Lois Lane #7 (of 12): The Hangman’s Noose

Lois Lane gets right back into its groove after last month’s Event Leviathan-related side excursion. Murder for hire, truth in journalism, smooching Superman – everything is running like clockwork in writer Greg Rucka’s expert hands. The interesting wrinkle this issue throws into the mix is that Montoya has no idea that Superman and Clark Kent are one and the same, putting some strain into her relationship with Lois as she tut-tuts her latter’s decision to “cheat” on her husband. With Superman’s identity out of the bag and public elsewhere in the DCU, though, I expect that strain to explode in the next issue or two.

Trust is a two-way street, and thus far in this series, Lois has only granted Montoya so much of it, treating her like a confidant but also consistently reminding her she’s a paid employee. Montoya’s snark at certain points in this issue reveals that fracture just a little bit more; the revelation of Superman’s identity is sure to push it over the edge. Lois, for her part, has a right to be angry with Montoya later in the issue when her recorded confession is revealed to be coerced; it might play well in Batman-land but would never hold up as a journalistic source. These differences between the realities of these two women are an interesting dynamic and point out the realities of differences between comic book vigilantism and real-world journalism.

There’s a pervasive sense of danger and even dread throughout the issue, strongly communicated through Mike Perkins’ midnight-black inks and Gabe Eltaeb’s moody coloring. Lois Lane‘s not quite a noir but it certainly could be. There’s danger around every corner, and the creative team does an excellent job of creating that palpable vibe.