Warning: contains major spoilers for Batman/Superman #20!
Batman is the world’s greatest detective, but where Superman is concerned, one person may have the upper hand on him. Batman/Superman #20 reveals that the Man of Steel’s hideout has been located by a character known for their research abilities. Even if he doesn’t take her there, Lois Lane will always uncover Superman’s secrets – whether he wants her to or not.
Batman/Superman pits the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel against an evil android who is directing the stories of DC’s famous heroes: Autuer.io. The two heroes are from different realities and have only just met each other when this arc began. Together, DC’s iconic heroes have been able to solve some mysteries within each of their worlds, as they discover the reason their realities are so different. Batman has shown his skills as a detective, but so has another major DC character.
Created by the team of Gene Luen Yang, Ivan Reis, and Danny Miki, Batman/Superman #20 adds a new foe into the mix: Etrigan, the Demon. He is sent by Autuer.io to destroy the reality known as the World of Tomorrow. Etrigan visits the Daily Planet and obtains some quick information before leaving to access the world’s “most dangerous weapon.” When Superman finally shows up, he realizes that Etrigan wasn’t kidding as the demon heads to the Fortress of Solitude. Superman also finds out that his Fortress isn’t so secret anymore. Without ever telling her about it or taking her to it, Lois has already discovered it on her own.
Lois Lane found out about Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. In most stories, she finds out about it when he takes her to it. It is a secret that he shares with her, as well as with the Justice League. This time around, however, she finds it by herself – and it isn’t revealed how. Batman has the title of “world’s greatest detective,” but Lois is the reigning “world’s best reporter” and her occupation relies heavily on her ability to be a detective. This has been shown in many instances across several comics since she is always uncovering incriminating information or writing exposés. Oftentimes she does this by communicating with informants or by getting her hands dirty and investigating on the ground. At times when threats are too intense for her, she usually gets assistance from Superman. This time, there’s no way of knowing how she figured out about the Fortress of Solitude.
This reveals something interesting about her character, however. Eventually, she was bound to uncover Clark Kent’s secrets. If she can find his secret hideout in the Arctic without leaving Metropolis, there’s no reason why she wouldn’t be able to figure out his secret identity and other information given enough time and confidence in herself. Batman isn’t the only detective in town and her discovery of the Fortress is particularly impressive. Lois’ detective skills are not exclusive to this issue, as they were a crucial part of the 2020 limited series, Event Leviathan. In that series, she even procured an additional investigative team of her own selection, proving that she is aware of other detectives besides Batman. Lois’ skills are rather easy to assume given her work and resumé, but they’re also easily forgotten. Lois Lane is one of DC’s most underrated detectives, especially considering that she can get the jump on Superman despite his caution and special abilities.
