Final Crisis Novel

Normally I wouldn't talk about what happened in the novelization of a DC comic, but the Final Crisis one is worth mentioning.

When I originally read the comic, I was stunned by the art but not at all by the story line. It had some good moments contained in it but nothing that was really worth the hardback edition that I had bought. Well, that is except for the Brainiac Five images when he was talking to Superman. I would love to see more of Brainiac Five in that art style.

But anyway, I recently went to Books-A-Millons and bought a copy of Final Crisis the novel. It makes more sense then the actually comic does. Maybe that is because its a book and the writer can spend more time talking about things. I can't say how much I hated the Japanese superhero's name. 'Most Excellent Superbat'? Ugh.

But that wasn't the great part of the book. During the scene were Clark is with Lois in the hospital, I was expecting the female Monitor lady to come and take Superman on his fantastic journey through time and space. But I was not expecting Brainiac Five to appear and tell Clark that he was needed in the future.

I was surprised and happy that it was Brainiac Five who appeared instead of the female monitor. It made perfect sense, considering the scene later in the book. Brainiac Five appears and heals Lois with a bit of the 'Bleed' that he managed to gather. I was so happy to see him. Then he takes Superman off to the Future.

The book was worth it for that. I give the book a B rating.

Quick Note

Well, DC is doing it. I am not sure about it, but I think I will go through with it.

I will read Legion of Superhero's, Legion Lost, Supergirl (even though I am afraid of something), Action Comics, and possibly some Green Lantern title. Too bad I am very sure they killed off my favorite character...

Reactions later.

Flashpoint: Rebooting the DC Universe

I promise I will get back on this blog more often from this point on. Brainy needs to have a blogger that writes about him during his adventures.

But first need to deal with some stuff. Namely what happened in the news just a little bit ago. As you know, DC has said that they are relaunching the DC books with all new number ones. Here is my rant-

Okay, I have to get this off my chest.

I have been reading the current run of DC comics since around late 2008. To me, that's when I really started to take DC seriously. It was full of life, and full of energy. Supergirl, who is my favorite female Superhero of the DCU, was just finally starting to come into her own. The Legion was returning from the black, and a lot of interesting things were going on. That was also the year I discovered Major Spoilers. I'll go more into them a little later.

I would buy all the DC titles I could get. Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, Booster Gold, Superman, Supergirl, World of New Krypton, all shorts of stuff. When Blackest Night came out I nearly bought all of it. I even went back and completed The Legion run from 2000 to about 2005. I love that Legion so much, it kept me reading DC for a while after I stopped really buying.

Eventually I moved back home, and I had to stop buying as many comics. I brought it down to once a month, reading all that I could on the net about what was going on. My main source of information is The Source or Major Spoilers. Major Spoilers also helped me to see other comic book companies as real sources of my Superhero fix. Just recently started reading 'Invincible'. More on that some other time.

So, one day I'm on MS and what do I happen to see? DC is rebooting most of the DC universe. What the hell DC? What the hell? Are you trying to tell me that all the Supergirl I have been reading, all the Legion, all the Green Lantern Natu stuff is nothing more then paper? What the hell? I love you DC, but why?

I've been buying your books for some time now, really starting to love some of the characters. Booster Gold? Oh man, is that guy amazing. I've seen him change from a jerk to a semi-responsible dude. Supergirl? Yeah, there is one girl that I wouldn't mind having around in real life. She makes mistakes but you know what, she is growing up. And I like that. Not to mention she hooked up with Brainy.

But still. I know this is just nerd rage and it doesn't really matter but by God I liked what was going on in the DCU up to Flashpoint, at least mostly. Wonder Woman wasn't herself but so what, I don't care. I haven't read her in years. Swamp thing just came back! SWAMP THING! The Legion was coming back to what it needed to do and everything was finally getting better. My lord, why?

So, I will be keeping up Brainiac Five and the Legion through him by buying Legion Lost and The Legion of Superheroes. At least LOSH is still being written by the same writer. Here are the summaries.

