Review – Superman #14: Escape From Limbo

Superman #14 – Joshua Williamson, Writer; Rafa Sandoval, Miguel Mendonca, Artists; Alejandro Sanchez, Colorist

Ray – 9.5/10

Ray: House of Brainiac continues to race toward act three with a tense issue that shows off exactly how dangerous the villain is—and brings the story back to one of the very first post-Rebirth events that Williamson was involved in. When we last left off, Lobo had predictably turned on Superman, accepting General Chacal’s offer of a leadership position, and it’s not long before the two are brawling again. I like that this isn’t some long-standing master plan of Lobo to betray Superman—he just got a better offer and selfishly chose his side. Very in character, and once Chacal and his crew interfere with the fight, it becomes very easy to capture Superman—and like that, Brainiac’s collection is complete, and he’s ready to complete his plan to ensure that what happened to Colu will never happen again. The only thing standing in his way? His estranged son, Vril Dox—and his mother.

Dox is a character who hasn’t appeared in a long time, and he was the villain when he last appeared. But here, any port in a storm. Luthor has been working with Supergirl to escape, but he’s outlived his usefulness, and Lena Luthor has her own unique ties to Brainiac—but she doesn’t remember any of that, which complicates things. It’s all leading up to the unveiling of Brainiac’s master plan—the Brainiac Queen, a strange back-up of sorts who is designed to provide the inhuman quality he needs. And she certainly lives up to that, debuting on the scene in a shocking display of carnage that shows how incredibly powerful she is. This takes the event from a tone of suspense and action to one of horror—a tone rarely seen in a Superman comic. It’s something that’s definitely in Williamson’s wheelhouse, and the way he manages to keep upping the intensity here is genuinely impressive.

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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.