Comics
DC Finally Remembered That Brainiac and the Super-Family Exist: Action Comics #1064 Review
House of Brainiac treats us to the return of a familiar Superman villain, but what can we expect?
Last Tuesday, DC debuted their latest ‘House of Brainiac’ event, which is a series created by Joshua Williamson and Rafa Sandoval. Williamson in particular has writer credits for some of DC’s most memorable stories, such as Shadow War (2022), Dark Crisis (2022), Dark Nights (2017), and Knight Terrors (2023), among others. That said, an event written solely by him is sure to add prestige to his list of works, especially given the focus of this comic. As the title suggests, we’re going to be seeing Brainiac, but Sandoval’s cover art also reveals some potential surprises of its own.
It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen a dedicated comic with Brainiac as the focus villain. Usually, events that involve Superman tend to default towards the overused characters in his rogue gallery, such as Darkseid or General Zod. Consequently, it leaves characters like Brainiac on the bench with no development, or sometimes, completely forgotten.
Fortunately, not only will we be seeing the Collector of Worlds himself making a return, but other members of the Super-Family as well. Speaking of, this may be one of the very rare instances where we see all the Kryptonian-themed heroes fighting together.
What exactly can we expect from this newly published and ongoing series? The official synopsis reads as follows:
HOUSE OF BRAINIAC PART ONE! BRAINIAC ATTACKS! Brainiac’s Lobo army invades Metropolis in an action-packed oversized issue! The Super family and all the heroes of Metropolis join the fight, but will they be enough to hold off Brainiac’s lethal and crazed soldiers?! Can Superman and Lex learn what Brainiac is searching for? He’s not bottling Metropolis, so what is he collecting instead?!
For this latest scheme by Brainiac, it seems that Metropolis isn’t his goal. However, that doesn’t make things any less dire, because apparently, he’s returned commanding an army of Czarnians cloned after the intergalactic bounty hunter, Lobo. Lobo possesses strength that rivals the likes of Superman, even pushing the Man of Steel to the brink in some of their previous encounters. Czarnians also have unique regenerative capabilities, preventing them from being killed by anyone outside their species. Knowing that, if Brainiac has managed to get his hands on an entire army, then it’s no wonder that Metropolis will need every metahuman to rise to the occasion.
Will the Super-Family Receive More Definition?
With the Super-Family now consisting of Clark Kent, Jon Kent, Conner Kent, Kara Zor-El, Kenan Kong, the Super-Twins, and Natasha Irons, the roster has gotten pretty hefty. In fact, outside of Clark, Jon, and maybe Kara, there hasn’t been much exposure for the other five members. As far as Natasha, the Super-Twins, and Kenan go, they haven’t really had any issues that’ve made them stand out the way the top three have.
Surprisingly, Conner very recently had a standalone series of his own. Superboy: The Man Of Tomorrow, which was released in 2023, focused on Conner’s life after the events of Dark Crisis. It followed his journey of self-discovery in a world he felt didn’t need him. Although, while it was a decent run, it felt more like a rehash of Conner’s acceptance of his identity as Superman’s clone, which had already been resolved. At one point, it even seemed like Conner was initially being primed to take on Superman’s mantle. Sadly, Superboy’s most recent event was the first time he’s left the dark corners of DC’s development hell in a while.
Hopefully, the high-stakes nature of this conflict gives some spotlight to more than just Superman. At the very least, all members of the Super-Family being together should show growth in their relationship with one another. Unlike the Bat-Family, where characters like Dick, Jason, Damian, and Tim all have a unique identity and defined dynamic in their brotherhood, the Super-Family misses that mark. Every member seems to have a clear focus on their relationship with Superman, but the bonds they have with each other is less obvious.
That said, what does the House of Brainiac have in store for us? Let’s take a little dive into this issue and get some of my thoughts on how this series opener holds up.
