The Daily Planet Has a Superman Problem (original) (raw)

Editorial

The Daily Planet Has a Superman Problem

BY: Tim Beedle

Wednesday, September 11th, 2024

It’s a great time for Superman fans, with the Man of Steel soaring into movies, TV, animation and comics. To help us stay on top of it, writer Tim Beedle shares what's grabbed his attention and why in this monthly Super-Family column.

It needs to be said. Superman really shouldn’t be working for the Daily Planet.

Yes, Clark Kent’s job as a crack reporter is as much a core part of the character as his journey from Krypton and his affinity for capes, but unlike the other two, it doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense when you break it down.

Okay, capes don’t make a whole lot of sense either, but that one I’m just willing to roll with.

But Superman working as an investigative reporter? That opens the door to some real issues when it comes to ethics. Journalists are supposed to be objective. They observe and report the story as free of bias as they can, and it’s up to the reader to decide how they feel about it. But in Metropolis, Superman often is the story. While there’s no one who’s more selfless and humble than the Man of Steel, or more hopeful and optimistic when it comes to the actions of others, reporting on events in which he played a central role is still deeply problematic in the world of journalism. Superman doesn’t have to display bias or a possible hidden agenda in his writing, just the perception of potentially having one is enough—especially today when trust in traditional media and journalism is at an all-time low.

That’s always been a rarely discussed issue in the world of Superman, and the whole thing’s gotten even worse since Lois Lane became Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet.

No one would argue she’s not deserving of it. Lois is one of the best and most respected journalists in the world. But she’s also married to Clark Kent, who now works directly under her. That’s usually frowned upon in most workspaces. I’m sure two longtime, well regarded employees like Lois and Clark could get the bigwigs who own the paper to grant them an exception, but what do you think would happen if the story ever got out that Clark Kent was Superman and Lois Lane had been overseeing news coverage—including whatever editorial stances the paper takes—on the Man of Steel while being secretly married to him? That would be a massive scandal that would destroy Lois’ professional reputation in an instant. It’s a bombshell waiting to explode.

So, kudos to author and comic book writer Rainbow Rowell for addressing this very thing in her first story with DC. “Lois & Clark: In Love. At Work.” is a tight, perfectly paced backup storyline running in the pages of Action Comicsthat kicks off with Lois taking Clark off of the Metro beat, effectively barring him from writing any of the Daily Planet’s stories on Superman. It’s a dramatic shakeup for Clark, and understandably, he’s not happy about it, but let’s be real—Lois is absolutely right in doing it.

At least from a journalistic perspective, and that’s where the whole thing gets tricky because Lois isn’t just the Daily Planet’s Editor-in-Chief. She’s also Superman’s wife. She understands how important it is for his identity to stay secret—it’s her family that will bear the cost if the truth about Clark Kent ever got out. Clark’s job at the Daily Planet has been crucial for helping him blend in with the people of Metropolis, but it’s also kept him close to the action, something he mentions in Action Comics #1068.

This is why it can be a real problem for someone to be managed by their spouse. I have to think the Planet would be pretty happy with Lois’ actions here, but Clark clearly isn’t, and we see it’s bleeding into his home life with Lois. And you know what? Journalistic ethics aside, Clark may have a point, as we see later in the issue.

As newly assigned Metro reporter Mariposa Lujan and Jimmy Olsen are covering an attack by Atomic Skull, they get caught in the crossfire and Superman is forced to rescue them, allowing Atomic Skull to escape—something that never would have happened if Clark had been the journalist responsible for the story. In moving him off of the Planet’s Superman coverage, Lois has potentially put other reporters in danger, which in this case, may result in even more danger to civilians depending on what Atomic Skull does now. In the last glimpse we see of him in Action Comics #1068, Superman is flying off after saving Mariposa and Jimmy with a furious expression on his face. I can only assume he’s heading to see Lois.

Anyone who’s ever held down two separate jobs knows that occasionally, one job will interfere with another. It’s inevitable. Frankly, the biggest surprise when it comes to Superman is that it doesn’t happen more often. But it’s manifested in a big way within these backup comics. (Which I should mention are excellently illustrated by Cian Tormey. Can we get him on more Superman stories, please?) And honestly, I have no idea how this gets resolved. I can’t imagine for a single minute that Superman’s going to leave the Daily Planet. Certainly not permanently. Lois stepping down as Editor-in-Chief will resolve some of the problems here, but not all of them. And the fact that she even served in the role knowing what she knows about Superman means she’ll forever be at risk of that career-ending story getting out, even if she’s no longer the Chief. That’s a potential problem that will never really go away for her.

When push comes to shove, DC is in the business of superheroes, so I suspect the needs and safety of Metropolis will win out over the conflict of interest that exists whle Clark is secretly reporting on his own actions, but that’s just a guess. And fortunately, while it’s fun to examine and discuss questions like this in our comics and DC.com columns, it’s not something that we’re ever going to have to worry about in real life. After all, if there’s a superhero working undercover at the New York Times or The Washington Post, they’re doing a terrible job of reporting on themselves.

“Lois & Clark: In Love. At Work” by Rainbow Rowell, Cian Tormey and Romulo Fajardo Jr. concludes in Action Comics #1069 on September 25th.

Tim Beedle covers movies, TV and comics for DC.com, writes our monthly Superman column, "Super Here For...", and is a regular contributor to the Couch Club, our recurring television column. Follow him on Twitter at @Tim_Beedle and Bluesky at @TimBeedle.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Tim Beedle and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.