2nd out of 38 books
—
5 voters
Superman: Brainiac
by
Geoff Johns,
Gary Frank , Jon Sibal
Before he came to Earth, the people of Superman's homes planet Krypton had battled Brainiac, a cold and callous alien obsessed with the control of knowledge. Now Brainiac has set his sights on destroying Earth and finishing off the Last Son of Krypton once and for all. This epic battle will change Superman's world forever.
Paperback, 128 pages
Published
March 9th 2010
by DC Comics
(first published January 6th 2009)
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This is not a bad comic book - but there's a lot I dislike about it.
OK - the good stuff - Superman is actually active in this story, he takes the fight to Braniac rather than sitting and waiting for something to happen, or worse, getting ordered around (like in the awful Our Worlds at War).
The concept of a Galactus/ Borg style Brainiac is not a bad idea, it's well realised in the way Kandor is shrunk and bottled.
The Bad Stuff - to start with, do the writer/ artist not have the skills/ originalit...more
OK - the good stuff - Superman is actually active in this story, he takes the fight to Braniac rather than sitting and waiting for something to happen, or worse, getting ordered around (like in the awful Our Worlds at War).
The concept of a Galactus/ Borg style Brainiac is not a bad idea, it's well realised in the way Kandor is shrunk and bottled.
The Bad Stuff - to start with, do the writer/ artist not have the skills/ originalit...more
Considering how quick a read this was, the sheer depth of it is all the more impressive. As a villain Brainiac is absolutely relentless...Supergirl's observation that just as Lex Luthor is all that is bad about humanity, Brainiac is all that is bad about aliens, is spot on. He is a more-than-worthy opponent as it takes Superman and Supergirl's combined forces to stop him.
Geoff Johns does a wonderful job with the characterization--we see very human sides to both Superman and Supergirl as the for...more
Geoff Johns does a wonderful job with the characterization--we see very human sides to both Superman and Supergirl as the for...more
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I'm not the biggest fan of Johns work because I just feel like he really lacks characterization in most of his tales, but here I actually felt like he delved into the character of Clark really well, and his relationship with his father was poignant and utterly heartbreaking.Sure Jonathan's been killed off numerous times, but for some reason it always gets me and touches me because he is such a big part in the making of Clark into the world's greatest superhero.
The stuff at the Daily Planet was...more
The stuff at the Daily Planet was...more
What makes this particular story memorable is that it takes the look and feel of the Superman movies (circa 1980) and puts them into the comic books of the era. The world is a mish-mash of movies and comic books: Lois and Clark are married, Lois has a thing for freshly-squeezed orange juice, Jimmy is more bumbling than usual, Supergirl's origins are a mix of original 80's and the movie, etc.
It all sorta works in a self-contained way. Braniac is a clear and definite threat; Supergirl has always b...more
It all sorta works in a self-contained way. Braniac is a clear and definite threat; Supergirl has always b...more
I was a little out of order with all these; I started reading the 'New Krypton' arc before this, full well knowing that this is the story that started it all. And I can honestly say, Frank's art is compelling enough that you wouldn't even need a good story, but Johns finally tackles the continuity nightmare that is Brainiac and makes him a physically opposing almost Howard Hughes type that is really obsessed with not only knowing things, but making sure that he himself is the only one that knows...more
Possibly the most image-heavy Superman tale I own, dealing with Superman's ultimate showdown with the real Brainiac (as opposed to a false probe sent from the alien's ship). There's not a ton of dialogue in this Johns story, amping up the tragic conclusion, I suppose; but the little speech there is makes the Daily Planet newsroom come to life in amusing detail.
As for the force of the artwork, I am conflicted. There is a fantastic sequence, where Superman arrives at a planet under attack by Brain...more
As for the force of the artwork, I am conflicted. There is a fantastic sequence, where Superman arrives at a planet under attack by Brain...more
Wow! I love Geoff Johns' take on Superman in this! This story is as good as Morrison's All Star Superman: Volume 01, as far as I'm concerned.
Lovedlovedloved Clark's relationship with his father! Warning: Ladies, bring a box of Kleenex with you when you read this.
I also loved the interaction between Clark and Lois. I think Johns got the tone of their relationship just right. I would definitely recommend reading this one!
P.S.- Couldn't bring myself to take away any stars for this, but I felt tha...more
Lovedlovedloved Clark's relationship with his father! Warning: Ladies, bring a box of Kleenex with you when you read this.
I also loved the interaction between Clark and Lois. I think Johns got the tone of their relationship just right. I would definitely recommend reading this one!
