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A review by mastersal
Superman: Red Son by Mark Millar
4.0
An excellent what-if tale of Superman which is used to explore the adage - "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". I liked the story, especially the ending and the art. Despite the alternative take it maintained Superman's desire to "do good" which is a hallmark of his character IMHO.
However, the plot is now well worn - what if Superman takes over the world? What if he is not the all-American boy scout but something more sinister ? This type of AU has been seen time and time again - for example, in Injustice. This is a little more nuanced in that Superman is not necessarily evil here but misguided. However, the totalitarian impact is the same.
As a result, Superman is less a character here and more a political ideology. There is little humour here - some small glimpses and homage to the Lois Lane romance and a reference to Lana Lang. But nothing particular 'human' about this superman. And my favorite variants of the character explore his (and our) humanity.
The political commentary is also more on the simplistic "totalitarian is bad" scale. It doesn't explore nuance or joy. Yes, I get the whole "people who sacrifice freedom for safety" - but there is no exploration of why this choice is made. Sometimes the choice is not clear - here Superman's regime is clearly 'not good'.
Still the art, tight story and the clear vision carried the day here. Worth checking out
However, the plot is now well worn - what if Superman takes over the world? What if he is not the all-American boy scout but something more sinister ? This type of AU has been seen time and time again - for example, in Injustice. This is a little more nuanced in that Superman is not necessarily evil here but misguided. However, the totalitarian impact is the same.
As a result, Superman is less a character here and more a political ideology. There is little humour here - some small glimpses and homage to the Lois Lane romance and a reference to Lana Lang. But nothing particular 'human' about this superman. And my favorite variants of the character explore his (and our) humanity.
The political commentary is also more on the simplistic "totalitarian is bad" scale. It doesn't explore nuance or joy. Yes, I get the whole "people who sacrifice freedom for safety" - but there is no exploration of why this choice is made. Sometimes the choice is not clear - here Superman's regime is clearly 'not good'.
Still the art, tight story and the clear vision carried the day here. Worth checking out