Superman and Lana

[queenursula.insanejournal.com]

Comments

[pyrotwilight.insanejournal.com]

Sigh. What really annoyed me was how I think it was the original Generations, Lois ended up dying of cancer due to being a chain smoker but Lana ended up with Superman and was eternally young and super powered via magic inexplicably.

[kirayoshi1.insanejournal.com]

I thought Lois was killed by her and Clark's son who had been brain-washed by Luthor.

[jlbarnett.insanejournal.com]

actually it was explained as a build up of power from all the times she gained super powers as a kid.

[toasty_fresh.insanejournal.com]

This managed to offend both my moral and fashion sensibilities. I mean, what the hell is Lana wearing on her feet?

[mari_redstar.insanejournal.com]

I, uh, think I own those boots. Or at least a higher-heeled version of same.

Not the rest of the outfit, though, thankfully.

[ashtoreth.insanejournal.com]

I think my son used the same tone tonight--"Is it too much to ask, for me to hold the firework while it lights, just once, before we quit and never see fireworks again for a whole year?"

Yes, yes, it is.

[mullon.insanejournal.com]

Nothing says Independence Day like borderline Ephebophilia.

[freezer818.insanejournal.com]

Don't know if want...

[darklorelei.insanejournal.com]

I'd be creeped out, but I'm too distracted by how awful and counterintuitive the paneling on the first scan is.

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

It is a weird layout. Makes me feel like the world is off-kilter and I need to tilt my head to the left in order to balance it out.

[arbre_rieur.insanejournal.com]

Byrne had a similar plot in an earlier issue of Generations, between Superman's granddaughter (permanently stuck in a young girl's body) and an adult Green Lantern. He also used it in one of his last Doom Patrol issues, when Rita Farr, her mind temporarily in a young girl's body, makes out with the adult Cliff Steele.

It really makes you wonder about the guy, doesn't it?

[fungo_squiggly.insanejournal.com]

I'm guessing that Byrne is into age play and/or much younger women.

Whatever the exact hang up, it seems very much a case of Author Appeal.

[lieut_kettch.insanejournal.com]

Puts his Kitty/Logan dynamic in a whole new light, doesn't it?

[seriousfic.insanejournal.com]

And thus, Batman developed the "Keep Superman Far Away From Cass" contingency plan.

[kamino_neko.insanejournal.com]

I think I said this when this was posted waaaaaay back on the old comm, but this would actually not be too bad, if not for the line about calling the cops. (Mentioning Lana's age didn't help, but could be written off as surprise.)

It would feel rather innocent, if not for that. Only once 'hey the cops could legitimately be called here' is introduced does it stop feeling like humouring an innocent request.

[ashtoreth.insanejournal.com]

Yah. That remark does have a "We know its pedo, but we love you so much, we're gonna let you do it, Superman!"

That actually has legitimate history with god-types, but the very human look Clark is sporting here brings it down to icky.

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

Strangely, I'm not all that surprised by Superman agreeing to kiss 14-year-old Lana in order to be nice. What does surprise me is that Batman isn't stepping in to say "OH HELL NO!"

[foxhack.insanejournal.com]

Considering he does the same, but with boys... ;p

[foxhack.insanejournal.com]

BYYYYYYYYYYYYYYRNE!!!!!

Don't make me call the cops on you, old man!

[mysteryfan.insanejournal.com]

Wow. Several layers of offensive, and also a couple of layers of does not compute story logic. It's like seeing way too much into somebody's secret... yeah.

There's the extra, creepy-obvious kid/adult deal, the fact that she's the Lolita instigator (even though I'm guessing that she liked Superboy, not Superman?) I will never read this comic, so can't tell, but that's the impression I'm getting, and if so... 14-year-olds who have crushes on other teenagers probably like them as teenagers, not white-streak haired men in their 40s.

Possibly worse but at least as bad is the mind-wipe (and not only is she fine with getting mind-wiped, she's the one to assure adult 'I think I'd rather not get my mind wiped' Lois that the men are right.) You should let your mind be violated!

Then there's Batman's: 'No fuss, Lois. You know it's for your own good, grown lady and 14-year old!'

Silly girls! You don't need to know our Man secrets and it's best if we alter your brains.

Wrapped up with--again-- the 14-year old's pushiness for this oh-so-special reward, which is bizarrely unlikely, and to cap it all off, the recognition that it's wrong enough that one could get arrested for it, but that it won't happen in this comic. Because all of these other people, including Batman (!), Lois, Clark's parents(right ?), and Mrs. Superman(right ?) are all fine with it.

Bizarre.

[mysteryfan.insanejournal.com]

Oh, and I forgot: I don't know any 14-year olds who would want to have a 'real' kiss in front of a room full of watchers. Or a Superman who would do that.

[magista.insanejournal.com]

Damn it Byrne! Mouths do not work that way. The lower jaw drops down - the upper jaw does not lift up!!

Technical and storytelling skills up the wazoo - but also can't draw realistic children and teens to save his life...

[perletwo.insanejournal.com]

Turning my brain away from the general aura of "ick" around this scene (they did this once on House M.D., but at least the Lolita-instigator had the leverage of being a Cancer Kid on short time, and BTW ew) - Lois appears to be dressed for camping, and Lana appears to be dressed to star in The Miracle Worker. I vaguely recall there is an in-story reason for this. Anyone know why?

[kamino_neko.insanejournal.com]

Well, it's been a long time since I read any of the Generations series, and I gave up on 3 (whence this) a few issues in, but, IIRC, Lana's parents were VERY conservative, and insisted she be as covered as possible - thus the very long skirt and high boots.

[kusonaga.insanejournal.com]

Yes, it's a little creepy, but damn, Lana's speech does get to me a little. It's not completely out there for her to want this, IMO, and for Superman to fulfil that request.

Then again, I thought all Generations books were awesome.

[runespoor7.insanejournal.com]

I'm in the minority in that the mention of cops, oddly, makes this okay for me to read. It's like a hanging sign saying that this is okay because it's fiction and it's Superman and Lana and there's time-travel, once-in-a-lifetime stuff, whereas in real life, it would be cause to call the police.

Lana's pose in the second to last panel looks very not natural, conventions for representing surprise/relief be damned.

[lyraeinne.insanejournal.com]

In any other context it would probably hit the Wrong button for me, but framed this way I think it's actually kind of sweet. Most teenagers would be allowed to keep their romantic delusions intact for a while longer, but this Lana has already had that idealism shattered. Even knowing that she minutes away from a mindwipe that will render it all null, it's a little sad. Superman sympathizes, and I think they both know that's all it is. It doesn't strike me as a lecherous move in his part, which is what brings it within the range of okay for me, I guess?

[mooppoom.insanejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm seconding this. I think it's out-of-character for Superman to comply, but this is an elseworld, so why not?

Also I really feel for Lana in continuity. I mean, come on. Your childhood sweetheart is the nicest guy in the world, the greatest hero in the world, hot as the surface of the sun, and happily married to someone else. That has to hurt.

[jlroberson.insanejournal.com]

This inking is so...blank.

Compared to what we see in the Byrne FF post a bit further up...bleh.

[thebat_man.insanejournal.com]

Not as creepy as this...