P.S.- Couldn't bring myself to take away any stars for this, but I felt tha...more
Johns and Frank continue their remarkable run on the Man of Steel here in this latest paperback collection centering on the creepy, Alien-like Brainiac. Although I’m not a fan follower of most of the Big Red’s mainstream titles, I do find Johns nostalgia-tinged writing to be a refreshing reinterpretation of the Superman mythos. Likewise, Frank’s pencils-and-inks have a clean and classic style that not only combines several eras (Swan and Byrne, most prominently), but also the heroic scale of the...more
A decent enough Superman book, with just one problem for me: it's about Superman. I think I have to accept that I'm just not a fan and that I'm not likely to bring myself to care too much about the character, overall. That said, it is a good take on the character, and I appreciate the human roots Johns works with here: Ma and Pa and Lois. Isn't it nice to read about a superhero who has solid and loving relationships with "normal" people. The story I could have probably dredged up more emotional...more
Mar 12, 2012
Darik
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorite-books,
books-i-ve-reviewed
For a fan of the Christopher Reeve Superman films, Geoff John's run on Action Comics was like a dream come true. Johns managed to infuse all the fun and energy of the films (the first two, anyway) into the books, introducing characters and visuals that had become iconic on the big screen, yet had never made it to the printed page (Superman's crystal Fortress, the REAL General Zod, etc.). But best of all, it acted as sort of a quasi-continuation of the Donner films, reintroducing characters long...more
Geoff Johns' run on Action Comics is a modern-day response to John Byrne's Man of Steel reinvention of the character in the 1980s, but this volume falters a bit. Johns doesn't really offer that much different to say about Brainiac, the bottle city of Kandor, or Superman's relationship with his parents. More than his other books, which "brought back" the Legion and General Zod, this book feels like a shiny retelling of old, old stories. He can do this stuff well in his sleep. Here, the attempt at...more
3.5 stars if Goodreads would be kind enough to provide such increments. The artwork is very well done, the story is entertaining enough...But honestly, Supe isn't capable of overcoming Brainiac. This being extracts knowledge from planets and discards that which he doesn't want with relative ease. He's not an extremely knowledgeable wimp, he's an extremely knowledgeable titan. He questioned the well known Kryptonian's namesake, saying that he wasn't a man and there wasn't anything super about him...more
Johns revisits some classic Superman mythos elements -- Braniac, the taking of Kandor, the Final Fate of Jonathan Kent, and the Doom of Krypton -- and weaves them together neatly (and with a measure of imagination). Gary Frank's art is, as always, exquisite.
If there's any criticism here, it's that the neatly arrange conflation of several Super-threads feels -- well, if not contrived, then slightly less epic. It's as if Hercules' Twelve Labors were actually just three, with the complexity of twel...more
If there's any criticism here, it's that the neatly arrange conflation of several Super-threads feels -- well, if not contrived, then slightly less epic. It's as if Hercules' Twelve Labors were actually just three, with the complexity of twel...more
Really enjoyed this book. It's a quick read, short page count and minimal dialogue in places, but a good one. Geoff Johns writing is very good, as always, and his ability to give a new wrinkle to classic characters is second to none. His take on Brainiac is the best so far, giving him menace, a reason for doing what he does, and a connection to Superman. We get Kandor, and a nice support role for Supergirl.
As good as the writing is, it's the art that steals the show. Gary Franks take, using Chr...more
I have never really enjoyed reading Superman in the comics because he is always too powerful and his, as with most DC Comics characters, is too convoluted. Here, however, Geoff Johns and Gary Frank present and amazing straight forward story with layers and depth without confusion. I really liked Supergirl even though her costume doesn't make sense unless you're a thirteen year old boy. Brainiac always seemed cool and imposing and here he was an ultra level threat. The end was heart breaking and...more
I'll be honest, as a Marvel guy not 100% up on the goings on in the DCU after their annual Crisis universe reboots, I don't really know ht the status f the Supermn verse is. I guess he's married o Lois who knows hs powers but he status of Supergrl, Kandor, Brainiac, etc is as though we are dealing with a less experienced Superman. The confusion and the status of this as a bridge to another arc, made this less fun than the Legion arc. Still pretty good though, especially Clark's relations to othe...more
I am probably overstating its goodness because I am not terribly familiar with many Superman stories (although I've read Red Son, and I found this to be much better). Brainiac is a character that is very interesting to me. A machine and robot that can actually feel from time to time. I am a little torn about Brainiacs motive. It's very unoriginal, but at the same time it's very true to the original intent of Brainiac. Overall, I enjoyed it. The art was fine, not great. The storyline was pretty g...more
It's pretty much a certainty nowadays that, if you see Geoff Johns' name on the cover, you should prepare to change everything you know about that series. He is simply the king of retroactive continuity. And there is no exception with "Brainiac". This book is a prelude to the New Krypton story-arc, so there is a lot of set-up: we meet the true Brainiac, we learn the true history of Kandor's abduction, and we discover where Kara's parents disappeared to. It reads more like a trailer to a larger e...more
Brainiac is out in the universe gobbling up cultures, destroying worlds and putting cities, like Krypton's Kandor, in bottles so Superman heads off to stop him once and for all.
