REVIEW: Superman #15

Superman #15 is here and acts as the final instalment of the House Of Brainiac story arc and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! This arc has been great, it’s really the first time I have actually feared Brainiac and that is because of the stakes, what he is willing to do and how well written he is by writer Joshua Williamson.

But before we get into the issue itself, let’s take a look at the covers. The standard cover by Rafa Sandoval is brilliant and really mixes the sci-fi with the action! The technological cuts through Superman’s face are brutal and the detail behind gives off Matrix vibes for me. This is a great cover!

Danny Earl’s variant showcases Superman through all aspects of his life – birth, growing up in Smallville, mild mannered reporter Clark Kent and also Superman. I love this cover, Earl’s captures Superman and his life in such a perfect way!

The pride variant by Angel Solorzano is pure joy for me. Seeing Jon Kent inspire a younger generation like this is what he and his sexuality is all about. The pastel colours are perfect and really make this cover beautiful and delicate.

There are also variants available by Stjepan Sejic, Joshua Sway Swaby and Miguel Mercado.

In the previous part of this story shown in Action Comics, the Superman family manage to take down the Queen, but now they have to stop Brainiac’s mind controlled family from getting to Lex and Lena Luthor who are trying to take down Brainiac from the inside. It seems like one thing after another in this issue, as one problem is solved another even bigger one arises and that’s what makes the entire issue so thrilling. I won’t go into too much detail as I don’t want to ruin the finale of the story arc for you but we see Lex Luthor make the ultimate risk to save his daughter and whilst it’s out of character (in some ways) it just shows the growth and journey that Lex has been on and after all of the speculation – we now know that he is genuine with his actions and so does Superman.

Each of the heroes are tasked with something important, Lobo to get the bottled cities safe, everyone else to get everyone safely to Metropolis, Superman on the other hand is going back for Brainiac. There are some fantastic Superman moments following this as he attempts to get through to Brainiac and even save him after all he’s done. But time is running out for them all and Superman attempts to give them a little more, this is when Brainiac makes the ultimate sacrifice and we now know that the threat is not entirely over. If this issue wasn’t enough, the final page teaser will be – when I saw the artwork my eyes widened and my jaw dropped!

The interior art is by Rafa Sandoval, colours by Alejandro Sanchez and letters by Ariana Maher. The artwork is something else! The level of detail here is incredible and the realism really allows the reader to get invested in not only what’s happening, but also for the stakes. Sandoval draws a perfect Superman, I cannot fault his art style and the way that he draws each and every character involved. Though the arc has ended, I do hope his run on the Superman titles are a little longer!

(9/10) Superman #15 and the House Of Brainiac story arc was quite a wild ride. It was scary, action packed and an excellent way to breathe life and fear into a brand new villain. I cannot wait to see more consequences and possibilities of this.