Review — Superman: Red Son

What if Clark Kent never landed in that small farm in Kansas? What if the Man of Steel had been raised by a completely different family, in another continent? What if Superman had been raised with a different political ideology, would he still stand for truth, justice, and honor? That is the ambitious question Mark Millar dares to ask in his subversive comic series, Superman: Red Son.

Content Guide

Violence: Heavy. Multiple scenes with guns are going off. People die throughout, sometimes in bloody ways. Stalin’s Russia abuses prisoners. One character dies by suicide. 

Sexual Content: Some mild flirting and brief cleavage scenes, but nothing over the top or truly objectionable.

Language: A few uses of h*** and d*** but overall very limited.

Spiritual Content: None

Other Negative Content: Themes of corruption, deception, and violence pervade throughout the story. Not a comic for children.

Review

Red Son takes place in Soviet Russia, during the Joseph Stalin era. The mad dictator is desperately searching for some advantage he can use over the West. He finds his answer in Kal-El, a young man with superhuman powers. Stalin proudly covers him in the Soviet colors and plants the star and sickle on his chest. Superman becomes the defender of Communist Russia.

Over in the West, Lex Luthor is manipulating the government to his will. With no one to stop him, America descends into greed and corruption, and Superman is regarded as a dangerous alien terrorist. 

Soviet Superman

Mark Millar is my favorite comic writer, and he brings all of his skill into play with this ambitious series. Rather than be an antihero version of Superman, Clark Kent is still devoted to his traditional ideals. There are several moving scenes where Superman cannot stand the sight of a homeless mother or prisoners abused in the gulag, and he demands they be treated as human beings. 

The plot truly kicks off with the death of Stalin. Superman becomes the new head of Soviet Russia, and under his leadership, the nation becomes more benevolent. They abandon the communist ideals, while Lex Luthor distorts America into his image. 

The best part of the story is when Batman shows up, out for revenge against Superman. In this universe, Bruce Wayne watched his parents die at the hands of Stalin’s thugs and wants Superman to pay. This is quite possibly the grimmest iteration of the Dark Knight, as Batman resorts to terrorism, deception, and assassination to achieve his ends. He becomes something of a political revolutionary, gathering together a band of loyal followers calling themselves the ‘Bat-Men’ and vowing to stand against the corruption and tyranny of Communism.

In tragic irony, Batman and his followers become the incarnation of everything they hate. Meanwhile Superman wrestles with the truth of what Bruce Wayne tells him but refuses to descend into violent terrorism. This presents one of the most unique moral problems in the entire Superman universe. Kal-El realizes that Stalin led a corrupt and decadent regime, of which he is now in charge. He understands that Batman has a right to be angry and is correct that change is necessary. However, Superman will not stoop to murder and instead believes that by standing by his principles, he can lead Soviet Russia out of it’s corruption, while Bruce Wayne succumbs to his inner darkness.

Towards the end, Millar saves some of his biggest surprises and creates one of the most delightful multiverse paradoxes I have ever seen in Superman comics. Superman, now having led the nation for years, faces off against Lex Luthor and learns the truth about who was truly pulling the strings in the East/West conflict. It’s pretty mind-melting, I’ll just say that.

Conclusion

The artwork is brilliantly creative, lots of dark reds and blacks pervade. I think this not only highlights the Soviet Russia era, but also that this is a much darker and serious take on the Man of Steel. There are moments that took my breath away; some action sequences looked so well done I couldn’t help but stare and admire the artistry. This comic series is so good, there could be zero dialogue and you would still think this is a work of art. 

Mark Millar asks difficult questions. Questions of moral right and wrong pervade. One of the more subtle themes in the story is whether Superman’s morals can survive the corruption and darkness of the real world. Politics is an unavoidable aspect of the story — questions of when governments go too far in their authority, as well as when patriotism becomes hijacked by sinister individuals for their own gain. Possibly Millar’s most brilliant achievement is that he does all this without making a clear political statement. In his world, all power corrupts, even with the best of intentions; and no government can truly serve the people altruistically. 

Overall, I found Superman: Red Son to be enthralling and cerebral. Difficult questions are asked, but the solutions are as simple as could be. Often I wonder if the way to a better world is through political change, but here is a powerful reminder that holding true to my integrity and morals is more powerful than any political movement.

In a world of terrorism and violence, kindness and sympathy are potent antidotes against such evils. Mark Millar has done a brilliant job at recreating the Superman mythos, and I highly recommend reading this.