Like A Sweet Summer Day

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The first page of Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort’s Superman #14 is one that will fill you with hope. Focusing on Lois Lane with x-ray vision, you can see why the Man of Steel becomes putty in her hands: She’s tough. She’s accomplished. She’s beautiful. And she won’t take no for an answer. In other words, it’s an emotional heart for Superman, a character who has long been lacking a central throughline for writers to grasp.

But unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for everything to go to H’el. […]

Superman and Lois, however, look gorgeous, just a natural (if also unnaturally pretty) couple.

I just wish I saw more of them. Lobdell clearly has chops, but they’re being forced in the wrong direction. Scott Lobdell can make us care about the Man of Steel, even if his dialogue occasionally can be ham-fisted and over the top. But we need human stakes and smoother, more linear storytelling to get us to that point. Superman has survived street fight after street fight, and unfortunately, people haven’t cared any more about him. But if you give us a glimpse into the heart and soul behind those otherworldly eyes — I’m looking at you, Lois — and you’ll find that the Man of Steel and his extended family have plenty of fans left. But right now, without something for readers to resonate with, H’el on Earth doesn’t feel like a knockout — it just feels like a dud.