Superman: House of Brainiac Special #1 Review: Big Reveals and Critical Context Make This a Must-Read

DC's "House of Brainiac" hit the ground running in its first two chapters across Action Comics and Superman, and while the next chapter hasn't arrived just yet, there is one important stop to make before we get there. DC Comics delivers the Superman: House of Brainiac Special #1 to comic stores this week, and it lives up to its billing as "Chapter 2.5" throughout three compelling stories that paint an impressively complete picture of the current state of things and how they came to be. These stories not only matter to the greater story, but also serve to flesh out that world pre- and post-attack, while also teeing up the next big move in Brainiac's master plan. The scale is already grand, but what is perhaps most impressive is how the creative teams keeps everything moving forward while tethering readers to the people experiencing all this chaos. That attention to detail is paying off in spades.

House of Brainiac Special is split into three chapters, with Joshua Williamson, Edwin Galmon, and Dave Sharpe taking the helm in the opening story "Secrets of Czarnia." As the title suggests, this story takes a step back and examines how Brainiac came to first interact with the Czarnians and their empire. Galmon's work on the Czarnians is simply superb.

That quality continues to impress across the first chapter, presenting the Czarnians as menacing, strategic, cunning, and brutal all at once, while also bringing new personalities into the mix that quickly stand out. Then there's Brainiac, who appears as intimidating as ever, and yet Galmon is able to bring an element of humanity to the world-consuming titan. This could be nothing more than filler in the wrong hands, but Williamson uses the trip back in time to further develop characters like General Chacal and detail the divide that split Czarnia, which will inevitably impact the present conflict.

The second story "Campaign Headquarters" shifts back to Metropolis and focuses on Perry White's mayoral campaign. While there have been some significant reveals regarding Perry in Superman, this is the first chance we've had to check in with Perry in "House of Brainiac." This is a major shift from the cosmic-scale happenings of the first and final stories, but that's also one of its greatest strengths.

Mark Russell, Steve Pugh, Jordie Bellaire, and Dave Sharpe team up for an election-focused story that provides our best glimpse at the fallout from the Czanian army's attack. Instead of zoning in on the physical toll of the attack, Russell opts to spotlight the mental toll of the attack and how catastrophic events feed existing attitudes and movements. The real-world parallels are apparent, and some will likely not love how clear those parallels are made. That said, having Bibbo be the lead perspective through this story is brilliant, and it's his perspective on Metropolis's people and the city itself that allows this story to take hold.

As someone who is especially sensitive to the debated issue at the center of this story, this resonated with me, as did the hopeful message that change is possible, even if slow in coming. That could be viewed as naive, but what can I say, I'm an optimist at heart. Throughout all this, Russell also paints a compelling and at times hilarious portrait of Perry as a candidate, and that puncher's chance mentality does wonders to get you invested. Pugh and Bellaire's art is a perfect one-two punch for this story as well, and their work on Bibbo is absolute gold.

That takes us to the third and final story "Signal" from the team of Joshua Williamson, Rico Ossio, Rex Lokus, and Dave Sharpe. Whereas "Secrets of Czarnia" filled in the gaps of the past and "Campaign Headquarters" provided a view of the present, "Signal" brings things full circle with a major revelation and sets the stage for the next big threat. Williamson once again weaves in elements from past issues and pays them off in a way that moves the entire story forward. I won't get into the whys, but it's a payoff I deeply appreciated, and the final hook moves readers right into a much-anticipated third chapter.

Superman: House of Brainiac Special #1 delivers critical context that enhances not just "House of Brainiac" but Williamson's broader body of work at DC Comics, and those enjoying the event thus far will get even more out of it when 2.5 is added into the mix. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Published by DC Comics

On April 30, 2024

Written by Joshua Williamson and Mark Russell

Art by Edwin Galmon, Steve Pugh, and Rico Ossio

Colors by Edwin Galmon, Jordie Bellaire, and Rex Lokus

Letters by Dave Sharpe

Cover by Jamal Campbell