5. Brainiac
Writer: Geoff Johns Artist: Gary Frank
DC's answer to Star Trek's the Borg, Brainiac, returns to Earth and only Superman can stop him! Christopher Reeves' Superman that is, as Gary Frank draws this book and Frank always draws Superman looking exactly like Reeves. Geoff Johns reinvents Brainiac so that he is a truly formidable opponent for Superman to defeat and there's some great action as Superman struggles to overcome the significant hurdles Brainiac throws in his path. Supergirl also plays a part in the story as does the Kryptonian city of Kandor. The ending is really powerful too, as we say goodbye to a key figure in Superman's life through a series of silent panels. Really worth picking up as, like Azzarello's Luthor book, Johns' Brainiac does a fine job of depicting a classic Superman villain by giving him the spotlight and showing us why he's such a major character in the series. This book is also the basis for the DC Animated feature, Superman: Unbound.