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Lois Lane #10 ratchets up the pace and drama of the series to an insane level. Lois Lane, Renee Montoya, and newcomer to the series Jessica Midnight spring their plan to take on the Kiss of Death. However, Greg Rucka and Mike Perkins do not let the intensity cause them to lose focus on what is the core of the series, the characters. As a matter of fact, they use a continuity problem that has been at the center of all of DC’s titles since the Rebirth imitative to delve into the character dynamics and motivations.
The Mindbending Realities Of The Multiverse
Who would have thought that Lois Lane #10 would be the issue that would explain just how messed up and confusing the multiverse in DC’s current continuity is? Not I, but now that I think about it, I see what Rucka and Perkins were doing from very early on with the reintroduction of Vic Sage and the reinstating of Renee Montoya as The Question. The Rebirth initiative was sort of a soft reboot which saw things from the Pre-New 52, Post-Crisis become canon again while still maintaining certain bits of continuity from the 2011 New 52 reboot. This has led to a very confusing DC timeline, numerous continuity issues, and creative teams just picking and choosing what is canon withing their respective books.
Greg Rucka uses a beautiful metaphor of the parable of a man dreaming he was a butterfly to explain the mess that is the multiverse. When the man wakes up, he is not sure he is a man or a butterfly, but at the end of the day that is not what matters, what matters is that he was both in the dream. As such, the Renee Montoya we see in this Lois Lane series was and still is the New 52, Renee, she just woke up one day with memories of having been more than just a cop.
When the multiverse is in flux, such as it is now, things from other universes slip through and affect others. So, this Jessica Midnight may not have been a spy for the organization Checkmate, but she has the training that indicates that a version of her was. It may be a bit confusing but in a roundabout way, it makes perfect sense. And the fact that it is confusing puts us in the character’s heads. Imagine what it would be like to wake up one day and have memories of a life that you never lived? It would be confusing; it would also be scary. Greg Rucka doesn’t shy away from this and I appreciate that.
Bigger Ideas Channeled Through A Character-Focused Lens
Two characters have a bit of a crisis of faith due to the situations they are in. First, Lois Lane feels exhausted at the entire situation with the Kiss of Death. This mystically powered supervillain — and assassin — is after her and she can’t seem to figure out why. In addition, everything regarding the corruption she has unearthed is being ignored. She is doing her job, telling the truth and telling it loudly, but too many people have their ears closed.
This leads to a great conversation between Lois and her husband Clark Kent aka Superman. Despite Superman being one of the most powerful beings on Earth, he can’t fix every problem, it’s just not realistic. And despite Lois being an amazing reporter, she can’t get everyone to listen to her reports, that’s just not realistic. They both feel a sense of powerlessness and yet they don’t give up. There is something to be said about the ability to do the right thing even if you know it is fruitless, sometimes all that matters is that you tried. Jessica Midnight has a crisis of faith because she isn’t quite sure who she is anymore because of the madness with the multiverse.
She was just an ordinary woman that got swept up in the current because she one day woke up with all these memories of being a spy, of being a witch. She wants to do good and yet she feels incapable of doing it because she feels inexperienced. How can she know how to do something if she never actually did it? It’s a serious question that should be raised. The impacts of a changing multiverse reverberate even on the smallest scale and it’s important to remember that in a genre that often forgets the little details in favor of big action and shocking reveals.
Lois Lane #10 Grounds a Subject Many People Find Confusing
Lois Lane #10 comes back from a brief hiatus due to the current global pandemic swinging. A fantastic issue all the way around from the art, writing, character work, and the increased drama. Special shout out needs to go to the splash page that reveals the different multiverse versions of Renee Montoya. Renee and Helena shippers like me can rejoice, thanks Greg Rucka and Mike Perkins!