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Oct 21, 2015 Web Exclusive By Mark Redfern

Superman: Lois and Clark is not a comic book continuation of the ‘90s TV show Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, despite its similar title. So don’t expect the likenesses of Dean Cain and Terri Hatcher. But it is a nostalgic new DC Comics series that features previous iterations of the characters. It’s also one that’s off to a good start, based on its first issue.

The Lois Lane and Clark Kent/Superman in question are not the ones we’ve been reading about for the last few years since the DC Universe was rebooted via the Flashpoint event series and became the “New 52” universe. This is actually the pre-Flashpoint/pre-New 52 Lois and Clark. They were last seen in the Convergence mini-series and via the events that happened there, where different versions of DC heroes from across the Multiverse were brought together and pitted against each other, they have found themselves in the current DC Universe (aka Prime Earth). They first arrive just as Prime Earth’s Justice League is forming. This Lois and Clark are older and more experienced than their Prime Earth counterparts, they are also married and have a newborn son, Jonathan. They decide to live in secret and not reveal that they are a Clark Kent and Lois Lane from an alternate universe.

Cut to nine years later. Jonathan is now in school but is still none the wiser that his parents come from a different Earth nor that his father has superpowers. Clark has a full beard and sometimes dons a black cape-less costume with a white Superman symbol on it and saves people incognito-like, always being fast enough to not reveal that he’s another Superman. Lois, for her part, writes books exposing corruption, but under the mysterious “Author X” penname. When Superman sees a way of stopping one of his old enemies before he is created on Prime Earth, will he risk exposing himself and his family?

Writer Dan Jurgens has certainly come up with an intriguing concept, that a secret other Superman has been operating on Prime Earth ever since the New 52 reboot. It’ll definitely be interesting to see how it all plays out in forthcoming issues. Will the two Supermans ever meet? And if so, what will the Prime Earth Superman think of this one being married to Lois and having a son with her? (On Prime Earth Lois and Clark are not even dating, let alone married with a kid.) Will pre-New 52 Superman continue to hunt down his former enemies before they become Prime Earth’s foes and how far will he take that?

Those DC fans who have bemoaned the changes that Flashpoint brought about might feel at home here with their old Superman back and others will still find much to enjoy. The one complaint: if Lois and Clark are trying to operate in secret then perhaps pre-52 Superman shouldn’t have put a Superman symbol on his costume. But of course then it wouldn’t be much of a Superman costume and visually the black costume with the white “S” and a bearded Superman does look very cool. Regardless, this strong first issue, which also features engaging art by Lee Weeks, sets up enough of interest to keep readers on the hook for issue 2 and hopefully beyond. (www.dccomics.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10