Justice League Unlimited

Justice League Unlimited, airing on the Cartoon Network, has introduced a romance between Superman and Lois Lane. That might not seem like earth-shattering news considering the famous couple have had a romance going for nearly 70 years in the comics, not to mention the movies and especially Lois and Clark The New Adventures of Superman. However a genuine romance is a rare thing on the various animated incarnations of Superman.

The oldest cartoons, which were made by the Fleischer studio in the 1940s, might contain an occasional wink or sly line, but nothing that could be mistaken for a romance. The same was true of the Filmation Superman cartoons from the 60s.

The seldom seen Ruby-Spears cartoon from 1988 patterned itself after the first Christopher Reeve movie. Clark was a dork and Lois had a crush on Superman. They even had the occasional noncommittal date, but nothing terribly deep.

That brings me back to this year and Justice League Unlimited. The segment with Lois and Superman began with Lois sliding down the handrail of an inoperative subway station escalator. "Superman!" she called out as smoke poured from the tunnel. "Lois Lane, Daily Planet."

Superman was amused. "Yeah, Lois, I know."

"Would you care to comment on what just happened here? I'd like an interview," she said, and then lowered her voice. "One on one."

Captain Atom, who had been standing nearby, got the hint. "I'm pretty sure there's something I have to do someplace."

After Captain Atom departed, Lois said, "You're late."

"I was busy."

"Like I wasn't? But I've already written the story and filed it, so now that we're both off the clock ..."

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