Superman: Brainiac #1

Brainiac returns forcing Superman to stop him before he annihilates planet Earth. Superman manages to overcome Brainiac but suffers a great loss. 

The incredible creative team of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank unite once again to tell a tale about the Man Of Steel. They worked so well together on Superman: Secret Origin and Superman And The Legion Of Super-Heroes. They bring that same magic back once again as they set the stage for the next big Superman event.

Brainiac has long been one of Superman's most fierce enemies. His true form has finally been revealed in this story. We find out a little more about him and see him in ways unseen before now. As both Superman and Brainiac are battling each other aboard Brainiac's Skull Ship, we see Brainiac's collection of bottled cities. This fuels Superman to save each and every one of those cities and restore them. In the end he's not able to retrieve them all, but he does get two cities. I won't ruin which two he ended up getting.

I like how Geoff Johns wrote Supergirl in this story as well. His writing was a very realistic approach to the matter at hand. Supergirl feared and dislike Brainiac above all else. She was present on Krypton when Brainiac came. Those memories were still flowing through her mind during all of this. Superman helped her through this catastrophe and she ended up playing a pivotal role in saving all of humanity.

It may seem minuscule in comparison to the larger events that took place int his story, but Geoff Johns introduced some new characters in the Daily Planet that are joining the staff. Each have quite the distinct personality and could wind up being decent supporting characters making things interesting.

One of the most touching parts came in the final issue and the epilogue. I really don't want to ruin the experience for anyone but the scenes were handled tremendously well. The writing and artwork was phenomenal. Actually a lot of the storytelling was done by the art towards the end. You could read everything crystal clear off the characters faces.

Gary Frank's interpretation on Superman is incredible. His style is so classy and elegant. He draws an older-looking Superman who resembles Christopher Reeve. I love all the detail he puts in his panels, especially in the backgrounds.

This ended up being way better than I had thought it would be. This was a well executed story that sets up the New Krypton event that follows. Geoff Johns and Gary Frank are at their finest here. This is a must read for all Superman fans.