Title: Lois Lane: A Real Work of Art
Author: Gwenda Bond
Publication Date: March 4, 2015
Paul's Review
Synopsis: In high school art class, Lois Lane demonstrates her undeniable talent . . . but not for painting.
This is an official teaser short story for the young adult novel LOIS LANE: FALLOUT that takes place before Lois moves to Metropolis.
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Review: I'm a huge sucker for backstories. If there's a novella or a short story that tells about a secondary character and how they ended up as the character we all know and love, I will always give it a chance. So, needless to say, I've been really excited about Lois Lane: Fallout since I heard that Gwenda Bond was writing it. And now, to whet my appetite, there are two teaser short stories!
A Real Work of Art is the first of the two stories that I read. It's very short, but it's enough that I am so glad that we finally get to meet a teenage Lois Lane, before she ever moves to Metropolis and falls in love with Superman. She's already a pretty great investigator, and I loved how her reporting skills are already starting to show. Lois is also pretty hilarious, and I can't wait to read more about her life from her perspective. Even in this short story, Gwenda has established a really strong voice for Lois, and I'm excited to see where that goes.
Even after this small teaser story, I already have so many question about Lois' life! Like, who is SmallvilleGuy? I'm assuming it's Clark Kent, but there's not enough there to be 100% sure. It could be anyone! How will these events play into Fallout? I just really want to know more about Lois in general.
I loved all of the comic book references and the obvious Superman references, and I hope that Fallout continues these trends. I think Gwenda is the perfect person to write about Lois Lane, and I'm so excited for more. This teaser has certainly done its job, and Fallout will be moving to the top of my TBR list! A 4/5.
--Ashley
