As House of Brainiac reaches part 3. Kara and Kon-El have escaped from the bottle jails in which the Coluan Conqueror placed them, only to find themselves tiny and powerless. Who ya gonna call?
The Parasite and Livewire, similarly kidnapped from Metropolis as part of Brainiac’s scheme to steal the powers of metahumans good and bad. As the two have been trying to be a little better of late, they’re all in on the idea of joining Supergirl and Superboy to fight back.
After a little luck and a lot of action, Supergirl alone gets to interrupt Brainiac’s attempt to create… something.
The Man of Steel, meanwhile, having escaped Brainiac’s people pickling plant, is trying to find the green gangster with the help of space bounty hunter Lobo. The Main Man is intrigued by the appearance of members of his race by Brainiac’s side and wants to confront one of them, the fabled General Chacal.
And who’s that running away at the very site of him on Hardcore Station? That would be a cameoing…
The cosmic taxi driver proves more useful than you might expect, and even had he been around purely for local colour, it’s always fun to see DC’s Silver Age sci-fi star turned millennial cartoon favourite on page.
It’s also fun to see Supergirl and co in total butt-kicking mode, even if writer Josh Williamson skimps on the mechanics of just how Kara and Kon release Parasite and Livewire, and why the latter two stay full-sized.
Other highlights include Lex’s reaction to Kara’s accusation he’s Brainiac’s lackey, and Brainiac’s tangible hatred of Supergirl.
I have to give Williamson credit for his continuing elevation of the Maid of Might, who adds to her recent reputation as the House of El’s best tactician by showing she may also be the feistiest Super Family member. She does something towards the end of this chapter I never saw coming, and I love it.
I also love master storyteller Rafa Sandoval’s depiction of Kara, bar the multiple ear piercings, which don’t suit her, no matter how rough and tumble she acts. I do like the fierce determination on her face.
For her main scenes, though, Kara is drawn by Miguel Mendonca, who keeps that dodgy right ear covered up as he shows her leading the fightback in Superman’s absence.
Co-star Kon is similarly well served, looking great as he prepares for a big moment that’s teased here. He’s going to do something new with his tactile telekinesis, and I’m dying to see what that is.
As for Superman, he’s not neglected in the heroic pose department, as Sandoval makes him look truly formidable. Lobo’s mania, meanwhile, is dialled down enough to make him work as another unlikely good guy. The battling Czarnians are suitably menacing, while Hardcore Station benefits from Sandoval’s knack for an amusing background detail.
All the goodness is coloured by Alejandro Sánchez, who leans heavily into a villainous purple vibe, while letterer Dave Stewart provides a decent variety of fonts without going overboard, something he also does with the back-up feature.
Sanchez also brings the purples to Sandoval’s Brainiac-heavy cover… well, it goes so well with green.
Said second story by Williamson features a Nineties fan favourite character who’s far too little see these days.
Vril Dox, rebellious son of Brainiac and leader of the L.E.G.I.O.N. Feeding into the House of Brainiac, Williamson’s sharp script reminds me of what a great character Dox is, and how much the DCU needs L.E.G.I.O.N. to return.
Artist Mirko Colak seems to be inspired by 5YL Keith Giffen stylings, his pages making far too much use of shadow and silhouettes, rather than letting the excellent colourist Mike Spicer add weight. I still like the overall effect, but I wish Colak had turned the lights on.
All in all, Action Comics #1065 is another excellent chapter in House of Brainiac. More please!
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
I was really excited to see Vril Dox. Fan of LEGION and REBELS. Nice addition to the story. Still have the feeling that they are taking Power Girl’s characterization for Supergirl.
-Matthew Lloyd
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I think both characters can be super-assertive, just that it’s Karen’s default as opposed to Kara’s last straw reaction.
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Great review and fun issue. I don’t about elevating Supergirl using Brainiac. At the end of the day, Brainiac is still a Superman villain; one of his top foes. I’d rather her be given her own sparring partners, but it’s been decades there’s been no such villain made for her.
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Bring back Starfire, Black Flame and Nasty!
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Anj here.
I have seen a little too much of Kara with guns and knives recently … we see that here. That said, she is clearly in charge here and fearless. As I have said, she has really been the ‘second in command’ of the Super-family for a while in these books, the ‘field commander’, and I love it.
As you say, you feel Brainiac’s hatred of her. And you feel her hatred of him. These two feel like arch-enemies. Is Brainiac more a Supergirl foe than Superman? Since the Johns/Frank ‘Brainiac’ arc long ago??
Great art. Love Superman not taking any crap and not wasting any time. And like you, I love Vril Dox so great to see him again.
Wonder if you are seeing this theme of ‘last son’ or ‘lost family’ here – Superman and Lobo for sure. But maybe Brainiac is trying to create a family? Or community?
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I’m no gun fan but I did find the visual exciting, and as she doesn’t have her powers (or an exo-skeleton and bracelet/flight ring) I’ll take a random blaster.
Great spot on the lost family thread!
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You did it again. Your reviews had me reading most of House Of Brainiac. I still don’t trust Williamson’s writing but you’re right that here it is working. (The one issue with Terra Man wasn’t enough to get me to buy future Williamson comics and this won’t as well) What hurts is the cast is too big for much depth of character but is lending the story a sense of cannonball type forward motion that lets you enjoy it without spending too much on its weaknesses. Flash card character bits are nice too in that it keeps him from warping anyone too badly.
You’re right about the art in the Vril Dox story working against the writing. I can’t remember off the top of my head who Lyrl is and there is no visual reference under all that black ink to remind me.
The part I did skip in its entirety was the Russel crap. I hated his first assignment, struggled through a second, and gave up on him forever pages into the third, where I’d hoped love of a property would help me. He’s facile social commentary is so ham fisted and unrealistic it makes Tom Taylor’s daft social commentary look like a doctoral thesis. Worse is that I saw the ad for the collected edition (and assumed) butchering of the Prez concept I thankfully missed when it came out. Prez was a looney, zany, and fun quartet of stories, quintet with the issue of Supergirl, that was innocent and fun. Darkening it just feels wrong. Gaiman didn’t even do that. Did you read it? I imagine it as worse than all the tormenting and twisting Alan Moore has done through the years with other creators’ properties.
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You’re so right about the cast size – will New Super-Man ever do anything?
Lyrl was Vril’s evil little son by Stealth, who stole and corrupted the L.E.G.I.O.N. organisation causing R.E.B.E.L.S. to be formed. Darned if I can spot him in all that darkness.
I didn’t read that Prez series, politics in fiction is something I work hard to avoid.
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