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Absolute Superman (2024)
Absolute Superman #7 CVR C Leirix Li Card Stock Var
THE HORRORS OF ABSOLUTE BRAINIAC, REVEALED! His stolen alien technology is at the heart of Lazarus Corp's global success. But he operates out of a seedy lair, packed with bottled cities...cities he tortures relentlessly, just to hear the faint chorus of screams. Who is the mysterious Brainiac? And why is he so interested in the Last Son of Krypton?
32 pages, Comic
Published May 7, 2025
34 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Jason Aaron
2,346 books1,674 followersJason Aaron grew up in a small town in Alabama. His cousin, Gustav Hasford, who wrote the semi-autobiographical novel The Short-Timers, on which the feature film Full Metal Jacket was based, was a large influence on Aaron. Aaron decided he wanted to write comics as a child, and though his father was skeptical when Aaron informed him of this aspiration, his mother took Aaron to drug stores, where he would purchase books from spinner racks, some of which he still owns today.
Aaron's career in comics began in 2001 when he won a Marvel Comics talent search contest with an eight-page Wolverine back-up story script. The story, which was published in Wolverine #175 (June 2002), gave him the opportunity to pitch subsequent ideas to editors.
In 2006, Aaron made a blind submission to DC/Vertigo, who published his first major work, the Vietnam War story The Other Side which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Miniseries, and which Aaron regards as the "second time" he broke into the industry.
Following this, Vertigo asked him to pitch other ideas, which led to the series Scalped, a creator-owned series set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and published by DC/Vertigo.
In 2007, Aaron wrote Ripclaw: Pilot Season for Top Cow Productions. Later that year, Marvel editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed by The Other Side and Scalped, hired Aaron to write issues of Wolverine, Black Panther and eventually, an extended run on Ghost Rider that began in April 2008. His continued work on Black Panther also included a tie-in to the company-wide crossover storyline along with a "Secret Invasion" with David Lapham in 2009.
In January 2008, he signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, though it would not affect his work on Scalped. Later that July, he wrote the Penguin issue of The Joker's Asylum.
After a 4-issue stint on Wolverine in 2007, Aaron returned to the character with the ongoing series Wolverine: Weapon X, launched to coincide with the feature film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron commented, "With Wolverine: Weapon X we'll be trying to mix things up like that from arc to arc, so the first arc is a typical sort of black ops story but the second arc will jump right into the middle of a completely different genre," In 2010, the series was relaunched once again as simply Wolverine. He followed this with his current run on Thor: God of Thunder.
Aaron's career in comics began in 2001 when he won a Marvel Comics talent search contest with an eight-page Wolverine back-up story script. The story, which was published in Wolverine #175 (June 2002), gave him the opportunity to pitch subsequent ideas to editors.
In 2006, Aaron made a blind submission to DC/Vertigo, who published his first major work, the Vietnam War story The Other Side which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Miniseries, and which Aaron regards as the "second time" he broke into the industry.
Following this, Vertigo asked him to pitch other ideas, which led to the series Scalped, a creator-owned series set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and published by DC/Vertigo.
In 2007, Aaron wrote Ripclaw: Pilot Season for Top Cow Productions. Later that year, Marvel editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed by The Other Side and Scalped, hired Aaron to write issues of Wolverine, Black Panther and eventually, an extended run on Ghost Rider that began in April 2008. His continued work on Black Panther also included a tie-in to the company-wide crossover storyline along with a "Secret Invasion" with David Lapham in 2009.
In January 2008, he signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, though it would not affect his work on Scalped. Later that July, he wrote the Penguin issue of The Joker's Asylum.
After a 4-issue stint on Wolverine in 2007, Aaron returned to the character with the ongoing series Wolverine: Weapon X, launched to coincide with the feature film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron commented, "With Wolverine: Weapon X we'll be trying to mix things up like that from arc to arc, so the first arc is a typical sort of black ops story but the second arc will jump right into the middle of a completely different genre," In 2010, the series was relaunched once again as simply Wolverine. He followed this with his current run on Thor: God of Thunder.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
May 7, 2025
Of course it would be Absolute Superman to make me give a fuck about Brainiac. A character I usually don't give two shits about in the regular universe. Loved him here, the twisted backstory for the one who will hunt superman, and the final pages leave me worried.
July 4, 2025
This was a great look into Braniac
May 16, 2025
Brainiac is absolutely insane in a very disturbing way, yet watching the progression of his insanity just made sense.
His destructive treatment of the other Brainiacs and his creations makes me nervous for Superman though.
