Superwoman #4 Review – Character Overload
My lack of Superman lore knowledge is coming back to haunt me in Superwoman #4. I have the basics down from past movies, cartoons, and tidbits friends have mentioned. However, any other references regarding the world of Superman, and I draw a complete blank. Unfortunately for me, this issue of Superwoman throws a ton of these references in the mix. I’m fairly certain I only understood about half of what is going on. I do wonder if that was kind of the point, to throw in a few curveballs to make you come back and read it all together, to get the cohesive flow. It’s honestly one reason why I’m having personal issues with monthly comics–it’s often too hard to keep up with the action, especially with superhero comics.
And speaking of haunting, (queen of segues over here) Lana seems be haunted by the ghost of Lois Lane. She’s almost having a Ghost experience, where she can see and hear Lois, but no one else can. As such, it appears that she’s talking to herself quite a bit, almost disturbingly so.
No idea if this is really Lois’s ghost or a figment of Lana’s imagination as she deals with the fact that she is, indeed, dying. Either way, Lois is helping her unravel the mystery behind the Bizarro clones, Lex’s disappearance, and what was really going on at Stryker prison. It’s also thanks to Lois that Lana was able to consider Lena Luthor as a culprit for what happened on the Gestalt.
Almost at that moment, the influx of extra characters beyond my scope of knowledge come pouring in. Traci 13 appears, apparently from a trip to the future. This is where I admit I have no idea who Traci 13 is, but I gather she knows magic and can travel in time or something. What I gathered from a wiki was sketchy at best. Regardless, she pops in, telling everyone about Ultrawoman and what she has done (or will do) to Metropolis.
Okay, I don’t have to know who Traci 13 is in order to understand the plot. But then of all the bizarro things (pun intended), a floating head visits Lex Luthor, explaining to him that his prison is outside of time. Lex knows who this head is and identifies his as Kryptonite Man.
Wait, what?
No, I’m not researching him. The name alone kills any desire to learn anything about him, who he is, what he did, and why he would possibly be in the basement of Lexcorp. Next month appears to be the official rise of Ultrawoman, as she steps out of Lexcorp and takes over Metropolis. Maybe I’ll start to care then.
One thing that really, really bothered me in this issue was how Lana was handling taking anxiety medication. She said way back in issue #1 that she’s been having panic attacks since Clark’s death, so she’s on meds. No big deal, right? But she’s hiding the fact from her boyfriend. She played it off to Lois that it was no big deal, but with John Henry, she hides them. When Ghost Lois asked her why she was hiding it, Lana initially said she was afraid of what he would say. Then she admitted she was afraid of what she would say, that the meds help her more than he does.
This really hit home for me, someone who is on anxiety medication. I never once thought that being on the meds meant that my husband wasn’t enough, and I hate this message conveyed here. Would she think he wasn’t enough if she was taking medication for chronic migraines? No, no she wouldn’t. Not to go all social justice warrior here, but many of those with mental issues go through this exact struggle. I fear that these panels will only twist in that it is shameful for meds users. Why pop pills when you have friends and family? Does that mean you don’t love them anymore or that they don’t do enough for you? No, no it doesn’t. I may be blowing this way out of proportion, but it struck a nerve with me.
Our Rating: meh
Author: Phil Jiminez
Artists: Emanuela Lupacchino, Hi-Fi, Jeromy Cox, Ray McCarthy
Publisher: DC Comics
Publish Date: 11/9/2016
Acquired via Purchase
