Mild Mannered Reviews - Superman Adventures

Superman Adventures #64

Superman Adventures #64

Scheduled to arrive in stores: December 5, 2001

Cover date: February 2002

Writer: Jordan B. Garfinkel
Penciller: Aluir Amancio
Inker: Terry Austin

"Brainiac Beyond"

Reviewed by: George O'Connor (mo442@nyu.edu)



Knocking Superman aside, Terry McGuinness, the Batman of the future, yells to Superman to let go of Brainiac's missile.

The two combatants tangle in the air, attempting to catch up with the immense missile as it rockets towards the center of Metropolis. Before the projectile can hit, Superman pushes it up into the atmosphere, confused as to the identity of the strange black clad teenager who has attempted to obstruct his mission.

Following Superman in the Batmobile, a black, stylistic, flying vehicle, Terry explains that he's the Batman from the future. Supes remains unconvinced until Terry reveals that he knows the original Batman is Bruce Wayne and that Superman is planning on proposing to Lois Lane by the methane falls on Jupiter.

Finally convinced, Superman follows Batman's advice and lets the missile soar off into deep space instead of hurling it into the sun. Batman reveals that in thirty years Earth would have experienced a devastating solar flare because, originally, Superman had thrown the missile into the sun.

Using Brainiac's own blueprints for a time machine, which were incarcerated along with Brainiac in the Batcomputer, Bruce Wayne outfitted the Batmobile with a time machine so that Terry could go back in time and prevent Superman from hurling the missile into the sun and thus prevent the solar flares on the future Earth.

Heading back to the ground, Superman and Batman return to Brainiac's fallen form, only to be attacked suddenly by the android as he reveals this was his plan all along. The future Brainiac, imprisoned in the Batcomputer, knowing that he had failed to destroy the Earth, decided to use the time machine to allow himself to return to the past, where he could update the memory banks of his past self with all the knowledge of the future.

Doing so, he attacks the two heroes, claiming he is now more powerful than ever. After Superman pummels away at the robot, he is overcome by Brainiac, until Batman swoops in to deliver what appears to be the killing blow to the android.

Unfortunately for Terry, Brainiac takes control of Batman's suit and hurls its human occupant out. Superman saves the boy while "Brainiac Beyond" uses the full capabilities of the suit to send miniature missiles streaking through Metropolis. Superman uses his heat vision, but underestimates the technology of the future. The missiles divert their path only gradually and hit the rooftop of the Daily Planet where Terry has been watching the combat.

Believing the boy to be dead, Superman intensifies his battle against the advanced power of Brainiac. The Batmobile suddenly swoops in and sends jolts of electricity into the commandeered Batsuit with taser cables. Inside the Batmobile, Terry suddenly feels the ship turn against him as Brainiac transfers into the ship's computers.

At the last minute, Terry pulls the energy source out of the vehicle, leaps from the ship, and watches the dead craft crash into the ground. Superman helps pull Terry out of the wreckage and the two heroes replace their torn, battered costumes with new ones, intent on remaining the World's Finest team before Terry must return to his own time.

4Story - 4: This was the type of fun, great story that has been absent from the Superman Adventures for months. The action was intense, the story was clever (though certainly with its fill of plot holes and unresolved questions), and the premise was just plain fun. By starting the story in the middle of the action, the reader's attention is grabbed from the start and not let go of until the very end. The interaction between the two characters was great as well and very different from the dynamic that the original Batman and Superman usually share. Overall, it was a fun, exciting issue that fans of Timm's animated series (in the plural) will enjoy a great deal.

5Art - 5: Amancio is brilliant in this issue! The action scenes are fantastic, the layouts are exciting, and the characters are rendered faithfully and dynamically. The two-page spread with the Batman Beyond images is absolutely gorgeous! I love it when Amancio does those! He did one about five or six issues back featuring Superman and all the supporting characters and it was just as beautiful. The Kryptonite No More series, I think... Anyway, congrats, Mr. Amancio, this was a hell of an effort for the issue.

4Cover Art - 4: Man! I really like this cover, but it perturbs me that it's for this issue, because it has NOTHING to do with the interior. I mean, Luthor's not even in it. I would have loved to see a really cool Batman of the future and Superman cover. Grrr... Oh well, still very cool.



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Mild Mannered Reviews

2002

Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

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