-strength, flight, or other abilities that have given him near godlike status in the DC universe.

Lois And Clark's Dynamic Has Always Focused On Them As People First, Powers Second

Readers Love The Characters Beneath The Costumes

I really like how Superman #21 emphasizes that granting Lois superpowers doesn’t necessarily enhance her relationship with Superman – power has never been a source of inequality between them. Articles like Larry Niven’s “Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex” may be the satirical extreme, but there are criticisms about how valid the relationship between Lois and Superman is when Lois is a human being and Superman is a god in all but name. What people often overlook is that Superman is, at his heart, a good person – a human being – and that his powers are ultimately secondary to this fact.

Related

Superman Is Taking Romance to New Heights With Lois Lane All Thanks to Superwoman's Incredible Powers

Superman's space date on the moon with Lois Lane shows that her Superwoman powers are taking their iconic love story to adorable new heights.

Posts

As a point of contrast, I'm reminded of one of the more contentious elements of the infamously controversial New 52 reboot: temporarily cutting Lois out of the picture and instead pairing Superman romantically with Wonder Woman. While the pairing makes sense on paper, with the two of them sharing similar levels of incredible power, that same factor means that their partnership lacks the simple, human core that Lois and Clark celebrate together in Superman #21. It robs Superman of the chance to just be Clark Kent, which this issue emphasizes as one of the most important parts of his relationships.

Superman And Superwoman's Super Relationship Is Only Just Starting To Be Explored, But I Can't Get Enough

Their Love Never Fails To Warm My Heart

At the end of the day, I just really, really love these moments between Lois and Clark. I love how exuberant Lois is in trying out her new powers; I love how tender she and Clark are together in those rare, precious moments when two of the most powerful people in all of DC can let their guard down around each other. Lois and Clark delighting in the simple things together is everything I want out of the couple because, despite them having the power to decide the fate of entire planets, these small human moments are what truly matter.

One last thing I would like to emphasize is the way that Superman #21 highlights just how awkward Lois and Clark’s relationship is when they're trying to romance each other as Superman and Superwoman instead of simple Lois and Clark, and the way they reconcile with each other through their humanity just warms my heart. I'm a firm believer that heroes need to be good people first and myths second – and witnessing Superman and Lois Lane quietly affirm this to each other on a cold morning over burritos has been one of my favorite moments of the season.

Superman (2023) #21 is available now from DC Comics.

Superman

Alias

Kal-El, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent

Created By

Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel

Franchise

D.C.

Race

Kryptonian

First Appearance

Action Comics

Alliance

Justice League, Superman Family

The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.

Expand Collapse