Jason Aaron uses an interesting technique to have the story unfold. Brainiac is implanting visions into Superman's head to try and make the hero break. Each false memory pushes Superman to violence and murder. As a reader, we know some of the pages are these implants immediately - scenes of Krypton and in Smallville. But then Aaron has some pages seem to be 'real events' only to have them later revealed sneakier mental prompts. It made reading the issue a bit fascinating as a reader as you needed to see if what you were reading was 'real'.
But the most frightening part of this is Brainiac. The android is berated by Ra's. He has created drones of himself to aid him but tortures them. His dream is to have Superman kill him. He clearly is a crazed entity, filled with suicidal thoughts, self-loathing, and sadism. When you have your creations cut out their own tongues, you are a psychopath.
Rafael Sandoval gives us the vivisection cover of Brainiac about to cut into our hero's brain. Carmine DeGiandomenico provides the gory interiors. And he brings it from blood and guts to flayed skin and gunfire, this is an intense issue and the art brings it.
On to the book.
And why does Brainiac want this? Is it a key piece to break Superman? Or does he want Superman to actually kill him at some point so he is programming him to do so?
We start out in the Lazarus Corporation with a weakened Superman, away from the sun and surrounded by synthetic K, being fed images into his brain to weaken his resolve.
The first vision is Superman defending his parents from being executed by the elite on Krypton with deadly force. We learn that this is the 575th time he has killed people in this vision. Brainiac thinks Superman will need to have killed 3000 times to be programmable.
Even this panel is sort of Cronenberg-esque with Superman's body ravaged by wires, tubes, and electrodes.
Despite this ... I mean Superman thinking he is killing a swath of people 575 times is a terrible thing ... Ra's is still berating Brainiac. There better be more results.
And Talia doubles down. If there aren't results, Brainiac will be fed to the Father Box.
What does the Father Box do? Why is Brainiac so frightened? Great work by DiGiandomenico in that last panel where just the eyes show us his fear.
I think the Father Box is a plot point I want to learn more about. How did Talia get it? How did they learn it's powers? Was it sent to the planet by Darkseid?
Talia visits prisoners Lois and Jimmy, giving them an old fashioned beatdown but leaving them alive, hoping Superman will kill them.
We do get this nugget leaning into Ra's goals. Much like Prime Earth, he seems to be an eco-terrorist, hoping to whittle the human population by several billion. I do hope we learn more.
Talia looks deliciously malevolent in this scene.
Somehow our weakened Superman breaks free from the control, rips himself out the machine, and comes close to killing Brainiac before he stops himself.
Turns out, this is a Brainiac implanted vision trying to get Superman to kill the android.
This was an excellent feint by Aaron as I thought this was 'actually' happening.
What I don't understand is why Superman pauses to kill Brainiac when we know that he has slaughtered those Kryptonians in other visions. Is he able to deduce those are impossible visions so he can act out without breaking his ethics but this felt too real?
And why does Brainiac want this? Is it a key piece to break Superman? Or does he want Superman to actually kill him at some point so he is programming him to do so?
The drones become more independent and say that Superman has been speaking to them. As a result, we see the sadistic side of Brainiac as he orders them to self-mutilate. We see this skinned face in the last panel.
This Brainiac is truly chilling.
Finally we get some action in the real world.
Sam Lane talks his way into the Lazarus HQ and frees his daughter and Jimmy. Lois demands that they stay to save Superman.
Remember, this Lois is a trained Lazarus soldier. Seeing her perforate Brainiac in a shower of bullets was fantastic. This is a pro-active Lois and I am here for it.
Brainiac has fed in one last vision though.
In this, he has the Kents tell Kal that they should still be together, that it was Lazarus that took them away, and that he needs to go out there and kill everyone.
Instead of showing him violence to incite violence, Brainiac uses love and grief to incite it.
And it seems to work.
Because the last scene is Superman actually breaking free (although I suppose this could be another feint ... and that might be brilliant).
He breaks free. He crushes Brainiac's throat. And Sol activates to level the Lazarus compound.
Is it real?
Has Superman snapped?
How can anyone survive this?
I can't say I am enjoying this comic in a classic way. It is an uncomfortable read. This isn't classic Superman but it isn't supposed to be. But I do find it innovative and appropriately dark. The vision feints drew me in.
Has Superman snapped?
How can anyone survive this?
I can't say I am enjoying this comic in a classic way. It is an uncomfortable read. This isn't classic Superman but it isn't supposed to be. But I do find it innovative and appropriately dark. The vision feints drew me in.
And while I miss Rafael Sandoval, DiGiandomenico really brings the splatter here.
Overall grade: B+
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