Superman: Red Son

Although I don't agree with communism I do find this Story really great a big what if story highly recommend it .

Every culture has its icons. Characters or figures that are recognizable by anybody who lives there, figures that are almost impossible not to know. And America is very good at producing those icons and spreading them worldwide. I remember reading somewhere - I don't remember where at the moment - that the United States' chief export is dreams, and I think there's definitely something to that. Of all the dreams to emerge from the American subconscious over the last century, Superman is one of the most enduring. Show that "S" shield to almost anyone on the planet and they'll probably know what it is. For most of his lifetime, he has stood for Truth, Justice and the American Way, with the third element to that tag line slowly vanishing as writers with a more global perspective take over the character. Regardless of his jingoistic past, Superman still remains a popular American figure. He represents what we would like to be, as a country. Powerful and just, upright and honest, but at the same time kind and generous and, at heart, good. Superman has the power to control the world, but he doesn't - he chooses not to - and we like to believe that it was his small-town, American upbringing that instilled such humility in him. This book examines how things might have gone. In the late '80s, DC Comics introduced their "Elseworlds" imprint, with a pretty simple mandate: take canon DC characters and place them in new situations or environments. This way you could see how Batman might have turned out in an America that had never gained its independence, or what would have happened to the JLA without Superman, or if The Flash had taken the bullet meant for JFK. It opened creative doors, allowing writers to tell new stories about familiar characters without disrupting the regular continuity of the DC Comics line. Of these, Superman: Red Son is one of the best. Mark Millar poses a simple question with a very complex answer: What if young Kal-L's rocket had landed in Soviet Ukraine instead of Kansas? What emerges is a fascinating tale of a Superman brought up under Stalinist philosophy. Still the good man that we know him to be, Superman nonetheless chooses a very different means of interacting with the world. We see from the first few pages that the man cannot stand still - he is constantly in motion trying to save people, not just in the Soviet Union, but anywhere in the world. It is his responsibility, he believes, to keep people safe, much in the manner of Soviet philosophy where the government controls nearly every aspect of its citizens' lives. Taken in by Stalin, Superman eventually rises to lead the Soviet Union to nearly world-wide dominance. Under his rule there are no accidents, no wars and no conflicts. Crime is nearly non-existent, and those who do not mesh well in this well ordered world are mentally reprogrammed until they do. There are dissidents, of course, like the mysterious Batman, a singular force of chaos in Superman'

First things first. I am not a gigantic comics fan. I've never been to a comic book shop. I know the big names. Basically, if they had a live action TV show, I know them. So, my opinion is not as well-informed as that of some. But, I know what I like and I thought this was some grade-A, high test sci-fi with a good deal of political science thrown in. Superman has always been of limited interest to me. He can't be hurt (technically, I know he can but who has Kryptonite sitting around?), he has the tools to deal with any situation. He has a healthy psyche. Good guy to have on your side but not particularly interesting. But, let's take away his All-American freedom-loving politics and partner him with a truly soul-crushing totalitarian regime. Stalin backed by Superman's talents is a truly scary thought. Soviet theory becomes reality. A true dictatorship of the proletariat becomes possible since Superman hears and sees nearly everything. With that you have enough to make this history teacher happy. Add to it the Lex Luthor (USA)/Superman (USSR) Cold War, a reference to Plato's "Republic", a Soviet Batman (loved him! Loved the hat!), Wonder Woman, Area 51 and Nixon winning the 1960 Presidential election instead of JFK and you've got a great read! Some may quibble with details, but when you get down to it, aren't the comics supposed to entertain and take you to another world for a little while? Mission accomplished. Bravo. I give this one an enthusiastic A+.

I have never quite liked the super-boy-scout-flag-wavering type of character that is superman but this is a superhero-gone-real-politik essay. Absolutely essential for those who like intelligent comics.

I throughly enjoyed this story and would rate it right up there behind Dark Knight Returns and Daredevil : Born Again ( haven't read Watchmen yet ). I love elseworlds stories , particularly with Superman because the common criticism is that he's indestructable and it becomes repetitive and boring. My only criticism of the book is the shocking twist with the Russian Batman which doesn't really make sense. The re-imaginings of Superman , Batman , Wonder Woman , Lex Luthor , Lois Lane , and Green Lantern are interesting and there is wonderful little references that made me excited to keep reading. The artwork was impressive and the propoganda and political slant was done quite well. I waited awhile to pick this up but you shouldn't.

Red Son, for those not in the know, is the Elseworlds tale showcasing how the world would have been different should Kal El have landed in Russia during the beginning of the Cold War. What occurs during the three issues is the rise of the Superman, and the fall of the world under his boot. Oh, it's not a tyrannical rule; Superman has made the world a Socialist community, with only a dilapidated America under President Luthor standing up against the alien's involvement.It's a heady case that Mark Millar brings, but the work stands as one of the best and definite works for Superman. You may ask, `definitive for Superman? How? It's not a real story!" (...)! Millar defines his world using the very paradigm of who and what the Superman character stands for. Oh, our guy is most certainly there. It's just that we get to see how Superman would react given a different lot in life. He is still the highly noble, self-sacrificing hero that we all know and love. There isn't a person on this planet that doesn't know that familiar `S'-shield, and each one can pick up on the familiarity with the character as he and his cast are presented here. After all, it's the classic story of invulnerable alien versus his greatest nemesis-a brilliant mortal flesh and blood human. Ah....but Lex gets it done. In a brilliant way, Lex gets it done.Art wise, Dave Johnson and Kilian Plunkett share the art chores throughout the telling. Johnson begins the story for the first part, and is joined and later finished by Plunkett. Johnson's work heralds the Superman Fleischer cartoons from the 1940's, where our hero is a broad shouldered man of action, simple in wants and benign in deeds. His work directly expresses the innocence of the years, and it's slow decay as time marches on. Plunkett finishes the tale up, and his style shows a harsher, aged time for the world and Superman. The decay of freedom is complete, and our hero bears that weight in full force. You can clearly perceive the gloom that hangs over all, which is...until....You read it for yourself. What, you think I was going to tell you? Ha! And ruin it? You're out of your gourd! Superman: Red Son more than stands out this year as the story that none should miss. It succeeds on all levels as a defining work that grabs your attention and leaves you overwhelmed come story's end. There is nothing more that I can say that the book doesn't say for itself.