His destructive treatment of the other Brainiacs and his creations makes me nervous for Superman though.
October 19, 2025
SUPERMAN SON OF THE DEMON- PROLOGUE: A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING.
"I won't advise any wiggling in your condition"
"Good Pain is progress"
so after the first arc...we get a Brainiac - centric issue switching from the shovel he weilded as part of the collective to the awesomely designed nightmare he/it seems to be now.
"I won't advise any wiggling in your condition"
"Good Pain is progress"
so after the first arc...we get a Brainiac - centric issue switching from the shovel he weilded as part of the collective to the awesomely designed nightmare he/it seems to be now.
May 9, 2025
I did not expect a full issue dedicated to brainiac but wow am I pleased, this was so dark and well written. Perfect for the brainiac of the absolute universe. We open this issue with an omega strike team attempting to infiltrate the base in the Nevada desert where the “brainiac algorithm,” is hosted. The team has this really cool technology where they can synchronize their thoughts together, but unfortunately for them they have no idea what they are walking into. As they creep through the facility shrouded in pink fog, suddenly a bolt of pink lighting strikes one of their own and as the man shrivels up in front of them a new voice enters their thoughts…and proclaims that it shrank his skin!! OMG. But that’s not even the worst of it, they have been compromised and somehow brainiac is able to deploy tech that destroys all the muscles in one of their bodies, and causes the other to Pune up all their bones. Brainiac then decides to play with the last one, sending a beam that causes one of his hands to grow abnormally large and then deploys spores to put him to sleep.
And then the voice that infiltrated their minds is given form, and we get our first full terrifying look at brainiac. His entire bottom torso has been fully replaced with robotic legs, and his brain is exposed with wires strewn everywhere while his eyes are constantly kept open. As brainiac changes his mood from logging the temperature outside, to dismembering and killing the omega men, back to the temperature…we then see as he shifts his focus to his wall of Superman pictures. He’s obsessed, it’s the one thing in the world he doesn’t understand. And when he gets anxious he seems to tinker, the last serving omega man from the strike team wakes up with his brain outside of his body and his limbs loosely connected to his body through wires. But anxious isn’t the only thing that Superman gets him, it also enrages him. Brainiac tries to consult the dozens of worlds he has bottled but none of them know anything about Superman…this causes him to act out and commit genocide all by knocking a glass off a table and stomping on what remained. Brainiac at least has the “decency” to apologize for the half alive omega man for having to see his anger, at the least he has tried to take those parts of his brains out…but it seems he hasn’t found it yet. But things will be better when he solves the Superman puzzle. Apparently Ra’s has grown quite impatient.
But it seems that our brainiac hasn’t always been this cheery self, he hasn’t always had people he could talk to. We then jump back many years earlier to see when brainiac 419,732 was first activated. He started as a simple brainiac level 0, dedicated to cleaning up “refuse” in the incinerator room for a high level brainiac and his ship. All to serve the collective. He isn’t even a high enough level to think for himself, and he must never leave the room and only do his job until he breaks down himself. The “refuse” in question is piles and piles of other broken brainiacs. We follow brainiac as the days shovel onward. There were a few notable days that were highlighted, such as day 2,844 when brainiac came across a unit with a blade who was designated to kill and was still active enough to kill him…that is if he wasn’t able to get the upper hand and use his shovel to tear it apart first. It’s on day 13,638 that we start to see brainiac beak down, the scars leftover from the knife going in his head from the previous fight are still very visible and there are now wires coming out. We see as he props up a bunch of dead brainiac to form his own brainiac collective to talk to. In doing so he poses them a question: “am I refuse?” Obviously there is no reply, but in his head they referred to him as special and he thanked them for being his friends. Finally on day 49,901 he finished, and no other refuse was sent down. As such, he decided to use his shovel to break open the door and head up to the but boss to find out what’s going on. As he walked through the halls of guns, bottled cities, and other deactivated brainiacs…he finally came to the captain’s room where he found the brainiac that activated him dead by suicide. At that moment the captain became refuse and he became brainiac. He promoted himself to level 100 and took over the ship, which also gave him his first opportunity to see the stars for the first time.
