Superman

Mar 13, 2010 Brad rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comic-books, graphic-novel, sci-fantasy, speculative, counter-fantastical

What a fantastic idea. A counter-fantastical take on Superman, where the once Clark Kent comes to Earth in a communal farm in the Ukraine, USSR rather than the Kent farm outside Smallville, USA. Twelve hours difference in Superman's arrival is twelve hours that make all the difference.

Soviet Superman works for Stalin instead of Eisenhower, and the Cold War takes a very different turn. The Warsaw Pact comes to dominate the Earth. Nixon is assassinated, Kennedy becomes a debauched old fool, Lex Lu...more What a fantastic idea. A counter-fantastical take on Superman, where the once Clark Kent comes to Earth in a communal farm in the Ukraine, USSR rather than the Kent farm outside Smallville, USA. Twelve hours difference in Superman's arrival is twelve hours that make all the difference.

Soviet Superman works for Stalin instead of Eisenhower, and the Cold War takes a very different turn. The Warsaw Pact comes to dominate the Earth. Nixon is assassinated, Kennedy becomes a debauched old fool, Lex Luthor marries Lois Lane, James Olson is a CIA liaison, Milton Friedman becomes US President and ensures that only Chile and the USA maintain a free market economy, and Luthor creates Bizarro, a Green Lantern army, and countless supervillains -- all in an attempt to defeat the great Communist Superman.

Red Superman then takes over the USSR after Stalin is assassinated, creating a world wide Utopia in a bloodless revolution. He makes a pact with Braniac (who shrinks Stalingrad for his great museum), allies with Wonder Woman, eradicates prisons with a futuristic lobotomy, and watches as a bastard son of Stalin gives rise to Batmanovic -- a counter-revolutionary obsessed with independent thought and freedom (Russo-Batman and his philosophical obsession are a pair of the graphic novel's weakest points).

Mike Millar's creativity is undeniable, and the pencils by Johnson and Kilian Plunkett are perfect. But none of this is good enough.

The three issue "prestige format mini-series" is far too small to accommodate a story of such strength and vision. It is merely a skeleton of something that could have been great. If each issue in the mini-series had been a year of comics, if DC had commissioned 36 issues rather than three, Red Son would have been one of the greatest comics ever written; instead, it is merely clever.

I wanted to watch Superman as the Czar of the Warsaw Pact. I wanted to see his relationship with Diana/Wonder Woman unfold. I wanted to follow Lex Luthor's alternate growth as a sanctioned hero, and the ultimate move to his 5000 year Reich (a portion of the story that earned only a few pages). I wanted more of Bizarro and Braniac and the Green Lantern Corp and the Soviet Batman. I wanted MORE!

So the lesson I learned from Red Son is this: less is not always more. I will forever appreciate Mark Millar's attempt at something groundbreaking, but the attempt will never mitigate my disappointment with its execution. Clever just isn't good enough. Sorry, Mr. Millar.(less)

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May 13, 2013 Wendy B rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics-manga, scifi-fantasy, society-culture

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. (A) I don’t like Superman.
(B) This is the best Superman story I’ve ever read.

Twelve hours. That’s all it would have taken to change the course of history and turn the Superman we have grown up with into someone entirely different – or is he that different after all? In Red Son, the capsule from Krypton lands in Russia instead of the United States and, after the boy’s powers manifest, he is taken and raised by Joseph Stalin himself. Superman grows up a communist but, while he appreciates his adop...more (A) I don’t like Superman.
(B) This is the best Superman story I’ve ever read.

Twelve hours. That’s all it would have taken to change the course of history and turn the Superman we have grown up with into someone entirely different – or is he that different after all? In Red Son, the capsule from Krypton lands in Russia instead of the United States and, after the boy’s powers manifest, he is taken and raised by Joseph Stalin himself. Superman grows up a communist but, while he appreciates his adoptive father’s ideals, he does not approve of the violent methods. Stalin is grooming him to rule in his stead – just as the people want – but Superman cares nothing for politics. He just wants to help people. I loved this idea because I originally thought that the major motivation behind Superman’s desire to help everyone was primarily instilled in him by Ma and Pa Kent. This implies that it truly is his nature. I adored the scene with Stalin’s jealous son Pyotr who rages at Superman’s compulsive need to fix everything.

When Stalin is murdered, Superman discovers that his super powers can’t save people from poverty. He realizes that the only way he can help everyone is to become president. He puts Russia in order and moves on to the entire world, with only the United States stubbornly refusing him. All the while, the brilliant Lex Luthor continually attempts to defeat Superman in new and interesting ways.

This is a what if? story, but one that doesn’t just skim over the details or throw characters into this alternate realm without good reason for their existence*. Several popular DC characters appear in this story and I was very impressed with their manifestations. I loved how much depth Millar goes into for all the characters, even if for some it is brief. Even though this was an alternate version of the characters, I learned far more about them all than I ever have in their main stories.

*The only character portrayal that really bothered me was Lois Lane – er Lois Luthor. The feisty, bull-headed reporter we know doesn’t really show her head here at all. Instead, we get Jean Grey without the Phoenix entity – a woman defined by the two important male figures in the story. Rather than being Superman’s girl, though they share that brief spark, she’s with Lex who doesn’t give a damn about her because he’s too busy being level 9 intelligence awesome. I would have liked to see Lois as a balancing force in Luthor’s life, but instead he discards her as his focus on Superman intensifies. At least he is polite enough to call her to let her know. And Lois just accepts this. While I appreciate her devotion and determination to stand by her man despite him having no obvious need for her, I just do not see this as Lois Lane and I don’t see any justification for her being with Luthor just because she isn’t with Superman in this incarnation.

I was also a bit concerned with Luthor’s sociopathic portrayal as it began as somewhat caricature-ish. I prefer the Animated Series Luthor who is ridiculously intelligent, but not unaware of emotions. To me, that Luthor simply chooses not to acknowledge emotions, but recognizes that he and others have them and is able to factor emotion into any equation. This Luthor seems oblivious; closer to a mad scientist archetype. But by the end of the book, I was content with where Luthor’s careful machinations ended up.

Otherwise, I loved the incarnations of Wonder Woman – the utter joy she expresses when she tells Superman that she’s happy to finally be talking to someone who can understand her and the sad realization when she comes to understand him. Batman – who’s parents death forges the same man, but this man isn’t merely a well funded crime fighter, and he's willing to go to any length to bring down Superman and the oppressive communist regime. The Green Lantern Corp and the selection of Hal Jordan as recipient of the ring makes so much more sense than what I’ve known in the past.

And I loved poor, naïve Superman himself – yeah, you heard me. Millar takes the time to show us how smart Superman is, but makes it clear that reading a book really fast and retaining the knowledge does not equate with wisdom. Add to that his misguided idealism and Superman is a deadly force. He is so desperate to help everyone and fix everything that he doesn’t realize that we need be able to help ourselves. I love that Millar didn’t let Superman merely figure this out in the finale. It’s an issue that Superman himself raises and discusses with Diana, but ultimately fails to comprehend as he tightens his grip on humanity in desperate need to protect and fix us.

And oh gods when everything came full circle in the end? Just. Brilliant.(less)

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Oct 25, 2012 Sam Quixote rated it 5 of 5 stars

What if Superman had landed in Soviet Russia instead of Smallville, Kansas? DC's "Elseworlds" series imagines an alternate take on the Superman story with "Comrade Superman" becoming ruler of Soviet Russia, slowly taking over the world while an independent America led by Lex Luthor fights against an increasingly unhinged and totalitarian-minded Man of Steel.

Mark Millar has written no less than a masterpiece with "Superman: Red Son". We see the character of Superman evolve from an idealistic youn...more What if Superman had landed in Soviet Russia instead of Smallville, Kansas? DC's "Elseworlds" series imagines an alternate take on the Superman story with "Comrade Superman" becoming ruler of Soviet Russia, slowly taking over the world while an independent America led by Lex Luthor fights against an increasingly unhinged and totalitarian-minded Man of Steel.

Mark Millar has written no less than a masterpiece with "Superman: Red Son". We see the character of Superman evolve from an idealistic young man to new ruler to an increasingly isolated and intolerable megalomaniac who takes his god-like powers and status and tries to make the world into a utopia. Red Superman is at turns heroic and then more dark until he's a terrifying figure of absolute power taken to the limit.

Lex is the real star of the book and Millar does a fine job of making him at turns arrogant and ruthless but also charming and funny and with his tireless and imaginative efforts at bringing down the Superman, nothing less than a superhero in his own right. I like when writers add nuance to Luthor's character instead of single-minded cartoonist villainy and Millar hits the right chord with his characterisation of Luthor here.

There are great moments throughout the book that make it a non-stop thriller for any comics fan: the re-imaginings of Wonder Woman, Bizarro, and Green Lantern are excellent but the Russian Batman takes the cake for best alternate take on a legend. Red Batman is an urban terrorist living in the sewers, going to extremes to destroy the invincible Superman and in one momentous scene reminiscent of Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns", he almost does it before doing something extreme even Miller's Batman didn't.

"Red Son" is easily one of the best Superman books out there and might be the best thing Mark Millar's ever written. He's on top form throughout, his imagination fizzing off of the page from one breath-taking set-piece to the next, aided by amazing art from Dave Johnson and Kilian Plunkett throughout, crescendoing in a completely unpredictable and inspired conclusion. This is a must-read for all superhero fans but it's also an excellent piece of dystopian fiction for readers who don't normally read comics. Highly recommended.(less)

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Feb 23, 2013 Phil rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comics-graphic-novels

A wonderfully executed 'What if...?' take on Superman, that isn't the USA good/USSR bad cliché that it could so easily have defaulted to.

It's not about super-powered battles either; the action takes a back seat and is often glossed over to simply look at what might happen if someone with limitless abilities and political power tries to do what he thinks is best for everyone - even if they disagree. It's all an entirely plausible and logical answer to that 'what if' question.

The alternate Lutho...more

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Jan 05, 2009 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, fantasy, super-heroes, top-shelf

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...more

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Aug 12, 2008 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: superhero, comics, dc, elseworlds, want-to-own

Red Son is an elseworlds story positing what might have happened if the pod carrying the infant Superman would have crash landed on a farm in the Soviet Union under Stalin's rule. It's a pretty awesome idea for an elseworlds story, but I thought it could have been much better than it was. I suppose I can cut some slack for the fact that it was only three issues long.

The idea behind the overarching plot, though it comes at it from an entirely different setup, is that superheroes have the ability...more Red Son is an elseworlds story positing what might have happened if the pod carrying the infant Superman would have crash landed on a farm in the Soviet Union under Stalin's rule. It's a pretty awesome idea for an elseworlds story, but I thought it could have been much better than it was. I suppose I can cut some slack for the fact that it was only three issues long.

The idea behind the overarching plot, though it comes at it from an entirely different setup, is that superheroes have the ability to change the world and help humanity - but should they? It’s sort of another riff on the "With great power comes great responsibility" idea - or maybe more along the lines of "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The questions of this nature explored in Red Son are very similar to the questions asked in Kingdom Come. But where Kingdom Come posits that Superman is ultimately sort of more human than human, and would never forget his roots even if he got a little distracted in a quest to make the world a better place, Red Son seems to be saying that just being born and raised in Communist Russia would take things to an entirely different and necessarily bad end, that his desire to help humanity would inadvertently lead to his becoming a dictator.

In a way this makes sense; Clark Kent is so inherent to Superman's character, and the very concept of him. It's interesting to think about what Superman would be like if Clark Kent were not the really good guy we know and love, but someone else entirely - 'born' somewhere else, and raised by different people in a different environment. But I think it's a little insulting to say that, even without changing much else in his upbringing - still growing up among hard working farm folk, even if they aren't gone into in any detail - just growing up in Communist Russia would take away all the goodness in Superman that would keep him from becoming the controlling leader of a totalitarian regime. It also portrays the perfect society Superman builds as being inherently flawed, while the virtually identical one Luther replaces it with is somehow happier and more stable, which just seems like rhetoric to me.

That being said, the book is in many ways equally as critical of both anarchist martyrs and capitalist demi-gods. It seems to highlight the goods and ills of all three main political dogmas. And truthfully, it is only all the people opposed to Superman in the book who seem to think he is power mad and selfish. Superman is actually portrayed more as being caught up in the whirlwind and just wanting to help, which seems more natural to me.

I suppose in a way, because he is so perfect, and because of his unfailing black and white morals, Superman always leans toward the line of Fascism - like Captain America, perhaps. That's something that gets to be explored more in this book, and I appreciate that.

As far as form goes, the story is a bit rushed. A lot happens very fast, and for all the major player cameos that are given space (there's even an elseworlds communist Batman origin story and an unresolved revenge plot going along with that) there are other things not gone into enough or completely left out. Superman's childhood is pretty much glossed over - if the book is supposedly positing that a different origin/upbringing would change who Superman is (something I agree with and find fascinating) it would be nice if they focused on all aspects of that. I don't know very many (or any!) people whose entire personalities are formed more by their national climate and surrounding political dogma than by their parents and childhood experiences. I also think other books set around the cold war have given a better feel of what that time was like. Red Son, for all its emphasis on the Soviet Union and the competition with the United States, doesn't portray that period with any weight or realistic feeling. I also think the tone and voice of Superman are all wrong; he doesn't read like Superman at all - which is maybe to be understood, given the changes made to his character - but he doesn't seem much like a Stalinist either. He doesn't even sound Russian, in tone or mannerism. (I'm glad they avoided giving him some kind of dialect accent, though.) And finally, the book has an interesting looping effect in the story that I'm not sure I like... I think it's a bit cheesy. I also thought that the way Luthor finally 'defeats' Superman was a bit lame.

Overall Red Son has a really cool concept, and despite all the little things that I found to be disappointing in the execution of story, it is interesting and entertaining this is probably one of the better Superman stories around. It can be hard to relate to the ever perfect man of steel, and sometimes his character is about as interesting or accessible as a cement wall. He seems to flourish in elseworlds stories, though, and Red Son is an excellent example of that.
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Jan 02, 2008 Punk rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel

Graphic Novel. What if Kal-El's pod landed in Russia instead of Kansas? We'd all be speaking Russian, is what. The story didn't really grab me here, but the details made up for it -- Lex and Lois and Lana and Lucy and Lena, plus other people whose names don't begin with L, like Iris and Ollie and Hal and Jimmy and BATMAN, dude, Russian Batman has this AWESOME furry hat on his Batsuit. He looks like an insane lumberjack or something. The art is great, just the right amount of cartoony without bei...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Derrick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012read, comics, dc, 2012-comics

Beautiful art and a fascinating premise. I love the twists at the end, and Batman is a great character here. Plus, I am not sure I have ever seen a more tragic Bizarro, though he only gets a few pages and one line.

Still, the story drags in the middle third. This is the first Superman story I have read in a long time where I understand the criticism that he's boring because he's so invincible.

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Jun 05, 2013 Amalia Dillin rated it 5 of 5 stars

(This review is also on GeekaChicas.com:

I love a book that makes me think, and Superman: Red Son delivers that in spades.

Red Son is an alternate reality story answering the question "what if Superman had crashed in the USSR instead of Kansas?" and I think they tackle it in incredible ways. Superman is still Superman, still struggling to find a way to give the world the peace he knows it deserves, to give humanity safety, security, the basics of food and shelter, and he is still very much a symp...more (This review is also on GeekaChicas.com:

I love a book that makes me think, and Superman: Red Son delivers that in spades.

Red Son is an alternate reality story answering the question "what if Superman had crashed in the USSR instead of Kansas?" and I think they tackle it in incredible ways. Superman is still Superman, still struggling to find a way to give the world the peace he knows it deserves, to give humanity safety, security, the basics of food and shelter, and he is still very much a sympathetic hero, communist dictatorship aside.

The really incredible thing for me, in this story, was realizing that the differences in Superman's choices are ultimately very slight. These are choices that Superman might have just as easily made as an American--the difference is not the politics and economics of his homeland, but the cries of the people he loves. The results of those slight differences, however, are incredibly large, and in Red Son, we see Superman take the world into his hands as a political leader, as a lawmaker, as a ruler. Instead of choosing to lead by example and allowing humanity to make it's own mistakes, he tries to keep humanity from making any mistakes and fix the systems in place that are already broken through his own personal interference. Superman decides he knows what's best for the world, and sets it into motion.

It would have been very easy for this story to have been made into the typical pro-capitalism propaganda, and they didn't escape those overtones entirely, but they did succeed in writing a story that at least allowed the reader to consider that capitalism and America's Way isn't the only way. In Red Son, there are glimpses of what communism and the Marxist revolutions were meant to be-- a chance at utopia and an ideal world.

Of course, in classical American fashion, the communist ideal can't last even with Superman at the helm and it falls to capitalist democracy in the end (reaching for an equally impossible pinnacle of enlightenment). But it never seems to me to be a question of good and evil, so much as it is simply the question of what right Superman, as an alien, a foreigner, has to meddle in affairs of man. This is something we should be asking ourselves, as citizens of a nation which often meddles in the affairs of others, and with the current political happenings around the world, it would be very easy to draw a parallel between Superman's imposition of communist ideals on the world and America's imposition of democracy on other nations now.

Superman seems to be tempted by this idea frequently in the comics, but every time he tries to take matters into his own hands, it tends to turn things into an even larger mess. What it comes down to, over and over again, and the real struggle that Superman faces, over and over again, is that he can not be the savior of humanity. He can not do everything for us, even though he might have the power to accomplish it. He is a hero, an example of what we can be, built from our own ideals and our own dreams, but when it comes down to it, humanity must take responsibility for itself. Superman can show us the way, but we have to choose it for ourselves.

I could go on about Superman for days, probably. The more I read, the more convinced I am that there is no situation in which I do not love him as a hero and as a character. The fact that Superman exists in our consciousness is something that gives me a lot of hope for the world. The desire for greatness is there, the desire for social justice and the acknowledgment of social responsibility is very much a part of who we are, and Superman, the popularity of Superman, is an incredible reminder of that. Even as a communist, Superman still says something beautiful about what we aspire to become--and now more than ever, that something that we see in our heroes, that we strive toward, needs to be remembered.

If Superman helps the weak, sees it as his responsibility and duty to extend a hand to those in need, Superman who is an orphaned alien, who has no real obligation to humanity at all, why can't we, as humans, do the same for one another?(less)

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Jan 06, 2013 Brendan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: super-heroes

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Superman, A being of godly power lands in Smallville ,Kansas and becomes Earth's greatest hero. In this alternate history this is not the case .In this tale Superman's capsule crash-lands in an agricultural collective in The Ukraine ,the Soviet Union .Rather than a farm in Kansas ,in the central United States .He later begins to use his powers for helping people and helping the USSR and communism dominate the world-stage .News reaches the White House quickly as President Eisenhower announces to...more Superman, A being of godly power lands in Smallville ,Kansas and becomes Earth's greatest hero. In this alternate history this is not the case .In this tale Superman's capsule crash-lands in an agricultural collective in The Ukraine ,the Soviet Union .Rather than a farm in Kansas ,in the central United States .He later begins to use his powers for helping people and helping the USSR and communism dominate the world-stage .News reaches the White House quickly as President Eisenhower announces to the American people that the Soviets' have got their hands on an alien of immense power with few weaknesses . Later Stalin dies and Superman becomes the leader of the Soviet Union later Superman and the KGB rule Russia with an iron hand ,Superman while being a hero is now a dictator of the Soviet Union the only rebel he hasn't pinned down is an orphan with an arsenal of non-lethal weapons ,Batman. Meanwhile in the U.S ,brilliant scientists Lex Luthor has created an American Superman and before long the two clash in London. Eventually with Superman's leadership the Soviet Union has conquered the world diplomatically and only Chile and The United States remain independent . The U.S begins to fall apart as states secede ,riots are present and America's second civil war erupts in the 1980's. However Lex Luthor becomes President of the United States with Lois Lane oops I mean Lois Luthor as his First Lady . His leadership restores America's dignity and the CIA has assigned Batman to kill Superman. Batman draws the Man of Steel in by kidnapping Wonder Woman who is also a Soviet hero(Themyscira joined the Soviet Union)Batman comes close to beating Superman by exploiting his weaknesses but it was close but no cigar. Later Superman reluctantly attacks Washington D.C with Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Marine Corps. to stop him he makes quick work of them then Superman has a change of heart he decides to no longer intervene in Human affairs then an epic twist shoots at you like a bullet .Read to find out!(less)

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Sep 05, 2012 John Marshall rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Maybe I'm just cynical. Maybe I'm not good at reading these kinds of comic. Maybe my disbelief is too hard to suspend when it comes to this kind of pop-fantasy. But this comic just rubbed me the wrong way.

The premise is supposedly simple, but nothing is simple where Superman is concerned. His space capsule lands in the Ukraine in this timeline instead of Kansas, and he is raised under the tutelage of Stalin. He has a brief rivalry with the chief of the Secret Police, who gets lobotomized or some...more Maybe I'm just cynical. Maybe I'm not good at reading these kinds of comic. Maybe my disbelief is too hard to suspend when it comes to this kind of pop-fantasy. But this comic just rubbed me the wrong way.

The premise is supposedly simple, but nothing is simple where Superman is concerned. His space capsule lands in the Ukraine in this timeline instead of Kansas, and he is raised under the tutelage of Stalin. He has a brief rivalry with the chief of the Secret Police, who gets lobotomized or something later. He's encouraged to take on the leadership of the Soviet Union when he sees Soviet Lana Lang standing in line for bread, and allows the Warsaw Pact to take over pretty much the entire earth. He eventually teams up with Brainiac for some reason.

Meanwhile, Stateside, Lex Luthor is really, really smart because he plays three games of chess, reads classic literature, and learns Urdu on a tape player he invented, all at the same time. The way this sort of comic depicts high intelligence is... a little flimsy. In true Lex Luthor style, he's trying to invent various ways to thwart Superman, but since he's doing it at the behest of the government, he's a national hero instead of the conniving mastermind he usually is. He's also married to Lois Lane, because he's the next obvious choice if Superman's the enemy, I guess.

So he keeps inventing new Superman-stopping schemes, ranging from growing Bizarro in a tank to getting a bunch of Green Lanterns to attack Moscow to shrinking the city of Stalingrad and putting it in a jar. For someone so unfeasibly smart, he seems to be taking a very Wile E. Coyote approach to the problem. Eventually, he just decides "Screw it," becomes President, and turns the United States into a technological utopia where people live to be 2000. Because, y'know, he's so smart. At one point, when Superman directly confronts him, Brainiac warns him that "talking to him for more than 15 minutes could make you want to commit suicide." So, okay, a computer can apparently figure that out.

Between the Soviet Union becoming a utopia, and the US becoming just as much of a utopia, there are other walk-ons from other DC characters. Wonder Woman falls in love with him, and allies with him for the Soviet cause. Batman appears for, like, a minute, as a counter-revolutionary. He's not filthy rich and makes most of his gadgets out of stuff he finds sitting around, but he looks pretty sweet wearing an ushanka. He was probably dropped from the comic pretty quickly because the writers couldn't figure out how to keep him on even footing with Soviet Superman if no one can really be "rich" under Stalinist rule.

Anyway, Superman's finally defeated when he reads a particularly scathing note from Lex (again, comic writer's idea of super-intelligence), so he inevitably prevails or something. Then a stupid ending happens that made the whole thing pointless.

This comic is well-drawn, to be certain, and a lot of the humour is delightfully subversive. Soviet chic really does this comic a lot of aesthetic favours, now that we can look back on the Cold War as ancient history. Other reviewers here have pointed out this story would have been much better if it was allowed to go more than three issues, and I probably can't disagree with that. Superman as a figurehead of the Soviet Union could really dissect his moral code in a compelling way, but no, the comic has no time for that. Superman is super, Lex is smart enough to advance mankind a couple centuries in the span of a few decades, Batman's insane, Wonder Woman's in love, and I hope you enjoyed yourself. This is like if Watchmen was only 48 pages long.(less)

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Aug 12, 2012 Crystal Carroll rated it 5 of 5 stars

The premise is simple. What if Superman’s ship had landed in the 1930ish Ukraine rather than 1930s Kansas? What if this American symbol wasn’t? Exchange the S for a hammer and sickle. Further, make him really, truly, passionately believe in communism. Have him go from his collective farm to serve some Stalinist Russian five year plan. And the more he tries, the more the super acts to save, transform, create, the more he undermines everything that he wants to give the world.

This book works its wa...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Deena rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Superman and alternate realities

Superman: Red Son is the type of comic book that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading it. There are multiple themes and storylines within this comic book that make it so great, and I think readers will appreciate it even more after a second and third reading. Superman: Red Son is basically an alternate Superman mythology contemplating what might have happened if Superman had crash-landed in the Soviet Union during the Cold War instead of in Smallville, Kansas.

The premise alone is i...more Superman: Red Son is the type of comic book that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading it. There are multiple themes and storylines within this comic book that make it so great, and I think readers will appreciate it even more after a second and third reading. Superman: Red Son is basically an alternate Superman mythology contemplating what might have happened if Superman had crash-landed in the Soviet Union during the Cold War instead of in Smallville, Kansas.

The premise alone is ingenious, and the story is executed well throughout the comic. What makes this comic book so appealing to me is that the story isn’t one-sided at all; the story does not take sides about who is right and wrong in their ideas about government. I felt like both sides were treated equally and showed the good and bad of both capitalist and communist nations. The story is told through Lex Luthor, who fights for capitalist America as well as through Superman who fights for communist Soviet Union ideals. Superman is a symbol for Big Brother in this comic, which was really interesting to see.

I also liked how the roles of Superman and Lex Luthor were changed and how Lex Luthor became the hero, while Superman became the feared villain whose ideas about creating a utopia were not universally accepted. There were also a lot of interesting supporting characters and other superheroes with interesting alternate backstories. My favorite supporting character was probably Pyotr Roslov, who was Joseph Stalin’s illegitimate son. Pyotr Roslov’s character also plays prominently into Batman’s alternate backstory because Roslov was the man who killed Batman’s parents when he was a child. Later on, Batman becomes a symbol of dissent against the Soviet Union’s communist regime and he fights with Lex Luthor to try and assassinate Superman.

The ending was also very shocking and I wasn't expecting it at all. I love a good twist ending, and Superman: Red Son has a fantastic twist at the end that kind of reminded me of the television show Fringe a little bit, so that's all I'm going to say.

This is a very political comic book as well, and I think a reader more adroit with Cold War politics would be able to make much more connections than I was able to make. However, I had a couple of problems with this comic book. My biggest problem with the story was that some of the supporting characters felt unnecessary and underdeveloped.

Lois Luther (aka Lois Lane) didn’t really add much to the story other than to serve as a reminder that Lex Luthor is obsessed with defeating Superman and he doesn’t care for human life at all. I was also excited to see that Hal Jordan (aka Green Lantern) was in this story, but he didn’t have much to do here and I felt like his character should have played a bigger role. Overall, I would highly recommend this comic book to fans of Superman or alternate reality stories.

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Apr 01, 2012 Universalwhatnot rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't read many comics, mainly because it's much too expensive a hobby to keep up, but Superman: Red Son is a comic I've been proud to read.

Superman: Red Son takes the idea of Superman as the typical "American Hero" and turns it on it's head but setting him up as a Communist... All while (somehow) preserving Superman's ideals of truth and justice.

What I like about Superman: Red Son, besides all of the clever takes on common American comic-book heroes (Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman) in...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Paula rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics-graphic-novels

Any review I do of Superman: Red Son will not truly do it justice. There are too many underlying factors and so many concepts hidden in between the lines that it would be too difficult to try to point out every little thing. It is obvious that so much work and thought went into creating this.
I started this one off pretty slow and put it down for about a week, but I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I picked it back up and marathon read the entire book last night.

What would happen if Superman...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Dale rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very, very, very good

Published by D.C. Comics in 2004
160 pages

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 kno...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Charles Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Since beginning The Wonderboy Serials, I've had a lot of suggestions to read this. I finally followed through after justifying my purchase by giving it to my son for Christmas, because I'm a selfish bastard.
At any rate, the concept was fascinating. Among the spectrum of superheros, Superman is the least interesting to me, which is why "Kingdom Come" was a great find. It's difficult to make a story about an all-powerful being interesting, so stories that can manage to create an engaging Superman...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I think about Superman stories being realistic, I'm often struck by how funny that statement is. An alien baby landing on Earth and saving lives while constantly saving his intrepid reporter girlfriend? Reality is not exactly the right word. But good stories create a reality of their own, don't they? That's how you know it's a good story. As Samuel Taylor Coleridge describes it, a good story induces the "willing suspension of disbelief." Superman: Red Son does this admirably.

It remains loya...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Bjoern rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, alternate-history, anthology, graphic-novels, omnibus-editions, science-fiction

The beginning and the ending are extraordinary storytelling. It's just the middle, that part where Superman really DOES believe in the truth of the soviet maxime and the world revolution and the healing powers of communism that it gets a little bit tough to read. Other than from this political point of view it's excellent through and through with believeable and functioning personas for many of the heroes of the true DC Universe (aka Earth One) that all share their part in filling and maximising...more

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Oct 22, 2011 Vladimir Vasquez rated it 5 of 5 stars

Superman Rojo, una versión del hombre de acero, en donde nuestro héroe, en lugar de caer en Kansas, cae en una granja comunal de la Ucrania Soviética…

Lo que se desarrolla a partir de allí es uno de los comics de superheroes mas interesantes que he podido leer, de hecho, nunca pensé que un cómic de SuperMan pudiese llegar a ser tan profundo.

Baste con decir que uno de los personajes claves de la historia es Iosif Stalin…

El Concepto

Superman Rojo (Superman Red Son en inglés) plantea unos conceptos i...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Dan Venning rated it 4 of 5 stars

Now this is a Superman title I could really get into. Not sure whether it fully merits four stars--I did like it, a lot, though.

The book imagines what might have happened had the space shuttle from Krypton landed twelve hours earlier or later--not in Smallville, but in the Ukraine. Superman becomes a symbol for Soviet communism.

This brings into question all sorts of interesting ideas. What aspects of Superman are parts of his personality, and what were formed because of the American culture of...more Now this is a Superman title I could really get into. Not sure whether it fully merits four stars--I did like it, a lot, though.

The book imagines what might have happened had the space shuttle from Krypton landed twelve hours earlier or later--not in Smallville, but in the Ukraine. Superman becomes a symbol for Soviet communism.

This brings into question all sorts of interesting ideas. What aspects of Superman are parts of his personality, and what were formed because of the American culture of individualism? What would be different if he grew up believing in collectivism and the supremacy of a wise, all-knowing party instead of in uniqueness and the human spirit. (view spoiler)

Perhaps the best thing about this book is it reveals how much Superman's origins owe to America's conflict with the USSR. Superman is himself the perfect symbol of the United States' belief in individual exceptionalism. It's fascinating, however, that in Superman comics, his greatest adversary, Lex Luthor, is another example of this exceptionalism, simply one who chooses to use his powers for evil instead of good. Still certain metaphors become more clear: the red sun that weakens Superman? I obviously should have known that this was a metaphor for the red of communism!

This revelation, in turn, helps explain why I'm not a huge fan of the classic Superman comics. They are a bit conservative, and came from an era when HUAC and other similar organizations were demonizing any and all aspects of communism or social deviance and promoting rampant capitalism at the same time as a conformity of individualism. In our post-Cold War era, Superman clearly has less relevance, especially as we come to see the abject failures of the rampant capitalist system of which he is a symbol. I'm not a Marxist by a long shot, but I'm still too much of a leftist to like what he stands for.

Red Son clarifies all of this for me, and does more: it's a rocking good radical reimagining of the Superman genre (except for the epilogue, pp. 147ff, which I found sentimental and half-baked)that, like any good adaptation, both successfully plays with and explicates its source. However, although I would happily recommend this book to those, like me, who are not great fans of the Superman franchise, in order to understand it you'll need some basic familiarity with central characters and mythologies from this series and other DC comics: Supes himself, Lex, Lois, Jimmy, Wonder Woman, Brainiac, Green Lantern, and Batman, to name a few.(less)

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Aug 23, 2011 Andrew Shuping rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel

I don't read many Superman comics (he's just not really one of my favorite heroes to be honest) but this book...is excellent. You don't have to have any knowledge of Superman or the mythos of any of the characters that show up, because Mark Millar takes everything and turn's it on its head.

Mark asks the question...what if Superman's ship landed 12 hours later on planet Earth in Communist Russia? Where would the world be? What would happen to some of our old friends like Lois Lane and Lex Luthor?...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Christopher F. added it · review of another edition

Quite impressed. Smart and gorgeous art and a snappy script. Worth reading. However, when I compare it, maybe unfairly, to John Cleese and John Byrne's "Superman: True Brit," which comedically envisions baby Kal-El landing in England, I am disappointed that "Red Son" skips so quickly over Superman's boyhood in Ukraine and in general does not dwell on many of the narratively promising cultural differences between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. that would have made this an interestingly parallel Bildun...more

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Jul 27, 2011 William Thomas rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mark Millar may be Scottish, but he tells a story like an Irishman. This book is a prime example of what I mean- something so fantastic, so huge in proportion, so outrageous that it's both hard to believe and entirely likable. It's large in scope and filled with just enough detail to make you doubt yourself, doubt what you already know about the Superman mythos, and become completely entrenched in his communist fairy tale.

And although you would think the book would be rife with political propaga...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Hayden rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics-graphic-novels, favorites

Twelve hours was all it took. Twelve hours, and the ship containing Kal-El (aka young Superman) didn't crash in Smallville Kansas, wasn't raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent, never went on to become the mighty symbol of American superiority. Twelve hours and Superman lands in the USSR, Communist-controlled Russia, and becomes the apprentice of Joseph Stalin; a young, indestructible Demigod hellbent on spreading Communism worldwide.

I don't know why I bought this. I hate Superman as a character (I...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Vicki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Superman's epic story is totally reimagined in this compilation of three related comics in which the premise has the rocket from Krypton landing not in Kansas in the 1930's, but in the Soviet Union in the 1950's. So wouldn't Superman figure out that "truth, justice and the American Way" was where it's at and get here as quick as he could? Well, maybe not.

This well crafted tale has Superman just as committed to Stalin and the noble goals of Communism as we remember him originally dedicated to Ame...more Superman's epic story is totally reimagined in this compilation of three related comics in which the premise has the rocket from Krypton landing not in Kansas in the 1930's, but in the Soviet Union in the 1950's. So wouldn't Superman figure out that "truth, justice and the American Way" was where it's at and get here as quick as he could? Well, maybe not.

This well crafted tale has Superman just as committed to Stalin and the noble goals of Communism as we remember him originally dedicated to America and it's freedom loving entrepreneurial spirit. In the first third of the saga (Red Son Rising), Superman is just as earnest and eager to save his fellowman from crises big and small. His extraordinary ability to see and hear keeps him "on the fly," and he has no compunction about offering his assistance around the world when only his skills can save the day. In fact, one such crisis brings him to Metropolis, where he encounters Lois Luthor, a reporter who is married to Dr. Lex Luthor, reportedly the smartest man alive. Eisenhower is president, and is facing what well may be the downfall of the US: the Soviets have announced Their Weapon to End the Cold War, and it is Superman!