Brainiac is the ultimate control freak/collector who lives only for his collection of bottled cities and collected knowledge. He's like an internet of one or, for Trekkies, the Borg. That makes him a pretty formidable opponent for Superman and Geoff Johns makes the most of it, showing Superman's limits when it comes to tr...more
Brainiac is the ultimate control freak/collector who lives only for his collection of bottled cities and collected knowledge. He's like an internet of one or, for Trekkies, the Borg. That makes him a pretty formidable opponent for Superman and Geoff Johns makes the most of it, showing Superman's limits when it comes to tr...more
Johns continues his history of adding new depth to old characters in the DC Universe. This book just show the insite he has to each character he writes, from Supergirl's fear of the Big Bad Brainiac to Clark's relationship with his father. Frank's art adds the realistic quality to Johns writing that makes you feel like you're watching a live movie, especially the way he draws Clark and Lois just like Christopher Reeves and Margot Kidder. Definitely one of my Top 10 Superman tales.
I liked this comic for 2 reasons: Because Superman was exactly like Christopher Reeve, who I think was the perfect Superman. And because I actually felt like Superman might lose. Brainiac in this book felt like the Borg, in that he conquers civilizations to add their culture to his vast array of knowledge and power. Like the Borg, Brainiac here is uncompromising, and pretty much unstoppable. This is a dark novel, and it was refreshing to see Superman have to deal with such darkness.
Jun 22, 2010
Jerry Daniels
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-with-reviews,
graphic-novels
Now here is straightforward story that presents a threat that Superman, with assistance from cousin Kara a.k.a Supergirl, must stop. His longtime foe, Brainiac, seeks to destroy Earth after capturing Metropolis and storing it on his ship in a bottled archive. Making the graphic novel more appealing is that the cartoon-ish figures resemble Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder who portray Superman and Lois Lane, respectively, in the Superman trilogy of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
This is definitely one of my favorite Superman stories. It's full of emotion, most notably fear and heartbreak. Gary Frank is one of my favorite artists, especially on Superman because he captures the vibe of Christopher Reeve and slaps it down on the page.
While you're reading this, you get the feeling that Brainiac is one of the most menacing beings in the universe and you get a shiver down your spine because of some of the things he says and does and because of Kara's reaction to him.
The endin...more
While you're reading this, you get the feeling that Brainiac is one of the most menacing beings in the universe and you get a shiver down your spine because of some of the things he says and does and because of Kara's reaction to him.
The endin...more
Jun 26, 2011
Mark
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
comics-and-graphic-novels
A follow-on the SUPERMAN AND THE LEGION, this was a fun enough ride but not quite as good as the last arc. The core narrative idea was great, but where Lee and Kirby could make Galactus feel truly massive in scale, this story seemed to lack gravitas and impact. (Maybe I just don't know enough of the Brainiac backstory.) It doesn't look like Johns and Frank did any more Superman stuff? Too bad--it seemed like they were on to something.
Geoff Johns almost got 4 stars for this brief tale. More length might have helped with the parts of the story that I really liked. The development, deepening and strength of Clark's ties with his foster parents (Jonathan really comes across as a good father in this), the strong relationship with his wife Lois, and the science fiction aspects hold up pretty well. Plus a decent portrayal of an old villain. I just felt like I wanted more.
In the comics before this graphic novel superman was fighting brainiac and winning everytime but mostly getting lucky, other times it was pretty lame. So it comes as a shock when it turns out the being he fought were not the real deal but just duplicates and mere copies. I read somewhere that superman 3 was originally going to feature brainiac as the main villain with supergirl as a supporting character. Although it plays out very differently from this story arc, this is probably as close as we...more
Out of consideration for my Batman dealer, I read Superman Brainiac.
I loved "Superman for All Seasons".
I'm looking forward to "Superman: Earth One".
However, I just couldn't get into this one. It was a competently written story. Good artwork.
It is hard to get emotionally invested in a Superman story because so much of it feels out of the realm of possibility.
Sorry dealer.
I tried.
I loved "Superman for All Seasons".
I'm looking forward to "Superman: Earth One".
However, I just couldn't get into this one. It was a competently written story. Good artwork.
It is hard to get emotionally invested in a Superman story because so much of it feels out of the realm of possibility.
Sorry dealer.
I tried.
Brilliant. I friggin' loved SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC. It was just the Superman fix I needed after the let-down of ALL-STAR SUPERMAN by Grant Morrison. Ugh.
I know I've slammed Geoff Johns on Goodreads before, but here he was spot-on perfect. One of the best Superman reads I've ever come across. My faith has been renewed, restored, and revitalized!
Also: Gary Frank's Christopher Reeve-esque rendering of Superman? Fantastic! As was the rest of the cast in this trade. I adored it. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. I...more
I know I've slammed Geoff Johns on Goodreads before, but here he was spot-on perfect. One of the best Superman reads I've ever come across. My faith has been renewed, restored, and revitalized!
Also: Gary Frank's Christopher Reeve-esque rendering of Superman? Fantastic! As was the rest of the cast in this trade. I adored it. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. I...more
Having watched the movie, I decided it was time to read this storyline to understand what had inspired the insipid movie and boy has the apple fallen far from the tree. Geoff Johns usually is quite tight with his plots and Superman Brainiac does not disappoint. Highly recommended and if you've read Geoff before the finish is always the best part of the book
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Geoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990’s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career...more
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May 06, 2011 02:57am