As brainiac burned his eyes staring so long at the stars he wondered what else was out there…and has since carved his mark across the face of creation. He has pondered how much better it would be for everyone if he stayed in that room with the shovel…”but where would be the fun it that?” But not a different difficult moment has come, as brainiac starts a contact with the brainiac collective. As he addresses them he submits the data he collected on Superman and the analysis of the red dust left in his wake and asked if they had any information. Most of the voices came in an uproar, calling the data idiotic and impossible. One claims that they may be an “adept of OA” and that he should try and contact the “blackstars.” Which really just poses more questions for the current AB green lantern series (time of writing this #2 just came out). As the voices continue to berate him for wasting their time a different voice breaks through and mentions Krypton. It’s a female brainiac who happened to recently go to the remnants of the planet, the dust marches the planets thermal signature. They no nothing about the world as no brainiac stepped foot before it was destroyed. But she was able to gather a sample of the radioactive remains of the planet and send it over to our brainiac. They don’t know it, but they just gave brainiac the means to kill Superman. And before they can even find out who he is, he ends the transmission.
As the issue comes to an end, brainiac thanks the omega man for involuntarily being here for his time in need…right as he smashes the jar containing the man’s brains to bits. Brainiac then proceeds to print a sample of the radioactive material sent to him and run tests against the dust from Superman’s cape. Red alert, he now has Kryptonite!! As brainiac basks in the material, he has worker brainiacs come in and cleanup the refuse he left behind. Planning to have one of them immolate themselves later for his pleasure in watching them die. We then see later that brainiac has brought Christopher Smith to the facility and has begun to implant technology into his body to give him a super upgrade, he it doesn’t come without Smith’s own pain. He wants to die and sees this as punishment for what he did in Pakistan, but brainiac assures him it is just the opposite. His work in the field has just begun and now he is being deployed to what will be the most dangerous war zone on the planet…Kansas. And he won’t just be armed with implants, seems that brainiac has also developed Kryptonite bullets and a gun capable of shooting them. OMG what an insane setup!!
And then the voice that infiltrated their minds is given form, and we get our first full terrifying look at brainiac. His entire bottom torso has been fully replaced with robotic legs, and his brain is exposed with wires strewn everywhere while his eyes are constantly kept open. As brainiac changes his mood from logging the temperature outside, to dismembering and killing the omega men, back to the temperature…we then see as he shifts his focus to his wall of Superman pictures. He’s obsessed, it’s the one thing in the world he doesn’t understand. And when he gets anxious he seems to tinker, the last serving omega man from the strike team wakes up with his brain outside of his body and his limbs loosely connected to his body through wires. But anxious isn’t the only thing that Superman gets him, it also enrages him. Brainiac tries to consult the dozens of worlds he has bottled but none of them know anything about Superman…this causes him to act out and commit genocide all by knocking a glass off a table and stomping on what remained. Brainiac at least has the “decency” to apologize for the half alive omega man for having to see his anger, at the least he has tried to take those parts of his brains out…but it seems he hasn’t found it yet. But things will be better when he solves the Superman puzzle. Apparently Ra’s has grown quite impatient.
But it seems that our brainiac hasn’t always been this cheery self, he hasn’t always had people he could talk to. We then jump back many years earlier to see when brainiac 419,732 was first activated. He started as a simple brainiac level 0, dedicated to cleaning up “refuse” in the incinerator room for a high level brainiac and his ship. All to serve the collective. He isn’t even a high enough level to think for himself, and he must never leave the room and only do his job until he breaks down himself. The “refuse” in question is piles and piles of other broken brainiacs. We follow brainiac as the days shovel onward. There were a few notable days that were highlighted, such as day 2,844 when brainiac came across a unit with a blade who was designated to kill and was still active enough to kill him…that is if he wasn’t able to get the upper hand and use his shovel to tear it apart first. It’s on day 13,638 that we start to see brainiac beak down, the scars leftover from the knife going in his head from the previous fight are still very visible and there are now wires coming out. We see as he props up a bunch of dead brainiac to form his own brainiac collective to talk to. In doing so he poses them a question: “am I refuse?” Obviously there is no reply, but in his head they referred to him as special and he thanked them for being his friends. Finally on day 49,901 he finished, and no other refuse was sent down. As such, he decided to use his shovel to break open the door and head up to the but boss to find out what’s going on. As he walked through the halls of guns, bottled cities, and other deactivated brainiacs…he finally came to the captain’s room where he found the brainiac that activated him dead by suicide. At that moment the captain became refuse and he became brainiac. He promoted himself to level 100 and took over the ship, which also gave him his first opportunity to see the stars for the first time.
