A lot of us having been talking about just how good the Superman books have been lately. That’s not something that should be taken lightly. The last issue of Supergirl was a good read. Superman/Batman has been a lot of fun. I can’t remember a time when there have been so many good book starring Superman. In continuity no less!
Lately, Action Comics has been leading the charge. And the Brainiac story has really taken Action Comics to the next level.
Johns’ story is filled with cool moments. If this were a movie, the audience would have burst into applause several times. My personal favorite is when Brainiac is stupid enough to ask Superman what Earth could possibly offer him just as Lois is declaring her love for him. Before you know it, Hulkamania is running wild all over Brainiac.
The ending of the story has been publicized in the mainstream press. So odds are you know what it is. Based on recent covers, I think most readers saw this coming. But it doesn’t lessen the emotional impact. Those last two pages packed a lot of punch!
I’m going to give most of the credit for that to Gary Frank. I cannot lavish enough praise on his work here. The look on Superman’s face when he realizes that something is wrong is perfect. The image of his flying through the sky hoping against hope that his fears aren’t coming true is even better than that. Frank is the rare artist who can deliver the good on the big action scenes as well as the character moments. I am simply in awe.
The ending also sets up the New Krypton story that will run through all the Superman books. Thank goodness they’ve all gotten so good!
Tags: Action Comics, DC Comics, Gary Frank, Geoff Johns, Superman
