Alas Poor Lena ...

A couple of months ago I wrote about Forever Evil and how it was hinted that Lena Thorul was once again back in continuity.



Alas, while she might be back into the history books, this page from Forever Evil #4 reveals that she has died. And she died because Lex was too afraid to try to save her, too afraid to fail. This is such an interesting page.



It is a shame because Lena has played a role in Supergirl's life in prior incarnations and she could have been an interesting foil for the current Kara as well. Imagine the two of them, dealing with older family members with huge reputations (albeit on opposite sides of the ethical fence), trying to figure out who they are without being defined by their family name, trying to figure out the balance between nature and nurture.



I was hoping ...



I suppose her death could have been faked so she could live life as a Thorul, away from Lex. We'll see.



I also found this issue a bit too over-the-top in its handling of Lex. It felt like Geoff Johns was trying a little too hard to make 'evil relative' and to make Luthor relatable.



There is this moment where a tired Lex pauses to tell this story of personal defeat and tragedy, a time when he failed to act. It almost looks in that last row of panels that Lex might be close to tears! And then he 'inspires' Bizarro to try to overcome fear and there is a shocked look in Lex's eyes.



Also in the issue, there is a Luthor internal monologue where he talks about an aspect of him which is ... wait for it ... humble. HUMBLE? Luthor?



I only need to go back to his Villains' Month issues to think differently. Defiantly looking at Metropolis as something he should control. Tossing his assistant off the skyscraper roof. Sending a satellite down onto a competitor's house. Using and ultimately killing humans in his Bizarro experiments. All the while talking about how he is better than everyone.



This New 52 universe is a twisted place. We are forced to feel compassion and root for the villains. In the meantime we are dealing with heroes who seem to loathe being heroes and act awfully.



Again though, I am disappointed that Lena won't be around.

Posted in: Reviews