As brainiac burned his eyes staring so long at the stars he wondered what else was out there…and has since carved his mark across the face of creation. He has pondered how much better it would be for everyone if he stayed in that room with the shovel…”but where would be the fun it that?” But not a different difficult moment has come, as brainiac starts a contact with the brainiac collective. As he addresses them he submits the data he collected on Superman and the analysis of the red dust left in his wake and asked if they had any information. Most of the voices came in an uproar, calling the data idiotic and impossible. One claims that they may be an “adept of OA” and that he should try and contact the “blackstars.” Which really just poses more questions for the current AB green lantern series (time of writing this #2 just came out). As the voices continue to berate him for wasting their time a different voice breaks through and mentions Krypton. It’s a female brainiac who happened to recently go to the remnants of the planet, the dust marches the planets thermal signature. They no nothing about the world as no brainiac stepped foot before it was destroyed. But she was able to gather a sample of the radioactive remains of the planet and send it over to our brainiac. They don’t know it, but they just gave brainiac the means to kill Superman. And before they can even find out who he is, he ends the transmission.
As the issue comes to an end, brainiac thanks the omega man for involuntarily being here for his time in need…right as he smashes the jar containing the man’s brains to bits. Brainiac then proceeds to print a sample of the radioactive material sent to him and run tests against the dust from Superman’s cape. Red alert, he now has Kryptonite!! As brainiac basks in the material, he has worker brainiacs come in and cleanup the refuse he left behind. Planning to have one of them immolate themselves later for his pleasure in watching them die. We then see later that brainiac has brought Christopher Smith to the facility and has begun to implant technology into his body to give him a super upgrade, he it doesn’t come without Smith’s own pain. He wants to die and sees this as punishment for what he did in Pakistan, but brainiac assures him it is just the opposite. His work in the field has just begun and now he is being deployed to what will be the most dangerous war zone on the planet…Kansas. And he won’t just be armed with implants, seems that brainiac has also developed Kryptonite bullets and a gun capable of shooting them. OMG what an insane setup!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2025
this version of Brainiac is probably my favorite. Can't wait to see what's going to happen next.
September 17, 2025
One of the most intriguing and well-crafted aspects of this new Superman reboot - the origin and nature of not just Brainiac in general but the ecosystem of the Brainiacs and the history of the primary Brainiac that is stuck on Earth with his bottled cities and hidden agendas and, shall we say... eccentricities...?
Okay so he is a formerly tortured and very twisted individual who has only gotten more and more warped from the Brainiac we are all familiar with and has become like a sociopath and a psychopath and a sadist, all rolled into one eerie and creepy package - and he's obsessed with this new Kryptonian who has revealed himself to be on Earth.
The art remains as solid as it has been throughout the series and the design and execution of the backstory in this issue was visually really well portrayed and added very nicely to the frankly dark and creepy narrative that Aaron was laying before us. And I have to say, I am really liking the colour palette being used in the art for this series!
Okay so he is a formerly tortured and very twisted individual who has only gotten more and more warped from the Brainiac we are all familiar with and has become like a sociopath and a psychopath and a sadist, all rolled into one eerie and creepy package - and he's obsessed with this new Kryptonian who has revealed himself to be on Earth.
The art remains as solid as it has been throughout the series and the design and execution of the backstory in this issue was visually really well portrayed and added very nicely to the frankly dark and creepy narrative that Aaron was laying before us. And I have to say, I am really liking the colour palette being used in the art for this series!
May 30, 2025
So far, I have read absolute Batman, absolute flash, and absolute Superman.
This is the only one that continues to hold my interest.
The origins of this Superman have been significantly changed.
Who he is as a person has been significantly changed.
His AI powered suit, his cape that comes and goes according to its need, and all the people he interacts with having been completely rewritten.
Yet at his core, he is Superman!
They have really done this title well. I actually look forward to every issue each month.
This is the only one that continues to hold my interest.
The origins of this Superman have been significantly changed.
Who he is as a person has been significantly changed.
His AI powered suit, his cape that comes and goes according to its need, and all the people he interacts with having been completely rewritten.
Yet at his core, he is Superman!
They have really done this title well. I actually look forward to every issue each month.
August 25, 2025
No podía ser de otra forma y el Brainiac Absolute es de las cosas más retorcidas y enfermizas en un personaje que en décadas recientes ha sido bien planteado por muchos autores por su lado más perverso de Inteligencia Artificial con gusto por la sumisión y recolección de civilizaciones enteras. Pero aquí, ya partimos del hecho de tener a esta inteligencia hiper dividida, lo cual promueve que no sea precisamente "Brainiac One"quien se posicione en la nueva enemistad con el último hijo de Krypton.
Gusta de que Jason Aaron se ponga todo lo grotesco y sádico.
