Written by G. Willow Wilson
Art by Leandro Oliveira; Walden Wong; Rod Reis; & John J. Hill
Cover Art by John Cassady & David Baron
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for December 2010, this issue is entitled “The Road Least Traveled: A ‘Grounded’ Interlude.” Lois Lane is in Rushmark, Indiana, (where she had graduated from an unidentified college years before) to continue her assignment of covering Superman’s cross-country walking tour. Lois ponders what might have been if she had gone on from college to a happily conventional life, instead of the widespread public perception as Superman’s ‘cheerleader.’
Besides meeting three self-involved current members of her sorority, Lois encounters ex-classmate/ex-boyfriend, Brian, and his infant son, J.B. Accepting a dinner invitation to Brian’s house, Lois meets his wife, Huong, and their daughter, Ahn. Lois privately confides her envy to Huong, who busily juggles family life with a full-time job running an architectural firm.
Huong assures her that any ‘might have been’ life isn’t worth stressing over. Clearing her head, Lois finds herself romantically swept up by her husband into the night sky. Missing one another, Lois & Clark discuss why she wishes to be needed by him.
Note: Though the image isn’t provided with this comic, artist Gene Ha is credited for a variant cover.
REVIEW:
Kudos to writer G. Willow Wilson for realistically exploring Lois’ multi-dimensional personality, in terms of who she once was and wanted to be vs. her secret life as ‘Mrs. Superman.’ This issue is a solid read that admirably focuses on Lois’ emotional anxieties instead of yet another round of her aggressive approach to journalism.
The three major sequences (Lois quietly reflecting on her college days; Lois visiting Brian & Huong’s family home; and the romantic finale) are well-played and generally kid-friendly. Even more so, this intriguing one-shot is imbued with top-caliber visuals by the art team (aside from Lois and Brian inexplicably resembling twenty-somethings instead of mid-to-late-thirtysomethings). Superman # 704 is an underrated gem inside the high-profile Grounded that proves worth the price of admission.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The single-page “DC Nation” column offers three panels previewing Action Comics # 894, as Lex Luthor encounters DC’s female version of Death.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 9 Stars
