Superhero Times: a service of Action Online
Check out Premier Collectible Auctions for your chance to own an amazing assortment of high-end collectibles.
For a great selection of superhero action figures and collectibles, check out fine retailers BigBadToyStore.com, CornerStoreComics.com, WhiteWizardToys.com, ToyWiz.com, ToyRocket.com, Alter Ego Comics, HobbyLinkJapan.com, StatueToys.com, Urban-Collector.com, and Elm Street Online.
For a great selection of superhero and pop culture apparel, check out TShirtGurus.com and 80sTees.com.
Action Comics 866 is one of those rare instances where a classic character is re-invented and re-invigorated without destroying everything that has come before while at the same time providing some of the most beautiful drawn pages in comic history! Writer Jeff Johns and artist Gary Frank bring us the first part of a new Brainiac story that is impossible to ignore.
Jeff Johns made a name for himself when he took the reigns of the Green Lantern mythos and wove that character's history into a deep and intricate web that brought new depth and understanding to the character without retconning everything that had come before. Now Johns is working his magic again as he turns his eye toward Brainiac, a classic Superman villain with about 50 years of history himself. The issue opens with a scene on classic Krypton, General Zod (yes, that one) and Ursa fight a Brainiac invasion that ends with the classic capture of the city of Kandor, which in Superman lore is later found miniaturized and bottled. Brainiac is displayed as a truly cold and ruthless killer with a robotic army that kills the innocent without any emotion.
Shifting to the present day, the senior reporters of the Daily Planet have assembled for a staff meeting. Cat Grant has returned to cover the gossip column while Steve Lombard is introduced as the new sports reporter. Cat flirts with Clark, of course, while Lombard is the quintessential loud-mouthed meat head who chooses emotion and bravado over contemplation and reflection. The seeds of discord are quickly sewn between the main characters and even though the scene is a bit heavy-handed in its portrayal of the new and returning cast members, it is nice to see other characters in the Superman mythos receive some face time. It must also be noted here that Clark Kent is drawn in the likeness of Christopher Reeve while Lois Lane is unmistakably Margot Kidder. Fans of that movie series will no doubt enjoy the likenesses tremendously.
The story turns to Ma and Pa Kent for a page, showing their blissful existence in Kansas. While nothing much of note happens here, I get the feeling that we're seeing this peaceful moment so that it can be later connected to an unhappy time in the life of the Kents. Perhaps it's the cynic in me, but I wouldn't be betting any money on Pa Kent being around much longer.
The final sequence involves Superman facing off against a Brainiac robot. Superman seems almost annoyed by the fact that Brainiac has returned to spoil the day, but once the robot gets a sample of him and confirms that he's from Krypton, it deactivates and the flesh and blood Brainiac in outer space is contacted with the information. The Brainiac robot appears much like the pre-Crisis version while the version in space has the classic green skin and the plugs on his head.
While Action Comics 866 is only the first part of the story, it is very easy to recommend since the pages offered here are crafted with such reverence and care. It is available now and carries the cover price of $2.99.