Superman is often considered to be the best comic book character of all time. As the original comic book superhero, the Man of Steel has inspired good and hope for over 80 years now. However, Superman has not been alone in his fight for truth, justice, and the American way. Over the years, several other key characters like the Justice League, Jimmy Olsen, and Lois Lane have all stood at Superman’s side as he fights to defend the planet.
Lois Lane, as many know, has come to play a greater role in Superman’s life than other characters have, as the two are currently married and have a son together. Though she has often been described as merely “Superman’s Girlfriend,” Lois is far from just that. As one of the top investigative journalists in the DC Universe, Lois has proven time and again that you don’t need powers to fight for the same ideals. During her time as a character, Lois has done as much good with her pen as Clark has with his fists. In honor of her, here is our list of the 10 best Lois Lane stories of all time.
10 Event Leviathan
Brian Michael Bendis’ Event Leviathan hasn’t even finished releasing and it is already one of the better Lois Lane stories on the market. Though the story technically began in the pages of Action Comics, Event Leviathan follows the new leader of the evil organization as they make one of the biggest moves against all intelligence organizations in the DC Universe. With Superman and Lois being some of the first people to know about the new group, it makes sense that at least one of them would be a major player in the book.
Seeing Lois work the case alongside minds as brilliant as Batman and Vic Sage only show just how valuable she is as a character. Plus, Bendis writes her with such a strong voice that no one can question her place on the team. Though she may not be the smartest person in the room, Lois Lane still provides a lot of value.
9 Lois Lane (2019)
Like with Bendis, author Greg Rucka also shows an incredibly strong understanding of Lois Lane’s character. In the currently ongoing miniseries, Lois is investigating an organization that is threatening Superman. What makes this story so great is that it showcases how someone like Lois can protect someone like Superman. Though she may not have any superhuman abilities of her own, she is still one of the most skilled investigative journalists in the DC Universe.
Furthermore, while Lois is used to being the one to need saving, it is very nice to see her doing the saving for a change. At the moment, this series is only a few issues in. However, it has already launched to glowing reviews and is very likely to go down as one of the best stories focused on the character.
8 Unconventional Warfare
As another story by Greg Rucka, Unconventional Warfare was one of the first stories Rucka told after starting a run on The Adventures of Superman. During this story, Lois is chasing down a lead in the Middle East. While there, she runs into conflicts with terrorists an other, evil superpowered beings.
What makes this story so great is that, for the most part, Lois is operating entirely on her own. Though Superman shows up to assist her in the end, Unconventional Warfare does a great job of showing what Lois is truly capable of. It also channels a lot of her “investigative” background and uses it to make her a much stronger character.
7 Action Comics #484
Though this is not the official wedding between the two, Action Comics #484 still tells a great story featuring the iconic couple. After Clark loses his memory of being Superman, he impulsively proposes to Lois, who agrees. However, shortly after this, Lois is able to realize that Clark Kent is actually Superman, before Clark himself even comes to remember.
The issue is a bit older and also a bit campy to go back and read, but it still showcases just how strong the relationship between Lois and Clark really is. It also does a lot for Lois’ character who, up until this point, was still unaware that Clark was Superman. While not one of the more Lois-focused stories out there, it is still one of the greats, and worth checking out for any Superman or Lois Lane fan.
6 Batman: Superfriends
Batman author Tom King has received high praise for his tenure with the Dark Knight, especially in the days leading up to the wedding. A few issues before that though, Batman and Catwoman go out for a night with Lois and Clark. The resulting story takes such an interesting look at the four characters, despite only being a 2 issue arc.
Here, Lois and Catwoman begin to grow close, as the two of them face many of the same issues in being romantically involved with a superhero. Lois actually raises some great points for Selina to consider about her relationship. Furthermore, Clark is able to relate his relationship with Lois to Batman’s drawing out some interesting differences between them. While Lois isn’t the main focus of this story, she shares an equal part in it, also doing her best to strengthen other characters.
5 Lois Lane: When It Rains, God Is Crying
This story takes began its release shortly after the events of Crisis On Infinite Earths. However, it takes place before the reboot. As one of the earliest, more serious takes on Lois Lane, this series actually did a lot to distinguish her from Superman. In fact, Superman isn’t even seen at all, with Clark Kent only making minor appearances.
The plot itself involves Lois as she slowly uncovers a missing children's story. Using her skills as an ace reporter, Lois dives further into the mystery, uncovering a whole lot of evidence in the process. While plenty of other stories have done a lot to really develop Lois as a character, this was one of the first ones to tell a more modern story that keeps her independent of Superman.
4 Birds of Prey #102
Lois’ encounter with Barbara Gordon in this issue is truly terrifying. Though nothing particularly “scary” in nature actually occurs, seeing two incredibly smart women try to read each other made for a very intense read. Barbara herself is easily one of the smartest people in the DC Universe, therefore, seeing her be so cautious around Lois shows just how clever Lois can really be.
Likewise, seeing Lois withhold information and toy with such a smart character only shows just how capable she is. The entire interaction between them is full of this great intensity, despite the fact that they’re both trying to maintain a lighthearted mood. Overall, this single issue is easily enough to land it so high on a list of Lois’ best stories.
3 Wonder Woman #170
In this issue, Lois Lane spends the day with Wonder Woman for a change. What is so intriguing about this story is that it really takes a close look at the relationship between the two of them, as well as show Wonder Woman’s place among humanity. In regards to Lois, she certainly lets out her reporter’s instincts, asking Wonder Woman a lot of tough, grounding questions.
Not only does this showcase how aggressive Lois can be, but it also develops Diana’s character in a great way through her responses. Furthermore, it offers a great look at the 2 women who are regularly involved in Superman’s life. By the end of the issue, a lot has been accomplished between both characters, as well as for the audience. Despite being such a short story, it easily earns its place as one of the greats.
2 Man of Steel
John byrne’s iconic take on the Man of Steel remains one of the more popular interpretations of the character, even to this day. Following Crisis On Infinite Earths, Byrne relaunched the Superman title with the Man of Steel miniseries. Here, Byrne cleaned up a lot of Superman’s origin, solidifying Clark in a much nicer, user friendly story. Byrne also took the opportunity to reintroduce Lois Lane, also setting the status quo for her character as well.
Byrne’s portrayal of Lois is easily one of the best, doing a lot to modernize her while also keeping some great classic elements. Seeing the two get reintroduced makes it easy to see why Clark fell for Lois in the first place. Though once again, mostly a Superman story, it still has some incredibly strong moments with Lois.
1 All-Star Superman
Grant Morrison’s 12 issue All-Star Superman epic is widely considered to be the best Superman story of all time. Furthermore, it is also one of the best Lois Lane stories of all time. Superman’s girlfriend has 2 whole issues dedicated to her in this story and, despite not being involved in the rest of it, easily makes for the best moments in the series. In those 2 issues alone, Morrison expertly shows his readers a great Lois Lane, as well as what she means to Superman.
The chemistry between the two just works so well that it is truly difficult to not fall in love with both characters. Though she plays a relatively small role in the rest of the series, this is easily one of the strongest moments Lois Lane has ever shared with Clark Kent.