I'll be the first to admit that in my excitement over last month's SUPERMAN #7, I completely overlooked a smaller, but no less important, moment in ACTION COMICS #1007. The long-awaited Kent family reunion was heartbreaking and full of so much love, so understandably my attention was focused entirely on that. That meant there were so many other moments that fell by the wayside. And a full month later, I can't stop thinking about how much I regret not calling out the game-changing conversation that took place between Lois Lane and her father.

The clandestine meeting between Lois and General Sam Lane may not have seemed as important as all the other life-or-death moments in the issue, but Lois finally confessing that her husband and the father of her son is actually Superman was a pretty big deal on a personal level. She bared her heart and the truth after years (decades even) of lying, knowing that it could mean the end of her relationship with her father. And his reaction—to scowl and simply ask, "Lois. Is this for real?" before turning and walking away—made it seem like the ramifications were going to be tragic for the Lane family.

The tears welling up in Lois' eyes as she watched her father walk away from her, potentially for the last time, spoke volumes. But she suffered in silence and didn't let it stop her from continuing to live her life. I haven't stopped thinking about it, the courage it must have taken Lois to finally tell her father the truth and what it could mean for their future.

But if that was to be the end of their relationship, I couldn't just let it happen without comment. No matter what happened in this month's ACTION #1008 (or SUPERMAN #8, for that matter), I was planning on rectifying my mistake from last month by diving deeper into that moment here.

But even though I may have overlooked that conversation in last month's issue, Brian Michael Bendis sure didn't. I was not expecting to see General Lane again so soon, let alone hear him voice his thoughts on Lois' confession. But here we are, in Ohio of all places, watching General Lane and Amanda Waller meet under the cover of darkness (and other disguises) as all the secret organizations keep getting targeted by a mysterious blue light. Kobra Cult. Task Force X. The DEO. All are obliterated in a blue light. That's terrifying enough, but it was General Lane's visible stress and anxiety that stopped me short.

Even during an important secret government black ops meeting, it's Lois that he can't stop thinking about. He's drinking from a flask and not even appearing shaken by Amanda Waller's status update about their impending deaths. What he really is affected by is how Lois shook his worldview about Superman and his "amazing friends." Their father/daughter relationship isn't destroyed. There is hope for their future to be better than ever before. He is coming around to her side! It's better than I even imagined it could be.

But of course, something had to go wrong, and this "Leviathan" that has been taking down the other clandestine groups comes for Amanda Waller and General Lane too. I've got lots of questions about General Lane's fate, and it's all because I can't have him dying before he and Lois reunite to hash out their issues and have a real conversation now that he's coming around to her views!

And there were so many other incredible moments in Action Comics #1008 aside from the heartbreaking Lane family drama and callback. Like the extended scene of Lois strutting her way back into The Daily Planet for the first time after her hiatus out in space. She acts like she straight up owns the place (because she totally does), and manages to empower half the place in the process. Heck, one whispered comment from Lois was enough to give Robinson Goode the confidence she needs to get her quote from the mayor. Now that's how you make an entrance!

But perhaps what makes Lois' return so wonderful is that it was all to make sure that Jimmy Olsen is okay. After he witnessed the Kobra Cult's destruction by the blue light/Leviathan, he was visibly shaken when he tried to tell Clark what had happened in last month's issue. And while Clark had other things on his mind that he had to take care of first, he didn't forget about his friend in need.

Clark and Lois taking Jimmy's mental health seriously in this month's book and taking him to their home so he can get some sleep and get into a better state of mind was so heartwarming to see. While Jimmy can sometimes be the comedic relief, he's still a real person, important to Clark and the Superman mythology, and he needs help. Of course, Clark and Lois would recognize that (unlike Perry White, who just tries to kick Jimmy out of the building).

The mystery surrounding Leviathan and why it's targeting all the DC Universe’s top secret organizations with surgical precision is exciting to say the least, but I'm super here for the character drama that's coming out of it. It's those smaller, crucial moments that keep me coming back for more, and I can't wait to see more of them next month.
 

Sydney Bucksbaum covers movies, TV and comics for DCComics.com, and writes about Superman every month in her column, "Super Here For..." Follow her on Twitter at @SydneyBucksbaum.