Superman #13 – Joshua Williamson, Writer; Rafa Sandoval, Artist; Alejandro Sanchesz, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: It’s the second part of House of Brainiac, and in last week’s oversized kickoff we saw Brainiac invade Earth, bottle almost every member of the Super-family save the man himself, and abscond while Earth was battling against an army of Czarnian warriors. That naturally sends Superman on the trail of the man he thinks must be involved—Lobo—and a brawl immediately ensues. But after Lobo is just as shocked to see other Czarnians around, the two old enemies are forced to work together to break the United Planets quarantine and chase down Brainiac. This leads to some great dialogue, as Williamson seems to be working to undo a lot of the more villainous, humorless portrayals of Lobo lately. Who would have thought Superman and Lobo would be bonding over fatherhood in the year 2024? But there’s little time for fun—Superman’s deadliest enemy has his family.
The most dramatic scenes of the issue happen on board Brainiac’s ship, where one by one the heroes are being taken and drained. While she spends most of the issue bottled, Supergirl sort of has the starring role here—remember, she has the most personal connection to Brainiac and the most tactical mind in the Superfamily. And then there’s Lex Luthor, who essentially sacrificed himself to Brainiac last issue to protect his daughter—who, as we know, has a unique connection to Brainiac as well. Knowing Lex, it’s not a surprise that he’s cutting a deal quickly, but there’s no way of knowing if he has a hidden agenda or ten. Brainiac himself is a fascinating turn on the classic villain, with the return of his previous incarnations as assistants. The cliffhanger has a brilliant old-school tone, with a great visual gag that nonetheless sets the stakes high. No surprise, Williamson has built to a great event here.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
