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Superman: Red Son
Probably one of the best "what if" stories i have ever read. It has all the elements of a great grophic novel. Good story telling, good art, and exelent dialogue.
Superman: Red Son
In the preface, the hyperbolic Tom DeSanto wildly trumpets "Red Son" as a devastating critique of American foreign policy, not the cookie-cutter "feel-good propaganda" that might have been expected. Instead, he hints darkly at surrendering freedom in favor of security.Oh please. The Soviet Union that Superman serves here is the sort of cookie-cutter comic book autocracy one might have expected in a 1950s comic and bears no resemblance to the murderous regime that truly was an "evil empire." At one point, Stalin understands why Superman must rush off to save thousands in Vladivostok. This is the dictator who killed, yes slaughtered, tens of millions of his own people.It's this sort of superficial investigation that dooms "Red Son" to superficial stabs at political comment, and third-rate reimaginings of history that are, frankly, tiresome.Though the story is redeemed in the end by a circular ending which seems to say we are always doomed to repeat the same mistakes, this "devastating critique" is not really all that original, exciting, or particularly entertaining. Nor does it comment on anything except the overexcited imaginations of a bunch of leftists who obviously learned their politics from comic books. Grow up, guys.
Superman: Red Son
Normally, when I get my hands on one of these babies and I just cannot put it down. Not the case with this one. An Elseworlds story on what if Superman landed in the USSR instead? Certainly, this would make an intriguing story. Some of the differences include a new costume, Batman as a vigilante in USSR, Jimmy as a government spy, and Lois as wife of Lex Luthor. Some of these differences are self-explanatory, but others such as Batman being in USSR and Jimmy working for CIA is not really explained. Add to also, really boring writing (took me several sittings to finish it) and not too interesting storylines and you get three snoozefest stories.The first story on Luthor creating Bizarro to battle Superman is very uninteresting. Luthor is hired by US Govt to counteract the Superman threat and is considered a hero in this book.The second story is somewhat more interesting as Batman teams up with Luthor in bringing down the man of steel. I really enjoy how they do this and Batman's costume is pretty nice, but again, there is no explanation to why he is here in this country.Third story is suppose to be epic as the last and final assault launched by the US to destroy Superman. Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Lex, attack at the same time. However, the final climatic moment is very weak and quite confusing. And the epilogue is not really as brilliant as one would think, probably tiresome as this book is too long and boring.The only saving grace is the artwork which resembles propaganda-ish cartoon art which is very popular in communist countries. The Wonder Woman in this book is one of the best and most accurate I ever seen.
Superman: Red Son
"Superman: Red Son" features the most brilliant premise I've seen in the Elseworlds series: the boy of Krypton lands not on a rural American farm, but instead on a rural Soviet collective during the same time. Naturally as he grows up he acculturates into the Soviet Union and finds its values natural and right.What a wonderful opportunity to explore the origins of right and wrong, of our conceptions of justice, and how our ideas about morality are largely products of a place and time we were born into without being consulted about the matter.At least, this is what I thought this graphic novel was going to be as I eagerly awaited it in the mail. (It seems to be in the process of going out of print.)Alas! When it arrived, it was a comprehensive disappointment. Sure, I didn't have the setup wrong, but what could have been an immortal exploration of the tyranny of culture and the genealogy of morals got quickly bogged down in explaining how the new milieu dovetailed with the doings of the other DC heroes, and what was going on back stateside. The remainder of the book involved a hackneyed plot to wreak destruction by -- you guessed it -- Lex Luthor.What a lost opportunity. Needs to be redone.
Superman: Red Son
Red Son is an amazingly twisted and introspective look at just how different the Superman story could have been if his capsule had hit Earth even an hour off.Even people who aren't Superman fans need to give this a read, it's is so much better than anything else I own. The twist at the end is pretty wild too.
Superman: Red Son
To preface this I'm just going to say that I often find Mark Miller, though I don't know him personally, to be a self-aggrandizing prick. That being said the man does know how to tell a story and I suppose it isn't bragging if you can back it up. This story is more or less and 'Elseworlds' story and imagines what if Superman's rocket had been 12 hrs earlier or later and landed in rural Soviet Union instead of rural Kansas. Now Josef Stalin has his 'Man of Steel' and uber-mensch to show off how communism is the best political form of government. There is also Batman who is Russian for the purposes of the story trying to pry the country out from under the steel-fisted grip of the Last Son of Krypton because he has become a Fascist. Lex Luthor becomes the American president, married to Lois Lane, and is still trying to destroy Superman but this time for the good of the country and the world not wanting to become a vassal nation to the Soviet Union. Green Lantern also makes an appearance. This story is wide spread and utterly fantastic and if you like comics or great stories told well then this is a must read.