My Thoughts on Action Comics #1064
The issue starts off with a beautifully menacing shot of Brainiac’s iconic skull-shaped ship hovering above the Earth. Immediately following this, we transition into a sitcom-like scene depicting Lois Lane on her day off. As she skips through the streets of Metropolis in full workout attire, she encounters various Super-Family members, each spending the day with each other. What a coincidence, right? Well, at least we get some type of slice-of-life moment between them, so that’s one item marked off my wish list already.
However, we also get cuts to various villains, like Metallo, Parasite, Livewire, and Lex Luthor, each behind bars, or in Luthor’s case, about to be freed from them.
When Lois finally makes it to her destination, we see that she’s meeting up with Jimmy Olsen and his girlfriend, Siobhan Smythe. When the pair inquire as to Clark’s whereabouts, Lois simply states that he has his own morning workout routine, to which we see him adventurously soaring through the skies of Metropolis. When Clark does eventually arrive, comically appearing in a Smallville sweatshirt, gym shorts, and a headband, we’re about to learn why Lois only takes this particular day off.
Unfortunately, the normalcy doesn’t last long. As Superman senses danger approaching, we then cut to a swarm of Czarnians and Brainiac droids dropping out of the sky.
This invasion quickly leads to chaos in the city below, as the Super-Family assembles to fend off the attack. In the midst of this havoc, we get several interesting character interactions, most notably between Lex and Brainiac. Not only is Brainiac not employing his usual tactics, but he wants to capture every member of the Super-Family and anyone with superpowers in Metropolis. The reason for this remains unclear, but it appears Lex knows the true intent, and it horrifies him.
After successfully completing his objective, Brainiac and his forces retreat, leaving nothing but destruction behind. As the issue comes to an end, Superman angrily utters one word: Lobo. We then finish with a foreboding spread of Brainiac variants seemingly numbering in the hundreds, preparing for what comes next.
Personally, I was very pleased with this issue. The opening 90s-esque montage with Lois was a nice prelude to the events that were about to unfold. For just a few moments, we got to see what everyone’s lives might be like if they were regular people. Conner, Kenan, and the Super-Twins were at an arcade, Kara was on her way to a date, and Natasha was out for breakfast with her family. Those are the kind of Super-Family moments we need more of.
The story doesn’t take long to get started at all, though, and quickly establishes the threat that Brainiac poses. Unlike most villains, who tend to struggle with just one member of the Super-Family, Brainiac has managed to capture nearly everyone without much effort. It’ll be interesting to see how the characters who’ve been captured play a role in Brainiac’s plot moving forward. As someone who only allies himself with Superman during the worst crises, it’ll also be nice to see what development Lex has during this series. That said, whatever information he learned during his prior alliance with Brainiac seems to be a significant future plot point.
Conclusion
As a huge Superman fan, any event that centers around him and his family is always a win in my book. Having Brainiac reestablish himself as a force to be reckoned with in Superman’s rogue gallery is also a plus. Between Williamson’s pacing and Sandoval’s art style, I can see this comic being one of DC’s more entertaining storylines. As such, I look forward to reading the upcoming core and tie-in issues related to the House of Brainiac.
In closing, I‘d love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this event. How did you feel about this issue overall? Is this series one that you plan on starting or continuing? Were there any moments that stood out for you? What do you think Brainiac’s end goal is?
If you‘d like to keep the conversation going, comment on this article. Alternatively, you can subscribe to me at ‘Keith Price’ to get my takes on everything related to Gaming, Tech, the DCU, and Entertainment!
References
DC. (January 11, 2024). Superman and Lobo Visit the House of Brainiac This April!. Retrieved from https://www.dc.com/blog/2024/01/11/superman-and-lobo-visit-the-house-of-brainiac-this-april
DC. (2023). ACTION COMICS #1051. Retrieved from https://www.dc.com/comics/action-comics-2016/action-comics-1051
DC. (2024). ACTION COMICS #1064. Retrieved from https://www.dc.com/comics/action-comics-2016/action-comics-1064
