Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane


Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics. The series focusing on the adventures of Lois Lane began publication with a March/April 1958 cover date and ended its run in September/October 1974, with 137 regular issues and two 80-page Annuals. Following the similar themed Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane was the second comic series based on a Superman supporting character.
At the peak of its popularity in 1962, Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane was the third best-selling comic book in the United States, surpassed only by Superman and Superboy in sales.

Publication history

Following a tryout in Showcase, DC decided to give Lois Lane her own ongoing series. The comic series focus on Lois' solo adventures, and sometimes with stories centered on Lois' romantic interest in Superman and her attempts to maneuver him into marriage, only to fail due to a comic plot twist. In the early 1960s, Lana Lang made regular guest appearances, generally as Lois' romantic rival. Artist Kurt Schaffenberger drew most of the stories for the first 81 issues of the series, missing only issue #29. Schaffenberger's rendition of Lois Lane became cited by many as the "definitive" version of the character. Singer Pat Boone appeared in issue #9 before starring in his own comic book series. "The Monkey's Paw", a story from issue #42, featured a one-panel appearance, with his costume miscolored, by the defunct Fawcett Comics' Captain Marvel, who was not yet a DC character. The letters page of #113 described it as "strictly a private joke" on the part of former Captain Marvel artist Schaffenberger. The story was reprinted in #104 with the costume coloring corrected. The Catwoman made her first Silver Age appearance in #70. In issue #80, Lois' fashions were updated to a more contemporary look.
By the 1970s, the stories began to reflect growing social awareness: Lois became less fixated on romance and more on current issues. In the controversial story "I Am Curious !" in #106, Lois uses a machine that allows her to experience racism firsthand as an African American woman. The series saw the debut of the Silver Age heroine "Rose & The Thorn" in a backup feature that ran from #105 through #130. Editor E. Nelson Bridwell had several characters and plot concepts from Jack Kirby's "Fourth World" appear in issues #111–119. Lois' sister, Lucy Lane, was believed to have died in issue #120 but the character was later revived.
In 1974, the title ended, as Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen had earlier that year. Both would be merged into The Superman Family, which chronologically continued from the elder title, premiering with issue #164. The release of the last issue of Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane was delayed for several months due to a nationwide paper shortage.

Other Lois Lane titles

The character has appeared in several self-titled miniseries and one-shots including: