REVIEW: Superman #14
Superman #14, “House of Brainiac, Part 4: Last Sons” finally sees the fruition of Brainiac’s plan and an unexpected fate for the Czarnians in his employ. We’ve reached the point where it looks like the villain’s going to win and, considering what’s on the horizon for the entire DCU, he just might.
The standard cover is by Rafa Sandoval and Alejandro Sanchez. Entitled “The Main Match”, they depict a classic scene of two adversaries charging each other. For those fans who were disappointed in what little scuffle Superman and Lobo had in issue #13, this also acts as a promotional poster for the fight awaiting inside.
Dave Johnson’s variant is a great scene of a Superman and Brainiac slugfest. It’s both rare and a delight when Brainiac gets frustrated enough to get physical and Superman seems to be the being that constantly pushes him to that point. The stark white background accents all the colors to really make this cover pop.
The variant by Chuma Hill almost feels appropriate for another series featuring giant monsters, but instead we’re graced with an exquisite piece of art. Having Superman’s cape stand out from the red shaded background is nothing less than impressive. The gap from his eyes to where his heat vision begins is also a nice touch and allows us to see the full profile of his face. It’s always nice to get a piece like this from time to time when smooth color textures tend to be the norm.
Artists Rafa Sandoval and Miguel Mendonça, along with Colorist Alejandro Sánchez go all in on the interior art. The first few pages are some of the best fight sequences we’ve seen in a Superman book for some time, and even though it’s fleeting, you can nearly feel and hear every punch. The gritty and graphic nature of the final few pages is also masterfully done as the gruesomeness of what occurs isn’t explicitly done while still visually upsetting. This team has simply done fantastic work throughout the crossover which makes it all the more stellar to read.
Joshua Williamson, lettered by Ariana Maher, reveals the first part of Brainiac’s plan by the end of ‘Superman’ #14, but opens with an all out brawl between Superman and Lobo. Turns out this is a straight up betrayal by Lobo to earn the right to lead General Chacal’s gang but before Superman can appeal to Lobo’s twisted logic, Chacal captures Clark and off to Brainiac they go. Meanwhile Kara and Lex land safely, albeit roughly, on the ground of the newly enlarged Coluian city from ‘Action Comics’ #1065 and happen to cross paths with Vril Dox, Braniac’s son. Vril and his mother have incited a rebellion of sorts and realizing there’s strength in numbers, Kara and Lex join them. However, it all may be too late as the arrival of Superman allows Brainiac to power his new creation which has shocking results for General Chacal and his Czarnian gang. Things seem to go from bad to worse as The House of Brainiac continues.
(9/10) The pacing of the story has been well timed between Superman and Supergirl’s separate involvements, keeping the reader constantly engaged. The art is simply fantastic and moves the story effortlessly from page to page.
