LOIS LANE: FALLOUT by Gwenda Bond

© by Gerald So | 3:00 P.M.

Two weeks ago via Twitter, I learned about Gwenda Bond's YA series with DC Comics' legendary Lois Lane as protagonist and was immediately interested.

The first book, Fallout finds sixteen-year-old Lois recently moved with her Army family. Her first day at East Metropolis High, she sees spelling bee champion Anavi Singh being harassed by the Warheads, a seemingly single-minded clique of VR gamers.

The principal does next-to-nothing, so Lois tries to expose the bullying through her new after-school job at the Daily Planet's teen newspaper, the Daily Scoop. Discovering the Warheads' strange ability to carry out psychic assaults, Lois isn't sure anyone will believe her but an online friend she knows only as SmallvilleGuy.

Though the concept is similar to early seasons of TV's Smallville and has equal potential to resonate with Superman lore, Lois is refreshingly the focus here, wishing she could stay out of trouble long enough to get settled, but nonetheless driven to help Anavi.