"A Contagion of Madness"
Writer: Gail Simone
Artists: John Byrne (p), Nelson (i)
Publisher: DC Comics
Plot: While trying to save his wife, Superman must contend with a bitter, super powered woman named Livewire.
Commentary: Of all the villains to drag over from Superman: The Animated Series, Gail had to bring in Livewire.
I hate Livewire.
Of all of the villains created for the animated series, Livewire is my least favorite. I just didn't like the character. My true unadulterated hatred and bile for the character, though, stems from the Superman: Shadow of Apokolips video game. I enjoyed the heck out of that game, but when it came to the level where I had to face off against Livewire, my frustration grew to near Bill Bixby levels. I just couldn't figure out how to beat her. The really annoying part of the situation was Lori Petty's voice taunting me again and again and again. Frankly, there were times when I had Superman fry her with his heat vision even when I didn't have to because I was so freaking annoyed. When I finally beat Livewire and went on to the next level, I swore that I would hate the character forever more.
Then one of my favorite writers brings her into the current continuity.
My problem with Livewire as introduced in the comics isn't based on my preconceived notions about the character but at the way she was brought into the series. There was a rushed feeling to the story. In the past few issues there have been bits and pieces of her radio show and in the case where Leslie's bashing of Superman occurs while he is saving a bunch of people on a bridge, it served as a nice contrast to the action going on in the scene, but at the same time there is little or no explanation of how she got her abilities. I don't put all of the blame on Gail for this because it seems like she had a lot to get through in terms of story in a relatively short amount of space.
As much of an aversion as I have for Livewire, I do have to admit that she was a much better character here than in the television series. The animated series had a more straight forward introduction, but it was very one dimensional. She hates Superman, gets electrocuted and becomes a villain. While the catalyst wasn't a whole lot better in this story, the subtext of Leslie's resentment at her perceived notion of men keeping her down gives the character a little bit more meat. Instead of blaming Superman for causing her condition, she blames him for ruining her professional life. Superman not only becomes the cause of her loss of livelihood but the personification of all of the men who have kept her from showing her "talent" to the world.
It was also an improvement in terms of Superman not knowing who this woman is. In the animated series Superman knew Livewire and had a connection before she went postal. Here she's just another villain who attacks him out of nowhere and at the worst possible time. This was another instance where Gail showed her ability to write Superman effectively. It is straight-up action (which works since this is Action Comics) and once he realizes that Livewire knows where Lois is, he gets right down to the matter and uses his head to take the villain down.
While I wasn't too thrilled at the Lois sub-plot and Livewire being connected, Lois' part in the issue was just great. This has to be a tough situation to write because you don't want Lois to end up being the typical damsel in a dress but at the same time if she takes out the bad guy all on her own, it takes away from the drama of Superman trying to find her. By having Lois escape on her own and only be saved at the last possible moment, Gail nailed the balance and was true to the characters. Gail's ability to write the Lois and Superman relationship was a highlight of her run on the series and after the previous writer on Action, it was nice to have a writer on the book who liked the marriage enough to deal with it without having tension for the sake of tension between the two.
I also appreciated the dinner scene at the end of the issue where Superman explained to Josef why he has to let Lois, Jimmy and even Perry do what they do despite the dangers involved. This is something that has rarely been addressed before, and I think Gail did a wonderful job explaining why Superman has to just let go and try not to be too overprotective with those he cares about. It was a great way to end her run on the book and tied her stories together to show the audience there was a point to the way she wrote the characters.
In The End: I wrote something similar with Verheiden's last Superman issue, but the sentiment remains the same: I am going to miss Gail on this series. While I wasn't totally behind all of the stories she wrote, Gail proved that she had a clear handle on the character and knew what made him tick. Her stories were always character driven and had an honesty that I appreciated. This last issue may not have been her best, but it was still a great read. I'm going to miss Byrne as well. John Byrne was the reason I came into the Superman books and having him around for awhile was very nice. His work, inked mostly by Nelson, was a lot of fun and had a great deal of storytelling to it. Plus very few artists can handle an action sequence the way Byrne does. This has been a really excellent run on the series, and while I'm pretty jazzed at the next phase in the character's life, it is also a little sad to see this particular run end.
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