Robb Ghag reviews Superman #23.2: Brainiac…
“Brainiac was the first adversary Superman fought on Earth, but where did he come from? A lineage that spans the universe holds many secrets when we ask, “Who is Brainiac?”
As one of Superman’s greatest villains I have to confess I didn’t know much about Brainiac. Of course I know all of the really popular portions of his history: he’s a 12th level intellect. He is from the planet Colu. He’s the collector and destroyer of worlds, and he’s the one who shrunk and imprisoned Kandor from Krypton.
Tony Bedard tells an inspiring history of who Brainiac really is and where he really came from. He goes so far back as to reveal Brainiac’s family and his early manipulation between man and machine. So far, this is one of the best one shot stories I have read from Villains month. The story is very well written and really reveals much about one of the cornerstone villains in the DC Universe.
Pascal Alixe’s artwork is fantastic, with a very ‘steampunk” edge to it as we follow the trail of destruction Brainiac leaves behind as he visits planet after planet. It’s perfectly structured for this story, and even though the ending is somewhat obvious, it ties the entire book together nicely.
Unfortunately the worst thing about the book is the 3D cover. With so many amazing artists and talent lending themselves to the covers of Villains Month from DC, this one just seemed to fall flat for me. It seemed more likely to be found on one of the WB Kids books. If you can see past the cover, the interior is well worth it.
Robb Ghag works for an Arts & Entertainment Brokerage in Toronto Canada. An Animation and Film school graduate, he specializes in Risk Management of Animation and VFX studios throughout North America.
Originally published September 13, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