Legion Lost

Seven heroes from the 31st century have traveled back to the present day. Their mission: Save their future from total annihilation. When the future tech they brought with them fails, they find themselves trapped in a nightmarish world and an ultimate struggle to survive. LEGION LOST #1 will be written by Fabian Nicieza and illustrated by Pete Woods, fresh off an acclaimed run of Action Comics.

Legion of Superheroes

In the 31st century, the Legion of Superheroes is reeling from the loss of seven of their finest — and trying desperately to keep their youngest recruits alive against a series of terrible new threats. LEGION OF SUPERHEROES #1 will be written by fan-favorite Legion writer Paul Levitz and illustrated by Francis Portela.

Stay turned for more later.

Review: Action Comics #11

Adventure Comics #11/514

The Epilogue is the Future
Written by Sterling Gates
Pencils by Travis Moore
Inks by Julio Ferreira
and Colors by Pete Pantazis

This is really an important issue, in three different ways. Not only does it deal with Brainiac and Querl, but also with R.J. Brande's Last Will and Testament but most importantly, the conclusion of current Mon-El story. To tell the truth I am happy that it is finally coming to a end. This current Mon-El retelling has been kind of screwy for me because he is in the past and it was a prolong for his future. Doesn't make sense when I write it down.

I'm glad that finally he is the Mon-El that I know.

But anyway, the comic starts out on a barren world where the the Legionaries in the past are placing a bottled city. According to Cham, R.J. Brade told him that this city would be very important to him so he takes his time with it. As the city enlarges we see that it is a city full of Durlans. This is new Durla!

Chamelon goes to talk to one of them but Projectora reminds him that Brande's will told them not to talk to anyone. Then again, I don't blame him for wanting to talk to them. According to Brainiac Five's journal entree Cham's people are nomadic and live in tribes around the universe. Brainiac captured one of the lost tribes called the Kel'Par. One of the Durlans was a relative of Cham, and would one day help Ren Daggle come into being.

Ren Daggle would then become R.J. Brande and help father both Cham and the Legion of Superheroes. Yay! Brainiac is such a force of mind that he had everything planned ahead of time.

Then we switch gears to Brainiac 5, who is traveling with the bond Brainiac behind him to Colu. He wakes up Brainiac to ask him a question but Brainaic doesn't give up his knowledge quite so willingly. He knows who Brainiac Five is, having heard Supergirl call him that and of course he wants to know what is inside his head. Before he can get to far Brainiac tells him that he is heading to Colu and get him placed in a thought shell that will make sure he will never think again. Interesting. I would like to learn more about Colu as a society just so I can know how they work and where exactly they came from. But anyway...

Brainiac breaks free from his bonds and attacks B5, telling him that he will reach into his mind and take his knowledge of the future. Of course Brainiac Five uses his force field to push him back, telling him that he has spent his life trying to make up for his evil. Brainiac though views him as stupid and inferior, and tells him that if he gives him the secrets of the time stream he would let him live. But Brainiac Five is not alone. With a blast of energy, Brainiac falls and we get to see B5's savior is none other than Virl Dox!

Helping Brainiac Five up, he explains that he had to make sure he really was his descendant from the future. Of course he asks why Brainac Five doesn't go for the money himself. So Brainy lies and they part ways. For only a page of interaction I loved it anyway. We might get more later. Oh do I hope.

As Brainiac is put away, and the Durlan's talk, Brainiac Five makes a revelation of his own. You can never ask enough about your ancestors, can never know why they did what they did. But his questions didn't matter to his future. He stopped Brainiac from destroying the future, and saved countless lives. We can't control the mistakes your family makes, even those who travel through time see it for what it is. Just keep moving forward and try to insure the future is the best you can make it.

Very good Brainiac Five. And the Legion is glad to see you back!

The last part of the book is about Mon-El, and R.J. Brande. Cham is hearing R.J. Brande's Last instructions to him, and how proud he is of him. He has to do one last thing for Brande before he can return to the future, but he had to wait for Mon-El.