Gusta de que Jason Aaron se ponga todo lo grotesco y sádico.
October 5, 2025
It think it was kinda neat to see a little bit more about this brainiacs backstory. it sounds like he had nothing and was destined for nothing and tried resisting it best he could even if he had to make shit up to keep from becoming one with the nothing. He seems to have turned towards cruelty but he was subjected to a form of cruelty as well. It wasn’t the sam kind and was very different in many ways but it was still cruel. i’m curious as to why earth and why mutate himself and those around him to fit this sorta cruelty. What led him to this path??
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August 29, 2025Getting so much better and darker! I love Absolute Batman, but liked Absolute Superman. But now, I am liking this series more and more! I like the art, tone, characters, and plot.
I bought Volume One (#1 thru #6) and got hooked. Now thanks to EBay and a few comic shops I have actual comics #7 to #11 (next week).
I will quickly catch up on Absolute Superman and then on to Absolute Wonder Woman!
I bought Volume One (#1 thru #6) and got hooked. Now thanks to EBay and a few comic shops I have actual comics #7 to #11 (next week).
I will quickly catch up on Absolute Superman and then on to Absolute Wonder Woman!
May 11, 2025
Well this was absolutely one of the best origin of supervillain I had a pleasure to read. I'm more and more impressed by absolute DC titles and this one is getting close to absolute wonder woman in my opinion, the only thing it needs right now is more action but I guess that doesn't matter when the story and art is on this level.
May 18, 2025
I did not enjoy this issue even though I have loved this book up until now. To dar and narrow as only from the villains point of view. I will give the author credit for presenting us a background on Brainiac that made him much more than a one-dimensional character, but I dearly missed having thsi rendition of superman in this series all about him...
July 24, 2025
OK. I like this Brainiac.
Broken, rejected, part of the Collective, but nontheless, broken.
No Krypton-created, but indepedent race.
Mentioning R'as, Darkstar, Oa.
This. This is better, lorewise.
Kinda sus. R'as? As a Sups villain? Weird.
But ok. As I had suspected, this is the start of connecting heroes.
Not rated higher coz... Sups comic without Sups is weird AF
Broken, rejected, part of the Collective, but nontheless, broken.
No Krypton-created, but indepedent race.
Mentioning R'as, Darkstar, Oa.
This. This is better, lorewise.
Kinda sus. R'as? As a Sups villain? Weird.
But ok. As I had suspected, this is the start of connecting heroes.
Not rated higher coz... Sups comic without Sups is weird AF
May 16, 2025
It’s good for a prologue. I got a Kang vibe from him. But the absence of Superman when we really don’t know a great deal more about him than his Absolute origin is definitely felt. Even a couple of pages of him would have filled the gap
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2025
Good!! I liked it and getting to actually know and understand the Brainiac who has been making small appearances and been lurking for a while now. I would have liked to actually seen Supes but I’m still here for this! I liked it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2025
I confess knowing next to nothing about Brainiac in the main so I don't know how this differs, but this doesn't look anything like what I've seen of Brainiac before where he's fairly stoic and calm. This is Brainiac on Chemical X. ←(>▽<)ﾉ It's so twisted and demented. I love it.
October 2, 2025
today i learned that the creation of this character (brainiac) in the late 50s was also the creation of the word "brainiac" (brain + maniac), which entered casual language around the 70s. cool! this guy is creepy as hell tho!
May 7, 2025
Brainiac is usually more articulate than this. I guess this is what happens when you mix the smartest man in the universe with the Joker. A scary ass bastard that will give me nightmares.
May 7, 2025
Cool Braniac backstory.
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May 8, 2025Damn Brainiac, you scary 😳
May 8, 2025
AWESOME!!!! this was so gnarly and absolute brainiac is such a sick fuck. LOVE IT
May 9, 2025
Oh my! Jason Aaron tucks in a terrifying little horror sci-fi one-shot while advancing the overall story in some very interesting ways!
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May 9, 2025gross!
May 10, 2025
Brainiac is insane
Probably the most messed up version of Brainiac ever. Way he uses his ability to shrink is horrifying. Great issue!
Probably the most messed up version of Brainiac ever. Way he uses his ability to shrink is horrifying. Great issue!
May 11, 2025
Whoa, Braniac is so cool in this!!
May 11, 2025
Hands down my favorite Absolute series!!! Great writing and artwork and keeps you engaged!!!
May 11, 2025
Spooky and page-turning; kinda wish the issue didn't end that soon!a
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews