Best Superman-Brainiac story?

[Leander1102]

To learn more about Brainiac which story would you recommend me?

[Kuwagaton]

I really love Brainiac as a character, so my answer is "most of them." I can elaborate later if you want but off the top of my head I would specifically say:

Action Comics#489-491
Action Comics 514
Action Comics 528-530
Action Comics 544-546
*Adventures of Superman #438, 445-447, Superman vol 2 #25-27, and 35 as one story arc*
DC Special Series#5
The Brainiac Trilogy
Adventures of Superman/Legion 90 crossover annuals
Panic in the Sky
Dead Again
The Doomsday Wars
Action Comics vol 2 #1-8

[adkal]

Identity Crisis - from 1996.

Four part story by Mark Waid and Tom Peyer:

Adventures 536
Action 723
Man of Steel 58
Superman 114

[RepHope]

Johns isn’t too popular around here but I enjoyed his Brainiac arc during his Action Comics run.

[Doctor Know]

I'd recommend episodes from Superman TAS and Justice League TAS.

The watch order.

1. Stolen Memories

2. Ghost In The Machine

3. New Kids In Town

4. Knight Time

5. Twilight Of The Gods

6. Divided We Fall


Also, Superman Unbound (the DC DTV movie) is okay.

[Clark_Kent]

Identity Crisis - from 1996.

Four part story by Mark Waid and Tom Peyer:

Adventures 536
Action 723
Man of Steel 58
Superman 114

Ha. I came in here to suggest this 4-parter, because I was just sure nobody else would remember it. Also features new art from the great Curt Swan for a few pages in one of the issues.

I leave happy

[Gurz]

I just realised i haven't read any Braniac story in comics yet... I only know Braniac from The Superman TAS and JLU etc. The cartoons. He was good in the Red Son though, as far as i read Superman that was the only significant part Braniac had in any story. Braniac warned Red Son Superman to don't interact with Lex, Braniac's warning was something like ''Lex is a level whatever very intelegent being, only a few words from him can mess you up''... And Red Son Superman didn't listen to Braniac's warning and took a note from Lex, what was written on that note messed Red Son Superman really up... lol

[SJNeal]

My favorites remain "Panic In The Sky", "Dead Again", and Johns & Frank's "Brainiac" from their Action Comics run.

[Doctor Know]

I'd like to add JLA Earth 2 (with Anti-Matter Brainiac), Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow, Red Son (a minor role but a good showing) and Justice (Jim Krueger and Alex Ross).

[Jim Kelly]

It’s funny that no one here has bothered to mention the first Brainiac story in ACTION COMICS 242 or the story that redefined him as a computer mind in SUPERMAN 167. See the other thread on Brainiac’s design for more about both.

The first story I read that gave a fleshed out version of Brainiac was the imaginary story in SUPERMAN 200. I had seen him in the odd panel before, but didn’t learn anything about him. And I had read about Brainiac 5 in ADVENTURE COMICS.

The thing of it was, the Brainiac in 200’s imaginary story—“Super-Brother against Super-Brother” by Cary Bates and Wayne Boring—this Brainiac is a good guy who shrinks Kryptonopolis to save it from the ultimate destruction of Krypton.

He’s an evuncular sort who befriends Jor-El’s family and sacrifices himself for the good of those tiny people. So when I think of Mr. Pink-Pumpkinpants, I have this benign image of him in mind.

[Soubhagya]

Superman Adventures 22-23

There's also #3. That one is okay. And i think it shall be read first if one needs a primer for Braniac of Superman: The Animated Series. And that story is chronologically before #22.

But 22-23, the two-part story is great.

[Zero Hunter]

Going by just the more modern Brainiac (ignoring that mess Morrison came up with when he tried to revamp the character) here are a few I liked. This version to me is the best version. The organic being who over time has modified himself with cybernetics until he is fusion of the two.

Action Comics 866-870 - Brainiac by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank
REBELS (2009) 18-19 - The Sons of Brainiac by Tony Bedard
Superman: Last Stand of New Kypton 1-3 - by James Robinson

[Adekis]

My favorite version of Brainiac is still the one from the LOSH cartoon show. Simultaneously a robot and a Coluan. How? Because all Coluans are robots. That was easy. No idea why everyone else makes it hard by making him a green Luthor with implants or a brain with a beak or whatever.

What's the best Brainiac story? I don't know, probably Panic in the Sky, yeah, or maybe Identity Crisis. As many eyebrows as I raise at the relatively convoluted post-Crisis Brainiac, a good number of his stories are just straight up good.

[Kuwagaton]

The story by Johns was actually good, but I read it not long ago and he tried to explain how the different pre-crisis versions were all probes. What? They stopped existing forever ago, so it's more confusing to reference them. It would have made more sense for Frank to draw 2.5 and 13, because that stuff could have used some explaining.

It’s funny that no one here has bothered to mention the first Brainiac story in ACTION COMICS 242 or the story that redefined him as a computer mind in SUPERMAN 167. See the other thread on Brainiac’s design for more about both.

I built up huge expectations for the silver age stuff and wound up disappointing myself. I'd still recommend #242 for historical perspective but I think the only memorable thing about the story was Koko.

[Lukmendes]

The story by Johns was actually good, but I read it not long ago and he tried to explain how the different pre-crisis versions were all probes. What? They stopped existing forever ago, so it's more confusing to reference them. It would have made more sense for Frank to draw 2.5 and 13, because that stuff could have used some explaining.

I'm pretty sure that Johns only mentioned the probes to talk about post crisis Brainiac's appearances up until that point, not pre-crisis.