Superwoman: The Future of Lana Lang

Spoiler Alert: This post contains spoilers for Superwoman #12. If you care about this and you don't want to be spoiled, be sure to go read this issue beforehand.

I recently took the time to catch up on Superwoman this week. Issue 12 is the third part of the Rediscovery arc, focusing on Lana Lang rediscovering her confidence as a hero, her love for the people in her life, as well as dealing with the whirlwind of emotions that cloud her mind on a regular basis.

As a reader of Superwoman from the first issue, I have been curious as to where Lana would find herself in the Superman family moving forward. Superwoman has been a series that has dealt with some heavy topics that haven't always let Lana come off as the most rational or fair person. Oftentimes, the redheaded genius pushed friends away and seemingly put her own needs above the needs of those heroes typically protect. Still, for what it represents, I have always felt as though Lana and Superwoman as a character/concept have a lot to prove with this series.

For most of her time as a character in recent canon, Lana has been seen as perhaps the first love of Clark Kent. A confidant, friend, and link to his days growing up on the Kent farm in Smallville, and throughout the days of the New 52, we have seen all of those roles challenged and strengthened. Coming to grips with the loss of her parents and her conflicting feelings regarding John Henry and Clark have colored her in a less than decisive light. She can feel, at times, unappreciative of the people around her.

However, I think these are the traits that, if toned down a degree, can help Superwoman make a lasting impact on the Superman Family and mythos as it's most human member, alongside Kong Kenan. To date, Superwoman has been at odds with Lena Luthor and currently faces Skyhook. Each formidable foes, but more often than not, we've seen Lana battling her inner demons. Depression, anxiety, sadness, anger, and confusion seemingly bring more despair and torment to the heroine than Ultrawoman ever could. Which isn't unlike how many people go through life.

While the Superman family walks the line of duality quite often, as the stories of American Aliens, Kara and Clark are purely alien from a physiological standpoint. Characters, like Lana and Kenan though, represent something different. While Superman might be the paragon that people strive for, Superwoman and New Super-Man embody why Clark is that ideal. It has nothing to do with being as powerful as a locomotive or the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Lana "dealing" with her issues in Superwoman #8.

Lana can do these things and more, but she deals with decidedly human issues in decidedly human ways that Clark, for better or worse, doesn't. That is what makes me curious as to where K. Perkins will take her. She draws parallels to New 52s' early interpretation of Supergirl, who handled things in a very Kryptonian manner, culminating in rage so great, she became the Red Daughter of Krypton: A powerful member of the Red Lantern Corps. While I doubt Lana will reach rage that great, it is something that would prove to be cathartic for Supergirl and her series.

What that means is, when all the rage and anger had finally left Kara, and her stories began to develop her relationships with her Earth friends, her book became a far more enjoyable read that I don't think anyone foresaw. I like to think that DC can do the same for Lana. But while Kara was able to let her rage go through simply giving up her Red Lantern ring, the path Lana takes should be more complicated--the same as any body else dealing with such heavy issues in their life would have.

Superwoman has to show Lana making the effort to repair her relationships. To apologize to the John for keeping him at arms length despite their relationship, to Clark for blaming him and his wife for "ruining her life," and perhaps the toughest thing anyone can do, apologizing to herself for making things so much harder than they should have been and not knowing that she always had people to turn to, who can make things better.

I feel like this moment in Superwoman #10 was a bit premature, but would love to see it touched on later.

While the emotional struggles of Lana have been an intriguing read, it needs a payoff. It needs to come full circle. Lana needs to gradually learn to move forward as a person for her trials to have real meaning. Not only would this allow new writers the chance to focus on other aspects of her personality, but the symbol of mental health that Lana could be is inspiring to think about.