Mon-El himself is rebuilding many worlds. Rimbor, Cargg, Xanthu, Bismoll, Imsk, Phlon, Zoon, along with Titan. He is really busy. Those are really important worlds for the Legion because of the people who come from those worlds. Ultra Boy, Triplicate Girl, Star Man, Matter Eater Lad, Shrinking Violet, Timber Wolf... but most importantly for me anyway Chemical King! Nice to see him on a page again.

Then we cut to Mon-El smacking down with Jemm, lord of Saturn. Its funny how Jemm thinks that Mon-El is a Kryptonian instead of a Daxam but my guess is that he hasn't encountered very many Daxaims. Mon wants to restore the Lanothians back to full size but Jemm doesn't want it until they speak to him. They tell him that they need this, and they are willing to call themselves Titanians and bow down to his power in order to call Titan home. And finally he agrees. So Titan now exist.

Back on Earth, he meets Jimmy and he can tell that the poor guy is really sick. He doesn't have much time left on Earth. The illness his progressing rapidly. I do like he manages to rescue the female Daxam from the ape man. She reminds me a lot of Laural Gand, but she is in present time so... you know can't be her. Oh well. He gives her his ship to go back to the stars and he is ready to die.

Cham appears out of no where and tells him that he has more life to live. Mon-El says that he is ready to die, that he would rather not go back to the Phantom Zone again. He hates that place. Can't really blame him. Giving a letter to Superboy to give to Billi Harper, he decides that he will go. In a really nicely drawn scene we see him floating around in the zone until finally a hand reaches out and he is brought to the future by Superboy. So yay, everything goes full circle.

Amazing!

The art is stellar, well drawn and colored. Just amazing. The whole issue was really well done so I have to give this comic 4 and a half stars out of five!

Read it.

Adventure Comics #11 and DC Kids Mega Sampler

Coming out in a few short days, Adventure Comics #11 promises the start of an epic battle. Brainiac VS Brainiac 2 and Brainiac 5. Should be a really good issue, haven't seen one like this since the old school L.E.G.I.O.N. when Dox teamed up with two-boot Brainiac Five. It should be an exciting issue and expect a review here.



Now on to the next part of the post, the DC Kids Mega Sampler. Most of the time I skip the DC Kids Comics but this time, on free comic book day, I couldn't resit the free issue. I read the Tiny Titan's part, which is actually pretty cool.

So it starts out with Supergirl going to Match's birthday party in the North Pole, the site of Superman's Fortress of Solitude. She is excited to go to the party and when she get there it is a good time for all. Until Luthor shows up and tires to get Match to put on his present.


I just love the expression on Match's face. He doesn't know what to do.



In another story line, the Brainiac Club goes on a trip to the north pole. I love that Brainiac Five is seen here with the likes of the Cartoon Brainiac, the goatee Brainiac and Brainiac 8. There all one big happy family.


Supergirl gets told by Krypto that he needs to take a walk and she takes him out only to meet the Brainiac Club. It is great. Are we going to get some Brainiac Five/Supergirl interaction in the future? I do hope so.


So Supergirl invites them to the party, and they are all willing and ready. I can't wait to read more!

So it seems like things are looking good for the future of Brainiac Five. Stay tuned next time for a couple of reviews about the green skinned hero!

Sho

For the Love of All Things Brainiac

Anyone who has read the Legion of Superheroes knows about Brainiac Five.

One of the most stead fast members of the Legion, Brainiac Five has been around since Adventure Comics 276 (1961) and even back then he was getting peoples attention. The great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandson of the original Brainiac, he has spent most of his life trying to get away from his ancestor's evil legacy and some times not succeeding.

Since I first encountered the Legion I couldn't help but fall for this little brain myself, and it will be my job to help in form you of the coming and goings of the character. Past and present, along with the future. I will try to help keep you inform of whats going on in the world of the Legion as well, since it is his team, and also keep track of the other members of the Dox family.

So watch the skies... more to come soon.