Though he is loyal to Stalin, he originally has no ambition to run the country, but after Stalin's death, he comes to realize that only he has the ability to make the economy run smoothly and to save the people from themselves. Along the way in Part 2, Red Son Ascendant, we see Superman interacting with Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Brainiac. Batman is a hero to the underground freedom fighters who hope somehow to overturn Superman's hold on their lives and their society.

In the meantime, Lex Luthor is devising counter measures in the hopes of defeating Superman in battle. Though the monsters he creates do not defeat Superman, Lex never quits trying and is eventually elected president of the US. At that point, the United States is about the only country still out from under Superman's authority.

The final segment, Red Son Setting, takes us through an epic battle between Superman's Soviet Union and the United States as led by Lex Luthor. That battle and the eventual conclusion of the saga give the reader much to ponder, and maybe even a desire to re-read the story and pick up on even more of the references to the comic book world and the applications the authors would have us consider in reference to our current foreign policies. It's definitely an enjoyable, thought-provoking read, and well worth a second or third look as well!

The artwork recalls the WWII posters of citizens at work to support the war effort. It is exceedingly well drawn and inked, and though the plot is innovative and new, many tried and true characters are part of this story too. Jimmy Olsen and editor Perry White are there, and even the woman who might have been his mom, had the rocket ship traveled a few thousand miles further before it crashed, Martha Kent, puts in a cameo appearance! (less)

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May 24, 2011 Jeffrey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, read-in-2011, super-heroes

Superman:Red Son has a lot of things going for it. A clever conceit, a rich time period to draw up the universe, and strong artwork to give it an ominous feel.

But there's something missing, and that's a strong lead. While Superman himself does have some basic issues as a character, these issues are magnified when he is representing the Soviet Dream instead of the American one.

As a Soviet Superman, he supposedly believes in the ultimate goal of Communist doctrine and is not interested in the pol...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Jeff Rider rated it 5 of 5 stars

Easily the best Superman tale I've ever encountered, and a great exploration of a (set of) familiar character(s) through a new lens, and thereby gaining an entirely new thematic perspective. Superman's need to help everyone, his desire to improve the lives of those he feels obligated to protect, becomes fascinatingly dark, strangely therapeutic, and ultimately twisted and futile when filtered through Stalinist ideology and methodology. Seeing Batman as an enemy of the state (in a warm hat), Wond...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Andy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comics

Back when I read this the first time in August 2006 I wrote this as my review:

"This alternative take on the Superman myth really makes it something special. Well worth a read even if you aren't a Superman fan"

Well, that was a library book (one of the very few times I've used a library) and when back in the UK at the end of last year I found the deluxe hardcover running very cheap in a favourite old comic shop of mine (actually saying that they moved and set up a new shop in Canterbury but it's...more

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Feb 03, 2011 Marc's Comics rated it 4 of 5 stars

After reading every Super title from the Byrne relaunch in 1985 to the Loeb/Kelly relaunch in 2000, I fell out of comic books for a long time. Upon recently coming back, I found that any quick Google search of the best Superman stories I had missed inevitably contained Red Son. It's no surprise that a lot of Elseworlds stories have more staying power than in-continuity stuff - it's hard to so much as change a D-list supporting cast member's hair color without people getting upset - in Elseworlds...more After reading every Super title from the Byrne relaunch in 1985 to the Loeb/Kelly relaunch in 2000, I fell out of comic books for a long time. Upon recently coming back, I found that any quick Google search of the best Superman stories I had missed inevitably contained Red Son. It's no surprise that a lot of Elseworlds stories have more staying power than in-continuity stuff - it's hard to so much as change a D-list supporting cast member's hair color without people getting upset - in Elseworlds, you have freedom to do whatever you want.

The simple premise here is that the rocket from Krypton was a little late getting to Earth and ended up landing in communist Russia, raised on a Ukrainian collective farm, and eventually becoming a near-global ruler. There are several really neat touches, such as the reveal of what became of Batman, a clever use of Bizarro, Pyotr Roslov and Lana Lazarenko (it seriously took me way too long to connect Pyotr to Pete Ross - stupid!), a great Diebold reference, and yet another Brainiac-being-used-but-is-secretly-lying-in-wait-for-the-right-moment-to-reveal-he's-been-in-total-control-the-whole-time scenario.

It was quite jarring to see Superman as being so ruthless. Even though Millar attempts to portray him as essentially a "good" person, he ends up re-wiring brains of people who don't go along with his Marxist ways. Lois' character also seems like an afterthought - she obviously had to go somewhere in here, but her role as Luthor's not-quite wife who dreams of being with Superman for really no good reason doesn't do anything for me.

The art fit the mood and time period perfectly - there were a few really nice page spreads and costume designs, particularly Batman's.

I almost never say this, but I also feel like this series could've been longer. Events fly by at a super rapid pace and a lot of creative ideas are left unexplored in one or two panels.

At the end, there is a completely unnecessary epilogue that is 100% Grant Morrison inspired, a nifty little predestination paradox that adds a little sci-fi to an otherwise grounded-in-reality situation (or as much reality as you can have with super powered beings flying around). A lot of people don't like it, but I love it. It IS unnecessary, but for some reason it just caught me in that kind of mood.

All in all, really good stuff and a well thought-out story with a few flaws, but I left with a good feeling about it thanks to the crazy ending.
(less)

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Superman: Red Son (Superman Red Son Complete)

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