ckin August, Bleeding Cool ran the story that DC's Black Label imprint had greenlit a new Lois Lane comic book written by Greg Rucka. With Lois as ace reporter for the Daily Planet, wife of Clark Kent/Superman and mother of Jonathan Kent – though at what stage in her life or career the book was, we did not know.

Since then… we heard nothing. Were we making it up? Blowing smoke? Were we… just wrong?

Maybe not. Next fortnight's Action Comics #1006 begins, as every Brian Bendis and Ryan Sook issue does, with a desktop of one of the characters. In this case, it's the desk of Daily Planet gossip columnist Trish Q.

Which includes some gossip playing on the word that Superman and Batman now have their trunks back.

Teasing a potential Kamanid revival in Metropolis…

Having Trish mention a possible reference to Green Arrow's fiftieth issue, and what may be happening with Black Canary, to… hang on is that Cat Grant? MArried to Simon Staggs? Or referencing DC Comics creator Cat Staggs in the process?

But here's your big tease from Bendis… Greg Rucks writing an 'unauthorised' Lois Lane book.

How long till April 2019 solicitations?

This is what Greg Rucka once wrote about Lois after he was asked, "Why do you find Lois Lane to be such a special character and what do you think the current higher-ups at DC have against her?"

There are too many traits to list, but I'll toss the immediate ones that come to mind – her courage. her integrity, her smarts. her ethics (when she's written with them, which seems to happen less and less), her heart. and the fact that she can take a punch as well as deliver one. As to the second part, I think they don't get her. because I think they don't get Superman. There's a need to 'gritty' everything, to wash out the idealism of iconic characters and replace it with what I've heard some writers call 'realism' or 'making them relatable'. This, in tum, comes from the belief that Superman cannot possibly be Superman – the argument that no one who had his power, his ability. would ever be so noble, nor so idealistic, nor so altruistic. It's a fundamentally cynical approach to the character, and I believe one that absolutely and unequivocally misses the point. It's an approach that ignores Clark. Thus, if you believe in a Superman who sees no connection to humanity, who views himself as an eternal outsider and instead of striving to BE human, instead isolates himself further. then you end up with a Superman who has no interest in Lois Lane. Just my theory. Take it with as much salt as you can find.